Lehrmann,the Murdochs,Ita Buttrose and media’s big hits in 2023

Australia’s media landscape was once again dominated by the big names,though with landmark court rulings,shock resignations,redundancies and succession plans finally playing out,the industry offered a year to remember.

The year kicked off whenThe AustralianappointedMichelle Gunn asits first-ever female editor-in-chief just six days into the year,but ultimately,Sky News Australia bossPaul Whittaker was installed as chair of an editorial board set up to oversee her big moves.

Most in media still had their feet up in mid-January,including one of Nine’s biggest stars,Karl “Karlos” Stefanovic,yet he still found himself in the headlines after a car park bust-up also featuring former Australian cricket captainMichael Clarke. The brouhaha ultimately cost “Pup” ahigh-paying commentary gig in India.

The ABC made its push to become a truly digital media company and made a number of staff redundant – none as high-profile as news breaker andpolitical editor Andrew Probyn,who Nine (owner of this masthead)subsequently hired. Newly relocated host ofInsidersDavid Speers picked up the confusingly titled role of “political lead” in the national capital.

Other high-profile departures from Aunty includedStan Grant,Tracey Holmes and more recently Triple J stalwartRichard Kingsmill.

While the bosses of theABC (David Anderson) andSBS (James Taylor) got new contracts,ABC chairIta Buttrose said shewouldn’t be seeking a second term. Her replacement could be announced as early as January,two months before Buttrose is due to depart. Expect the tributes to flow in the early months of 2024.

There was more movement on the national broadcaster’s board:Laura Tinglewas elected staff representative,andNicolette Maury andLouise McElvoguefilled two more spots.

The ABC wasn’t the only one to make hard decisions,with a weak advertising market making for a tough year for commercial media,with subdued earnings calls and generally downbeat outlooks. Most conversations on 2024 budgets include an expectation Meta will fight tooth and nail to avoid stumping up in new commercial deals with media companiesas part of the News Media Bargaining Code.

A win for journalism

Perhaps the biggest story of the year (no bias) was Justice Anthony Basenko’sruling on Ben Roberts-Smith’s defamation suit,vindicating reporting from Nick McKenzie andChris Masters in this masthead. With an appeal by the disgraced war hero set to be heard in February,this stays on the radar into 2024.

Seven West Media found itself on the end of some poor PR in 2023,with chairKerry Stokes’ bankrolling of Roberts-Smith continuing to raise questions about his and the company’s involvement in the case.

At risk of“personally embarrassing” emails coming to light,Stokes eventuallyagreed to pay the entire costs for Nine’s legal troubles.

Seven also did its best to insert itself in theBruce Lehrmann fracas by securing what a Seven insider described as a“grubby” deal tocover the former Liberal staffer’s rental costs for a year. Such were the murky details of the “exclusive” interview series,the scoop was retrospectivelydisqualified from its finalist status at the Walkley Awards.

Along with Optus Sport,Seven bagged the broadcast rights for the Matildas games at the FIFA Women’s World Cup,which swept the nation,and shattered viewership records as the tournament went on,delivering a halo effect for the network’s surrounding programming,despite chief executiveJames Warburton lamentinga lack of financial benefit it could reap.

Warburton,described in this mastheadas one of television’s “last great showmen”,willleave Seven in 2024 after a shock exit announcement in December. Chief financial officer Jeff Howard will be installed into the top job. All eyes are on Seven’s next moves;will they open the chequebook further afterraiding ARN Media’s share register,or will the hunter become the hunted?

ARN was responsible for one of the moreaudacious moves of the year as it moved to swallow up rival Southern Cross Media in October with help from Anchorage Capital Partners. The outcome remains undecided going into 2024.

The eldest boy gets the gig

A sigh of relief was heard in Sydney’s inner-east where media scion and billionaireLachlan Murdoch resides when his father, Rupert Murdoch,pulled the curtains on his 70-year career,officially handing over the keys to the empire after a two-decade succession saga,not long after the fictionalised smash-hit HBO showended its four-season run.

The“eldest boy” is now sole chair of News Corp and Fox Corp. The plan to re-merge the two wasscrapped early in the year,though this could be back on the cards in 2024.Locally,expect changes in the next 12 months as Lachlan Murdoch looks to put his stamp on the Australian business. Foxtel’s mooted IPO may also be back on the cards at some point in the new year.

Murdoch’s rise was good news for former prime ministerTony Abbott, the pair formalising their relationship with his appointment into a cushy new $500,000 director role on the board of Fox. Former editor-in-chief ofThe AustralianChris Mitchell told us:“I’m not sure he’d bring any particular skills to do with publishing,TV or pay TV.”

It wasn’t all good news,though. Murdoch dropped his defamation suit against plucky websiteCrikeyin April, handing a famous win toEric Beecher’s company just daysafter settling for $1.17 billion in its case against Dominion Voting Systems.

News Corp also parted ways with gambling start-up Betrafter punting an enormous sum for what turned out to be little return. An inside source close to the top at the US-owned company says its losses could be as high as $125 million,with official filings reported to have sunk at least $70 million into the venture.

International streamers continue to face off against local rivals,and shortly after the Australian cricket team returned home as world champions,Amazonpicked up the rights to ICC tournamentsuntil 2027. If you’re to believe Foxtel’sPatrick Delanythough,the deal doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things.

Qantas’ year from hell extended into media asAlan Joycebanned copiesofThe Australian Financial Reviewfrom itsChairman’s Lounge and in-flight Wi-Fi after sustained scrutiny by former Rear Window columnistJoe Aston. This was eventually overturned,but not until Joyce was out the door.

Network 10 and its US owners,Paramount,mostly stayed out of the headlines,though spent a decent chunk of time in Australia’s court chambers. Itsued former political editorPeter van Onselen for breach of contract;wassued by current employee and former host of The ProjectLisa Wilkinson;is getting sued by Lehrmann for defamation;and is facing a legal dispute with another employee over bullying claims. Some year.

Race to the finish line

The year didn’t slow down in December,with publication of Kate McClymont’sthree-year investigation into Alan Jones,documenting allegations of indecent assault towards young men. Jones maintains his denial of the allegations.

At Nine,there were some big outs. Publishing bossJames Chessellis standing down, 3AW veteranNeil Mitchellresigned after 30 years hosting the morning shift,andPeter Hitchenermoved off the network’s weekday news bulletins after 25 years in Melbourne.

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Finally,there was movement in the government’s media reform agenda late in the game,withtwo pieces of legislation introduced to parliament at the latest possible moment.

Perhaps the most important piece of work remains up in the air –reform of gambling advertising regulation. It’s been slated as an incredibly complex piece of work,with wagering dollars tangled in the finances of major sporting codes and media companies. This explains the hold-up,yet consensus shows Australians only want one thing:to see less of them.

All of that in 12 months! Let’s do it all again next year.

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