Today in Media Files, the ABC’s “exclusive” interview that isn’t quite exclusive, and Gerard Henderson’s howlers.

Exclusive watch. We love making fun of The Australian‘s obsession with “exclusives”, especially when they’re not, well, exclusive. But for the past week or so, it’s been Aunty’s generous definition of the term that’s caught our eye. Tonight’s Four Corners will feature an interview with former US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and the ABC’s Sarah Ferguson. And some of the promos for “the interview” are calling it an exclusive. While it might be her only Australian interview, Clinton is far from difficult to nab an interview with at the moment — she’s on a book tour and has been on a global publicity blitz. She sat down with CNN’s Anderson Cooper last month, and another with CNN last week, the BBC’s Andrew Marr, NBC, PBS, Channel 4 in the UK, The New Yorker, NPR, another “exclusive” with The Times in London last week.

Hendo hoots, hollers, makes some howlers. The sad death of Nancy, Gerard “Gollum” Henderson’s canine editor and mammal-to-talk-to, was followed in unseemly fashion by the appointment of new supremo of Media Watch Dog, Jackie. Sadly, Jackie isn’t doing her job as editor; she has let one or two “howlers” go by. Howlers!

Y’see. In The Australian, Gollum was very cross with young Erik Jensen, editor of The Saturday Paper, for making some comments about how the all-white panel on a recent episode of The Drum was an example of structural racism, whose examples included the ease with which Jensen himself has accessed the editorship of said paper. “In any event, [Jensen] is not resigning anytime soon,” Gollum noted triumphantly. Actually, Gollum, he’s already resigned, in July, as he made clear in this tweet, encouraging people to apply for the editorship (Jensen is moving up to editor-in-chief, and the announcement of a new editor is imminent). Poor Jackie. We know how Gollum hates a howler — sorry, a “glaring error”.

Jackie was also unable to help Gollum in his Insiders appearance this week, which had the usual problems of Insiders: its standard press gallery crowd are so devoid of interesting opinions that Barrie Cassidy has to struggle like a maiden aunt running high tea for the vicar’s family. Gollum, meanwhile, has an opinion on everything. Inadvertently this week, he revealed that the opinions of Catholic political warriors on matters economic tend to be, well, medieval.

Gollum suggested that wages would rise with increased productivity, defending the Fair Work Commission’s reduction of Sunday penalty rates. Really? Help him someone. Yes, that’s right: productivity, in the absence of increased demand, will lower wage rates, as the labour component of production goes down, and unemployment rises. Catholics tend to believe that value is inherent in objects, because they believe God is. Hence the loopy opinions about US default, etc, of Barnaby Joyce, Catholic accountant from St George, and finance spokesperson for nine minutes. He got no pushback from the panel. Karen Middleton did pipe up — to plug the new stablemate publication of … The Saturday Paper, for whom she (and I) write(s). Small world. Small world … — Guy Rundle

Disney adopts ABC’s worm logo. Disney has announced a new movies app, but its logo looks a little familiar to Aussies. 

The ABC has been using the “worm” — based on a lissajous, which is a figure previously used to callibrate radio transmitters and receivers — for more than 50 years.

Shocking front pages. Utilities were front and centre for most of the newspapers today, and some of the headlines really were shocking.

Glenn Dyer’s TV Ratings. The Block’s night (2.18 million nationally, 1.511 million in the metros), and so, Nine’s night (and week). But a terrible night for Ten. In fact it was the sort of night to make Ten’s programmers Wake in Fright (ba-dum tish). The second part got a mere 437,000 nationally. 60 Minutes was boosted by The Block to average 1.52 million nationally and 1.069 million in the metros. But 661,000 people departed The Block as 60 Minutes got underway — that’s around 30% of the audience. Without The Block as a lead in, 60 Minutes would struggle. Little Big Shots (1.47 million nationally) was the only Seven non news program to register — but that was due to strong support from regional viewers with the metro audience just 893,000.

Seven was a weak second, the ABC was third and Ten was a distant fourth — its metro main channel share was just 7.2% In regional markets The Block won easily with 672,000 viewers. Seven’s Little Big Shots was second with 582,000, then Seven News was third with 531,000, 60 Minutes was fourth with 456,000 and Dr Blake’s Mysteries was fifth with 446,000. — Read the rest on the Crikey website.