McKnight Tonight & Media McKnight

Set to retire at the end of the year, Graham opens up about the changing television landscape and the lessons learned over four decades at Seven.In this special edition of MEDIA McKNIGHT we celebrate the extraordinary career of my old boss at Channel Seven promos, Graham Donald. Graham has spent his entire career at Seven, and after 45 years, has announced he will be retiring at the end of the year. It's hard to overstate the impact Graham has had during that time. He's been there through the highs and the lows, and he's helped shape the network for over four decades. Graham joined me for an exclusive interview, which you can watch in the YouTube player below:https://youtu.be/wvWr6baCT4w⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:51 Can you believe 45 years at one company? 01:37 Starting as a trainee at Seven in the early ’80s 03:08 From pulling cables to revolutionising promos 05:03 The boss who shaped Graham’s career 08:09 Surviving the network politics 10:35 Seven’s “number two” attitude and the Big Brother panic 12:04 Blue Heelers: 2.5 million average, 3.5 million peak 13:31 Classic promo: Blue Heelers 16:55 The biggest misconception about network promos 23:24 Classic promo: Dancing with the Stars and Pauline Hanson 25:11 Why promo departments never leak 26:33 “Roast chook”: how a negative became Seven’s strength 30:14 The secret Y2K logo change 32:00 Lost, Desperate Housewives and becoming number one 34:05 What Graham is most proud of 37:59 Is Graham ready to retire?Media McKnight uploads every Tuesday at YouTube.com/@McKnightTonight at 9pm AEDT. Paid members get each episode as soon as it’s available, without waiting for the public release. Send your tips to [email protected] this show http://supporter.acast.com/tv-blackbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Big Brother is in big trouble. Ratings are down 35% year on year, and sources say Endemol Shine Australia is worried the show won’t return. Intruders and stunts are coming fast. Then employment lawyer Michael Byrnes from Swaab joins Rob to unpack the new Federal Court documents in Jackie O’s case against ARN. They cover the privilege rulings, the March memo to the board, and why ARN says it accepted her repudiation of the contract rather than sacking her for a prohibited reason. Plus an update on the Meghan Markle Junior MasterChef petition, and the latest from the McKnight Was Right Files. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Intro 1:15 Big Brother ratings crisis 2:25 Meghan Markle Junior MasterChef petition update 3:42 Jackie O v ARN: the sacking timeline, with Michael Byrnes 18:30 McKnight Was Right: Australian Survivor: Rivals ✍️ Link to Meghan Markle petition: https://www.change.org/p/remove-meghan-markle-from-junior-masterchef-australia 📰 Read the TV Blackbox story: https://tvblackbox.com.au/page/2026/11/01/why-was-a-meghan-markle-junior-masterchef-petition-censored-by-change-org/ 📩 Send your tips: [email protected] 📺 Media McKnight drops every Tuesday. Subscribe for more media analysis, interviews and opinion. #MediaMcKnight #BigBrother #JackieO #KyleAndJackieO #ARN #Channel10 #MeghanMarkle #JuniorMasterChef #AustralianSurvivor #AustralianTVSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/tv-blackbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Married At First Sight is under the spotlight after police were reportedly called in over revenge porn allegations, so why is Endemol Shine Australia staying silent? Rob McKnight on how production companies handle a crisis, and how this one isn’t being handled. Plus: Monique Ryan’s call to marginalise One Nation after the alleged attack on Helen Haines, radio futurologist James Cridland on Time Spent Listening, and the Meghan Markle Junior MasterChef headache for Channel 10. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 MAFS investigation: Endemol’s silence 1:28 Monique Ryan, One Nation and the Helen Haines attack 8:51 James Cridland on Time Spent Listening 20:28 Channel 10, Meghan Markle and Junior MasterChef 21:34 McKnight Was Right: The Voice delayed 📧 Sign up to James Cridland’s Radioland newsletter: james.cridland.net 📰 More details on MAFS in Rob’s Inside Mail column in the Daily Mail. 📺 Media McKnight drops every Tuesday. Subscribe for more media analysis, interviews and opinion. #MediaMcKnight #MAFS #MarriedAtFirstSight #MoniqueRyan #OneNation #PaulineHanson #JamesCridland #AustralianRadio #MeghanMarkle #JuniorMasterChef #Channel10 #TheVoice #AustralianMediaSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/tv-blackbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite complaints from viewers, integration might just be the saviour we need.In this edition of Media McKnight:Product placement boomGQ Men of the Year Awards axedScreen Queensland’s Willy Wonka Sydney slip-upWho was really the first person on Australian TV?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/tv-blackbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The little AM station that could has done it. 4BH has taken the No.1 spot in Brisbane in the latest GfK Metro radio ratings (Survey 6). Rob McKnight is joined by broadcasting legend Spencer Howson to pick through the results in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. 📻 In this special edition: 4BH hits 12.3 (+1.4) to lead Brisbane, Triple M is second on 11.3 and B105 slips to third Triple M goes No.1 for Brisbane breakfast on 13.6 (+1.9) 4BC steady at 4.1, but drive is down at 3.0. Is a relay of 2GB on the cards? Sydney: smoothfm leads, 2UE is the biggest mover, and KIIS waits on Dr Chris Brown's 9 November start Melbourne: 3AW leads, Triple M surges and Christian O'Connell moves to second at breakfast Adelaide: Triple M leads, FIVEaa falls and KIIS gets a slight lift Perth: NOVA93.7 leads and 6PR breakfast fires Regional radio: local v networked breakfast shows, and Albury's 2AY survey delayed ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Intro: GfK Survey 6 0:28 Spencer's snake encounter 1:19 Sydney station share 1:56 Sydney breakfast 2:28 Spencer reacts: KIIS, Nova and 2GB 4:55 Clinton Maynard and 2GB 7:39 Melbourne 10:41 Brisbane: 4BH takes the lead 14:46 Brisbane breakfast 17:09 4BC dayparts and the relay question 23:17 Adelaide 24:56 Perth 27:07 Regional radio 28:43 Albury survey delayed 📰 Media McKnight drops every Tuesday. Subscribe for more media analysis, interviews and opinion. #MediaMcKnight #GfK #RadioRatings #4BH #Brisbane #4BC #TripleM #KIIS #smoothfm #2GB #SpencerHowson #AustralianRadioSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/tv-blackbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.