Media Roundup: Higgins drops defamation appeal, Press Club cancels talk, Don Burke hits back, Warner Bros. Discovery explores sale, and Netflix seals toy deal

Legal

Higgins drops appeal in Reynolds defamation case

Brittany Higgins has abandoned her appeal against former Liberal minister Linda Reynolds, conceding the $340,000 defamation payout and facing legal costs that could climb to $2 million.

As Stephen Rice reports in The Australian, the appeal, filed last month on the final possible day, coincided with Higgins receiving a bankruptcy notice from Reynolds.

Media

National Press Club cancels NYT writer's talk

The Australian's Thomas Henry reports that The National Press Club cancelled a scheduled talk by former New York Times correspondent Chris Hedges after reviewing his planned remarks on the Israel–Hamas conflict.

Hedges instead spoke at a NSW Teachers Federation event, where he compared the October 7 Hamas attacks to Jewish uprisings in Nazi death camps.

Nine’s incoming chair sleeps like a dream

Nine's next chairman Peter Tonagh seems to be resting easy before taking over from Catherine West, who stepped in after Peter Costello’s abrupt exit.

His Whoop fitness tracker has been quietly, and very publicly, revealing stellar stats to the rest of the Whoop community.

As Mark Di Stefano writes in The Australian Financial Review, he clocked two perfect sleep scores in three days, a low resting heart rate, and a 127-day streak.

Don Burke blames media ‘vendetta’ for his downfall

Former TV gardener Don Burke has broken his eight-year silence, claiming his 2017 downfall was the result of a media “vendetta” rather than the dozens of misconduct allegations that ended his career.

As Candace Sutton details for Daily Mail Australia, the 78-year-old said rival journalists “ganged up” on him and that the ABC–Fairfax investigation was driven by “dying” media outlets seeking attention.

Television

Auction jitters as The Block finale nears

The Block: Heartland goes under the hammer this Saturday, with five luxury Daylesford homes expected to fetch $3-3.3 million each - around a million more than last year’s Phillip Island properties.

But as David Knox writes in TV Tonight, executive producer Julian Cress says there’s “nervousness” about selling all five on the day, admitting that pulling off a 100 per cent clearance rate is “only 50–50.”

Companies

Warner Bros. Discovery considers sale

Warner Bros. Discovery, parent of HBO and CNN, is exploring a potential sale after receiving unsolicited offers for parts or all of the business.

According to NBC News' Steve Kopack the company says it’s reviewing “strategic alternatives to maximise shareholder value,” as buyers eye its vast portfolio of studios, streaming platforms and global sports rights.

Netflix strikes toy deal for KPop Demon Hunters

Netflix has signed an “industry-first” deal with both Mattel and Hasbro to bring KPop Demon Hunters to toy shelves worldwide.

As The Hollywood Reporter's Alex Weprin reports, the two giants will share global rights to produce dolls, action figures, collectibles and games from 2026, kicking off with a Monopoly Go edition launching in January.

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