StW: Nine moves on from the Sneesby era; Upfronts season: Independents Day and Paramount on stage

Welcome to Start the Week, our Monday scene-setter for the week ahead.In today’s audio-led edition, we explore what happens next at Nine, the NRL tries to bring Paramount into its next TV rights auction, and Upfronts season rolls on.If you’ve been thinking about upgrading to an Unmade membership, this is the perfect time. Your membership includes:* A complimentary ticket to all of Unmade’s events, including HumAIn (2025), REmade (1 October), Unlock (31 October), and Compass (November);* Member-only content and our paywalled archives;* Your own copy of Media Unmade. Mike drop, now what for Nine?Mike Sneesby may be on the way out for Nine, but the company still has months of dramas ahead.As we discuss in today’s podcast, acting CEO Matt Stanton’s first challenge will be navigating the release of the report into the company’s culture. The Australian reports today that “a slew of bullying claims have also been levelled against two senior women at Nine”.Also in the podcast, we list some of the contenders for what is one of the biggest jobs in Australian media.Plus, we get ready for another big week in Upfronts season, with Paramount sharing its plans for 2025 today, and Digital Publishers Alliance running Independents Day on Thursday.And the NRL is trying to talk up a bid from Paramount for its next round of rights negotiations.Further reading:* Unmade: Nine's $3bn decline* Unmade: Scorecard: Mike Sneesby failed at Nine, but first he gave the company a future by launching Stan* Unmade: After Sneesby* The Australian: Outside pick firms as next Nine boss* Capital Brief: Nine execs jostle for power as race to replace Sneesby as CEO begins* Sunday Telegraph: What’s the Buzz: Peter V’landys seeks meeting with Channel 10 over NRL rightsToday’s episode features Tim Burrowes and Abe Udy.Editing was courtesy of Abe’s Audio, the people to talk to about voiceovers, sound design and podcast production.Time to leave you to start your week. We’ll be back with more tomorrow.Toodlepip…Tim BurrowesPublisher - Unmade This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit unmade.substack.com