Creator Jamie Dunn reveals what he is planning for a special event with everyone’s favourite bathmat.
In this edition of Media McKnight:
Why the Sarah Ferguson “outrage” is overblown
➡️ Sky News vs the ABC – who’s really playing politics?
➡️ Channel Nine’s live TV backlash explained
➡️ Matt White’s return – and Seven’s NRL power play
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You can watch the video version of Media McKnight in the YouTube player below:
WAS THE ‘OFFENSIVE’ QUESTION REALLY THAT OFFENSIVE?
Despite early resistance Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called a Royal Commission into the Bondi terror attack, after a sustained campaign by Australia’s major newspapers.
Whether you agree with the idea of a royal commission or not, it does show traditional media still holds a lot of power – and they’re not afraid to use that power during tragic events.
Monday on McKnight Tonight I spoke about the politics surrounding the shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in the US.
While things are not as extreme here, it is worth noting how the Bondi tragedy was used to score political points.
Look no further than the headlines surrounding the host of 730 – Sarah Ferguson.
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Ferguson’s perceived crime was daring to ask a former politician if he was motivated by a possible political comeback over the leadership role he took on behalf of Jews, after the massacre.
ABC’s Sarah Ferguson sinks to ‘new low’ during Josh Frydenberg interview screamed the Sky News headline.
But just how bad was the question?
730 host Sarah Ferguson asked Josh Frydenberg a question some have labelled “a new low”
Let’s go to the transcript (you can watch the video in the player above):
Sarah Ferguson: One, one final question to you. It’s, it’s widely viewed as inevitable that you will return to politics. How do we not see this through a political lens? I mean, the case that you’re making a personal case against the Prime Minister.
Josh Frydenberg: I’m deeply offended by what you just said. I’m deeply offended.
Josh Frydenberg: That is an insult to say that there’s any political motivation in this. It’s a question. The re- No, Sarah, the reality is this. I’m an Australian who has to have personal security because my life is endangered in this country, and I was the treasurer of this country. My children go to a school where there are armed guards outside. When I visit a Jewish aged care centre, there are armed guards outside. When I send my kids to Jewish sporting clubs, there are police cars out there and police tape. How should we live with this? Why should we live with this? So if I’m not gonna speak out, who is? If not now, when? If not me, who? The reality is, this was an attack on Jewish Australians, but this is a threat to every Australian.
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Sarah Ferguson: To be clear, my question was about the framing of what you are saying. I’m not making assertions. I’m not copying what anybody else is saying. And,
Josh Frydenberg: And, and Sarah, I- It’s a question. Sarah, and you asked me the question and I gave you my answer.
I don’t see anything wrong with the question. He’s a politician. She saved that question until the very end and I believe she had every right to ask him whether he was looking at a return to politics.
The points he made about security, needing police escorts, and his kids needing armed guards outside their school are all very valid. I believe he is genuine in what he is saying about the fears he has as a Jewish Australian. But that doesn’t mean that in some part of his mind, he isn’t thinking this has been a good way to come back to the forefront of politics in this country.
And it’s worth noting Sky News, the outlet that criticised that question, actually ran a report
Saying Josh Frydenberg is set to return to politics.
“Former treasurer Josh Frydenberg has told senior party members he intends to make a return to federal politics” the article by According to the report by Andrew Clennell and Oscar Godsell says.
“According to multiple Liberal sources, the senior Jewish leader has indicated a desire to contest Kooyong in 2028 after losing the seat to Teal independent Monique Ryan in 2022”.
And even opposition leader Sussan Ley apparently welcomes a return to politics by Frydenberg.
So, in the context of all that, why is it so outrageous and a “new low” to ask him if his leadership during this tragedy should be looked at in a political way? It’s not like politicians haven’t been known to use situations like this to their advantage – not that I’m accusing Frydenberg of such a thing.
There’s no doubt Josh Frydenberg was deeply affected by the Bondi shootings, but it is completely ridiculous of the media to pile on Sarah Ferguson over this issue just because they hate the ABC.
And while we’re talking about the events at Bondi, I’d like to defend this unfortunate moment on Channel, which has received a lot of criticism.
It all happened while A Current Affair was broadcasting live on location in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Ben Davies, a former lifeguard and creator of Bondi Rescue, speaking with A Current Affair’s Leila McKinnon about the actions of local surf lifesavers who rushed into danger as gunfire erupted on that fateful day when he asked to read out the names of the lifesavers who had helped on that day.
You can see how things played out in the video player above, but McKinnon told him there wasn’t enough time to do that. Unfortunately, when she threw back to host Alison Langdon, she spoke for 28 seconds, which would have been more than enough time to read out the seven names.
The clip has drawn a lot of criticism on social media and online news sites but I’ll defend Laila here. She’s on the ground doing live coverage and – I assume – been told to wrap up the interview in her earpiece.
With a producer in the control room telling her to finish up, Leila knows she needs to throw back to Ally as soon as possible. She could not have possibly known there was still more time to read out those names.
McKinnon then posted the names on her Facebook page, apologizing for not being able to get to them.
While it wasn’t a good look for the network, do you think for one second McKinnon didn’t want Ben to read out those names? Do you think she made that editorial decision? No, she was told to hurry up and she did as she was told.
In a situation like this we’ve got to forgive little mistakes like this that happen on live TV during tragedies. She made a mistake. Give her a break.
GUESS WHO’S BACK…
A familiar face is returning to Channel Seven… and it says a LOT about Seven’s future NRL plans.
In what can only be described as a stroke of genius… Seven confirmed the return of respected sports broadcaster Matt White. The sports presenter will return to the 7 News Sydney sports desk this Sunday, before shifting focus to the network’s expanded NRL coverage ahead of the 2026 season.
• Veteran broadcaster Matt White is set to rejoin Seven in a cross platform role across 7 News Sydney and NRL coverage (image – SEN)
So what does this tell us? It tells us seven is going to go hard on the NRL. I don’t expect them to go for the full broadcast rights package, but we know NRL Chairman Peter V’landys wants to get as much money out of the NRL rights as possible.
Seven have wanted the State Of Origin, and possibly the Grand Fina,l forever and a day. And now it looks like V’landys will separate the SOO from the normal season. So the wash-up you would expect is that nine will get the NRL season and Seven will get the State Of Origin.
Seven has the AFL rights, but they want those State Of Origin rights because the ratings are spectacular and it won’t interfere with their AFL broadcasts.
But let’s go further – imagine if Seven had the AFL and the NRL grand finals. That’s some big properties to have.
So, make no mistake, the hiring of Matt White is all part of Seven’s push into NRL territory.
AGRO’S RETURN TO TV
I had the pleasure of talking with the legendary Jamie Dunn this week on McKnight Tonight.
Dunn is, of course, the creator of Agro but also reigned supreme on the radio airwaves in Brisbane and then Sydney.
There’s been some talk lately that Dunn and Agro could be returning to television for a one-off special with Channel 7… so I asked him for some details.
You can watch the exchange in the video player above or read the transcript below:
Rob McKnight: Jamie, you recently posted that you’re in talks with Channel seven for a one hour up late special with Agro. They’re saying that there’s this up late special. Was that real?
Jamie Dunn: We’re having a chat about a one hour, just only one one hour show. My mate, Pete and I are, are writing it and, uh, we’ve, uh, the opening that we’ve got to start off with is, is Agro sort of, um, being quite sexual and so forth and then he turns around and Fat Cat’s in the corner and he goes, “Oh, I wouldn’t be laughing if I was, yeah, you’re next.”
Rob McKnight: What would the show be?
Jamie Dunn: So it would be some of the goofs, you know, like, the outtakes that have had, oh my God, six million hits.
There is a lot of love for Agro and Jamie Dunn. That special sounds like a cracker and I can’t wait to see it.
Dunn also revealed he believed Kyle and Jackie O would work in Brisbane when we spoke about radio. That’s despite the issues they’ve had in Melbourne. He also talked about the crazy situation with Robin, Kip and Corey, who were sacked from KIIS in Brisbane last year, only to be reinstated for 2026.
Jamie Dunn: Her (Robin’s) breakfast show, all of a sudden, you know, the fridge fell on her. I spoke to her over Christmas and she said, “I don’t think I’ll get another radio gig. I’m, I’m, you know, I’m just having some time off to get my thoughts together.” And I said, “You, you can come back with something, trust me, you know, I’ve, I’ve seen the movie, you know, uh, just, uh, settle down, it’ll all, all come good.” And then of course they’ve gone, “Oh no, we made a mistake. You’re back on.”
Rob McKnight: I mean, that just gives you an idea of the state of radio, but that slot is earmarked on KIISS FM for Kyle and Jackie O. Despite what’s happened in Melbourne where it hasn’t worked, would their show work as a network show in Brisbane?
Jamie Dunn: I think it would, you know. The, the problem that Robin’s got, imagine your self-belief after you’ve been sacked, and then all of a sudden, supposedly, the audience has demanded your return. Well, you know, they, they’ll need to, to rate. The pressure on them now is massive.
It Certainly is, and it’s going to be a fascinating year in Brisbane radio with so many changes.
But the best story of all was when he told me what happened when he was sacked by B105. This was despite the fact he was sitting at the top of the ratings at the time.
Jamie Dunn: They took me next, they took me next door to a café nd they said “Today’s your last day. We’ve got a press conference when we get back. You know, you’re finished.”
Jamie Dunn: When you’re in entertainment, all of a sudden, the fridge can fall on you, all of a sudden. Yeah. You can be number one with 27% of the market and bang, you’re done.
Jamie Dunn: But anyway, I was around having this coffee and they’ve gone, “you know, you’re finished, we’re going back to the station. “There’s a press conference, everyone’s flown up from Sydney”. And I said, “Well, that’s not happening.” And I remember Richard Barker going, “No, no, it’s, it’s all arranged.” I said, “If you want me to stagger around that car park, crying like you’ve killed one of my children, you’ll go ahead with it. If not, you wait until I can find somewhere to go”. And the other guy at the meeting with me turned to Richard Barker and said, “He’ll do it, you know.”.
We’ve only scratched the surface of that interview, which is filled with fascinating insights.
You can watch the entire chat in the video player below.
RADIO KILLED THE VIDEO FEED
Is Nine radio giving up on video content?
That’s the question being asked around town after a banner was added to the top of all its radio station websites advising ‘The watch stream feature will be removed by January 22nd, 2026”.
The banner appearing on Nine Radio websites advising the video feed will be turned off
That means you will no longer be able to watch the video livestream of your favourite radio shows.
Media Mcknight can reveal this is a temporary measure while the websites undergo a major upgrade. Video content will still be recorded and posted online, but the livestream feature will be gone for around 6 months while the upgrades take place.
I’m told Nine still see a lot of potential in video, so watch this space.
GOLDEN GLOBES
The Golden Globes were held this week, and I have to say, it was a really watchable event.
Isn’t it funny to think that just a few years ago, many believe the award ceremony was done and dusted? That was after the Hollywood Foreign Press Association was accused of ethical lapses and a lack of diversity in 2021.
Historically, the awards were considered something of a joke within Hollywood, but one which the community continued to take part in as it helped sell their movies and TV shows.
Many in Hollywood felt the Hollywood Foreign Press Association had too much power. They wanted to dilute that power. The awards went off for a couple of years while they worked out the issues behind the scenes, but they’re back and I’ve got to say, the ceremony this week was very watchable, very enjoyable.
Media McKnight streams every Tuesday night at 9pm AEDT at YouTube.com/@mcknighttonight, with the article published every Wednesday morning.
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