Welcome to INSIDE MEDIA where we bring you the inside story on media news, with plenty of views, every Monday and Thursday.
ABC’S BIZARRE STATEMENT OF ARROGANCE
A cracking yarn last night on 7NEWS’ Spotlight has forced the ABC into a humiliating backdown, but the taxpayer-funded broadcaster has attacked the program that brought its mistakes to light.
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Spotlight interviewed Heston Russell, who won a defamation case against the ABC over allegations he was a war criminal.
In the Federal Court case, the ABC was slammed for causing Russell “serious harm” and ordered to pay him $390,000 in damages.
But the national broadcaster refused to apologise and last night Spotlight revealed how video footage had seemingly been manipulated that challenges any claims of impartiality or ethics.
In a video posted on the ABC website and YouTube channel, a single gunshot heard on the original video was altered during the editing process to become six shots.
Independent Forensic Digital Audio Expert James Raper examined the ABC’s video.
“They’ve taken the audio from the six shots and they’ve applied it to this video in the news clip,” he said.
It means the ABC has knowingly taken the audio from a later scene and applied it to the earlier scene that had just the one shot. That doesn’t just happen by accident.
Late on Friday, the ABC pulled the video off both platforms before issuing a statement, saying: “We have removed the online video where an error has been identified, based on preliminary inspection of the audio. The ABC is seeking more information on how this occurred.”
You might think “fair enough”, but an earlier statement showed the ABC’s true colours – attack first and admit nothing.
The blistering response attacked the producers of Spotlight instead of the allegations.
“Given the information that has emerged this year about Spotlight’s conduct and approach to journalism we have no confidence in engaging with your program,” the broadcaster said in its initial statement.
Let’s face it, when you start attacking the messenger in your statement, you know you’ve lost the fight.
It’s a cheap shot that shows how the ABC thinks it is above the law – and above criticism.
As Heston Russell’s lawyer Rebekah Giles said last night: “My experience with the ABC is they fight to the death.”
As someone who has been chastised by the ABC many times for my reporting, despite my stories being correct, I can attest to this statement. I can also say I have personally found the ABC untrustworthy with information given to it ahead of publication.
This morning I reached out the ABC to find out what form the investigation into the manipulated video will take, what the timeline will be and whether those findings will be made public.
I also asked whether the ABC would apologise to Heston Russell.
They referred me to their original statement and, if I were Heston Russell, I wouldn’t hold my breath.
KYLE AND JACKIE O NOT RIDING THE ‘WAVE’
Things aren’t looking good for The Kyle and Jackie O Show’s Melbourne experiment in the next round of radio ratings set to be released on October 1.
INSIDE MEDIA can exclusively reveal KIIS is set to continue its slide, based on the ‘wave’.
The ‘wave’ is an early indicator of how a radio station will perform in the next survey period. Considering many people in the industry have a hard time explaining how it works I’ll have a go at trying to make it simple:
A survey period is made up of two halves, with the second half contributing to the next period in addition to the current one.
Each survey period has an overlap of dates in the hope of maintaining consistent results and avoiding rogue surveys.
At the conclusion of each period, executives at each radio station are given an indicator of how the second half of the survey period performed for the station – this is called the ‘wave’, which will contribute to the next survey period.
Despite what is being said publicly by bosses at ARN, INSIDE MEDIA understands there were serious concerns about broadcasting the Kyle and Jackie O Show from Sydney into the notoriously parochial Melbourne before the deal was done to do so.
Ultimately Kyle and Jackie O won out.
And while some commentators are dining out on anti-Kyle rhetoric, this is not a team that should be underestimated. If there’s one show that could break the mould and conquer Melbourne, it’s this one. But, it will take time.
*Disclaimer: Rob McKnight has appeared on the Kyle and Jackie O show numerous times
BIG BROTHER IS BACK – LIVE!
Channel 10 held its UPFRONT event today – a showcase for media and advertisers on what to expect in 2025.
In what will come as welcome news to traditional Big Brother fans, the show will be back with live nominations, live evictions and 24-hour live streaming.
Upcoming talent Mel Tracina will host, which makes sense considering her love of television and her sharp wit (why wasn’t she co-hosting The Cheap Seats the entire time Melanie Bracewell was away?).
It’s a big investment for 10 at north of $25m but will also fill the schedule for around six weeks. The network seems to be putting all its chips on the table with this one.
The other interesting announcement was a new show by Sam Pang. Details were thin on the ground, but this will certainly be one to watch out for.
Everything else was a bit on the vanilla side.
Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Gen is back with the shortened name (i.e. not Generation any more). It’s a smart play considering the show was one of the biggest hits for 10 back in the day, before it was constantly moved about the schedule to plug programming gaps. TV is not the home of new ideas anymore and known heritage brands are more likely to be commissioned over original content.
Ghosts Australia will be a local adaption of the popular British sitcom, one loved in the McKnight house. America has already produced its own version.
Todd Sampson gets ANOTHER show called Why?
I’m asking the very same question – his shows don’t rate but he keeps making them!
Returning shows include I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, Survivor Australia, MasterChef, Taskmaster, Have You Been Paying Attention, The Cheap Seats, Gogglebox and Deal or No Deal.
They’re also touting the Graham Norton-hosted version of Wheel Of Fortune. Shot in the UK with Aussie expats, this is one to avoid if the UK version is anything to go by.
Rob McKnight is the co-owner of TV Blackbox.
INSIDE MEDIA will return on Thursday.
