The late Shane Warne’s family and Channel 9 have finally buried the hatchet after what Diary is told was a secret meeting during the last fortnight. In September, the story was very different. Warne’s eldest daughter Brooke made no secret on multiple occasions of her disgust at a telemovie Nine had announced it was making about Warne’s life soon after his death, dubbing it “beyond disrespectful”.
But last week came a radical about-face. Nine made clear through a press release that the Warne family had now “offered their support” for the series.
What changed? A key breakthrough came in a “full and frank” meeting in Melbourne Cup week, in which differences were hammered out and a truce reached between Nine and the Warne family.
The secret Melbourne meeting was attended by Warne family members, Nine’s drama chief Andy Ryan, Warne’s personal manager James Erskine (who had been highly critical of the drama after it was announced), as well as the telemovie’s makers, production house Screentime.
The family made it clear part of the problem the family had with the telemovie was that they were blindsided by the network’s announcement of it so soon after Warne’s death.
Diary hears Nine broke the ice with the Warnes in the meeting by apologising for the way the family learnt of the telemovie.
Assurances were given on behalf of the network that it would be a “celebration” of Warne’s life, and would not dwell unnecessarily on more salacious aspects.
We’re told the parties were brought together by Eddie McGuire’s JAM TV, the group that put on Warne’s televised funeral, which has a strong relationship with both sides and was able to calm the waters between once-warring parties.
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Musk’s Twitter ‘hellscape’ for the ABC
New Twitter owner Elon Musk has been desperately trying to reassure advertisers in recent days the social media platform won’t become “a free-for-all hellscape”.
But try telling that to the ABC, Elon.
Alarming statistics quietly released by the public broadcaster show that trending on Twitter has already become dangerous for many of its journalists, who are seeking help in record numbers from an in-house “social media wellbeing adviser” to help them deal with the online “hellscape”.
The numbers show by far the highest incidence of workplace health and safety (WHS) incidents at the ABC over the past year has occurred as a direct result of interaction with social media, including Twitter – which is used by more journalists at Aunty than any other platform.
In total, 76 work-related incidents at the ABC – or 32 per cent of the entire total of workplace incidents at Aunty for the year to June 2022 – were put down to what the public broadcaster dubbed “social media safety” incidents.
Furthermore, in the fine print of the 2022 ABC annual report, it is noted that the ABC’s in-house social media wellbeing adviser, Nicolle White – who has apparently been with the public broadcaster since October 2020 — has “assisted with 94 incidents and proactively reached out to 48 staff following recognition of high-risk of abuse, such as trending on Twitter or media mentions”.
That revelation comes as ABC Media Watch host Paul Barry hinted on his weekly show last week the ABC was currently “weighing up if it wants to remain on Twitter under Musk’s new world order”.
Some of the ABC’s highest-profile journalists have also been “weighing up” whether to stay on social media, with the likes of former 7.30 host Leigh Sales and ABC News Breakfast presenter Lisa Millar deleting their accounts over bizarre Twitter attacks claiming they had a ‘‘right-wing bias’’.
The ABC annual report has acknowledged the seriousness of the current social media issues being faced, amid an increasingly toxic online environment.
“Online safety, especially in the social media environment, represents a growing risk to ABC workers, talent, and audiences,” the report said. “The ABC actively manages these risks through its dedicated in-house staff and is working in collaboration with the Australian eSafety Office to publish materials that support the broader media community.”
The growing number of incidents on Twitter and other platforms appears to be costing the ABC money. The ABC’s annual report shows indicative premiums for Comcare, the government’s workers compensation insurer, will rise from $3.3m in the year to June 2022, to more than $3.8m in the year to June 2023.
The ABC notes the rise reflects “higher-than-expected ABC claims costs … due to increased mental stress claims”.
The revelations of the mental and financial cost to the ABC are likely to ratchet up pressure for the public broadcaster to more strongly police the use of Twitter by staff.
Under questioning from the Liberals’ Sarah Henderson and James McGrath in Senate estimates last week, ABC managing director David Anderson said he was putting “all employees on notice” about Twitter use, amid suggestions some were too engaged.
“In regards to the fact that all people who are active on personal use of social media, especially Twitter, I think you can say I’ve cautioned all of them,” he said.
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The Age knocks back Credlin ad
Nine’s top rating Melbourne station 3AW is currently running wall-to-wall radio ads for Peta Credlin’s one-off Sky News special on Wednesday night, The Cult of Daniel Andrews.
But it’s a different story at 3AW’s venerable sister newspaper, The Age. Diary hears The Age has knocked back an ad on the front page that was scheduled this Wednesday, the day the Credlin special runs.
Despite Sky being willing to stump up $15,000 for the front-page ad, the Nine papers vetoed the plan.
Why? Ad industry sources say one reason given was The Age didn’t want the perception that by running the ads for the Credlin special, it was somehow endorsing the show’s opinions about the Victorian Premier.
But sources close to The Age also say as a general rule, the paper doesn’t take ads from competitors in the media, as was evidenced by a recent decision to reject ads from news website Crikey. “We knock back ads from competitors all the time,” one insider said.
It’s a sensitive moment for The Age in terms of its relations with the Victorian government.
The Melbourne paper is in the middle of a heated fight with Daniel Andrews’ office about tough coverage of the latest IBAC investigation into the Premier’s conduct, and from what we’re told, doesn’t want to muddy the waters with ads for critical coverage from other outlets.
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2GB’s Sydney ratings crown starts to slip
In the first radio ratings survey of 2019, 2GB – then known as Sydney’s ‘‘power station’’ – was riding high.
All of its major broadcasters, then-breakfast host Alan Jones (15.2 per cent), morning host Ray Hadley (15 per cent) afternoon host Chris Smith (11.5 per cent) and drive host Ben Fordham (10.7 per cent), were at the top of the ratings in a performance of dominance.
But last week, that once-impregnable leadership position was under its greatest threat since Nine took over the ownership in November 2019, with 2GB squeaking home in the overall number one spot in the latest Sydney radio ratings with 11.6 per cent – just 0.3 per cent ahead of KIIS FM. The result leaves 2GB’s record reign of 145 consecutive survey wins in Sydney in peril.
While morning hosts Fordham and Hadley remained in second and first position respectively with 14.8 per cent and 13.3 per cent of the audience, the same couldn’t be said for afternoon and drive hosts Deb Knight and Jim Wilson.
Knight had a big fall with a 7.3 per cent share, leaving her in fourth place with only just over half the figure recorded by the leaders in her slot, Smooth FM on 13.5 per cent.
The story was even worse for Wilson, who was lagging with a paltry 6.6 per cent share – a distant sixth position behind drive-time winners KIIS on 11.6 per cent.
Wilson’s numbers, in particular, left little choice but for change, with the former Channel 7 sports anchor announcing his near-immediate departure to his listeners on Wednesday – barely 24 hours after the poor ratings result – for an as-yet undefined TV role.
Nine is to officially announce Wilson’s replacement on Monday as its gun TV political reporter Chris O’Keefe, who will start on the drive show in the new year. In the meantime, Joe Hildebrand will temporarily replace Wilson on the shift for the rest of the ratings year.
The lagging afternoon ratings appear to have contributed to a big switch-off factor for 2GB overall.
A detailed analysis by Diary of the latest numbers shows 2GB’s listeners – once rusted on to the station – are becoming less loyal. In the first survey back in 2019, the 2GB audience allocated an average of a whopping 16 hours a week in ‘‘time spent listening’’ to the station.
However, in last week’s ratings, they listened for just 10.4 hours – more than five hours less than in 2GB’s power station days.
While 2GB listeners still tune in for longer than KIIS FM’s younger and more distracted audience, the size of KIIS’s cumulative audience (1.364 million listeners) is nearly double that of 2GB’s (703,000 listeners).
The fall in time spent listening at 2GB has caused particular worry around the station’s corridors, with the feeling people have simply stopped tuning in after midday.
Nine have faith O’Keefe is now the man to help bring back 2GB’s power station glory days.
No pressure.
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Faine’s curly solar question for Andrews
The high-profile cameos have continued on Daniel Andrews’ “DOING WHAT MATTERS” campaign bus.
Hot on the heels of Andrews’ wife Cath handing out of sandwiches to somewhat surprised journalists during the first week of the campaign came the unexpected presence on the bus on Thursday of former ABC Radio Melbourne morning presenter Jon Faine.
In his Sunday Age column on the weekend, Faine revealed he had hopped on the bus to gain “some insights into the tensions on the campaign”.
One insight he gained was about Andrews’ love of toying with the reporters on the campaign trail. “Correcting journalist’s questions or explaining where they have missed the target is part of his fun,” Faine wrote.
At the end of the day’s campaign press conference, he also couldn’t resist asking the Premier (amid his announcements of new green power initiatives): “Have you got solar panels on your house?”
When Andrews replied: “No I don’t, no I do not.” Faine couldn’t resist interjecting: “So you’re encouraging everyone else to do something — but you haven’t done it yourself.”
Touché.
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Shirvo anointed Koch’s long-term successor
The revelation last month by your diarist of the renewal of David Koch’s contract at Seven’s Sunrise last month provided a big missing piece in Australian TV’s great breakfast puzzle for 2023.
But while Koch’s new contract locks in the 20-year Sunrise host for potentially one last time, it also clearly sets in place a succession plan at Seven’s breakfast TV juggernaut.
Diary hears the new deal will allow Koch to work fewer days in the week and take longer blocks away from Sunrise, to allow him to seamlessly transition away from the program while at the same time not ‘‘spooking’’ the show’s audience.
In particular, Koch’s lighter workload in 2023 is likely to give viewers a very clear insight into Seven’s anointed successor for Sunrise.
Whoever stands in for Koch when he takes a flexi-week off the show in 2023 will be the chosen one as Seven’s permanent replacement for the long-term Sunrise host.
Recent moves already provide some big clues. When Koch took a break six weeks ago, it was ex-Australian champion sprinter Matt ‘‘Shirvo’’ Shirvington who partnered Nat Barr on the show.
Shirvo has also been filling in for Koch – who hosts Sunrise four days a week – on Fridays, and we hear has the backing of senior Seven management.
That puts the former sprinter in the long-term box seat for one of the most-prized roles in Australian TV.
In the breakfast TV pecking order, it also hoists him above the man previously speculated as the long-term successor to Koch, Weekend Sunrise’s Matt Doran.
In November 2021, Doran was riding high as the hot favourite to eventually take over Sunrise when he fatefully flew over to London to conduct what was meant to be a star-making interview for him with pop singer Adele.
But unfortunately for Doran, things went off the rails with that interview. Doran was later forced to issue a grovelling apology to the global pop megastar, following his admission he had not listened to her new album after claiming to miss an email with a preview copy of the LP.
So poorly did this go down, Adele’s record label Sony refused permission for Doran’s interview with the pop star to air.
Ever since that incident a year ago, Shirvo has leapfrogged Doran as the chosen stand-in for Koch when he is away.
That pecking order now appears to be permanent.
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Palaszczuk’s Sydney day out with Richo
He’s good mates with past and present Liberal heavyweights like Scott Morrison, Josh Frydenberg and, as we revealed last week, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. But don’t start thinking just yet that Graham ‘Richo’ Richardson, Labor royalty and latter day media commentator, has switched over the other side of politics.
Hot on the heels of our revelation of his private lunch with Dutton in Sydney 11 days ago comes news on the weekend of yet more high-profile public dining, this time with the side of politics you might expect.
Spotted on Saturday was Richo, this time at fashionable Double Bay eatery Indigo with none other than the Queen of Queensland, Annastacia Palaszczuk – along with Richo’s wife Amanda, son D’Arcy, and some rather surprised Sydney diners.
After a brief stroll around the ritzy Double Bay shopping precinct, the prominent foursome were spotted continuing to make a day of it in the afternoon, downing champagne and oysters at the Bay’s iconic harbourfront 18 Footers Bar.
Our spies noted there was no sign on the day of Palaszczuk’s surgeon boyfriend Reza Adib, normally joined at the hip with the Queensland Premier – but he can’t have been far away.
The connection between Richo and Palaszczuk apparently goes back a long way to the Queensland Premier’s father Henry Palaszczuk, another ex-politician who was also friends with the Labor powerbroker in his political days.
Palaszczuk hasn’t been the only Labor figure spotted out dining with Richo in recent days, in what has been a hectic social schedule with his political mates.
On the same day he lunched with Dutton, Richo was also spotted at a power breakfast with the current bookies’ favourite to become the next Premier of NSW, Chris Minns, and the chair of the Sydney Roosters NRL club, Nick Politis, at just-opened Philip St diner La Riviera.
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