WTF Now?! #31 sees a lot of music news: Sydney community radio station 2SER is at risk of closing if a gap in its funding isn’t filled. UTS remains committed but won’t increase their financial support which begs the question: how much arts and culture is dependent on fragile relationships with universities?
Despite settling with the US Department of Justice (DOJ), the Live Nation and Ticketmaster antitrust case has found the live entertainment giant holds a harmful monopoly over big concert venues in the USA. We will have to wait until the remedies hearing is over to see what it means for Live Nation.
Also music related: The UK's independent music venues peak body wants greater accuracy, transparency and fairness in how licensing fees are calculated by the UK music collecting society, Spotify is furthering its support for music gigs through a partnership with indie music venues and film and Creative Workplaces is developing a National Code for the Australian contemporary music industry.
Online safety also featured this week: The Age Assurance Technology Trial (AATT) ignored requests by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) to not overstate privacy claims related to age assurance technologies being assessed for suitability to enforce the social media minimum age (SMMA).
Indonesia has blocked Wikimedia users from logging into Wikipedia and the other wiki platforms as part of the country’s online safety regulations. Human rights concerns have been raised if the Wikimedia Foundation registers under the scheme.
Two more things: Film and TV directors in the UK are calling on streaming platforms to join the royalty scheme for directors for repeat showings and sales of their programmes and sci-fi is increasingly being self-published.
There were many other things I couldn’t include this week. Jump over to my Are.na bookmarks to see what else I have been reading.
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Rapid-fire
A short list of other things:
- Victoria has another new Minister for Creative Industries, Vicki Ward. Shoot through
- Congratulations to the writers shortlisted for the 2026 NSW Literary Awards. Shoot through
- Congratulations also to the winners and nominees of the 2026 Performing Arts WA Awards. Shoot through
- On Wednesday 13 May 2026 the National Communications Museum (NCM) is hosting Intelligence Embodied, a one-day AI summit. I wish I could be there. Melburnians should get along. Shoot through
- With philanthropic support from Ruth Ritchie, Griffin Theatre Company will establish a playwriting centre in a Kings Cross terrace house to be launched in 2027. Shoot through
- Creative Workplaces has begun developing a National Code for the Australian contemporary music industry. An Industry Reference Group has been set up and the process will involve public consultation. Shoot through
- Tim Cook is stepping down as the CEO of Apple. Senior Vice President Hardware Engineering John Ternus will replace Cook. Shoot through
What’s been going on?
Here's WTF happened this week:
A funding gap leaves the future of 2SER uncertain
A funding shortfall threatens the ongoing operation of Sydney community radio station 2SER. With Macquarie University pulling its support and UTS unwilling to cover the funding gap, the station's future is uncertain.
Sydney Educational Radio, which you are more likely to know by its call sign 2SER, faces an uncertain future due to changes to its funding. Sydney Educational Broadcasting Ltd which is co-funded by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and Macquarie University operates the station. In September last year Macquarie announced it would end its support at the end of 2026. UTS remains committed to 2SER but have indicated that they will not increase their funding contribution to cover the gap. They are working with the radio station to find another funder.
