Lefties Losing It goes on tour to MAGA-land

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In this week’s On Background, one of Sky News’ premier segments delivers what everyone needs: merch; The Australian cops a spray from the judicial megaphone; a Foxtel leader moves up in the world; and a Seven executive’s very forthright feedback for her erstwhile boss.

Sky News is still awaiting the outcome of its trademark application for its new consultancy-coded name, News24, after another media company operating under the same banner in South Africa filed a challenge.

But in the meantime, the crack team at Sky are moving ahead with planning for their rebrand. The crew behind one of the broadcaster’s premier segments (and YouTube channels) is planning to break new ground after being freed from restrictions imposed by the UK Sky News, which forbade certain uses of the broadcaster’s name. That’s right, they’re doing merch!

The first cab off the rank, On Background hears, is merch for Lefties Losing It, the satirical segment hosted by captain of industry Gina Rinehart’s first mate, Rita Panahi. Panahi, we hear, is also set to take the segment on the road in the USA, its cultural heartland and her spiritual home, as evidenced by her recent sponsored pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago.

News24 sailor suits, anyone? Company-branded red caps? Sky wouldn’t say.

The Australian copped a spray from the judge presiding over the numerous charges against former broadcaster Alan Jones this week, with a judge calling a report by the newspaper “manifestly erroneous”.

The initial article, published on May 4, said police had “seized a secret dossier” detailing Jones’ loans to “some of the nation’s best-known media personalities, sports stars and entrepreneurs”. It could “embarrass the long list of beneficiaries who remained well and truly in Jones’ debt”, The Australian wrote, and “undermine any evidence they might give”.

The retired radio host’s lawyer Gabrielle Bashir, SC, told the court that “there is, insofar as we know, no secret ledger”, but, based on the Oz’s reporting, issued a subpoena........

© WA Today