Now, as we draw tonight and the year of Media Watch to a close, we wanted to give a special shout-out to our army of spies at home who with keen eyes and keener minds have sent us snafus galore that don’t always make it to air, or not on Media Watch anyway:
PETER OVERTON: And Nine’s political editor, Charles, ooh excuse me, Charles Croucher joins me from Canberra. Charles, …
– Nine News 6pm (Sydney), 10 April 2025
From cueing the wrong tape:
PETER MITCHELL: Australian women are being given more choice when it comes to contraceptives.
From Saturday NuvaRing will be added to the PBS. Ah, we apologise for that, that’s clearly the wrong story …
– Seven News 6pm (Melb), 27 October 2025
To hitting the wrong button.
ABC STING: … Drive with Ellen Fanning ….
PRODUCER: Why did she hit delay? Oh shit! She shouldn’t have hit delay. I told her not to go into delay. Fuck!
– Drive with Ellen Fanning, ABC Radio Brisbane, 9 April 2025
There were crimes against the chyron too, like when a dastardly governor-general dissolved Parliament House, with no word on whether those inside were okay.
And during the fun-and-games of Cyclone Alfred.
Are we certain that’s mud they’re covered in?
There was also this moment when probably for the first time in his long career Bruce McAvaney mistimed his call of the iconic Stawell Gift:
BRUCE MCAVANEY: … what a view that is for the athletes and for all of us, so …
– Stawell Gift 2025, Seven, 21 April 2025
On the Apple Isle viewers of Seven got a glimpse into surely an unintentional office romance:
NICK KELLY: Kim, I’ll have all that and more when I return a little later.
KIM MILLAR: Love you, thank you. Love you! Haha … that’s a bit much, isn’t it. And you’re married now …
– Seven News (Tasmania), 3 February 2025
This year we also marked the passing of a giant of radio:
JAMES FINDLAY: And broadcaster Alan Jones has died at the age of 90. The man nicknamed the Golden Tonsils …
– Nightlife, ABC Radio Sydney, 9 November 2025
I’m sorry, who was that?
JAMES FINDLAY: … sorry, gosh, can we dump? …
– Nightlife, ABC Radio Sydney, 9 November 2025
Afraid not.
JAMES FINDLAY: … Broadcaster Alan. Broadcaster John Laws has died at the age of 90.
– Nightlife, ABC Radio Sydney, 9 November 2025
Got there in the end!
From January on, there were dire and routine warnings that a cuppa was going to cost us big bucks by year’s end.
JISELLE MANNING: A single cup of Joe predicted to cost between $8 and $12 by the end of the year …
– Nine News, 4 January 2025
TOM DUFFY: … up to $12 for one takeaway coffee …
– Seven News (Sunshine Coast), 6 January 2025
MICHAEL USHER: $12 a cup, you heard that right …
– Seven News 6pm (Sydney), 22 August 2025
And where did we land after all?
Four $4.63 cents.
Oh, and by the way, if the fish haven’t been biting and the surf’s been crap it might have been because you’ve been tuned into Seven News Sydney, which for two weeks on the trot broadcast exactly the same tide heights and times night after night after night.
And before we go, a big thank you, to all our fans out there.
CHAS LICCIARDELLO: Now Media Watch, ah … I’m not going to lie, the story didn’t wow me.
– PEP with Chas and Dr Dave, 11 February 2025
Ben Fordham’s loyal audience was worried he might get a guernsey on the program:
BEN FORDHAM: Roger’s a bit worried, he says “I hope this Tesla segment isn’t brought up by Media Watch. Let’s hope that Linton and his team aren’t listening to this.” Even though we know, 100% they are.
– Ben Fordham Live, 2GB, 10 September 2025
Ben, we are always listening.
BEN FORDHAM: … not that we pay too much attention to Media Watch anyway.
– Ben Fordham Live, 2GB, 10 September 2025
A sword through the heart!
And I should apologise for causing one or two arguments among colleagues.
LAUREN TEMUSKOS: Do you want to get on Media Watch again? Seriously.
TOM LEWIS: This last week, he’s been …
LAUREN TEMUSKOS: Are you trying to get fired?
– Tom, Lingy & Loggy, K Rock 95.5, 10 September 2025
After he interviewed two Neo-Nazis, the ever-charming Sam Newman quite enjoyed our description of him as a useful idiot.
SAM NEWMAN: Suppose you’re an idiot, and suppose you’re Linton Besser of Media Watch … Linton is a shallow, dopey looking person …
– Instagram, @originalsmartassam, 18 February 2025
Steady on Sam!
While the man behind the miracle water that Channel Seven loved so much took to the socials with some very clever comebacks.
ANDREW BLOW: Hey guys! Ever heard of a show called Media Watch? Me neither.
… easily the best quiff on TV. If you see this, what hair product do you use? DM me. It’s radiant.
– Kure Oxygen Official, YouTube, 17 April 2025
And concluding his rant on another body part entirely:
ANDREW BLOW: But for the last word on this. Let’s go back to Linton, with perhaps his most insightful observation to date.
LINTON BESSER: ‘Cock’
– Kure Oxygen Official, YouTube, 17 April 2025
It’s, been a laugh and a great privilege.
Thank you so much for watching, and thank you also to the Media Watch team who work so hard behind the scenes.
We’ll be back next year, for more cock and bull stories.
So make sure to keep sending us your wonderful tips over summer.
There are of course full statements on our website.
And you can check us out on ABC iview as well as YouTube, Facebook and X.
See you in 2026.