By Sally Rawsthorne
For those of you who have tuned into Foxtel’s Channel 602 after business hours recently, there might have been a bit of confusion. From last week, Sky News Business becomes Sky News Money at night, in an attempt to help all Australians make the most of their money. The nightly programming on Sky News Money intends to become to personal finances what Sky News Business is to the business world, channel manager and business editor James Daggar-Nickson (pictured) told Mediaweek shortly after the rebrand launched.
“Sky News Money is an exciting new rebrand for the channel. It happens from 6.30pm Eastern [Standard Time], right up until 6am whereupon we go back to being Sky News Business. It’s looking at providing tools – money is becoming more and more important to us. Real estate prices are booming, you’ve got an ageing population looking to maximise their nest egg for retirement, so people are considering the management of their money more and more carefully. People are really wanting to take control of their finances, and Sky News Money is very much looking to give people the tools and education and services to help them maximise their wealth,” he explained.
“It’s quite different to Sky News Business, which is very much live rolling coverage of the ASX and the economy and what’s happening in marketing. Sky News Money is very much a consumer-focused look at the market.”
In addition to the increased importance of money to everyday Australians, Daggar-Nickson said the gap in the market informed the decision to rebrand the channel. “Sky News Business was born of a pretty obvious gap in the market, and we think we’re doing something similar here from a consumer point of view.”
Considerable research informed the decision to rebrand. “On a daily basis, we get feedback from the viewers about what it is that they’re interested in, what they enjoy seeing and what they want to have more of on their televisions. That consumer feedback helped us found Sky News Money. The consumer side of things is even more pertinent to people in their everyday lives. The channel has something for everyone, whether it’s Mum and Dad investors, retirees or small business owners. It became quite obvious that our viewers were after this information to build on their wealth – not just preserve it. We think that in time Sky News Money will become an essential tool for anyone with an interest in wealth. It’s practical, hands-on advice for everyone about how to make their money work better for them. Who doesn’t want that?”
In addition to the broadcast content featuring marquee Sky News reporters including Helen Dalley, Janine Perrett, Peter Switzer, Carson Scott and Daggar-Nickson, the channel is also developing online content for Sky News Business. “Online is obviously crucial right across the media landscape. We’re in the process of working out a web offering for Sky News Money. It’s not just going to be a replay of what was broadcast on the channel that we then stick up online, it’s going to have add-ons and dedicated content. Online is incredibly important to our brand, and Skynews.com.au will help us to enhance and develop the Sky News Money Brand.”
Brand development is key, noted Daggar-Nickson when we asked about awareness of the rebrand which hasn’t seen an advertising campaign. “There’s never as much awareness as you would like there to be,” he said wryly.
Despite this, he insisted that Sky News Money would prove to be popular with advertising partners. “The rebrand has been live for 10 days, and it’s proved to be instantly attractive to them. It’s still early days, but we think it’s got real potential for the market.
“It’s all about providing a service that you can’t find elsewhere. If you have an interest in markets and the economy and business, we are the only TV destination. We have no doubt that content around wealth and money and it’s protection and development will also build an audience of a good size,” he concluded.
Sky News Money: The Lineup
“Each weeknight has a certain theme,” Daggar-Nickson explained.
Property Mondays
6:30pm Your Property Empire
7:00pm Switzer
8:00pm Your Money Your Call
9:30pm Sky News Money overnight
“We kick the week off with Chris Gray at 6.30, then we roll into Switzer where we take a look at the property market. Then on Your Money Your Call people can call up and ask any kind of property advice question that our experts can answer.
Small Business Tuesdays
6:30pm Business Success
7:00pm Switzer
8:00pm Your Money Your Call
9:30pm Sky News Money overnight
“Tuesdays is all about small business. It’s education about what you need to do now – we look at the different regulations, tax minimisation and how to do things like that. We start with Business Success, then Switzer is also themed around the small business thing.”
Top Tips Wednesdays
6:30pm Smart Money with Jon Dee
7:00pm Switzer
8:00pm Your Money Your Call
9:30pm Sky News Money overnight
“Top tips is about trying to give people watching tidbits about how to build wealth and success. The most exciting part of that night is Smart Money with Jon Dee, he is the founder of Planet Ark and Do Something!, and he proves real-world solutions to help small businesses improve the profitability and value of the operations.
Super Thursdays
6:30pm Money MGMT
7:00pm Switzer
8:00pm Your Money Your Call
9:30pm Sky News Money overnight
“Thursday is around superannuation. Whether you’re in retirement or headed that way, or beginning to think about how to build as much wealth as you can while you’re still working in order to enjoy a comfortable retirement, this is very useful. It’s also good for people who have retired, to help them make that nest egg last. Money MGMT talks to people about how to maximise wealth in retirement. Money MGMT will give you the tools and information needed to take control of your investment strategy and retirement planning. We’re giving information to people who want to manage their own super funds, it’s not about telling them ‘Hey, buy this product.’ It’s all about showing what’s out there and what possibilities there are. It’s a must-watch for anyone with an interest in this, or anyone who is heading towards retirement.”
Money Fridays
6:30pm Money Week – Best Bets
7:00pm Your Money Your Call
8:00pm Best of Switzer
9:30pm Sky News Money overnight
Smart Money and Money MGMT are two new additions to the Sky News Business channel, adding to the network’s personal finance credentials.