The Algorithm Age

Dr. Phil McGraw’s conservative-leaning cable network Merit Street Media is filing for bankruptcy barely a year after its launch, and is also suing its distribution partner Trinity Broadcasting for breach of contract. In its lawsuit against the Christian broadcaster, Merit Street alleged that Trinity “reneged on its obligations and abused its position as the controlling shareholder of Merit Street,” leaving the upstart channel with over $100 million in debt. “These failures by TBN were neither unintended nor inadvertent,” the lawsuit read. “They were a conscious, intentional pattern of choices made with full awareness that the consequence of which was to sabotage and seal the fate of a new but already nationally acclaimed network.” Following a two-decade run as a syndicated daytime talk show host, McGraw announced in late 2023 that he was starting up his own multi-platform media company, which would include a cable television channel featuring a Dr. Phil primetime program...

A decade ago, Donald Trump descended the golden escalator at Trump Tower in New York City and ignited a political movement that has reshaped American politics . In a memorable turn of phrase, Trump promised supporters of his 2016 presidential campaign that “we are going to make our country great again.” Since then, the Make America Great Again movement has dominated the U.S. political conversation, reshaped the Republican Party and become a lucrative brand adorning hats, T-shirts and bumper stickers. When asked what MAGA means to him, Trump, in a 2017 interview with The Washington Post said, “To me, it meant jobs. It meant industry, and meant military strength. It meant taking care of our veterans. It meant so much.” But Democratic leaders have a different interpretation of the slogan. Former President Bill Clinton in 2016 said of MAGA: “That message where ‘I’ll give you America great again’ is if you’re a white Southerner, you know exactly what it means, d...

Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been found not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking following a lengthy public trial, which saw a number of women testify against him, including former girlfriend and singer, Cassie Ventura . He has, however, been found guilty of two lesser charges of transportation to engage in prostitution, and will be sentenced in due course. The jail time for these charges can carry up to a maximum of 10 years each. Given the scale of the trial, which heard from 34 witnesses in less than two months, including former employees of Combs, male sex workers, federal agents, and his ex-girlfriends, the news that the jury had made their decision sent shockwaves around the globe - not least because of the nature of some of the evidence against him. He has consistently denied the charges. Most notably, people will remember the video of Cassie Ventura being dragged through and beaten in a hotel corridor by Combs in 2016. It's not a new tale, and ...

When detectives discovered a cache of child abuse material allegedly in the hands of a Melbourne childcare worker, it started the clock ticking on an unprecedented response from police and public health authorities. After raiding the home of 26-year-old Joshua Dale Brown in May, police faced the daunting and distressing task of trying to identify eight children, some as young as five months old, whom it is alleged he had abused and filmed. They also tracked Brown’s work history, fearing the allegations against him at one centre in the city’s west may be only the tip of the iceberg. They uncovered that he had worked at 20 childcare centres across the city since 2017. Sex crimes detectives have now focused their attention on Brown’s time at a centre in Essendon, where they are investigating whether abuse occurred, and police are urging anyone with further information to come forward. For weeks, police and the Health Department grappled with how to reveal the ...

Have YOU got a story? Email tips@ Dan Walker has broken his silence after being bombarded with questions from worried fans about his extended absence from Channel 5 News and radio show. The journalist, 48, presents Classic FM on Sunday afternoons and often presents on 5 News too. However, some viewers noticed Dan had been away from his usual gigs and he took to social media to address the concerns. He posted a video to Instagram and said: 'Hello, I've been asked by quite a few people if I've left Channel 5 and why I've disappeared from Classic FM. The answer is twofold.' Dan then went on to explain he had been missing from radio and TV because of filming and a family holiday. He continued: 'First is, I'm on holiday with the family for a couple of weeks and the second is that I'm filming a new series for Channel 5 which you should be able to see I think in September, which I can't tell you too much about but it's...

Have YOU got a story? Email tips@ A whole host of fan-favourite BBC shows are facing schedule changes as a result of the Wimbledon Championships 2025. Bosses at the broadcaster are clearing their schedule to bring dedicated, rolling coverage on BBC One. It's already meant The One Show - which airs at 7pm on weeknights - has been taken off air for weeks . Now, the full list of programmes disrupted has been revealed, and a whopping 14 beloved daytime shows have been pulled. Over on BBC One, Escape To The Country, Pointless, Bridge Of Lies and Garden Rescue have been ditched. On BBC Two, The Edge, My Family, Murder, Mystery, Lighting and Unbeatable have also been dropped. Wimbledon coverage has also seen Flog It, Weatherman Walking, Hidden Treasures of the National Trust, Richard Osman's House Of Games and Robson Green’s Weekend Escapes taken out of their usual slots. All these daytime staples are expected to return as normal from M...

A team of radio hosts were left red-faced on Wednesday when country crooner Keith Urban seemingly ended a live interview after a crude question about his wife. The singer, 57, appeared to hang up on Mix 102.3's Hayley & Max in the Morning after being asked about Nicole Kidman 's racy scenes in movies. But despite hosts Hayley Pearson and Max Burford panicking that Urban had furiously ended the call, it turns out this might not be the case at all. READ MORE: Popular grocery item reappears on shelves after shoppers' frustration Mix 102.3's content director, Stephen Werner, was on hand to speak out on what happened when the duo returned to air on Thursday morning. Werner claimed the chat ended simply because the interview had run its course. "The producers were getting texts, and you guys were having such a great time that you ran out of time," Werner said. "Hang on, so are you telling us this has made inte...

When Grant Stevens was confronted by waiting journalists as he left the ABC's Adelaide studios following a radio interview on Wednesday morning, he smiled wryly. "I'm not armed. It's OK," the SA Police Commissioner said. The quip was in reference to an incident from the commissioner's professional past in which he had, he said, accidentally discharged his firearm during a raid on the house of an alleged drug dealer. A recent newspaper story had drawn attention to the episode, which dates back to the early 1990s when the now-commissioner was a young criminal investigator. Here's a look at what happened, why it has now made headlines, and why an Office for Public Integrity assessment will be conducted. What's the story? Earlier this week, Adelaide's Sunday Mail newspaper published a report containing allegations relating to a "high-ranking South Australian police officer". The story claimed th...

For nearly two years, a nearly nonstop parade of allegations and revelations has ravaged and unraveled Sean “Diddy” Combs’ carefully cultivated reputation as an affable celebrity entrepreneur, A-list party host, Grammy-winning artist and music executive, brand ambassador and reality TV star. It culminated in a verdict Wednesday that saw Combs acquitted of the most serious sex trafficking charges, though guilty of two lesser ones. The stratospheric heights of his previous life may be impossible to regain, but the question remains whether a partial conviction could mean a partial public rehabilitation, or if too much damage has been done. “Combs managed to avoid becoming the next R. Kelly,” said Evan Nierman, CEO and president of crisis public relations firm Red Banyan, referring to the R&B superstar convicted of similar sex trafficking charges as those that Combs beat. Combs, 55, has yet to be sentenced and faces the likelihood of prison time, but he no longer faces th...

One 28-second video and an Instagram selfie have given millions of fans the A-list relationship confirmation they've been waiting a year for. In June 2024, reports emerged of a budding romance between actor Paul Mescal and singer Gracie Abrams . Since then, the pair have been spotted out and about together – PDAs and all – numerous times. READ MORE: Princess reveals shock of unexpected divorce However, they've never directly confirmed or acknowledged the relationship, and are yet to make a joint appearance on the red carpet. Now, following her weekend at Glastonbury, Abrams has bitten the bullet and given her 5.3 million followers what they've been hanging out for. On Instagram, the That's So True singer shared a gallery of photos from her time at the festival, with Mescal making a long-awaited appearance. The selfie in question shows the Normal People star – who doesn't have an active Instagram account of his ow...

Real Housewives of Miami star Lisa Hochstein took to Instagram to respond to allegations Larsa Pippen made against her boyfriend, Jody Glidden , on the Wednesday, July 2, episode — and insiders who were present during the evening in question have exclusively backed Hochstein’s story to OK! . During the episode, Pippen claimed Glidden was aggressive and screamed at her at a Philipp Plein dinner when they all were in Milan for a fashion show. She even went as far as to get the man from the show on a call via FaceTime, where he corroborated her story. They Weren't 'Best Friends' "Let me set the record straight," Hochstein shared. "Larsa keeps saying we’ve been best friends for 15 years. That’s just not true. We’d see each other at events, but we didn’t actually become friends until four years ago — right before the reboot — when we started texting and talking. That’s how it really started." Hoch...

Danity Kane member Aubrey O'Day was shocked by the verdict in Sean "Diddy" Combs ' trial, where he was acquitted on the most serious counts of racketeering and s-- trafficking. "I'm floored by the jury's verdict," O'Day, 41, told Inside Edition in an interview that aired on Wednesday, July 2, hours after the jury's decision was read. Combs, 55, was facing a possible sentence of life in prison with the racketeering conspiracy and s-- trafficking charges. Instead, he was convicted of two lesser prostitution-related counts. 'The Evidence Is There' "I've been reporting on this trial...the evidence is there. For me it's all the way there," the "Bad Girl" singer said about what the prosecution presented in the case. "But I feel that there's going to be an instinct for people to want to suggest that the prosecution overcharged, overreached, didn't do enough...

Woman’s Day ‘s News Editor Emma Babbington has released her debut novel, The Neighbours ! We sat down with Emma to chat about the must-read thriller. Give us your elevator pitch for The Neighbours… When Liv learns her daughter Gracie had a distressing encounter with their TV doctor neighbour just moments before his apparent murder, she moves swiftly to protect the teenager from police suspicion. But as she uncovers a host of other likely suspects, the true killer remains hidden in plain sight. You’re News Editor here at Woman’s Day – did working as a journalist inspire you? It’s very handy to be able to write about true crime for my day job when I write murder mysteries by night! But also, in the real life section where I work, we get to meet and write about everyday Australians who might not be famous but have done something amazing or been through tough times and I’m always very inspired by their stories. Why did you want t...

Woman’s Day ‘s News Editor Emma Babbington has released her debut novel, The Neighbours ! We sat down with Emma to chat about the must-read thriller. Give us your elevator pitch for The Neighbours… When Liv learns her daughter Gracie had a distressing encounter with their TV doctor neighbour just moments before his apparent murder, she moves swiftly to protect the teenager from police suspicion. But as she uncovers a host of other likely suspects, the true killer remains hidden in plain sight. You’re News Editor here at Woman’s Day – did working as a journalist inspire you? It’s very handy to be able to write about true crime for my day job when I write murder mysteries by night! But also, in the real life section where I work, we get to meet and write about everyday Australians who might not be famous but have done something amazing or been through tough times and I’m always very inspired by their stories. Why did you want t...

HGTV went on a cancellations spree last week, axing several of its popular shows - and a network source tells the Daily Mail that more changes are coming. 'We had to stop the bleeding,' said the senior source, who claimed that revenues were underperforming and the network needed to act. 'We were hemorrhaging money. So in order to stop the bleeding, we had to have a bloodbath. It was calculated cuts to make things make sense, financially.' Without warning, HGTV pulled the plug on Farmhouse Fixer, Bargain Block, Married to Real Estate and Izzy Does It. The sudden cancellations sent shockwaves through the HGTV fandom, and left employees of several shows fearing for their jobs. 'Decisions are still being made,' said the insider, who works directly with programming. 'It sucks for everyone involved but that's the TV business. Everyone understands that. Cable networks are struggling now, and we all have to make smart decisions.' Farmhouse ...

After Sean “Diddy’ Combs' verdict was read, he had a shocking message for his family, according to a news outlet. Once the jury’s decision was announced, Combs turned around to his family — Janice Combs , his mom, his three daughters, his sons, and Dana Tran , the mother of his youngest child — who were present and told them he’d be “coming home” and would see them soon. The Verdict As OK! reported, the jury found Combs not guilty of count one, the alleged racketeering conspiracy, not guilty of count two, the s-- trafficking of Cassie Ventura and not guilty of count four, the alleged s-- trafficking of his former girlfriend, identifying under the pseudonym Jane . Combs was found guilty of counts three and five — the Mann Act Transportation of both Ventura and Jane. Sean's Reaction Aside from talking with his family, a news outlet reported Combs got on his knees with his head down in a chair, as if he was pra...

Have YOU got a story? Email tips@ Olivia Munn is opening up about a harsh experience on the set of HBO 's The Newsroom with a director who tried to hinder her from getting future roles. The 44-year-old actress was first best known as a correspondent on the popular G4 series Attack of the Show, before breaking through as an actress as Sloan Sabbith on The Newsroom. She opened up about an unnamed director on The Newsroom during a wide-ranging chat with Dax Shepard on his Armchair Expert podcast . The actress - who recently made headlines for comments about Jeff Bezos' ex Mackenzie Scott - realized this director wanted to put his 'imprint' on her Sloan Sabbith character, which involved a romantic relationship with Thomas Sadoski's Don Keefer. 'There was a storyline where my character and Tom Sadoski’s character are dating and falling in love,' she said. However, the director, 'kept trying to force me to carry that stor...

When I started making YouTube videos in my bedroom at 12 years old, the term ‘YouTuber’ was only just beginning to enter public consciousness . It took many more years to crystallise into a term people understood, let alone took somewhat seriously. Even towards the tail end of my decade making videos , I watched with mild amusement as the adults around me squirmed, trying to remember what exactly this hobby of mine was. “How are your friends, love?” one well-meaning family member asked. “The ones on the computer?” Some 15 years on from my first upload, there are now many terms used to describe someone who makes videos for people to watch on the internet. They range from the specific (gamer, streamer, TikTokker) to the vague (content creator) to the often mocked (influencer). Now, YouTuber’s Creator Consultation is pushing for the UK government to recognise online content creation as a legitimate profession . The manifesto calls for better financial support, accreditation, an...