Inside Media: Brady Bunch actress Susan Olsen is cancelled as Seven news boss calls for end to broadcast tax

In our column that takes you inside the media world we hear from Susan Olsen, the actress who played Cindy Brady, on why Hollywood has cancelled her | Seven’s big news boss calls on the Government to pay for local news | And the moment you have to see from the Queensland election.

WATCH: A VIDEO VERSION OF THIS COLUMN IS AVAILABLE IN THE PLAYER ABOVE

SEVEN’S NEWS BOSS CALLS FOR GOVERNMENT HELP

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One of Australia’s most senior media figures is set to issue a dire warning to the Federal Government about the future of Australian newsrooms and the need for urgent funding.

In a speech tomorrow at the Melbourne Press Club, Seven’s news boss (and my boss) Anthony De Ceglie will call for an end to the “broadcast tax” – that’s the money commercial broadcasters pay to use the spectrum to broadcast the linear TV channels.

A report by Free TV in 2022 claimed Australian broadcasters pay the highest spectrum prices in the world – “52 times higher than equivalent per capita charges in the USA”.

Free TV chart comparing broadcasting fees around the world. Credit: Free TV

This year Seven, Nine and 10 are set to pay a combined fee of around $45m.

But De Ceglie is set to go further, calling for the Government to fund Australian news the same way it funds drama.

“The government needs to stop treating Australia’s news stations with disdain,” he will say in his speech.

“The Government must also immediately investigate a rebate for the costs of producing news and current affairs.

“They already have a rebate for the production of Australian dramas like Home and Away and for Australian documentaries.

“At a time when a viewer can access up to 10 hours of news on Seven’s free-to-air channel on any given day … the so-called Commercial Broadcast Tax is actually just a tax on journalism.

“Even more so, it’s a tax on the truth and it’s a tax on facts.

“And it’s a tax on the only antidote to combatting the rise-and-rise of harmful online platforms.”

It’s a bold call, for sure, but one that makes sense. At a time when misinformation is at an all time high, funding journalism is important for democracy.

The Government could argue it already funds the ABC, but alternative viewpoints are important – even if Anthony Albanese doesn’t always like what these outlets are reporting.

CINDY BRADY ‘CANCELLED’

Hollywood loves recycling intellectual property (IP), serving up remakes of classic shows and movies to make money off existing brands. In a cluttered marketplace, it’s easier to get an audience to a known brand rather than try to sell a new concept.

But it seems executives in La La Land are making decisions based on their personal politics rather than what the audience might want.

Susan Olsen on the Walk Away Campaign podcast. Credit: Walk Away Campaign

Take the case of the Brady Bunch.

Susan Olsen, who played Cindy Brady, has claimed a potential reboot of the series was canned by CBS because of her politics.

Speaking on the Walk Away Campaign podcast, the actress claimed the show didn’t go ahead due to her support of Donald Trump and her controversial stances on issues like Covid vaccines and the LGBTQ+ community.

As per Variety: “I did have a phone call with my [TV] siblings and my agent,” Olsen said on the podcast.

“Everybody was saying, ‘We’re sorry, but they just won’t budge. They just will not have you in this.’ I was like, ‘Wow, I’ve been cancelled.’ A role that I’ve played for over 50 years, I can’t play it now because I’m too dangerous. I was like ‘Well, okay guys, good luck, I hope you can sell it.’”

Actress Susan Olsen playing Cindy Brady. Credit: Paramount

WATCH: YOU CAN SEE THE INTERVIEW WITH SUSAN OLSEN IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE

It does raise the question over what constitutes acting these days.

We’ve seen many examples of actors losing roles because of their controversial politics and protests over actors playing certain roles if they haven’t lived the same experience of the character (i.e. the debate over whether gay characters should only be played by gay actors).

Personally, when I watch a show, I don’t care about an actor’s politics or sexuality. As long as they are convincing in the role and put on a great performance, I’m happy.

Hollywood seems to be too worried about everything else these days, except the final product on the screen. I’d argue more time and effort needs to be put into that.

ELECTION MUST-SEE MOMENT

Queensland went to the polls on Saturday and that meant the TV networks went into overdrive to cover the results that night – well, everyone except 10.

The ABC, Nine, Sky and Seven all provided solid coverage, but it was Seven’s new recruit Sarah Greenhalgh who stole headlines for her tough, no-nonsense interview with Robbie Katter. Greenhalgh was appointed co-presenter of the nightly news a couple of weeks ago, alongside Max Futcher.

As leader of Katter’s Australian Party, Robbie Katter made headlines in the last week of the campaign over his plans to amend Queensland’s abortion laws, telling ABC News “We will, quick as you like, put a repeal bill back into the Queensland parliament on those abortion laws,”.

Sarah Greenhalgh and Robbie Katter had a verbal stoush on 7’s election results coverage on Saturday night Credit: 7NEWS

WATCH: YOU CAN SEE THE EXCHANGE IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE

There was a lot of speculation on Saturday night this issue had affected the expected LNP landslide, with the race for Government becoming much tighter than expected.

When Katter appeared live on Seven’s coverage Greenhalgh, who is 23 weeks pregnant, went straight for the jugular, confronting him about the issue.

Despite Katter trying to interrupt Greenhalgh before she had even finished asking the question, the 7NEWS Spotlight reporter really showed her chops and stopped the seasoned politician mid-stream, and continued to ask her question:

SARAH GREENHALGH: “Would you like to apologise or show any remorse, to all women for what you’ve done? A huge amount of... There has been a spike… in women calling health services, GPs, obstetricians clinics, up and down this state. I spoke to several of them yesterday.

ROBBIE KATTER: All of them? Or just, you just spoke to some of them?

SARAH GREENHALGH: Robbie. I obviously didn’t speak to all of them. I’ve spoken to a few medical experts who, okay ...

ROBBIE KATTER: Well you might...

SARAH GREENHALGH: Reported there being a spike.

ROBBIE KATTER: Well, you might find it surprising that there’s, you might find it surprising, there’s people have an alternate view to you and other women, and there that’s called democracy. We’re allowed to express an alternate view. And, uh, you know, you seem to conveniently never mention there’s babies in this equation. You talk about the women, that’s fine. They need representation. But I would argue there’s babies in this equation as well. They need representation. You seem to deny that.

SARAH GREENHALGH: Fine, Robbie, you’re talking to a pregnant woman actually at the moment. So I’m well aware that there are babies involved.

ROBBIE KATTER: Well, I dunno what to tell you. I’m like, there’s frauds in the parliament that take a position that we’re against. Uh, we’re the pro-life party and, you know, I don’t know what else to say to you about that.

It was compelling and the kind of interview we should see more of.

It is the job of the media to hold politicians to account. Katter tried making the point that he hadn’t been campaigning on this issue and was more concerned with crime, but if he and his party is planning to change legislation on such an important issue, the electorate has a right to know.

And it makes me think my boss, Anthony De Ceglie, is right – maybe it is time for the Federal Government to fund local news.

Democracy needs it.

Rob McKnight is the co-owner of TV Blackbox

INSIDE MEDIA is published every Monday and Thursday at 5pm.