McKnight Tonight & Media McKnight

ABC's Easter Cover-Up EXPOSED: The Texts They Didn't Want Found | Channel 10's Survivor Gamble | Why footage from parliament could soon be banned from social media | A lucklustre 70th birthday for TV Rob McKnight breaks down the biggest media stories of the week on Media McKnight. This week: Channel 10 gambles on a new timeslot for Australian Survivor 2027 as it goes head-to-head with the Australian Open and Married At First Sight. Plus, Media McKnight's exclusive FOI documents finally expose the ABC's Easter cover-up, including a text exchange between former News Director Justin Stevens and Head of Regional, Rural and Metro News Donna Field that proves the network changed its bulletin plans — and then lied about it. There's also outrage in Senate Estimates after the Defence department demanded censorship of committee footage, and a look at whether officials actually have a point about protecting witnesses on social media. And television turns 70 this week — so why doesn't the industry care? 🎯 Topics this week: Channel 10's Australian Survivor 2027 timeslot gamble EXCLUSIVE: ABC's Easter news cover-up — the texts that prove it Defence vs Senate Estimates: the fight over committee footage Television turns 70 — and no one's celebrating – Australian Survivor 2027 timeslot news – ABC Easter FOI cover-up exclusive – Defence footage censorship demand – TV turns 70 📰 Media McKnight drops every Tuesday. Subscribe for more media analysis, interviews and opinion. #MediaMcKnight #AustralianSurvivor #Channel10 #ABC #FOI #SenateEstimates #Defence #AustralianTV #TVTurns70 #MediaNews

Metro radio ratings Survey 5 has landed, and Spencer Howson joins Rob McKnight to break down every capital city. KIIS Sydney breakfast keeps sliding since Kyle and Jackie O's exit, gold's Christian O'Connell is quietly holding both Sydney and Melbourne, 4BC's Jason Matthews posts a strong number, and 6PR delivers Perth's standout result for Tapped Radio. Plus: Tapped's traffic team gets axed in favour of the Australian Traffic Network, and a hint that change could be coming to ABC Brisbane breakfast.00:00 – Survey 5 preview 00:42 – Sydney station shares 04:35 – Sydney breakfast numbers 06:41 – Melbourne station shares 07:59 – Melbourne breakfast numbers 10:31 – Tapped Media axes traffic team, outsources to ATN 14:14 – Brisbane station shares 15:25 – Brisbane breakfast — KIIS 973's slide continues 19:13 – Why did 4BC really dump Sophie & Dean? 23:45 – Adelaide station shares 24:17 – Adelaide breakfast numbers 25:50 – Perth station shares 26:53 – Perth breakfast — 6PR's big story 32:36 – Final thoughts: ABC Brisbane on notice, Tony Martin's sacking revisited 38:19 – Wrap#RadioRatings #AustralianRadio #GfKSurvey5 #KIISFM #2GB #3AW #6PR #MediaMcKnight📰 Media McKnight drops every Tuesday. Subscribe for more media analysis, interviews and opinion.

Seven's Bullying Tactics EXPOSED | ABC Caught Lying Over Secret Easter News Plan | Kyle Day 2 Verdict | Media McKnight Ep 54 Kyle Sandilands' day 2 was a big improvement — but the Mad Witches drama, an FOI inquiry that catches the ABC out in a lie about their secret Easter news plan, Amanda Rose's bombshell exit from Sunrise, and a growing Seven Network underpayment class action. Plus: where has all the local content gone on Australian TV? – Kyle Sandilands' Day 2 turnaround, Mayo's producing instincts, and the truth behind his Idol exit and the Mad Witches – Where did Australian TV go? A week of the TV guide shows how little local content survives primetime – Amanda Rose vs Sunrise: the exclusivity ultimatum, Seven's denial, and the Adero Law class action over underpayment claims – ABC's Easter news FOI saga: extension after extension, and the email trail exposing the spin 📰 Media McKnight drops every Tuesday. Subscribe for more media analysis, interviews and opinion. #MediaMcKnight #KyleSandilands #AustralianTV #Sunrise #Channel7 #ABC #FOI #AmandaRose #MediaNews

Kyle Sandilands joins Rob McKnight for a wide-ranging chat ahead of the launch of his new streaming service, KSLive, this Monday.Kyle reveals the new venture has already pulled in nearly $2 million in subscriptions before a single episode has aired — including a strange spike of signups out of the EU large enough that European tax authorities contacted his accountants to check the business was legitimate.Rob puts it to Kyle directly: is he in denial about the collapse of his on-air partnership with Jackie O? Kyle admits he "just refused to believe it" even after seeing the paperwork, and opens up on what he says was a fifty-fifty relationship, the lawyers, the Zoom calls, and why he still says he'd "die for Jackie" despite it all.Nearly $2 million in the bank before KSLive has even launchedEU tax authorities contact his accountants over a surge in overseas subscriptionsAdmits he "refused to believe it" when told Jackie wanted to leave the showSays he'd still "die for Jackie" despite the falloutOn staff taking down photos of him and Jackie — and why he put them back up📺 McKnight Tonight streams Monday, Wednesday & Thursday at 8pm AEST. 📺 Media McKnight streams weekly with the latest media industry analysis. Subscribe, hit the bell, like and comment — join the conversation live!#KyleSandilands #JackieO #McKnightTonight #KSLive #AustralianRadio

Netflix Accused of 'TOXIC' Treatment of Aussie Crew | The Voice AXED On Seven | Today Extra's Woke Problem Netflix is facing serious allegations from Australian crew on its new reality series Wonka's The Golden Ticket, shot at Warner Bros Movie World — plus The Voice looks set to be axed on Seven to help fund I'm A Celebrity, Today Extra's panel picks draw scrutiny, and OzTAM's new Streamscape data reveals how Aussies are really watching video. - Netflix's Wonka's Golden Ticket — crew treatment allegations - The Voice axed on Seven to fund I'm A Celebrity - Today Extra's left-leaning panel problem - OzTAM Streamscape Q2 2026 data breakdown 📺 Media McKnight drops every Tuesday. #MediaMcKnight #Netflix #TheVoice #TodayExtra #PaulineHanson #AustralianTV #OzTAM #TVRatings #KyleSandilands #ChannelSeven

KYLE'S REVENGE? Has Kyle Sandilands thrown Jackie O under the bus in her Federal Court case against ARN — and did he do it on purpose? Employment lawyer Michael Byrnes from SWAAB joins me to break down Justice Stewart's ruling, the suspicious timeline of Kyle and Bruno Buchet's affidavits, and whether Kyle and Jackie's secret texts could blow up her case entirely. Plus — News24 (the rebranded Sky News) has a shocker on the day of the Victorian Labor Leader spill, missing Ben Carroll's Victorian Labor leadership win live on air while running an advertorial, then suffering a six-minute-48-second audio meltdown. We compare it side-by-side with the ABC's coverage. And 9News Melbourne claims the ratings crown for 2026 with win number 21 — but is the traditional weekly win metric still relevant when ratings run all year round? - News24's election night disaster - 9News Melbourne's ratings crown - Kyle's Revenge? Michael Byrnes on the Jackie O affidavits 📺 Media McKnight drops every Tuesday. Subscribe for more media analysis, interviews and opinion. #KyleSandilands #JackieO #MediaMcKnight #News24 #9News #ARN

Pauline Hanson: "I'll Put Ads on the ABC" | 9News' World Cup Blunder | YouTube's Aussie TV Archive Copyright War Pauline Hanson tells Media McKnight she'll allow ads on the ABC if One Nation wins government — turning it into a subscription service. Plus: 9News Brisbane's awkward World Cup graphics mix-up, a bitter copyright fight breaking out between Australian TV archivists on YouTube, why McKnight Tonight called the Ninja Warrior move before anyone else, 4BC's brutal ratings-driven shake-up, and why Nine has quietly killed off SHARK! for good. – 9News' World Cup graphics blunder – Pauline Hanson: ads on the ABC? – ABC's YouTube livestream ad controversy – YouTube copyright war: Australian TV archivists – I'm A Celebrity lands at Seven, Ninja Warrior to 10 – 4BC axes breakfast team after shock ratings – Nine not bringing back SHARK! #MediaMcKnight #PaulineHanson #ABC #9News #YouTube #AustralianTV #ImACelebrity #NinjaWarrior #4BC #RadioRatings #SHARK 📰 Media McKnight drops every Tuesday. Subscribe for more media analysis, interviews and opinion.

It's our 50th edition of Media McKnight — and we're tackling the question that's split the industry: does the $5.3 billion NRL broadcast deal actually breach Australia's anti-siphoning laws? Last week I argued it does. This week, lawyer Michael Wells from Blackbay Lawyers joins me to go line-by-line through the Broadcasting Services Act, Section 146W, the anti-hoarding rules, and ACMA's official response to our questions — to find out who's right. 00:45 - Recap: last week's anti-siphoning claim 01:42 - Michael Wells from Blackbay Lawyers joins the show 02:15 - The anti-siphoning list: NRL matches explained 03:10 - Breaking down Section 146W of the Broadcasting Services Act 05:30 - Does Foxtel have the right to broadcast exclusively? 07:00 - ACMA's official statement to Media McKnight 08:20 - The anti-hoarding rules: should games go to ABC/SBS? 📺 Media McKnight drops every Tuesday. #MediaMcKnight #NRL #AntiSiphoning #NRLDeal #Foxtel #BroadcastingLaw #ACMA #AustralianMedia #SportsBroadcasting #FreeToAir