Warning Sounded over Free MMM From Digital Platforms
Industry leaders warned that free marketing mix modelling (MMM) tools from Google and Meta skew toward short‑term digital metrics. Ebiquity CEO Ruben Schreurs, overseeing roughly $200 billion in global ad spend, praised Google’s open‑source Meridian but noted it over‑indexes on short‑term outcomes. Mutinex co‑founder Henry Innis echoed the concern, saying free measurement essentially sells ad inventory. Both speakers highlighted the risk that smaller brands may be nudged to over‑invest in platform‑owned channels.
Zambrero Appoints Former AMI CEO Bronwyn Heys as CMO
Australian Mexican food chain Zambrero has appointed former Australian Marketing Institute CEO Bronwyn Heys as its chief marketing officer. Heys left the AMI after four years of expanding membership and revamping the institute’s brand and competency framework. The move follows...
‘He’s a Machine’: Karl Stefanovic Show Co-Founder on Scaling and Making Money
The Karl Stefanovic Show launched in January and has quickly amassed over 250 videos, delivering 1.38 million YouTube views and 859,000 Spotify streams in April alone. Episode performance ranges from a low of 10,000 views to a peak of 358,000, with...
Amazon Reportedly Bidding for NRL Rights
Amazon is preparing a bid through Prime Video for the National Rugby League’s broadcast rights, positioning itself against incumbent partners Nine and Foxtel. The current five‑year agreement, valued at about AU$1.7 billion (≈US$1.1 billion), expires in 2027. NRL chairman Peter V’landys is...
Iconoclast Piers Morgan in Talks to Return to Australian TV
British broadcaster Piers Morgan says he is negotiating to bring a version of his Uncensored show back to Australian television, possibly via Sky News Australia or another free‑to‑air outlet. He left News Corp’s Talk TV in 2024 after a three‑year,...
‘Dear Rachelle’ Podcast Wins Awards at New York Festivals Radio Awards
News Australia’s true‑crime series Dear Rachelle captured three honors at the 2026 New York Festivals Radio Awards, most notably the National Press Club Award. The podcast also secured the Gold Tower for Investigative Journalism and a Silver Tower in the...
Cavalcade of Crap: Warning From the London Podcast Show
The London Podcast Show 2026 opened with Podnews editor James Cridland warning that AI‑generated podcasts now outnumber those created by humans. He highlighted discoverability advantages for creators on Spotify and YouTube, while Apple still leads in overall platform support. Industry...
Ooh Media Continues to Rise as TAL Becomes Latest Substantial Shareholder
Australian out‑of‑home advertising firm Ooh Media saw its market capitalisation rise 2.6% to about $724 million after life insurer TAL disclosed a 6.2% stake, making it a substantial shareholder. TAL, a subsidiary of Japan’s Daiichi Life, joins a competitive field of...
AFTRS and Netflix Announce First Nations Scholarship Program
AFTRS and Netflix ANZ have launched the Netflix First Nations Pathways Scholarships, offering two awards of AUD 50,000 each (approximately US$33,000) for full‑time study at AFTRS’s Sydney campus. The scholarships are reserved for participants of AFTRS’s On Country Pathways Program, which...
Forbes Australia Expands Editorial Team
Forbes Australia announced a wave of editorial hires, adding a business journalist, a head of video, an editorial lead for contributors and lists, a lifestyle writer, and a freelance features reporter. The expansion comes as the magazine’s monthly readership tops...
Mediaworks Launches New Brand Campaign
MediaWorks has unveiled a new brand campaign titled “New Zealand listens to us,” putting audio back at the core of its identity. The initiative spotlights its ten radio stations and podcast network, targeting the 2.36 million weekly listeners that command a 58.6%...
Why Intentional Audio Is the New Frontier for Australian Marketers
Spotify’s new Sound‑On Era research shows audio is the last intentional media space for Australian consumers. 86% of Spotify users mute video to listen, and 75% recall audio content better than social posts. Brands leveraging audio, such as Origin’s audio‑programmatic...
Women’s State of Origin Draws Bigger Viewership than AFL and Budget Reply
More than two million Australians tuned in to Nine for the Women’s State of Origin series, with game two reaching a total audience of 2.1 million and an average of just over one million viewers. The broadcast outperformed Thursday night’s AFL...
One Nation Policy to Scrap SBS Funding Entirely, Push ABC Into Regional-Only Role
One Nation announced a policy to strip all taxpayer funding from SBS, forcing the multicultural broadcaster to become fully commercial, and to cut ABC’s federal support in metropolitan markets while preserving a regional‑only footprint. SBS currently receives about $360 million AUD...
Nine, Mamamia and Are Media Leaders to Discuss Industry’s ‘Post-Platform Pivot’ at Publish
Media publishing conference Publish 2026 will be held in Sydney on September 2, curated by former BuzzFeed Australia GM Simon Crerar. The event’s theme, “Elevating Human Authority,” addresses the shift toward AI‑driven content and the need for publishers to reclaim direct...