Media Roundup: Critic exits The Australian, India eyes age limits, TikTok rethinks artist pay, and what TV bosses watch

Media

Long-serving critic exits The Australian

Another familiar byline has quietly disappeared from The Australian, with film critic Stephen Romei shown the door.

As Calum Jaspan reports in The Sydney Morning Herald, his exit comes just months after Phillip Adams’ departure.

Social Media

India eyes social media age limits

The BBC's Abhishek Dey reports that India is weighing a ban on social media for under-16s, with Australia’s recent law shaping the conversation.

The federal Economic Survey has also urged consideration of age-based restrictions, giving the debate added momentum.

TikTok quietly rethinks how it pays artists

As Digital Music News' Paul Resnikoff reports, the platform is reworking how it pays for music used in user-generated content.

Until now, rights holders were typically paid once per video, regardless of how many times the clip was viewed.

The proposed shift would bring TikTok closer to streaming-style logic, if not quite on the same scale.

Radio

Sarah Harris to join Ricki-Lee and Tim for Nova Breakfast

Nova has confirmed that veteran journalist Sarah Harris will join Ricki-Lee & Tim when the duo take over the Sydney Breakfast shift next week, completing the on-air lineup as the resident newsreader.

The announcement was made on air during the team’s Drive show, and teased across several song breaks.

Television

What TV bosses are really watching at home

The average Australian household runs about three streaming subscriptions, but TV executives are playing a very different game.

For people whose jobs depend on knowing what is on screen, having access to multiple platforms is part of the brief.

TV Tonight's David Knox has spoken with all five executives from ABC, Seven, Nine, 10 and SBS, to find out which services they can't live without.

AI

Bunnings gets green light on facial recognition

The ABC's Luke Cooper reports that Bunnings has been cleared to keep using AI facial recognition in its stores, arguing the technology helps tackle retail crime and protect staff from abuse.

The decision overturns a 2024 ruling by Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind, who found the retailer had breached privacy laws by scanning customers’ faces without proper consent.

A review by the Administrative Review Tribunal has now reached the opposite conclusion.

Entertainment

Amazon pulls Melania documentary after marketing row

An independent cinema in Oregon says Amazon cancelled screenings of its documentary about Melania Trump over how the film was marketed.

The Guardian's Catherine Shoard reports that The Lake Theatre and Cafe claims the decision followed playful marquee lines that leaned into politics and fashion.

According to the cinema, Amazon executives objected to promotional slogans and moved to end the run early.

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