Media Tech Talk

Media Tech Talk #009 - Pamela Slea (Boltive)Pamela Slea, President of Boltive, joins Daevid Richards and Paul Luckett to unpack one of the most under-discussed problems in digital advertising: bad ads. From malvertising and celebrity-impersonation scams to privacy compliance and AI-driven detection, this episode explores how publishers can protect users in real time.In this episode:(00:00) – Intro: The invisible problem of bad ads(02:00) – Pamela’s career: Google, AppNexus & purpose-driven ad tech(06:00) – What Boltive does and why it exists(09:30) – How prevalent malicious and miscategorised ads really are(14:00) – How bad actors evade detection(18:00) – AI, synthetic users & real-time threat detection(23:00) – Privacy Guard, CMP gaps & compliance challenges(30:00) – How ads are scanned before they render(38:00) – Publisher risk, legal exposure & brand trust(50:00) – Leadership, ethics & Boltive’s mission💬 Guest: Pamela Slea – https://boltive.com | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelaslea/🎧 Hosts:Daevid Richards – https://www.linkedin.com/in/daevidrichards/Paul Luckett – https://www.luckettmediaconsulting.com | https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-luckett/Media Tech Talk explores the intersection of media, technology, and innovation through candid conversations with the people shaping the future of digital advertising.#MediaTechTalk #Boltive #AdSecurity #Programmatic #PublisherTech #Privacy #FraudPrevention #MediaInnovation

Georgia Brammer, General Manager APAC at Innovid, dives into the evolving world of CTV personalization and dynamic creative. She shares her journey through ad operations to leading Innovid’s APAC efforts, and explores the impact of AI in creative optimization. The discussion includes innovative shoppable formats, real-time video rendering driven by live data, and local case studies illustrating the power of personalized advertising. Georgia also emphasizes the importance of women in tech and her leadership philosophy focused on authenticity and collaboration.

Jonah Goodhart, Co-founder and CEO of Mobian and former Moat co-founder, dives into the future of media measurement. He shares insights on the evolution of viewability and the role of contextual intelligence, emphasizing how AI reveals what humans often overlook. Jonah discusses Mobian's transparent approach to measurement versus traditional methods, the significance of sentiment signals, and the importance of relationships in business. He also explores the changing landscape of content monetization in an AI-driven world.

Brian O’Kelley, Co-founder and CEO of Scope3 and ad tech pioneer, joins the hosts to discuss the evolution of advertising through AI and sustainability. He shares insights on how agentic advertising can significantly reduce carbon footprints and fix misaligned incentives in programmatic markets. Brian also highlights the importance of open standards versus walled gardens in ad tech and predicts AI will revolutionize the industry as the new operating system. His reflections on the transition of AppNexus to Xandr and the future of media make for a compelling conversation.

In this engaging discussion, Ben Pheloung, General Manager at Mantis—an AI-driven brand safety platform—shares insights on how AI is reshaping contextual advertising. He explains how AI enhances brand safety by reading content for relevance, using real-world examples like The Independent. Ben addresses the challenges of keyword misfires and contrasts Mantis's approach with traditional verification methods. He also delves into partnerships, including one with Nine, and discusses the future of AI in democratizing publisher capabilities. An enlightening conversation for anyone interested in the evolving media landscape!

Media Tech Talk #004 - Tony Abrahams (AI-Media)Tony Abrahams - Co-Founder and CEO of AI-Media, one of Australia’s most successful media technology exports - joins Daevid Richards for a conversation about the evolution of accessibility in media, the power of AI-driven captioning, and what it takes to build a global company at the intersection of technology and inclusion.In this episode:(00:00) – Introduction & the question that started AI-Media(02:00) – Meeting Foxtel and pitching accessibility as opportunity(06:00) – The science behind why captions improve comprehension(07:00) – Launching live captioning and Facebook partnership(10:00) – From respeakers to real-time AI captioning(12:00) – “AI is like water” – the ubiquity and economics of automation(14:00) – Founding leap of faith and early partnerships(16:00) – Co-founders Alex Jones & Leonie Jackson’s impact and legacy(18:00) – Regulation, inclusion, and Australia’s accessibility advantage(20:00) – The EEG acquisition and building global infrastructure(26:00) – Shifting from human to AI-driven models(28:00) – Lexi Voice: the “Babel fish” for real-time translation(32:00) – The power of being closest to the data(33:00) – Scaling Lexi products worldwide(36:00) – Balancing innovation and responsibility(37:00) – Introducing Lexi AI and internal “dogfooding”(39:00) – Leonie Jackson’s message: accessibility benefits everyone(41:00) – Closing reflections💬 Guest: Tony Abrahams - https://www.ai-media.tv | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyabrahams/Host: Daevid Richards & Paul Luckett (Paul was unable to make this episode)🎧 Media Tech Talk explores the intersection of media, technology, and innovation through candid conversations with the people shaping the future of digital advertising.#MediaTechTalk #TonyAbrahams #AIMedia #AccessibilityTech #Captioning #AdTech #MediaTechnology #AI #BroadcastTechnology #DigitalInclusion #SpeechAI #Automation #MediaInnovation #AustraliaTech

Ari Paparo, founder of Marketecture Media and former ad tech executive, dives into the intricacies of digital advertising. He discusses his journey from DoubleClick to founding Beeswax, exploring the evolution of real-time bidding and the challenges of ad networks transitioning to DSPs. Ari critiques the current AI hype, emphasizing the need for unique integrations. He also unpacks the DOJ trial against Google, examining potential impacts on publishers and the future of ad tech. Lastly, he shares insights from his book, "Yield," shedding light on Google's advertising dominance.

Media Tech Talk #001 - Jonas Jaanimagi (IAB Ausralia)In our debut episode, Jonas Jaanimagi - Technology Lead at IAB Australia and one of the most recognisable voices in Australian ad tech - joins Daevid Richards and Paul Luckett for a wide-ranging conversation about the evolution of the IAB, the role of open standards, and how AI is reshaping the publisher ecosystem.From startups in London to steering industry collaboration in Australia, Jonas shares lessons on leadership, innovation, and why curiosity and connection have been the driving forces behind his career.In this episode:(00:00) – Welcome & the origins of Jonas’s IAB journey(02:20) – Lessons from startups, mentors, and leadership(05:45) – Inside the IAB: measurement, standards, and collaboration(10:00) – The rise of AI and the new publisher challenge(16:20) – Networking, connection, and building industry community(19:50) – How IAB Tech Lab drives global standards(24:10) – Translating complex tech for real-world understanding(30:10) – AI crawlers, content control & monetising the bots(35:50) – The future of connected TV and live event ad delivery(44:20) – Lessons from old-school broadcast to today’s automation(46:30) – Mentorship, curiosity, and advice for the next generation💬 Guest: Jonas Jaanimagi – https://iabaustralia.com.au | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonasjaanimagi/Hosts: Daevid Richards & Paul Luckett🎧 Media Tech Talk explores the intersection of media, technology, and innovation through candid conversations with the people shaping the future of digital advertising.#MediaTechTalk #JonasJaanimagi #IABAUS #AdTech #DigitalAdvertising #AIinMedia #PublishingInnovation #Programmatic #MediaTechnology #OpenStandards #ConnectedTV #PodcastLaunch

Media Tech Talk #002 – Tess O’Brien (FreeWheel)Tess O’Brien - Managing Director of FreeWheel Australia & New Zealand - joins Daevid Richards and Paul Luckett to talk about her journey from New York back to Sydney, leading FreeWheel’s APAC expansion, and how the TV and streaming ecosystem is transforming through programmatic, automation, and AI.In this episode:(00:00) – From law to media: Tess’s early career and the move to New York(02:00) – Inside FreeWheel’s evolution and global growth(07:00) – How Australia became one of the most programmatic-advanced TV markets(10:00) – The differences between US cable and Australian free-to-air(14:00) – Why Australia is a testing ground for global ad tech innovation(16:00) – Introducing Universal Ads and the rise of SMB advertisers on TV(20:00) – AI, automation, and unified decisioning in streaming(23:00) – Delivering programmatic ads in live events like the Olympics(32:00) – Building trust and managing risk with major broadcasters(35:00) – FreeWheel’s partnership with Paramount and the future of streaming(38:00) – Recognition, leadership, and mentorship in ad tech(45:00) – The future of TV and advertising in 2030(49:00) – Curiosity, discomfort, and advice for the next generation💬 Guest: Tess O’Brien - Managing Director, FreeWheel Australia & New Zealand🔗 https://freewheel.com | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tesselizabethobrien/Hosts: Daevid Richards & Paul Luckett🎧 Media Tech Talk explores the intersection of media, technology, and innovation through candid conversations with the people shaping the future of digital advertising.#MediaTechTalk #TessOBrien #FreeWheel #AdTech #CTV #Streaming #Programmatic #AIMarketing #MediaTechnology #DigitalAdvertising #Comcast #TVAdvertising #AdOperations #PublisherTech #AdvertisingInnovation