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In our column that takes you inside the world of media, we look at: The Scandalous Money Heist by Raygun Lawyers | Why there’s good news for the TV industry | Sudden resignations and controversial appointments
**A video version of this article is available in the player above**
RAYGUN LAWYERS’ LATEST MONEY GRIP
I know you’re probably sick to death of me talking about Raygun, but I can’t leave the last twist as it pissed me off.
On Monday, I reported that Rachel Gunn had posted a video in response to the backlash she received after Raygun: The Musical was forced to shut down. The Olympic “athlete” sent legal threats to the venue where comedian Steph Broadbridge’s performance was due to take place. The show was canceled just hours before its Sydney premiere.
“It’s never been about money here, either. I’ve been approached to be on almost every reality TV show out there and I’ve turned down big money because I’m not into it,” she said in the somewhat condescending video.
But in a twist that literally contradicts her claims, Gunn’s lawyers are demanding $10,000 from promoter Anthony Skinner to cover legal fees. SMH reports that Skinner offered $500, which the law firm “absolutely rejected.”
As someone who has had legal representation, I can tell you that $10,000 is an extraordinary amount to cover the cost of sending a legal threat.
And Reagan insists it “was never about the money.”
Yes, that’s right.
Based on her claims, I expect to see her on the rumored I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, although she said she’s turned down “pretty much every reality TV show out there.”
In the meantime, I’m glad to see Steph Broadbridge moving forward with her musical. The retitled Breaking: The Musical – a completely legal parody musical – will launch in February next year.
You can buy tickets for her Adelaide performance HERE. And, yes, I’m giving her a free contact!
There will be more shows in Sydney and Melbourne – show your support.
SOME GOOD NEWS FOR THE TV SECTOR
“The future of news and the future of truth in our democracy depends on it,” he said in his speech.
“Every day in our country, Channel 7 proudly produces about 26 hours of journalism. But … we can’t promise that we can keep doing this forever,”
“At a time when the viewer has access to 10 hours of news on Seven’s free-to-air channel on any given day… the so-called commercial broadcasting tax is really just a tax on journalism.
“If the Prime Minister is really worried about the toxicity of Facebook, Meta, X and TikTok… then hell, give a helping hand to journalism that fights for facts.”
The suspension of this fee and the decision to force tech giants like Meta and Google back to the negotiating table as part of the Media Bargaining Code will bring some relief to the industry.
ROB’S BITS ‘N’ BOBS
Former Nine executive Hugh Marks has been appointed managing director of the ABC. While the appointment makes perfect sense to me, some criticized the unanimous decision by the ABC board due to the findings of the Intersection report into Nine, which showed there was a toxic culture of harassment and sexual harassment at the company.
“Having seen what played out in the media … I think the lesson for me is how hard it is for people to file complaints,” he told ABC (you can see part of that interview in the player above).
“Obviously, this remains a challenge even today, when most organizations readily accept complaints and are ready to act on them,” he continued.
Nothing I have seen indicates that Marx himself was aware of this alleged behavior and was not the one giving out “golden handshakes”. In fact, his biggest crime seemed to be having a consensual relationship with an employee.
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Still at Nine and commercial boss Michael Stephenson has resigned. It is the seventh high-profile departure from the company this year and The Australian reports there has been speculation about Stephenson’s future for several weeks.
“I’m definitely not leaving Nine,” he said on the way out when asked three weeks ago.
There is no doubt that three weeks is a long time in the media!
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Southern Cross Austereo has finally been able to transfer its TV licenses in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland to Network 10. The company has been trying to sell its regional assets for some time.
SCA is a regional affiliate in 10 of those markets, so an acquisition by parent company Paramount Global makes sense. The decision raised hopes that new owners Paramount Global saw a future in its Australian arm, as there had been fears that Network 10 would soon be sold.
THE STORY OF THE WEEK
I love a good scoop, so this week we have to give our STORY OF THE WEEK to The Australian’s James Madden, who wrote this on Monday: “Here’s a rumor that just won’t go away, and we think it’s true: Hugh Marks will be the new managing director of ABC. As for the media rumours, we’re pretty sure it’s rolled, gold, wheat”.
Now, while some other outlets (like SMH) have reported on the speculation, Madden has been adamant that Marks will take the role. It turned out that his mail was on the money, with an official announcement coming a day later.
Well done James!
INSIDE MEDIA will return on Monday.
Rob McKnight is co-owner of TVblackbox.com.au
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