Podcast
MediaLand
Hosted by ABC Australia · EN
Media — it's all around us; shaping our worldview, dictating how and what we see, hear and watch. So who are the media players and what do you need to know about how they operate?
Each week media insiders Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly dissect the stories and the story makers. Real-life succession battles, unfolding crises, what made the front page and why.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
A year of mergers, successions and scandals
Dec 1200:28:36Tap to summarizeIt's the final MediaLand, for the year and well, ever! Vivienne and Tim look back at the big media stories of the year and what they mean for what will be landing on your screens and radios in 2026. From huge media mergers to who is actually in charge of the big media families now, all the way over to whether commercial radio can't afford three hosts a show any more, we've got you covered. Guest: Rob Kelly, producer of MediaLand and freelance journalist You can binge more episodes of the MediaLand podcast with media insiders Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find interviews with the big media bosses, the journalists on the ground and the hacks who hunt for the big media scoops. Please email us at Medialand@abc.net.au if you would like to get in touch, we read them all and love hearing from you!
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Social media ban bites!
Dec 500:28:36Tap to summarizeThe social media ban is almost here! And so are the legal challenges, while a lot of the country begins to wind down, the media landscape is about to experience an earthquake. The new regulations kick into effect formally on Wednesday the 10th of December, although some companies have gone early with their age gating attempts. How did we get here and what is actually happening on the ground, or in the cyberspace, as the new rules come into effect? What is going on with media company ownership?!? In a week worthy of a Succession plotline media companies have been shedding stock in each other, which we presume means some major ownership changes might be coming down the pipe. The media killing season continues with high profile axings across the broadcast industry this week. It's not unusual for this time of year, but why is it so harsh and enduring in 2025 and what does it mean for our local media diet in 2026? Guest: Cam Wilson, Associate Editor of Crikey and co-author of Conspiracy Nation You can binge more episodes of the MediaLand podcast with media insiders Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find interviews with the big media bosses, the journalists on the ground and the hacks who hunt for the big media scoops. Please email us at Medialand@abc.net.au if you would like to get in touch, we read them all and love hearing from you!
Transcribe →Gambling advertising under the spotlight
Nov 2800:28:35Tap to summarizeWhat are you really gambling with? You may recognise those words from the very brief window of advice which has to follow gambling advertising now. But the amount of advertising for gambling, where it’s allowed and the tone it has to take has been a political and business football for decades in Australia. The current Government is following its predecessors in saying it’s going to increase regulation, but critics say we shouldn't be holding our breath. Quentin Beresford has written books on everything from the hunt for the Tasmanian Tiger to the rules and regulations that bind our environmental laws. His recent obsession has been the gambling industry in Australia and his latest book Hooked investigates the impact of gambling on our daily lives. It's a great time to buy a media company if you're in the market. A new twist in the tale for the beleaguered Telegraph sale opens door to new buyers and Warner Bros. Discovery wants a bit more cash than people have so far thought it is worth. Are we eventually going to just have one big international media company? The Walkley Awards for journalistic excellence took place this week! We take a look at the runners and riders and ask whether awards for journalism are particularly useful. Guest: Quentin Beresford, author of Hooked: Inside the murky world of Australia's gambling industryYou can binge more episodes of the MediaLand podcast with media insiders Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find interviews with the big media bosses, the journalists on the ground and the hacks who hunt for the big media scoops. Please email us at Medialand@abc.net.au if you would like to get in touch, we read them all and love hearing from you!
Transcribe →Whistleblowing to media under threat
Nov 2100:28:35Tap to summarizeWhistleblowing has long been a key part of the ability of media to hold governments and corporations to account, but the toll on the whistleblowers and journalists involved can be extremely heavy. The Federal Government's proposed public sector whistleblower reforms, including the establishment of a Whistleblowing Ombudsman, are working their way through the legal process and experts are concerned they won't provide the right protections for people wanting to sound the alarm. Can Australian public servants be summoned to Washington? E-Safety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant has been asked to appear before a United States Congressional Committee, but it remains unclear if she'll go. It's a busy month for the commissioner and many others as the social media restrictions loom in early December. Meta announced they're starting with restrictions a week early. Are they going too soon or is everyone else behind? The ABC closed out the 2025 media upfronts season this week with its content showcase for 2026. Its Managing Director Hugh Marks also took to the dais of the National Press Club on Wednesday to exhort ABC journalists to "stick to the journalism". What's in store for public broadcasting in 2026? It's been another tough week for the staff at the media behemoth Nine with the head of their broadcast division promising to "squeeze" more out of the beleaguered department. Is the season of the cuts particularly harsh this year? Guest: Dr Rebecca Ananian-Welsh, Associate Professor at the University of Queensland, Executive Director of Public Law with the Centre for Public International and Comparative Law (CPICL), and Chief Editor of the University of Queensland Law Journal You can binge more episodes of the MediaLand podcast with media insiders Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find interviews with the big media bosses, the journalists on the ground and the hacks who hunt for the big media scoops. Please email us at Medialand@abc.net.au if you would like to get in touch, we read them all and love hearing from you!
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Hannah Ferguson: indie media flourishing in tough times
Nov 1400:28:35Tap to summarizeWe’re always talking about media companies trying to get bigger in order to survive. But that may not be the only way to do it. Hannah Ferguson set up Cheek Media in 2020 and has been building an independent media powerhouse without outside investment or selling off parts of the company. Does being small help and are there gaps growing between big media companies and their audiences? Will big tech companies have to pay to play with local news makers again? The Federal Government released a document this week suggesting that the long talked about New Bargaining Incentive may kick into gear in 2026. It’s been a pretty turbulent week for domestic media companies, who are all in their own ways reacting to a softening advertising market. Job cuts at Nine are the most obvious symptom, but it's going to be a tough end to 2025 right across commercial media. And we found out this week that The Victorian Office of Public Prosecutions will not charge Kyle and Jackie O or Mamamia with contempt for potentially prejudicial comments made during the trial of Erin Patterson. Can these media companies breathe a sigh of relief yet? Guest: Hannah Ferguson, CEO and Founder of Cheek Media Co., co-host of Cheek’s podcast The Big Small Talk and the author of Bite Back and 2024’s Taboo.
Transcribe →How do you cover a dismissal?
Nov 700:28:35Tap to summarizeTuesday the 11th of November marks a big date in the political history calendar in Australia. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the dismissal of the Gough Whitlam government, heralding a blizzard of political change. What was it like in the press gallery on that day and what impact did the events of 1975 have on Australian political journalism? Tom Mcllroy has been speaking to political journalists from 1975 who weathered the storm in the press gallery fifty years ago for Meanjin. After literal years of people calling for it the federal government is making international streamers invest in a certain amount of Australian content. Legislation was introduced this week to mandate that any streaming services with more than 1 million Australian subscribers must produce Australian drama, children's, documentary, arts or educational programs. It's been a long time coming, but will it actually mean more Australian content on our screens? We learned more this week about Australia's impending social media ban for children under sixteen, but it’s still not entirely clear what’s happening in roughly four weeks when the law comes into effect. What we do know is that Reddit and live-streaming platform Kick will be included along with Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, X, Facebook and Instagram. Guest: Tom Mcllroy, Political Editor for The Guardian Australia You can binge more episodes of the MediaLand podcast with media insiders Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find interviews with the big media bosses, the journalists on the ground and the hacks who hunt for the big media scoops. Please email us at Medialand@abc.net.au if you would like to get in touch, we read them all and love hearing from you!
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First Nations Media: telling our stories
Oct 3100:28:35Tap to summarizeGet the inside track on the global media industry
Transcribe →Does democracy die in a news desert?
Oct 2400:28:36Tap to summarizeRegional news in Australia has been in a decline for a while, in quantity at least. Between 2019 and 2024, there were 358 contractions and 174 expansions of news outlets across Australia, that’s a loss of at least 184 outlets. It’s been a struggle and ultimately it's audiences who end up missing out. The Public Interest Journalism Initiative says that as of last year there were at least 29 local government areas who didn’t have any print or digital news at all. What happens when no one is watching? One of the biggest media companies in the world is up for sale, although not entirely by choice. Warner Brothers Discovery has declared itself open for offers in the United States after receiving "unsolicited interest". Big media buyout season appears to be still on in the international market and could have a big impact for Australian viewers. And the rolling maul of media announcements for 2026 in Australia continues as networks confirm their line ups and announce their content slates. What is next year going to look and sound like on our screens and speakers? Guest: Dr T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer at RMIT and Australian Research Council DECRA FellowYou can binge more episodes of the MediaLand podcast with media insiders Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find interviews with the big media bosses, the journalists on the ground and the hacks who hunt for the big media scoops. Please email us at Medialand@abc.net.au if you would like to get in touch, we read them all and love hearing from you!
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Mitch Churi: Radio killing season kicks off
Oct 1700:28:35Tap to summarizeIt's October and that means radio killing season is underway. It's that special time of the year where radio stations and TV channels decide what their next year will look like and make sudden and sometimes shocking changes to their hosting line ups. We've already seen a few quick dispatches this killing season and it's likely to heat up over the next fortnight. Former KIIS FM Nights host Mitch Churi was one of the victims last year and he joins us to discuss the scariest time of year for radio hosts. Netflix and Spotify have signed a deal this week bringing video podcasts into the stable of the streaming giant. Is video about to kill the podcasting star? Teens and tech titans are all busy at the moment looking for ways around the impending social media age restrictions. Does the big shift towards age restriction online in December have a chance of working as intended? Guest: Mitch Churi, Host of The Mitch Churi Chat Show and former KIIS FM radio host You can binge more episodes of the MediaLand podcast with media insiders Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find interviews with the big media bosses, the journalists on the ground and the hacks who hunt for the big media scoops. Please email us at Medialand@abc.net.au if you would like to get in touch, we read them all and love hearing from you!
Transcribe →Mark Humphries: why do we love media moguls?
Oct 1000:28:35Tap to summarizeIf you weren’t reading the newspapers in Victoria and Queensland in 1980s you could be forgiven for not knowing the name of fallen media mogul Christopher Skase. It's a problem Mark Humphries is trying to solve with a new podcast from ABC Radio National Rewind - Skase Fall of a Tycoon. We dig into why media personalities are so interesting to Australians when they're at their peak, and decades later.News Corp Australia boss Michael Miller fired some opening shots at the big tech companies this Wednesday at the Melbourne Press Club claiming calls to reform copyright laws are an attempt at a "big steal". Why is copyright becoming such a hot topic and what do Australian writers and creatives stand to lose? Google has launched in Australia a chatbot-like advanced form of AI search, called "AI Mode". They’re calling a move from “search engine” to “answer engine”. What impact will this have on news websites which have already seen a drop in traffic after AI summaries were introduced on Google a year ago? Guest: Mark Humphries, comedian and host of Skase: Fall of a Tycoon on ABC Radio National Rewind
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