OpinionJuly 24, 2026 — 5:00amIn this week’s On Background, the World Cup is coming home (to SBS), Pauline Hanson’s own words undermine One Nation’s defence on Tommy Robinson, and Kyle Sandilands goes back to the bank.In the SpotlightThe wheels are well and truly falling off One Nation’s media operation. This week alone, we had Barnaby Joyce going barking mad on the ABC’s 7.30, more reports of conspiratorial comments made by Senator Malcolm Roberts, and Pauline Hanson’s clanging remarks on domestic violence. But this saga really kicked into high gear earlier this month with images of the politician’s convivial chats with British fascist and criminal Tommy Robinson, as documented by Seven’s Spotlight program on Sunday.Hanson and her chief of staff James Ashby have since been on the defence, claiming in a Sky News “exclusive” on Tuesday that the interview was a “stitch up” co-ordinated by Seven.If it was a stitch-up, it was of a very funny kind, because Ashby even admitted he provided Seven with Robinson’s phone number, not the other way around.Pauline Hanson and Tommy Robinson in a recent 7News Spotlight episode. One Nation claims the meeting was a “stitch up” by Seven.7News SpotlightDuring the Seven program, Hanson defended her decision to meet with Robinson several times, arguing she is “not like the other politicians” and that she won’t be forced to do anything she doesn’t want to.“I will say and do what I want to, and I will talk to people if I feel, to spend time, to learn from them what is happening,” she continued.And it was “harsh” to call Robinson a “convicted criminal”, Hanson said, even though that’s unequivocally what he is. Some of Robinson’s convictions include mortgage fraud, contempt of court and kicking an off-duty police officer lying on the floor in the head, after the man had tried to stop an altercation between Robinson and his own girlfriend at the time. He even spent time in the clink for using someone else’s passport to enter the United States. Talk about illegal immigration!That rap sheet didn’t deter Hanson. “I am sorry, I am not going to back away from [meeting Robinson] whatsoever. I met Tommy and I listened to what he is trying to tell me about what’s happened in Britain,” she boomed.Hanson and her team had already planned the meeting with Robinson before inviting the Spotlight crew along, senior newsroom figures at Seven again told On Background this week.“They 100 per cent had pre-organised the podcast. Then, as seen in the show, Tommy asked her for the walk – and we went,” one Seven News executive said.A Seven spokesperson said the network was proud of Spotlight’s work and thanked Hanson for providing access to its journalists.“The decision to meet Tommy Robinson was made by One Nation and despite Barnaby Joyce’s suggestions, her podcast recording with Robinson was organised before the Spotlight crew knew about it,” the spokesperson said.“Seven paid for incidentals, including a vehicle used in the production process and a hotel room used for filming purposes, as well as security to protect Seven staff while recording on UK streets, but no expenses for One Nation.” On Background isn’t saying Seven’s hands are entirely clean either, as Hanson posted on her Facebook this week that the initial episode’s pitch from Spotlight in November last year included plans to “enlighten” audiences to the scale of “uncontrolled immigration”.But as Pauline said herself on Spotlight: “I will say and do what I want.”Golden goalWhile dust is still settling on its record-breaking World Cup broadcast, SBS is already within touching distance of securing the rights to the next edition.A deal with FIFA to broadcast the 2030 cup has already been agreed in principle, sources with knowledge of the bidding process, speaking on condition of anonymity, tell On Background.The Men’s World Cup looks to be staying on SBS, where it has drawn millions of viewers across this year’s tournament.Getty ImagesSBS declined to comment. FIFA was contacted for comment.The price to air the next edition, which will be hosted primarily by Spain, Morocco and Portugal, is unknown, but it will be held in a less-favourable time zone.The ratings success of this year’s event will probably push the value of 2030 beyond the widely reported $30 million figure for this year’s cup, though the time zone could work against that logic.FIFA is said to be more than happy with its ongoing relationship with SBS, which dates back four decades, and SBS sports boss Ken Shipp spent time with FIFA’s media rights executives in the United States over the past month. This explains why no formal bidding process went ahead, leaving the commercial networks without a shot.Numbers released by SBS after Spain’s dominant 1-0 victory over Argentina this week showed that the broadcaster’s coverage was watched by as many as 18 million Australians over the course of the six-week event.While it is unusual for a public broadcaster with a limited budget to outbid commercial networks for broadcast rights in an era defined by the bloating cost of the sector, SBS reached all of its ad sales targets it set for the competition, sources say. And they say the public sector is inefficient!Kyle’s planLast month, this column revealed that Kyle Sandilands had taken out a second mortgage on his $3 million Glenorie mansion in outer Sydney with fringe lender Mortgage Holdings Group, executed after his KIIS sacking in March, and at an eye-watering rate of as much as 29.75 per cent.Well, land titles pulled by On Background this week shows Sandilands’ second mortgage spans all four of his houses! That includes the $14 million mansion he purchased in the ritzy eastern Sydney suburb of Vaucluse in 2023.So what would one do if they had such bills piling up each month? Get back to work, of course.Set your watches, folks. The former KIIS star is launching his new live show on his own app on Monday, August 10, almost six months after his on-air partnership with Jackie “O” Henderson blew up. It will launch as a subscription-only service, costing $99.95 per year at sign-up.Kyle Sandilands will launch his new show on August 10.Sitthixay DitthavongThis coming week, Sandilands and his team will be dropping a four-part video series composed of footage shot by his manager Bruno Bouchet, dating back to the day after he was initially suspended on March 3.He settled his $85 million legal case against ARN last month, accepting $12 million instead.With all this considered, $99 for a year of Kyle (if that is your thing) isn’t that bad. Even when considering the legal slush fund he may need with plans to operate without a live censor, like in the late days of his KIIS era.Shake up continues Joel Tozer, the new boss of the ABC’s flagship investigative program Four Corners, has settled on his deputy after he created the new role of commissioning and standards editor, part of a wider shake-up of the show revealed by On Background last month.He hasn’t had to look far, with two sources speaking on condition of anonymity saying Patricia Drum, the commissioning editor of 7.30, has landed the role. Drum was second in charge to Tozer at the nightly current affairs program until his transfer to 4C earlier this year. The ABC has recently advertised for her replacement.The ABC and Drum were approached for comment.OpinionatedStaying in Ultimo, there were plenty of highlights from Tuesday’s media love-in at ABC studios in Sydney for the Andrew Olle Media Lecture.The ABC’s Hugh Marks was in his element as host on his home turf, batting away allegations of bias. “Well, some people can’t be convinced,” he said. Others, he noted, could have their trust affirmed when a media outlet corrects their mistakes promptly.“We have other media organisations in the country that will ensure that our mistakes are very public,” Marks said, to plenty of laughs.The man sitting beside him? News Corp’s local boss, Michael Miller.(From left) Moderator Hamish Macdonald with Reuters editor-in-chief Alessandra Galloni, ABC managing director Hugh Marks, News Corp Australasia executive chair Michael Miller, SBS managing director Jane Palfreyman and Nine Entertainment CEO Matt Stanton.ABC/Oscar ColmanMiller responded to the allegation his own company is biased by partly shifting the blame to social media and podcasts. Those formats have contributed to the rise of opinion-based journalism, Miller said. It is increasingly what audiences are drawn to, Miller argued, which is why News is doing more of it as well.“Opinion is part of what we’re doing more of, and it differentiates us because we put a name, we put a byline, we adhere to standards,” Miller said.But he did admit: “differentiation between ‘this is the report and this is the opinion’ is not always labelled as well as I think we can” in the local set of papers, which include The Australian and Daily Telegraph.That is where perceptions of bias come in, he said. So, can the same person write the report and then an opinion piece later on? Yes, according to Miller. “I think the consumer is pretty smart.”The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.From our partners