MediaLand

We’re always talking about media companies trying to get bigger in order to survive. But that may not be the only way to do it. Hannah Ferguson set up Cheek Media in 2020 and has been building an independent media powerhouse without outside investment or selling off parts of the company. Does being small help and are there gaps growing between big media companies and their audiences? Will big tech companies have to pay to play with local news makers again? The Federal Government released a document this week suggesting that the long talked about New Bargaining Incentive may kick into gear in 2026. It’s been a pretty turbulent week for domestic media companies, who are all in their own ways reacting to a softening advertising market. Job cuts at Nine are the most obvious symptom, but it's going to be a tough end to 2025 right across commercial media. And we found out this week that The Victorian Office of Public Prosecutions will not charge Kyle and Jackie O or Mamamia with contempt for potentially prejudicial comments made during the trial of Erin Patterson. Can these media companies breathe a sigh of relief yet? Guest: Hannah Ferguson, CEO and Founder of Cheek Media Co., co-host of Cheek’s podcast The Big Small Talk and the author of Bite Back and 2024’s Taboo.

Tuesday the 11th of November marks a big date in the political history calendar in Australia. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the dismissal of the Gough Whitlam government, heralding a blizzard of political change. What was it like in the press gallery on that day and what impact did the events of 1975 have on Australian political journalism? Tom Mcllroy has been speaking to political journalists from 1975 who weathered the storm in the press gallery fifty years ago for Meanjin. After literal years of people calling for it the federal government is making international streamers invest in a certain amount of Australian content. Legislation was introduced this week to mandate that any streaming services with more than 1 million Australian subscribers must produce Australian drama, children's, documentary, arts or educational programs. It's been a long time coming, but will it actually mean more Australian content on our screens? We learned more this week about Australia's impending social media ban for children under sixteen, but it’s still not entirely clear what’s happening in roughly four weeks when the law comes into effect. What we do know is that Reddit and live-streaming platform Kick will be included along with Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, X, Facebook and Instagram. Guest: Tom Mcllroy, Political Editor for The Guardian Australia You can binge more episodes of the MediaLand podcast with media insiders Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find interviews with the big media bosses, the journalists on the ground and the hacks who hunt for the big media scoops. Please email us at Medialand@abc.net.au if you would like to get in touch, we read them all and love hearing from you! 

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Regional news in Australia has been in a decline for a while, in quantity at least. Between 2019 and 2024, there were 358 contractions and 174 expansions of news outlets across Australia, that’s a loss of at least 184 outlets. It’s been a struggle and ultimately it's audiences who end up missing out. The Public Interest Journalism Initiative says that as of last year there were at least 29 local government areas who didn’t have any print or digital news at all. What happens when no one is watching? One of the biggest media companies in the world is up for sale, although not entirely by choice. Warner Brothers Discovery has declared itself open for offers in the United States after receiving "unsolicited interest". Big media buyout season appears to be still on in the international market and could have a big impact for Australian viewers. And the rolling maul of media announcements for 2026 in Australia continues as networks confirm their line ups and announce their content slates. What is next year going to look and sound like on our screens and speakers? Guest: Dr T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer at RMIT and Australian Research Council DECRA FellowYou can binge more episodes of the MediaLand podcast with media insiders Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find interviews with the big media bosses, the journalists on the ground and the hacks who hunt for the big media scoops. Please email us at Medialand@abc.net.au if you would like to get in touch, we read them all and love hearing from you! 

It's October and that means radio killing season is underway. It's that special time of the year where radio stations and TV channels decide what their next year will look like and make sudden and sometimes shocking changes to their hosting line ups. We've already seen a few quick dispatches this killing season and it's likely to heat up over the next fortnight. Former KIIS FM Nights host Mitch Churi was one of the victims last year and he joins us to discuss the scariest time of year for radio hosts. Netflix and Spotify have signed a deal this week bringing video podcasts into the stable of the streaming giant. Is video about to kill the podcasting star? Teens and tech titans are all busy at the moment looking for ways around the impending social media age restrictions. Does the big shift towards age restriction online in December have a chance of working as intended?  Guest: Mitch Churi, Host of The Mitch Churi Chat Show and former KIIS FM radio host You can binge more episodes of the MediaLand podcast with media insiders Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find interviews with the big media bosses, the journalists on the ground and the hacks who hunt for the big media scoops. Please email us at Medialand@abc.net.au if you would like to get in touch, we read them all and love hearing from you! 

If you weren’t reading the newspapers in Victoria and Queensland in 1980s you could be forgiven for not knowing the name of fallen media mogul Christopher Skase. It's a problem Mark Humphries is trying to solve with a new podcast from ABC Radio National Rewind - Skase Fall of a Tycoon. We dig into why media personalities are so interesting to Australians when they're at their peak, and decades later.News Corp Australia boss Michael Miller fired some opening shots at the big tech companies this Wednesday at the Melbourne Press Club claiming calls to reform copyright laws are an attempt at a "big steal". Why is copyright becoming such a hot topic and what do Australian writers and creatives stand to lose? Google has launched in Australia a chatbot-like advanced form of AI search, called "AI Mode". They’re calling a move from “search engine” to “answer engine”. What impact will this have on news websites which have already seen a drop in traffic after AI summaries were introduced on Google a year ago? Guest: Mark Humphries, comedian and host of Skase: Fall of a Tycoon on ABC Radio National Rewind 

In a major move in the race for media consolidation Seven West Media and Southern Cross Austereo are proposing a merger which would make them a major broadcast and print player on both sides of the continent. But will shareholders and regulators be as thrilled as the executives and if this does go through what does it mean for the Australian media we consume? Media regulator ACMA threw a whole book of bus tickets at the Kyle and Jackie O show this week, finding another seven breaches of the Commercial Radio Code  in 2024. While it can barely contain its ire, it hasn't announced any sanctions for KIIS FM or its owner Australian Radio Network yet. Speaking of ARN, its CEO Ciaran Davis announced this week he'll be stepping aside after sixteen years at the helm of the commercial radio juggernaut. What's next for our big talk and music radio stations? Guest: Craig Bruce, Co-host of the Game Changers Radio podcast and former Content Director for Southern Cross Austereo You can binge more episodes of the MediaLand podcast with media insiders Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find interviews with the big media bosses, the journalists on the ground and the hacks who hunt for the big media scoops. Please email us at Medialand@abc.net.au if you would like to get in touch, we read them all and love hearing from you! 

With a new season of Big Brother in the wings, what’s the future for reality TV in Australia? Host of reality TV podcast So Dramatic Megan Pustetto is in to discuss the powerhouse of Australian reality television. It's late night redemption for Jimmy Kimmel as his late night show returns to ABC, but not the affiliate stations who are hoping for a merger deal approval from the FCC. Is free speech safe on American TV or is life support well and truly on? And it's time for the MediaLand Book Club! To celebrate the last week of voting for the ABC Radio National Top 100 Books Countdown we browse the bookshelves of Australian Media biography. it would be fair to say Tim has a list...Guest: Megan Pustetto, host of reality TV podcast So Dramatic and Founder and Creative Director of the Kind Regards NetworkYou can binge more episodes of the MediaLand podcast with media insiders Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find interviews with the big media bosses, the journalists on the ground and the hacks who hunt for the big media scoops. Please email us at Medialand@abc.net.au if you would like to get in touch, we read them all and love hearing from you! 

American President Donald Trump is on a media warpath. He's filed a new defamation lawsuit against the New York Times and had a run in with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's America's Editor John Lyons. That's not even mentioning the demise of Jimmy Kimmel Live. Are local journalists "hurting Australia" by asking questions on the world stage? How hard is it to make Australian drama and documentaries if you aren't a huge media company? Next Wednesday the 24th of September a new 3 part hybrid drama documentary is launching on SBS and SBS on Demand titled The People vs Robodebt. We look at the peaks and troughs of trying to get local stories made. How are the new restrictions on youth social media use going to actually work? Well, we're still a bit unclear on that. New government guidelines were released this week ahead of the policy coming into effect in December but the companies the law will apply to are worried the rules aren't clear enough. The Emmy awards produced some surprise headlines this week and it looks like the age of prestige programming is well and truly back in force. Guest: Michael Cordell, Creative Director of production company CJZ and Executive Producer of The People Vs Robodebt You can binge more episodes of the MediaLand podcast with media insiders Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find interviews with the big media bosses, the journalists on the ground and the hacks who hunt for the big media scoops. Please email us at Medialand@abc.net.au if you would like to get in touch, we read them all and love hearing from you! 

A settlement deal has been reached between Rupert Murdoch and his four oldest children, with billions of dollars changing hands. It leaves Lachlan Murdoch firmly in charge but with watered down ownership of News Corporation and Fox.  Can we expect a swing to the right in the Murdoch press or is it business as usual? How are journalists affected by what they cover and is it getting worse? A landmark new study into journalist trauma is underway looking at the impact of emotional and physical damage on journalists and the communities they cover. Historian Dr Fay Anderson is leading the project interviewing news makers and their subjects.  Do you like lukewarm catering and big LED displays? Well good news, it's upfront season for the big broadcasters in Australia, giving us a flavour of what to expect on our screens next year. Do Tim and Viv meet the competing dress codes? Guest: Fay Anderson,  Associate Professor and the Program Director of the Master of Journalism at Monash University  You can binge more episodes of the MediaLand podcast with media insiders Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find interviews with the big media bosses, the journalists on the ground and the hacks who hunt for the big media scoops. Please email us at Medialand@abc.net.au if you would like to get in touch, we read them all and love hearing from you! 

Why is the government trying to further restrict Freedom of Information laws? The proposed changes include the introduction of fees for FOI requests, a 40 hour time cap on processing a request and widening the definition of cabinet papers, which cannot be requested under the transparency law. What impact could these changes have on journalism in Australia? Does reporting on extreme views fan the flames or is it an important way of understanding the society we live in? Reporting of protest actions last weekend in Australian cities has drawn criticism from all sides. News broke this week of the death of Australian broadcaster Michael Charlton. He was the first ever famous face on ABC TV,  launching this broadcast onto the airwaves in 1958. How different in investigative journalism on TV now than it was in 1961 when he was the first host on ABC's Four Corners. Guest: William Summers, freelance journalist and FOI expert You can binge more episodes of the MediaLand podcast, with media insiders Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.Please email us at Medialand@abc.net.au if you would like to get in touch, we read them all and love hearing from you! 

Free to air television is at a tipping point as Australians flock to international streamers. The commercial television broadcasters are heading to Canberra next week to lobby the returned government to change the rules they're under. But is it the government's job to support commercial media? Is one of our biggest audio studios for sale? It depends who you ask. There's a reporting buzz going on around the future of LiSTNER and Triple M owner Southern Cross Austereo and if it might potentially be sold to Nine. What would consolidation of that kind look like for Australian ears? And are the disruptors becoming what they promised to disrupt? Netflix has started cinematic releases for some of the movies it makes itself. When is a movie studio not a movie studio? We also find out just what exactly a Kpop Demon Hunter is. Guest Host: Zoe Samios, Business Reporter for the Australian Financial Review Guest: Bridget Fair, CEO of Free TV Australia You can binge more episodes of the MediaLand podcast, with media insiders Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.Please email us at Medialand@abc.net.au if you would like to get in touch, we read them all and love hearing from you! 

Everyone thinks they know how the ABC should spend its money, but there's only one person at the top of the decision making tree! New (ish) managing Director Hugh Marks is five months into a five year term, is he ready to start making some big calls? Domestic basketball and international UFC media rights deals mark a new chapter in streamers and broadcasters competing for lucrative sporting titles. How will it hit your wallet? And rumours are swirling that that Guy Pearce is in talks to play Rupert Murdoch in a new flick about the media mogul's succession plans. Why are we still so fascinated by this modern Shakespearean drama? Guest Host: Zoe Samios, Business reporter for the Australian Financial Review and former media reporter Guest: Hugh Marks, Managing Director of the ABCYou can binge more episodes of the MediaLand podcast, with media insiders Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.Please email us at Medialand@abc.net.au if you would like to get in touch, we read them all and love hearing from you! 

More journalists have been killed in Gaza, adding to the highest ever media death toll recorded. Why are journalists being killed in such high numbers and are conflict zones like Gaza and Sudan becoming black holes for news coverage? Former foreign correspondent Peter Greste is adamant that foreign correspondents are necessary, but we're fighting a losing battle. New "Post and Boast" legislation has got journalists and lawyers in Western Australia worried. The State Government has been debating new law this week which could have a profound effect on freedom of speech. SBS Managing Director James Taylor has announced he will step down from his role this year in order to head up Ooh Media. it leaves SBS without a chairperson or clear MD at the same time. And Netflix is getting more expensive, again! Can the streamer justify $28.99 a month to content hungry viewers?  Guest: Professor Peter Greste, Executive Director of the Alliance for Journalists' Freedom, Professor at the University of Queensland and former correspondent for Al Jazeera in the Middle East You can binge more episodes of the MediaLand podcast, with media insiders Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.Please email us at Medialand@abc.net.au if you would like to get in touch, we read them all and love hearing from you! 

Reports of the death of print newspapers have been exaggerated. The Australian Financial Review is reporting that Nine Entertainment and News Corp are poised to sign a new contract to print newspapers across the country. The Murdochs are so bullish they’re launching a new paper! The California Post. Is there life in the old newshound yet? The Sydney Harbour Bridge protest drew the attention of Australian media but they covered it in very different ways. Why was it a "bloody disgrace" for some outlets and a "peaceful protest" elsewhere? Christian O'Connell’s breakfast show on Gold FM is launching nationally in 2026, ARN are claiming that makes it the first national commercial breakfast show. Meanwhile, Howard Stern’s contract in the US is coming to a close. Are we still in the age of the radio megastars? Guest: Chris Janz, CEO of Capital Brief and former chief digital and publishing officer at NineYou can binge more episodes of the MediaLand podcast, with media insiders Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.Please email us at Medialand@abc.net.au if you would like to get in touch, we read them all and love hearing from you! 

On this week's episode, it's media mayhem in Australia as the Albanese Government’s surprise move to include YouTube in the national social media ban sparks global headlines — and a possible lawsuit from Google. Is this the moment big tech stops pretending to be the good guy?Meanwhile, Bondi Rescue might be quietly cancelled, leaving fans wondering why some shows vanish without a trace. And in the boardroom, media mergers are heating up, with Solstice Media, Private Media and Nine all making moves. Is editorial independence the price of consolidation?Guest: Ben Willee, Executive Director of Media and Data, Spinach AdvertisingYou can binge more episodes of the MediaLand podcast, with media insiders Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.Please email us at Medialand@abc.net.au if you would like to get in touch, we read them all and love hearing from you! 

It’s media mayhem in the states as Trump takes on the Murdoch media empire, political machinations are accused of being behind the cancellation of a beloved late night TV show and big media companies are settling all over the place. What does mass media in the states look like under Trump 2.0? Who is the most family friendly app of them all? Big tech companies are announcing 'family friendly' features ahead of the policy announcement in Australia that could change the game for kids' content. Over the Tasman, Sky is making moves in the New Zealand media scene.Guest: Eriq Gardner, Legal Author at Puck, former Editor at Large for The Hollywood Reporter 

Are magazines dead? Australia's biggest magazine publisher Are Media is seeking buyers and the future of the publishing industry is up in the air. The Emmy nominations were released this week and it’s been a bumper crop for highly produced fiction on the big streamers. Have the 'disruptors' become what they once displaced? The radio wars are losing a key general this year, Southern Cross Austereo announced this week that their long-serving chief content officer Dave Cameron will be calling it quits.And is Lois Lane in violation of journalistic ethics in the new Superman film? Guest: Marina Go, Independent Director and former magazine editor and publisher 

Media mania descended on Morwell this week for the murder trial and verdict of Erin Patterson, are the victims being forgotten? SBS is celebrating fifty years of broadcasting this year, but is it still meeting its mandate? Managing Director of the Special Broadcasting Service James Taylor is adamant that it is. Thirteen years on from the prank call that shocked the world, radio host Michael Christian is taking his former employer to court. Over a decade after the call and the death of a UK nurse that followed it, where does the responsibility for damage caused by media lie? Guest: James Taylor, Managing Director of SBS 

Is AI writing your news? Is it a problem if it does? Artificial intelligence in journalism researcher Dr Phoebe Matich is trying to discover the extent to which AI is being used in our newsrooms, and how journalists and audiences feel about it. Community radio stations across Australia are fighting for survival against a rising tide of costs and limited funding. The Managing Director of FBI Radio in Sydney Tyson Koh joins us to talk about the station’s efforts to stay on air. A sports streaming stoush has broken out as Nine secures a new rights deal for the English Premier League. Some linear TV channels burst back into life in New South Wales and South Australia after a brief period off air as Seven and WIN networks find a way to agree. Guests: Tyson Koh, Managing Director of FBI Radio and Phoebe Matich, Postdoctoral researcher at the Queensland University of Technology