Tele accused of treating Rush defamation 'like a game' | Nine sports boss on why tennis is a 'landmark' deal | Facebook bans chatbots | GroupM departures | Donna Hay breaks up with News Corp | Watchdog bans 'violent' 50 Shades trailer | New Westpac ads |

[View Newsletter Online]( [Mumbrella Newsletter][Mumbrella Newsletter]( Final days to save $600 on your Mumbrella360 ticket A [Mumbrella360]( earlybird ticket gets you into everything the event has to offer: from international experts who’ve never spoken on an Australian stage before, to an intimate masterclass zone packed with takeaways, to the most relevant content brought to you by the industry, and so much more. Hundreds of marketers have already secured their place for June, so why not book now, and access everything the event has to offer for less? [Book now.]( News [Daily Telegraph lawyers accused of treating Geoffrey Rush litigation 'like a game']( Lawyers for Geoffrey Rush have branded The Daily Telegraph’s plan to launch a cross-claim against Sydney Theatre Company as “spurious” as the actor’s defamation case against the publication returned to court today. Sue Chrysanthou accused lawyers for Nationwide News and journalist Jonathon Moran of “treating this litigation like a game” while her client suffers “devastating and significant effect” of stories which accused Rush of “inappropriate behaviour” on a Sydney stage. [READ MORE »]( Opinion [Channel Nine's tennis deal will be obsolete by the time it runs out...]( While Nine snatching the tennis rights from Seven might seem like the grab of the century, the station needs to have a serious think about what the future might hold, writes strategist Mike Chmielewski. You would have read all over the media interwebs that Channel Nine has snatched the rights from Seven to broadcast the Tennis in Australia. The deal, worth $60m a year, gives Nine the free-to-air and pay-TV rights for the Australian Open, Hopman Cup, Davis Cup, Fed Cup and the Brisbane, Sydney and Hobart Internationals from 2020 all the way to 2024. [READ MORE »]( Opinion [... Why streaming won’t destroy the relationship between sport and mass media]( In a response to Mike Chmielewski, Nine’s director of sport, Tom Malone, argues while the online streaming of sport will continue to grow, the symbiotic relationship between mass media and the major sporting codes must and will continue. Mike, thanks for taking the time to write about our deal with Tennis Australia. We think it represents a big shift for our industry and not just because Tennis is moving to “Channel 9” the TV station. What’s important here is it is about comprehensive partnership between both sport and media. [READ MORE »]( News [Howcroft on 'shit real leaders say' and more confirmed for Mumbrella360 as earlybird tickets wind up]( Russel Howcroft, PwC chief creative officer, has been confirmed to speak on a no-holds-barred panel addressing modern leadership at this year’s Mumbrella360. Howcroft will be joined by BMF duo, managing director Steve McArdle, and executive planning director Christina Aventi, as well as Antony Wilson, general manager of brand and communications at TAL and Melissa Hopkins, director of brand and communications at Optus. [READ MORE »]( Opinion [Cambridge Analytica’s ‘secret’ psychographic tool is a marketing ghost from the past]( The Cambridge Analytica scandal has been touted as the “ultimate marketing weapon”. But is that actually true? Joonas Rokka and Massimo Airoldi investigate in this crossposting from The Conversation. The ongoing Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal has revealed just how vulnerable our social-media data are to exploitation. Marketers, political groups and shadowy third parties can now harvest our information, divide us into homogenous groups and send targeted messages in ways that are far beyond anything imagined even a decade ago. [READ MORE »]( News [Tim Whitfield departs GroupM]( Head of operations and technology at WPP’s GroupM, Timothy Whitfield, has left the company. Whitfield’s next career move is not yet clear. GroupM CEO Mark Lollback confirmed the departure. [READ MORE »]( News [Global GroupM chairman Irwin Gotlieb steps down]( Irwin Gotlieb, global chairman of WPP’s media investment arm GroupM, has stepped down from his role after six years. Gotlieb was the first global CEO of GroupM when it was founded in 2003, and in 2012, took on the role of global chairman. [READ MORE »]( News [Facebook clamps down on page managers and political advertising]( As Facebook deals with the fallout of various privacy and political scandals, the social media service has announced changes to its page management and political advertising guidelines. In the policy announced over the weekend, managers of groups with a “large number of followers” will be subject to more detailed scrutiny by the service to make it harder for people to administer a page using a fake account. More detail on pages will also be available to help people put pages’ provenance in context. [READ MORE »]( News [Ad watchdog upholds complaints against 'highly sexualised' and 'violent' 50 Shades Freed trailer]( Two television trailers for the movie 50 Shades Freed have been banned by the ad watchdog for depicting violence and highly sexualised scenes. A complaint said to Ad Standards said: “It is not ok to air adverts with sexual content and clear threats of violence, including bedroom scenes that depict bondage/nudity/holding whips on a woman’s neck/ holding a knife to someone’s throat.” [READ MORE »]( News [Donna Hay ends affiliation with News Corp and removes magazine from news-stands]( Donna Hay Magazine will no longer be available for purchase at retail outlets as the magazine ends its licensing agreement with News Corp. Instead, Donna Hay will launch her own independent publishing business and offer the magazine to subscribers only. [READ MORE »]( Opinion [Marketers are willing to play Russian Roulette at the FIFA World Cup this summer]( From a succession of corruption scandals to a host nation embroiled in human rights controversies, this year’s FIFA World Cup could potentially be an own goal for brands – but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t participate, writes Adam Hodge. In less than 100 days, the world’s biggest sporting event kicks off in Russia. Reaching over 3.2 billion television viewers, the quadrennial FIFA World Cup has consistently held off the Olympic Games and Tour De France as the most watched live sporting event on the planet. [READ MORE »]( News [Bauer Media's Take 5 launches monthly edition, with weekly mag continuing to run]( Bauer Media’s Take 5 is expanding its print product, launching a monthly edition for the first time. The new monthly edition will focus more heavily on lifestyle and will feature more real-life stories, puzzles and prizes. Take 5’s weekly edition will also continue to run. [READ MORE »]( Opinion [Facebook has stopped Messenger bots - here's what you need to know]( Facebook has put a pause on its chatbot program, as concerns around privacy mount. Here, Decoded CEO Chris Monk unpacks everything you need to know. We’re becoming increasingly familiar with chatbots popping up in the places where we used to just speak to real people. Whether it’s digesting the daily news, ordering a pizza or asking some questions of customer services, increasingly we are turning to Facebook Messenger and other platforms for the automated answers. Well, we were until Facebook threw a rather large spanner in the works. [READ MORE »]( Opinion [Facebook's chatbot ban is a chance to finally get our legislation in order]( As Facebook’s chatbot ban continues, Flamingo AI CEO Catriona Wallace argues that Facebook’s strict new policies might actually be the perfect chance to right the AI world’s wrongs. In the fall out of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook has gagged the development of its chatbot applications. These applications previously provided the core technological capability for a large number of small and not-so-small third-party chatbot providers. It’s bad news for many chatbot companies, a large number of whom will go out of business if the ban continues. [READ MORE »]( News [Seven's Commonwealth Games coverage delivers big audiences as official ratings period returns]( Seven’s Commonwealth Games coverage delivered strong audiences on Sunday night, weighing down its commercial rivals Ten and Nine. Last night marked the return of OzTAM’s official ratings period, which coincided with one of Seven’s strongest Sundays of the year. Across the network, 1.247m metro viewers tuned in to the night coverage, while 1.246m watched The Commonwealth Games in the evening. [READ MORE »]( News [Westpac reflects on historical moments when Australians needed a 'helping hand']( Workmen building the Sydney Harbour Bridge, a young girl on a school bus, a person stuck in a sinking car and a wheelchair basketballer in distress are some of the scenarios featured in a new campaign for Westpac, showcasing how Australians have always been built to ‘help’. DDB’s latest work for the 200-year-old Australian bank aims to celebrate the way Australians have always helped each other, just as Westpac has helped Australians. [READ MORE »]( News [Consumedia wins Maurice Blackburn media account]( Legal firm Maurice Blackburn has appointed independent media agency Consumedia to handle its national media planning and buying, moving the account away from incumbent McCann. The media agency said it held off competition from McCann, OMD, Carat and Havas to secure the account following a competitive review. [READ MORE »]( News [Julia Zemiro to host Seven's new singing show All Together Now]( Australian TV presenter and radio host Julia Zemiro will be the host of Seven’s new singing show All Together Now. Zemiro is an actor, singer, writer and comedian, best known for her interview show Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery and hosting 14 seasons of SBS’ Rockwiz. [READ MORE »]( News [AFR's Rich List editor John Stensholt heads to The Australian]( Australian Financial Review reporter and Rich List editor John Stensholt is headed to The Australian after almost 19 years with Fairfax Media. Stensholt was based in Fairfax Media’s Melbourne newsroom and reports on business, news, personal finance and the business of sport. [READ MORE »]( News [Radio Alive attempts to 'grab marketers by the ears' as it pushes advertising on radio]( Commercial Radio Australia is using everyday sound effects to tell stories about marketing products, in a push to encourage brands to use radio as an advertising medium. The four new radio advertisements feature stories about marketers who used the medium to push their product. The ads cover the automotive, cruise, real estate and FMCG sectors. [READ MORE »]( News [Commonwealth Games coverage sees Seven soar to a weekly win]( The second week of the Easter non-ratings period was won by Seven, with the Commonwealth Games giving the channel a hefty boost to a 28% share. Seven’s week – which included the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games opening ceremony – put the channel in a strong position, ahead of nearest competitor Nine, which finished the week on 16.2%, according to OzTam’s overnight preliminary ratings. [READ MORE »]( News [Elastoplast and Richards Rose tell Australians to 'get up again' after a fall]( Elastoplast has released its latest campaign created in collaboration with ad agency Richards Rose. The campaign encourages Aussies to dust themselves off after a fall or sporting injury, and features a series of ‘get up again’ moments set to the tune of Chumbawamba’s Tubthumping (I Get Knocked Down). [READ MORE »]( News [Ogilvy CommonHealth Australia promotes Kristina Luburic to general manager]( WPP’s healthcare specialist agency, Ogilvy CommonHealth, has promoted Kristina Luburic to the role of general manager. Luburic is replacing Gary Pattison who is retaining his role as CEO of WPP Health & Wellness AUNZ and focusing on increasing collaboration between all of WPP’s health and wellness offerings which includes Healthwallace and Ogilvy PR Health. [READ MORE »]( News [Mercedes-Benz and JC Decaux showcase NGV waterwall through windscreen wipers]( Mercedes-Benz Australia is celebrating its role as partner of the National Gallery of Victoria’s NGV Triennial exhibition, with a replica of the NGV waterwall viewed through a car’s windscreen wipers. The outdoor activation, which sits at Flinders Street Station in Melbourne, shows a windscreen wiper breaking through the waterwall on a JC Decaux digital outdoor device. It aims to give commuters a look at the ‘Victoria Amazonica’ piece which features in the exhibition. [READ MORE »]( Sponsored Post First entry deadline this Friday for Sports Marketing Awards If you’re thinking of entering [Mumbrella’s Sports Marketing Awards,]( the first entry deadline is this Friday April 13. If you’ve leveraged a great sponsorship with an athlete, club, code or sports event; or have driven results with a new PR, social media or ad campaign idea; or brought a unique activation to life at a sporting venue, then you need to check out the [categories online]( and [enter by Friday.]( F.Y.I. • [The Daily Telegraph launches new true crime podcast series]( • [Hulsbosch officially unveils new look for APN Outdoor]( • [Adtech firm Impulse Screen Media launches operations in South East Asia]( • [Back With The Ex to start April 18]( Jobs [17 New Jobs]( MOST DISCUSSED [Macquarie Media launches sports radio lineup, with Garry Linnell axed from Sydney breakfast]( [Kyle Sandilands labels Ray Hadley and Pedestrian TV 'piece of shit' over Intern Pete attacks]( [Tim Whitfield departs GroupM]( [72andSunny unveils first work for Optus, with 'cultural statement' urging Aussies to 'Get splashy']( mumbrella.com.au Sent By Focal Attractions Pty Ltd 46-48 Balfour Street, Chippendale, NSW, 2008, Australia If you would rather not receive this newsletter, you can [unsubscribe]( or [manage subscriptions here.](