Business of Media
GroupM chooses Veridooh for digital OOH verification across group
GroupM has signed an agreement with digital out of home (DOOH) verification platform Veridooh to use its technology across its agencies to drive greater transparency and accountability for clients.
Following a competitive analysis of a number of companies, GroupM agencies including MediaCom, Mindshare, Wavemaker and Essence will use Veridooh’s proprietary SmartCreative technology to measure digital OOH campaigns across the country.
Veridooh’s platform has been accepted by all major DOOH networks, which means advertisers, agencies and media owners can independently verify that digital OOH campaigns are delivered exactly how they were planned and purchased.
Nicola Lewis (pictured), chief investment officer at GroupM who led the project, said: “More than half of all OOH ad spending is now digital, so having independent and robust verification that ensures our clients’ campaigns are delivered as they were planned and bought is essential for transparency and accountability. After an exhaustive and robust process that analysed multiple metrics including data capabilities, sophistication of technology platform, guaranteed service levels, market leading reporting and, of course, a strategy that considers the ongoing future of verification in DOOH, we are thrilled that Veridooh have become one of our Digital OOH Verification partners – bringing a best in class, future proofed solution, that will provide a superior level of independent verification to DOOH buys.”
Digital OOH campaigns booked by GroupM agencies will now implement Veridooh’s SmartCreative technology before being made live.
News Brands
Police asked to fingerprint ABC ‘suspects’ during investigation
Police sought to fingerprint two ABC reporters as part of an investigation into the leaking of information, a move criticised as “criminalising legitimate investigative journalism”, reports The Australian’s Zoe Samios.
A spokesman for the ABC confirmed the AFP had written to the public broadcaster requesting the prints of Dan Oakes and Sam Clark, after ABC head of investigations John Lyons yesterday revealed a letter had been sent to the two journalists, requesting consent for a “forensic procedure”.
The ABC declined to comment further, but The Australian has confirmed the letter said Oakes and Clark were suspects in relation to three alleged offences — a section in the Crimes Act of 1914 involving “the receipt of prescribed information”, the Defence Act 1903 regarding “unlawfully obtaining information” and another section under the Criminal Code. An AFP spokeswoman said it was an ongoing investigation and declined to comment.
Daily Telegraph appeal: Judge under scrutiny after Rush decision
Lawyers for The Daily Telegraph will gain access to tapes of the trial judge from the defamation case actor Geoffrey Rush won against the Sydney newspaper in a bid to demonstrate “apprehension of bias”, reports The Australian’s Leo Shanahan.
In a brief hearing in front of Federal Court judge Anthony Besanko via videolink from Adelaide, it was confirmed lawyers for News Corp, which also publishes The Australian, will be given access to segments of judge Michael Wigney’s voice recordings from the trial, and interlocutory judgments from the final judgment delivered in April.
News Corp is appealing the record $2.9 million defamation finding against The Telegraph for two articles published in 2017.
Radio
Daily Telegraph reveals streaker in Tigers v Eels game was SCA exec
A radio advertising executive can expect to have strips torn off him by his company’s HR department after stripping naked and streaking across Bankswest Stadium, reports Nick Hansen and Jonathon Moran in The Daily Telegraph.
Matthew Cooper, 34, clearly took the crowd’s calls of “tackle” to heart when he leapt nude on to the pitch in Parramatta during the final moments of the Eels v Wests Tigers match on Sunday evening.
Cooper, who was attending the game as a guest of the NRL, had to be wrestled to the ground by security in front of more than 24,000 fans after he set out on his nudie run from the south-eastern grandstand.
SCA bosses were made aware of the incident early Monday.
“It was a … ticket provided to a staff member for use in a personal capacity,” a spokeswoman said. “SCA is currently looking further into the matter.”
Listeners protest outside 2GB as Steve Price debuts afternoon show
Angry protesters marched outside 2GB radio on Monday as Steve Price debuted his new afternoon show in the wake of Chris Smith’s departure, reports News Corp’s Joseph Attanasio.
A dozen men and women aged in their 50s and 60s, held up large posters and signs before being allowed into the building to voice their concerns to 2GB.
Smith and 2GB management Macquarie Media “parted ways” late last month after the long-time broadcaster refused to swap shifts with Price and host the 8pm-midnight show.
Price officially made a permanent move into the 12-3pm timeslot. It’s understood he minted a new deal with management late last year when the company intended to dump breakfast host Alan Jones.
Price was joined by Karl Stefanovic after 2pm with the Channel 9 personality to appear on the program every Monday.
Television
Amanda Keller admits Tom Gleeson’s Gold Logie speech ‘upset’ her
Amanda Keller has spoken out about Tom Gleeson’s controversial Gold Logies win, admitting that she was “upset” by parts of his victory speech, reports News Corp’s Bronte Coy.
The Hard Quiz host took the top prize at this year’s event after a satirical political-style campaign, which saw him target fellow nominees including Keller, Neighbours star Eve Morey, Doctor Doctor’s Rodger Corser, The Project host Waleed Aly, and Sunrise weather presenter Sam Mac.
Gleeson further ruffled feathers when accepting his prize, wine in hand, telling the surprised audience to “lighten the f**k up.”
“Just because all of you want it and I’ve got it, don’t get angry with me. It’s all right, you’ll all survive. It’s a shame this is the last Gold Logie that’s ever going to be handed out – according to Grant Denyer, I’ve ruined the Logies. But at least I won this all by myself,” he said.
Keller addressed the dig this morning on the radio during the first Jonesy and Amanda show since the big night – and admitted that while she understood his comedic angle, she felt he’d given everyone permission to make a joke out of hardworking members of the industry.
“I think in his speech when he said, ‘everyone who works in TV, if you want to win this you’re a big wanker’, pretty much, and that upset me because he was mean to (last year’s Gold Logie winner) Grant (Denyer) I felt,” she told WSFM co-host Brendan “Jonesy” Jones. “He said ‘Yeah I won it last year for Grant, and sucker, now I’ve done it on my own for me.’
Revealed: The Block moves further out of Melbourne in new season
The Block is on the move to one of Melbourne’s most exclusive suburbs – with a hefty $15 million price tag to match.
Co-executive producer Julian Cress confirmed at The Logies the show had secured property for its 2020 season. But he was tight-lipped about just what that property was.
Now News Corp’s Fiona Byrne has reported the 16th edition of the hit renovating series is expected to be set in Brighton, a bayside suburb of stately mansions, celebrities and the wealthy elite. The location means the show is abandoning its traditional inner-city suburbs of South Melbourne, Richmond, St. Kilda and Port Melbourne.
The 2020 season of the show will see new homes built on the vacant land at 360 New St, Brighton, which a company owned by Channel 9 quietly bought this month. It is the same company they used to purchase the Gatwick Hotel and The Oslo backpacker hostel in St Kilda.
Early indications suggest the show plans to subdivide the land and build five homes with works estimated at $4.5 million.
The land, which was previously home to an aged care residence, has been vacant since 2014.
Previous owners had applied to develop 13 three-storey townhouses on the site. An application for a planning permit has been lodged with the Bayside Council.
If the plans are approved it would be the first ground-up project The Block has taken on.
Sports Media
Cameron Smith landmark match pulls record Foxtel NRL audience
Cameron Smith’s ground-breaking 400th NRL appearance has attracted a record audience for Fox League and is now the most-watched game of the 2019 season with 370,000 tuning in to see the Melbourne Storm, Queensland and Australian champion become the first player to reach the 400-game milestone.
The Storm defeated the Cronulla Sharks 40-16 to create a fairytale ending for Smith’s 400th game with Fox League’s exclusive coverage of Saturday night’s match also ranking as the channel’s third highest rating regular season game ever.
Saturday afternoon’s thrilling 18-18 extra time draw between the Brisbane Broncos and New Zealand Warriors also drew record audiences, with an average of 328,000 viewers watching the match, including 457,000 watching on TV at 7.25pm during extra time. The match was the second most watched Saturday afternoon game this season.
The ratings for both matches helped deliver Fox League its second best day ever with a massive 16.03% share of viewing on Foxtel on Saturday.
Source: OzTAM National Subscription Panel & preliminary VPM data. Overnight data. 2AM-2AM. Total People. Projections. Time adjusted.
Grant Thomas on radio and newspaper sackings + why he quit TV
Former AFL coach Grant Thomas says he was forced to walk away from both Footy Classified and SEN Radio after they refused to stand up to AFL House over his provocative comments, report News Corp’s Jon Ralph and Glenn McFarlane.
Thomas regularly directed scathing invective at the league over their handling of key issues until sacked by SEN in 2009 while they attempted to secure the AFL’s radio rights for 2010-11.
But he revealed in the Herald Sun’s Sacked Podcast he quit Channel 9’s Footy Classified because they apologised on his behalf after bending to the threat of a lawsuit over his comments.
Thomas was also sacked by The Age when he accused then-chief football writer Caroline Wilson of mistakes in a story.
“The article was about Luke Ball and someone asked me about it on SEN and said, ‘What is the difference between your article and Caro’s article’, and I said, ‘Mine is full of facts and the truth and Caro’s would be full of lies and innuendo.’
“She took umbrage to it and got me sacked. That’s fine.”
Nine details audiences for Diamonds at Netball World Cup
Nine is broadcasting the games from the Netball World Cup and it has released details of the audiences watching the initial matches involving the Australian Diamonds over the weekend:
AUSTRALIA V NORTHERN IRELAND
Friday, July 12 at 7.40pm
National peak audience: 280,000 (5 City: 169,000 / Regional: 111,000)
National average audience: 163,000 (5 City: 103,000 / Regional: 60,000)
AUSTRALIA V ZIMBABWE
Saturday, July 13 at 5.45pm
National peak audience: 247,000 (5 City: 137,000 / Regional: 110,000)
National average audience: 149,000 (5 City: 92,000 / Regional: 57,000)
AUSTRALIA V SRI LANKA
Sunday, July 14 at 11.45pm
National peak audience: 123,000 (5 City: 77,000 / Regional: 46,000)
National average audience: 59,000 (5 City: 45,000 / Regional: 14,000)