Media Roundup: ABC rejects Trump probe, Ten eyes NRL rights, Lawsy funeral date set, Jones case confirmed, and AI artist tops charts

Media

ABC rejects Trump edit probe over time-frame loophole

It's a case of 'nothing to see here' from Aunty, with The Australian's James Madden reporting the broadcaster has waved away calls for an investigation into claims that a 2021 Four Corners episode misrepresented a Donald Trump speech.

All of this, of course, comes after that BBC scandal (more on that in a moment).

The reason? The broadcaster saying it’s outside the ombudsman’s review period.

Back to the BBC, and outgoing director general Tim Davie has told staff to “fight for our journalism” after Trump threatened to sue after an internal memo found the broadcaster misled viewers.

Talk Ten could make a play for the NRL

As Sam Buckingham-Jones writes in The Australian Financial Review, fresh filings with ASIC show Ten lost $322 million in 2023 and another $162 million last year.

The dire figures are down by soft ad markets and patchy ratings despite tentpole franchises like MasterChef and Survivor.

Even so, Ten boss Beverley McGarvey says the broadcaster will “look closely” at a bid for the NRL rights from 2027, currently held by Nine.

Date set for Lawsy's funeral

NSW Premier Chris Minns has confirmed that John Laws will be farewelled with a state funeral next Tuesday, 19 November, at St Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney.

As The Daily Telegraph's William Tyson reports, the decision follows agreement from the Laws family.

Legal

Jones case set for marathon four-month hearing

Alan Jones is facing what’s expected to be one of the most high-profile and lengthy legal battles in Australian media history, with a hearing now confirmed to run from August through December 2026.

According to The Guardian, court documents reveal the case will call 139 witnesses, underscoring the scale of the proceedings.

Podcasts

TikTok and iHeartMedia expand partnership from viral videos to podcasts

Digital Music News' Dylan Smith TikTok’s biggest creators are set to test their star power beyond the scroll, with the platform signing a new multiplatform partnership with iHeartMedia that extends into radio and podcasting.

The move marks TikTok’s latest play to stretch its cultural influence from short-form video into long-form storytelling.

AI

AI-generated artist tops US charts for the first time

History’s just been made on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart, with “Walk My Walk” by Breaking Rust taking the No. 1 spot.

The twist?

According to Newsweek, Breaking Rust isn’t human... it’s an artist entirely created by artificial intelligence.

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