News review April 2013
Finlayson to ABC
SBS chief operating officer Richard Finlayson is poached by the ABC to become head of television, replacing Kim Dalton.
Ikea finds bigger Match
Furniture giant Ikea expands the remit of media strategy agency Match Media ditching MediaCom after a competitive review as the agency opens up its new trading desk, and dumps One Green Bean as its PR agency in favour of rival Mango.
Fairfax restructures 
again
Fairfax Metro CEO Jack Matthews and Fairfax Regional Media’s CEO Allan Browne leave the company following a major restructure. All newspaper assets are shifted into one division under Allen Williams.
Fairfax fires Manning
Senior journalist Paddy Manning is fired by Fairfax after penning a piece for rival media outlet Crikey slamming the merger of the Business Day unit and the Australian Financial Review teams.
Mindshare boosts female leadership
Following the departure of James Greet to Ikon, Mindshare appoints Katie Rigg-Smith as its new CEO, making her one of the youngest media agency bosses in Australia.
Parko goes home
GroupM’s trading supremo James Parkinson lands a new role heading up trading for the buying behemoth across Europe, with Danny Bass promoted to the role from digital duties.
Free TV chairman quits in stoush
FreeTV’s chairman Jeff Browne resigns after accusations from competitors he used the position to favour his employers, the Nine Network.
BBC leaves ABC “flabbergasted”
A move by BBC to launch its own Foxtel channel leaves the ABC “flabbergasted” as it effectively tears up a decades-old content agreement between the public broadcasters.
Hollands returns to Newspaper Works
Mark Hollands returns to the helm of The Newspaper Works replacing Tony Hale less than a year after the merger of the Pacific Area Newspaper Association with the body cost him his role at PANPA.
B is for banned
After a trip to court for the networks, former Spice Girl Mel B is banned from switching to Nine to judge Australia’s Got Talent
SA big business for MEC
MEC retains two of South Australia’s biggest pieces of business with the government extending its contract and Mitsubishi reappointing the agency after a pitch against Starcom MediaVest.
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