Thursday June 13, 2019
7news.com.au debuts on Nielsen DCR with 600,000+ daily
The broadcasting and publishing group released this statement about its performance:
Just two months after launch 7News.com.au is already engaging bigger audiences than the Daily Mail, The Age, Herald Sun, The Daily Telegraph and The Australian.
The Nielsen data shows that in the first seven days of fully audited traffic 7News.com.au engaged an average daily audience of 613,945.2
This is 23% higher than 7News achieved when owned and operated by the Yahoo7 joint venture.
Seven’s director of news and public affairs Craig McPherson said: “The success of 7News.com.au marks a monumental moment in our 7News and public affairs offerings. We now have ownership of our mighty product across every platform every hour of every day.
“This digital expansion of the 7News brand follows the successful launch of The Latest which, as Australia’s only commercial TV late news service, is now also supplying premium news content to 7News.com.au.
“Meanwhile, our 6pm broadcast bulletins are increasing share in every market, and when you consider that in the first week of June alone we saw 7.4 million engagements across 7News’ social channels, it is clear that 7News is the pre-eminent multi-platform news brand in Australia, bar none.”
The launch of 7News.com.au was the last component of Seven West Media’s (SWM) strategy to own and operate all its direct to consumer products. Since executing the strategy, SWM’s digital audiences have grown across the board:
• SWM achieved its highest ever Unique Audience in April 2019, for a third consecutive month, reaching 5.7m Australians (up 17.2% YOY)
• 7plus BVOD consumption grew by 54% YOY in May, to more than double the consumption recorded by PLUS7 in May 2017, and re-gaining the largest share of BVOD minutes streamed across live and video on demand amongst Commercial FTAs
• Pacific achieved its Highest Ever Unique Audience in April 2019, for the second consecutive month, reaching nearly 3m Australians (+43% YOY). Pacific continues to build on the strong momentum that commenced with the migration of assets from the Yahoo7 JV back in May 2016, a transition that resulted in the tripling of the portfolio’s online performance.
• The West Australian has also benefitted from its own migration from Yahoo7, doubling its monthly unique audience
Seven West Media digital sales director James Bayes (pictured) said: “The immediate success of 7News.com.au is more proof that our strategy is working – having full control of our digital assets has enabled us to quickly become one of Australia’s largest and fastest growing digital publishers.
“We are now better positioned than ever before to support the growth of our clients with scaled data, insight and content led solutions.
“We’re incredibly confident in our ability to create and sustain leadership across key verticals with significant investment in digital content, product, technology and commercial operations.”
PwC’s Justin Papps on biggest challenges facing media in 2019/20
Live Entertainment
“Fighting for that share of wallet is the biggest hurdle facing this sector,” Papps told Mediaweek. “In most cases we see ticket prices going up, but I think what’s exciting about entertainment is where they’re starting to look at new technologies, and again it comes back to what’s the value proposition.”
PwC thinks there is a big future for enhancing a live event, augmenting the experience using technology. “People want to think, ‘I’m actually a participant in the actual event rather than just sitting in a seat.’ That’s really exciting and where the real opportunity is.
“As far as a challenge goes, it’s getting the pricing strategy right that people are prepared to pay for that experience. The more digital things become, the more people value shared experience.”
Papps mentioned the example of Ryan McNaught who was an IT guy who got into Lego. “His exhibitions include augmented reality, they include huge social strategies, and he got the TV show Lego Masters on Nine.
“It’s a great example of how he thinks about what he does as an ecosystem that extends that customer experience beyond the actual ticket.”
Streaming platforms
Another major feature of the PwC Entertainment Report this year is streaming content which will be a battlefield in the next couple of years.
Papps: “There’s a lovely intercept here between what the free-to-air networks are doing as well with their broadcast video on demand, which is free. With streamed content there are so many opportunities.
“If you think even since last year, when we last did the report, you’ve had Kayo come online, CBS Access, you’ve got potentially Disney+, Apple TV+ – a whole bunch of new players. You can look at that and say it’s going to be a really busy category.
“Consumers only have so much time and money. How do you make sure you get your fair share? It goes back to you can’t out-Netflix Netflix.
“What’s the niche that you really want to focus on and what’s the content that delivers on that? We talk a lot in broadcast space around the Game of Thrones effect, which is the expectation people have in production quality is so much higher than it was before. That obviously increases the cost of production. That’s where the real battleground’s going to be.
“The barrier to entry to turning on a streaming service is actually relatively low. And it also doesn’t have the regulatory requirements that the local operators have. It’s going to be a very interesting category to watch over the 12 months.”
Filmed Entertainment
We asked Papps if he could can see any long-term change to the cinema model? Or does it still work for the studios?
“What the studios are doing is using a lot more customer data to inform the sort of content that they are creating. They are reducing risk of clangers, for lack of a technical term. They are also prepared to experiment with different sort of customer experiences now. Cinema owners see themselves as complimentary to the streaming products, and the more quality products people see on streaming, the more interested they are in getting back into cinemas and seeing high quality content. There’s a big difference between seeing it at home on a smart TV to going somewhere where you’ve got the Dolby Atmos system pumping out the sound and those sorts of things. If you look at some of the things they’re doing, whether it’s Gold Class or the independents, you’re having a glass of wine and some food and watching movies is actually a pretty good experience now.”
Papps said he expected to see experimentation with cinema business models, for example subscription.
“Paying a monthly fee to access movies as opposed to paying as you go. Still in trial stages, but I think the fact is again, as I said before, no one is really sitting on their hands hoping things get better. They’re trialling a lot of different things and we call that out in the report.”
Tomorrow in Mediaweek:
PwC’s Justin Papps on TV, gaming, magazines and music
Facebook signs Australian content deals with AFL, NRL and cricket
The codes will showcase a range of sports content across Facebook Watch that includes match highlights from the AFL and NRL women’s and men’s games, live original programs, season classic matches and weekly wrap up shows.
In addition, Facebook is working with Cricket Australia to extend the partnership which saw thirty-six of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) matches streamed across Watch in 18-19, along with unique cricket content that brought fans closer to their favourite players.
Joyee Biswas, Head of Sports Partnerships APAC, Facebook commented: “Strong partnership with broadcasters, rights holders, clubs, leagues, athletes and content creators that focus on bringing compelling content that complement live TV viewing experiences is key for Facebook Australia. These partnerships will bring new value to the industry by continuing to experiment and innovate with fan experiences aiming to redefine how fans gather and what sports community means in the digital age.”
Supporting Australia’s content community
In addition to the sports partnerships, Facebook also announced that original content creator Jamie Zhu will launch a new show on Facebook. V13Ws, a live online talk show that collaborates with musicians, artists, health and fitness experts, will create an immersive and interactive experience between audiences, brands and content creators.
Will Easton, Managing Director of Facebook Australia, commented: “Each month 16 million Australians come together on the platform to connect and share with family and friends, and key sporting moments are regularly a focus of conversation. Sports fans on Facebook are one of the most highly engaged communities and these partnerships with the codes offer followers exciting content to engage with in new ways. We’re thrilled that through Facebook, Aussies will be able to get the highlights from both sports and live original programs.”
Andrew Abdo, NRL Chief Commercial Officer, commented:
“This is about providing another avenue for new and existing fans to access our game.”
“Our club members are increasing every year and our national and global audiences continue to diversify and consume their rugby league content where and when they want.”
“This is a fantastic opportunity to extend our reach and product offering across two social media platforms that reach billions of people every day.”
Anthony Everard, Cricket Australia’s Executive General Manager – Fan Engagement said:
“Through our strategic partnership with Facebook in the summer of 18/19 we were able to lift viewership for 36 WBBL matches and help build connections between fans and their favourite players from the men’s and women’s national teams by amplifying unique storytelling.
“During one match between the Sydney Sixers and Brisbane Heat on December 22, we saw more than 1,200 concurrent viewers and more broadly, Facebook provided 31% of our ‘minutes viewed online’ metric for WBBL within Australia.”
Julian Dunne, Head of Content and Distribution at the AFL said:
“The AFL is excited to continue our partnership with Facebook. We have such a passionate and loyal fan base and we want to ensure that our AFL and AFLW content reaches as many fans as possible and they can consume it all over the globe across the channels they prefer.”
Jamie Zhu said: “Facebook has been an amazing platform for me for the past four years. It has allowed me to launch my career and I’m super excited to be starting my own live show V13WS with them. There will be well known guests and fun activities throughout the series.”
Podcast Week: Triton Digital acquires Melbourne-based Omny Studio
By James Manning
E.W. Scripps’ Triton Digital acquires Melbourne-based Omny Studio
Triton Digital, a global technology and services provider to the digital audio and podcast industry, has acquired Melbourne-based Omny Studio, the creators of the world’s most advanced podcast and on-demand audio publishing platform, which Triton has been integrated with and re-selling since 2017.
One of the longtime investors in Omny was Southern Cross Austereo along with venture capital from Australia and overseas.
As a result of this acquisition, the entire Omny Studio team, including co-founders Andrew Armstrong and Long Zheng, have joined Triton Digital.
Omny Studio customers include Cumulus Media, Entercom, Mediacorp, Southern Cross Austereo, Corus Entertainment, Mashable, Arabian Radio Network, Mamamia and more.
Photo: Some of team Omny [L-R]: David, Andrew, Sharon, Long, Matt, Michael and Mitch
“Triton Digital has been driving the growth and innovation of the digital audio industry for the last 13 years, and we are excited to be joining forces to further expand our global footprint and the adoption of our unequaled technology around the world,” said Sharon Taylor, CEO of Omny Studio. “We share a passion and a mission to provide publishers with the most comprehensive technology in the market, and look forward to working as part of the Triton family to drive the global audio industry forward.”
“We’re excited by the opportunity to continue innovating for our customers and look forward to the next phase of the journey ahead with Triton Digital,” said Andrew Armstrong, co-Founder and CTO of Omny Studio. “Together with Triton, we remain committed to delivering best-in-class creation, publishing, monetisation and analytics tools that enable audio publishers to garner millions of podcast downloads every day.” added Long Zheng, head of product at Omny Studio.
Omny Studio is a Melbourne-based enterprise podcasting software-as-a-service startup. Founded in 2012 by Andrew Armstrong, Ed Hooper and Long Zheng, the company formerly developed SoundGecko text-to-speech and Omny personalised radio, before launching the Omny Studio platform in 2015. Today the platform is actively used by thousands of podcasting and broadcasting clients, powering publishers internationally.
Melbourne Storm’s Sandor Earl launches podcast
A new sports podcast Fuelled By Fire launches this week. As part of Nova’s partnership with Melbourne Storm, Nova is supporting the Fuelled by Fire podcast, which will be hosted on Acast.
The series is hosted by Melbourne Storm player Sandor Earl and will feature Earl interviewing athletes from various sports each week.
He will question when and how the fire for their sport was lit and when it became a burning obsession that ultimately drove them to success.
Photo: Earl talks about his new podcast on Nova 100 breakfast with Chrissie, Sam and Browny.
Andrew Denton meets Madonna
Next week the Interview with Andrew Denton podcast will chat to Madonna in an Australian TV exclusive, which will also air on his new Seven TV show.
The US music superstar interview comes just days after Denton interviewed British screen legend Michael Caine (see photo).
Madonna is one of the highest grossing female live performers ever. She wrote the rulebook for the modern pop star and has single-handedly redefined what it is to be famous.
Ahead of the release of her new album Madame X, Denton flew to London to catch up with the pop icon and find what’s inspiring and driving her in 2019.
The Denton meeting with Madonna will air next Tuesday June 18 at 9pm on Seven and will be heard on Andrew Denton’s Interview podcast on Thursday 20 June.
Cameron Daddo podcast – Alison’s celebrity card night
We recently wrote about the launch of the Cameron Daddo and Alison Brahe podcast and already they are up to releasing episode four: Big Moment/Big Impact.
Cameron Daddo said: “Big moments happen in our lives whether we want them to or not. A move, a death, a renovation – these types of events impact our close relationships. We’ve experienced a few and we share what has worked for us and why.”
In the new episode, Alison tells one of her favourite stories about the early days in LA. It was before they had kids, they were living in a tiny one-bedroom apartment, and knew some celebrities but not a lot. One night they were playing cards in the back room of a nightclub, sitting around the table was Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts and a couple of other people she couldn’t remember. Alison discussed that she could hold her own with cards and a guy at the table was also helping her. It was not about winning, they were all putting in a dollar a hand and the kitty had grown to about $9, until Russell Crowe walked in and said deal me in and threw down wads of cash. They played the next game and Alison won all the money, she scooped it all up and grabbed Cam and ran from the club as they had their next month’s rent!
Netflix grows its podcast library
Global video streaming giant Netflix has also been in the podcast business for some time, releasing audio to take customers behind the scenes of its huge library of content.
There have been as many as seven different podcasts recently and there are even more on the way.
The Netflix audio library includes:
• You Can’t Make This Up
• We Are Netflix
• I’m Obsessed With This
• What To Watch On Netflix
• Strong Black Legends
• Tales Of Your City
• Wormwood: The Companion Podcast
• Watching With…
• Making A Murderer
Watching With… is a recent launch and so far there is only one recording. But the series is promising the feature artists behind Netflix originals supplying a full-length audio commentary track. The first release was director Jennifer Kaytin talking about her 2019 movie Someone Great.
TV Week reveals first 2019 Logie winner is a TV commercial
Tourism Australia will be taking home the winning prizes, which includes a $100,000 marketing campaign across the Bauer Network.
The winners will also receive four tickets to the Logies along with complimentary flights and accommodation to attend The 61st TV Week Logie Awards at The Star Gold Coast in Queensland on Sunday, June 30, where they will be accepting their Logie award.
TV Week editor Thomas Woodgate said: “It’s been really amazing to share this journey with creative and media agencies since we introduced the new category Most Popular Television Commercial this year. We are very pleased to congratulate Tourism Australia for their well-deserved win with Dundee: Australia’s Tourism Ad in Disguise commercial”.
Tourism Australia managing director John O’Sullivan said that its Dundee ad had achieved the ultimate success of capturing the imagination of both Americans and Australians alike.
“Nobody is prouder nor cares more about how their country is marketed overseas than Australians, and that was certainly a huge consideration for us when we developed Dundee.
“With this ad we wanted to have some fun, elevate the Australian way of life and really lean in to our personality. I’ve loved seeing the smile it puts on people’s faces. To get the vote of the Australian public and be the inaugural winner of the ‘Best Ad’ category is a proud moment for Tourism Australia and a huge honour.”
The 61st TV Week Logie Awards will be held at The Star Gold Coast in Queensland on Sunday, June 30.
The red-carpet arrivals and awards-show celebrations will be telecast on the Nine Network and 9Now.
Cricket history as WBBL|05 to be played over seven weekends
For the first time in its history, the fifth instalment of the Rebel Women’s Big Bash League will be standalone in 2019/20 with seven festival weekends of cricket confirmed in today’s unveiling of the fixture.
Elyse Perry
Click here for the full rebel WBBL fixture.
Cricket Australia released these details today:
In what will be an enormous summer of cricket, the WBBL will lead into the remainder of the Australian Women’s Cricket Team home summer, followed by the history making ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 Australia in February.
The 2018/2019 final attracted a record-breaking television audience of 479,000 across Seven and Fox Cricket, in addition to a sold-out crowd at Drummoyne Oval in Sydney.
Despite the improved TV performance, there will again be 23 games shown on either Seven or Fox Cricket and Kayo. All matches will be streamed at cricket.com.au.
The season will commence under lights at North Sydney Oval on October 18 and end with the Grand Final on Sunday December 8.
There will be seven festival weekends, with the remaining matches played across the country.
Sydney Festival Weekend | North Sydney Oval – October 18-20
Brisbane Festival Weekend | AB Field – October 26-27
Perth Festival Weekend | WACA – November 1-3
Adelaide Festival Weekend | Karen Rolton Oval – November 9-10
Sydney Festival Weekend | Drummoyne Oval – November 15-17
Hobart Festival Weekend | Blundstone Arena – November 22-24
Melbourne Festival Weekend | CitiPower Centre at Junction Oval – November 30 – December 1
Each team will play 14 matches with the finals festival weekend hosted by the top ranked team, featuring the top four playing off in semi-finals before the grand final on Sunday 8 December.
TV Ratings Analysis: June 12
Wednesday Week 24 2019
By James Manning
• Seven News 1,103,000/1,036,000
• Nine News 955,000/943,000
• A Current Affair 781,000
• ABC News 654,000
• 7.30 562,000
• The Project 293,000/473,000
• 10 News First 409,000
• The Drum 190,000
• SBS World News 111,000
Breakfast TV
• Sunrise 274,000
• Today 215,000
Seven
Home And Away bounced back above 700,000 to 718,000 after episodes of 701,000 and 683,000 earlier.
The Super Switch off is still a thing with a second night under 400,000 for the revamped format. It launched on Tuesday with 308,000 and grew to 381,000 last night with no episode of The Voice up against it. That might be enough for Seven to try a little longer in the timeslot. However the number of Australia’s Got Talent promos exploding across the screen indicate it could perhaps be getting ready for the timeslot.
The Front Bar went a day early because of the return of Thursday night AFL. A very busy Ryan Fitzgerald was part of the team last night, having made a dash from 10’s The Project so he could attend umpire Razor Ray’s anniversary. The Front Bar did 424,000 (260,000 in Melbourne) after 434,000 on Thursday last week.
Nine
While Seven had the biggest primary share, Nine was a clear leader in combined channel share thanks to cricket on 9Gem. The five primary channels had a 62% share of viewing last night, with 9Gem and the other multichannels scooping up the rest of the audience.
After two nights over 800,000, A Current Affair was down a little to 781,000.
Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation was just under 500,000 after a week off because of Origin. Two weeks ago it was on 504,000.
An episode of 20 To One then did 283,000.
The World Cup cricket match between Australia and Pakistan helped push the 9Gem share to 10.7%. The first session of the cricket did 380,000 as Australia built what turned out to be a match-winning score.
10
MasterChef Australia had the biggest entertainment audience with 731,000 watching the team challenge set under the shadow of Hanging Rock. The episode was a demo champ too and was up exactly 200,000 on the number watching against Origin a week ago. It was MasterChef’s biggest audience of the year after the first two episodes in launch week did just under that mark.
Earlier in the night the busy Fitzy was on the desk during The Project before he headed of to report for The Front Bar. He stayed in Melbourne and co-hosted Nova Sydney breakfast from Nova 100 studios this morning. The Project was on 473,000 in an episode that featured the host of Taboo, Harley Breen.
Later in the night Five Bedrooms did 499,000 which is a strong number for a drama. Last week’s episode climbed to 623,000 after adding encore, BVOD and timeshift over seven days.
ABC
Alan Jones was the subject last night on Anh’s Brush With Fame with 544,000 watching.
The Weekly had another strong episode with more than just a little bit of help from Tom Gleeson. His Go Away Australia visited Sydney while in Hard Chat he spoke with another Gold Logie nominee Costas. The episode did 514,000.
The Letdown then did 275,000.
SBS
24 Hours In Emergency had the channel’s biggest audience at 8.30pm with 178,000.
Week 24 TV: Wednesday
| WEDNESDAY METRO | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Seven | Nine | 10 | SBS | |||||
| ABC | 11.2% | 7 | 17.4% | 9 | 15.6% | 10 | 13.9% | SBS One | 3.8% |
| ABC KIDS/ ABC COMEDY | 2.5% | 7TWO | 2.8% | GO! | 3.o% | 10 Bold | 4.8% | VICELAND | 1.2% |
| ABC ME | 0.6% | 7mate | 2.8% | GEM | 10.7% | 10 Peach | 2.4% | Food Net | 0.7% |
| ABC NEWS | 1.3% | 7flix | 1.9% | 9Life | 2.3% | NITV | 0.3% | ||
| 7Food | 0.4% | ||||||||
| TOTAL | 15.7% | 25.4% | 31.7% | 21.2% | 6.1% | ||||
| WEDNESDAY REGIONAL | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Seven Affiliates | Nine Affiliates | 10 Affiliates | SBS | |||||
| ABC | 11.4% | 7 | 17.3% | 9 | 13.3% | WIN | 10.3% | SBS One | 4.5% |
| ABC KIDS/ ABC COMEDY | 3.1% | 7TWO | 4.9% | GO! | 3.0% | WIN Bold | 4.9% | VICELAND | 2.0% |
| ABC ME | 1.1% | 7mate | 3.3% | GEM | 8.8% | WIN Peach | 2.4% | Food Net | 0.9% |
| ABC NEWS | 1.5% | 7flix (Excl. Tas/WA) | 2.5% | 9Life | 2.9% | Sky News on WIN | 1.2% | NITV | 0.2% |
| 7food (QLD only) | 0.8% | ||||||||
| TOTAL | 17.0% | 28.7% | 27.9% | 18.7% | 7.5% | ||||
| WEDNESDAY METRO ALL TV | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTA | STV | ||||||||
| 84.7% | 15.3% | ||||||||
WEDNESDAY FTA
- Seven News Seven 1,103,000
- Seven News / Today Tonight Seven 1,036,000
- Nine News Nine 955,000
- Nine News 6:30 Nine 943,000
- A Current Affair Nine 781,000
- MasterChef Australia 10 731,000
- Home And Away Seven 718,000
- The Chase Australia Seven 685,000
- ABC News ABC 654,000
- Hot Seat Nine 570,000
- 7.30 ABC 562,000
- Anh’s Brush With Fame ABC 544,000
- The Weekly With Charlie Pickering ABC 514,000
- Five Bedrooms 10 499,000
- Talkin Bout Your Generation Nine 483,000
- The Project 7pm 10 473,000
- The Chase Australia-5pm Seven 441,000
- The Front Bar Seven 424,000
- 10 News First 10 409,000
- The Super Switch – Seven 381,000
Demo Top 5
16-39 Top Five
- MasterChef Australia 10 207,000
- Home And Away Seven 138,000
- Five Bedrooms 10 137,000
- Seven News Seven 134,000
- Seven News / Today Tonight Seven 130,000
18-49 Top Five
- MasterChef Australia 10 331,000
- Nine News 6:30 Nine 243,000
- Seven News Seven 243,000
- Five Bedrooms 10 238,000
- Seven News / Today Tonight Seven 236,000
25-54 Top Five
- MasterChef Australia 10 358,000
- Nine News 6:30 Nine 303,000
- Seven News Seven 296,000
- Nine News Nine 290,000
- Seven News / Today Tonight Seven 290,000
Wednesday Multichannel
- ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 – Aus V Pak S1 9Gem 380,000
- ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 – Aus V Pak S2 9Gem 225,000
- Bluey Am ABCKIDS/COMEDY 211,000
- NCIS (R) 10 Bold 203,000
- NCIS: Los Angeles (R) 10 Bold 198,000
- Peter Rabbit ABCKIDS/COMEDY 182,000
- Octonauts ABCKIDS/COMEDY 168,000
- Bluey ABCKIDS/COMEDY 166,000
- Floogals ABCKIDS/COMEDY 165,000
- Peppa Pig Am ABCKIDS/COMEDY 164,000
- School Of Roars Pm ABCKIDS/COMEDY 162,000
- PJ Masks Am ABCKIDS/COMEDY 161,000
- NCIS: Los Angeles Ep 2 (R) 10 Bold 158,000
- Rusty Rivets ABCKIDS/COMEDY 156,000
- Peppa Pig Pm ABCKIDS/COMEDY 152,000
- Neighbours 10 Peach 142,000
- Nella The Princess Knight Am ABCKIDS/COMEDY 140,000
- Border Security – Australia’s Front Line 7TWO 137,000
- Molly And Mack Pm ABCKIDS/COMEDY 136,000
- Fireman Sam Pm ABCKIDS/COMEDY 136,000
Wednesday STV
- Live: World Cup: Australia V Pakistan FOX CRICKET 240,000
- Live: World Cup Innings Break FOX CRICKET 144,000
- Live: World Cup: Australia V Pakistan FOX CRICKET 72,000
- Live: AFL 360 FOX FOOTY 50,000
- Chernobyl FOX SHOWCASE 47,000
- The Bolt Report Sky News Live 46,000
- Selling Houses Australia Lifestyle Channel 46,000
- Outback Truckers A&E 44,000
- Live: NRL 360 FOX LEAGUE 44,000
- Credlin Sky News Live 43,000
- Criminal Minds TVH!TS 40,000
- Mrs. Brown’s Boys UKTV 39,000
- Selling Houses Australia Lifestyle Channel 37,000
- Live: World Cup Pre-Game FOX CRICKET 37,000
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation TVH!TS 35,000
- The Predator Foxtel Movies Premiere 34,000
- NCIS TVH!TS 33,000
- Beverly Hills: Real Housewives Of… ARENA 33,000
- Mrs. Brown’s Boys UKTV 31,000
- The Inbetween UNIVERSAL TV 31,000
Shares all people, 6pm-midnight, Overnight (Live and AsLive), Audience numbers FTA metro, Sub TV national
Source: OzTAM and Regional TAM 2018. The Data may not be reproduced, published or communicated (electronically or in hard copy) without the prior written consent of OzTAM
Media News Roundup
Business of Media
Broadcasters ABC & CBC in creative and commercial collaboration
The two national public broadcasters have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to co-develop English-language drama, comedy, factual, children’s and podcast content to maximize the value of their public funding for audiences. The three-year MOU will also provide further opportunities for co-financing and format sales of drama and children’s content.
“At a time when public broadcasters are competing with the best content in the world, partnerships like this will ensure we can nurture and develop more distinct storytelling and co-finance ambitious projects with greater global reach,” said Catherine Tait, President & CEO, CBC/Radio-Canada. “This agreement will offer new opportunities for producers in Canada and Australia, and bring our top creators, talent and stories to broader audiences at home and around the world.”
“In a world of global media giants, the outstanding and accessible content produced by like-minded public broadcasters is more important than ever,” said David Anderson, Managing Director, ABC. “This collaboration between the ABC and CBC will drive our limited resources further, leveraging our strengths to create and share distinctive local content that connects with audiences at home and overseas.”
The MOU will enhance cooperation and collaboration between the ABC and CBC through initiatives such as:
• Children’s content: Co-development of children’s programs across television, audio and digital services, including two new proposed TV projects for 2 to 6-year-olds and 8 to 14-year-olds, and ABC’s acquisition of CBC Kids’ original commission Big Blue as well as CBC co-productions Kiri and Lou and the upcoming Sinking Ship sci-fi epic Endlings.
• Drama, comedy and factual content: Collaboration on comedy, drama and factual programs through co-development, finance or acquisitions that promote the core values of the public broadcasters.
• Educational content: Co-development of a media literacy initiative to equip schools and educators across both countries with the analytical skills and tools to combat misinformation and disinformation.
• Audio content: Expansion of radio program exchanges between ABC RN and CBC Radio, plus the sharing of creative ideas and expertise between ABC Audio Studios and CBC Podcasts to create new podcasts.
• News content: Sharing of technology and tools to improve tracking and verification of the accuracy of news content.
• Local and regional communities: Collaboration on initiatives to better serve local and rural communities, including local journalism projects.
• Employee exchange: To ensure the success of such initiatives, the ABC and CBC will facilitate employee exchanges where appropriate and feasible.
The MOU will build on an existing relationship that includes CBC’s acquisition of the broadcast rights to ABC programs Ronny Chieng: International Student, Mustangs FC, Hannah Gadsby’s Nakedy Nudes, Hannah Gadsby’s Oz and the format rights to the ABC’s original series You Can’t Ask That. CBC’s Canadian version of the award-winning format launches on the CBC Gem streaming service in June.
The broadcasters also have a strong history of sharing audio content such as CBC Podcasts Alone: A Love Story and Someone Knows Something and ABC podcasts Trace and Ladies, We Need To Talk, plus ABC RN programs All in the Mind and Off Track and CBC Radio’s Ideas and Out In The Open.
News Brands
Digital News Report: Australians are fact-checking to combat fake news
The Digital News Report: Australia 2019 finds 62% of Australian news consumers say they are worried about what is real or fake on the internet, which is much higher than the global average (55%).
The report shows news consumers are beginning to take more action to counter their concern about fake news:
36% say they checked several different sources to check the accuracy of a story
26% say they have started to use more reliable sources of news
22% say they have stopped using unreliable sources
22% say the decided not to share a story they were unsure about
20% say they stopped paying attention to a story shared by someone they didn’t trust.
The Digital News Report: Australia 2019 also finds:
Australians would rather pay for Netflix than news: Australian news consumers would rather subscribe to a video streaming service, such as Netflix (34%), than pay for online news (9%).
News performance: Australians have given the news media a mixed report card. 66% think the news media does a good job keeping them up to date and 57% think they do a good job explaining events. However, less than half (45%) think they are holding the powerful to account; 44% say it is often too negative; and only 25% say the stories are relevant to their lives.
News avoidance and fatigue: The proportion of Australians avoiding news has increased from 57% in 2017 to 62% in 2019, and 28% say they are worn out by the volume of news. Eighty-eight per cent of those who are worn out by news, also avoid it.
Interest in news and politics: The proportion of Australians who say they are interested in news has dropped from 64% in 2016 to 58% in 2019; and 65% of Australians say they have a low interest in politics.
The Daily Telegraph question’s judge’s ‘tone’ in Geoffrey Rush appeal
Nationwide News is appealing the decision on several grounds including that Justice Michael Wigney could have appeared biased.
In amended appeal documents referred to in the Federal Court, Nationwide News added references to some of Justice Wigney’s comments throughout the proceedings “and the tone” in which they were delivered.
The Telegraph has flagged using a key ruling about damages and a cap on parts of defamation payouts in the case between Rebel Wilson and Bauer Media during its appeal.
Television
Screen Australia and VidCon Australia announce pitching competition
The competition presents an opportunity for online narrative creators to apply for the chance to pitch their project live on stage to a panel of industry experts at VidCon Australia (19-22 September 2019). The team with the best pitch will be awarded $30,000 in funding for script development and to make a proof of concept.
Applications are now open and up to five teams will be selected to pitch their project at VidCon Australia. Teams will need to be able to present an engaging pitch that gets the panel excited about their narrative concept, summarises who the project is for, how an audience will access it, and why that audience will want to watch it.
Successful finalists will participate in a closed workshop on 19 September in Melbourne to help them prepare for the live pitch the next day. Each finalist team will also receive two complimentary Creator Track passes to VidCon Australia.
Applicant teams need to have a minimum of two people covering the roles of producer, writer and director. Larger teams can apply, but only two people from each team will take part in the live pitch at VidCon Australia.
To apply, teams need to submit a video pitch up to three minutes in length. Finalists who are not based in Melbourne will receive flights and accommodation for two team members. For more information on eligibility and application guidelines click here.
Applications close Friday 19 July.
MTV Australia’s announces launch date of WTFN’s Teen Mom
The series will explore the lives of Ammi, Sita and Georgie as they try to find the right balance between childcare, relationships and teenage life.
Episode One introduces the three mothers and their families as they open the door to a life filled with nappies, tears, tantrums and the complexities of being a teenager. Sita faces the possibility of moving out of her family home, Georgie deals with the challenges of life as a single mum and Ammi takes us on her pregnancy journey with baby number two.
The 10-part reality series is the latest addition to the growing list of local productions by MTV Australia. Other recent premieres include MTV Unplugged Melbourne, MTV TRL and MTV Cribs, and the recently green lit reality series Jess & Lisa: The Veronicas (working title) will premiere later this year.
Teen Mom Australia is produced by WTFN.
Radio
Take 5 magazine searching for radio’s hottest hunk: Top 20 revealed
The Bauer Media brand is asking radio listeners all over Australia to vote on who turns their dial up to the max.
So far 3,486 readers and radio listeners have taken part and the top 20 so far are listed below in alphabetical order. But the magazine said is still time to nominate your wireless wonderboy.
The current title holder of Take 5 Radio Hunk is, Brendan “Jonesy” Jones, 51, from WSFM – and he’s back in the top 20 together with talkback king Ray Hadley, 64, funnyman Dave Hughes, 48, and 2Day FM co-host Ed Kavalee, 39.
Shock jock legend Kyle Sandilands, 47, also gets a look-in.
To place a vote, email [email protected] or visit the Take 5 Facebook page.
2CH puts the CH in Charity with The Wayside Chapel Winter Appeal
2CH is putting the CH into Charity and are actively raising funds and awareness with the launch of its first ever charity on air campaign for The Wayside Chapel Winter Appeal hoping to raise $1.2 million in June.
The Appeal is being lead by the 2CH breakfast team Indira and Trevor.
Trevor Sinclair said: “Currently with 20,000 Sydneysiders sleeping in their cars and rough on the streets, its outstanding that a huge percentage is now young women.”
Indira Naidoo said: “We are needing to raise $1.2 million by the end of June, so we really can make a difference.”
“We at 2CH have committed to making a difference to Sydney’s Homeless. Our first major commitment is to support The Wayside Chapel Winter Appeal. Indira Naidoo is an ambassador for The Wayside Chapel and leading the charge. 2CH putting the CH into Charity with Care and Help”, said Cherie Romaro, general manager.
Sports Media
Indigenous leader slams AFL leadership during Adam Goodes racism row
Mick Gooda, who led an AFL contingent invited to address the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2011, said last week’s belated apology to the dual Brownlow medallist “isn’t enough”.
“I had a friend on the AFL commission who told me at the time that people were blaming Adam for it – that he had brought it on himself,” Gooda told the Herald Sun.
“They were saying exactly what the rednecks were saying.
“The AFL lost me.”
Gooda, who led the Royal Commission into the protection and detention of children in the Northern Territory, said the league commission and its senior executive failed the leadership test when Goodes was booed out of the game in 2015.
How Southeast Queensland could host the 2032 Olympic Games
Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates will today tell politicians and tourism leaders that the greatest event in global sport is theirs to grab if they want it badly enough.
It comes as new research reveals the rest of the country is throwing its weight behind an SEQ bid, with two-thirds of Australians saying they would consider coming to the Sunshine State to attend events.
In today’s keynote speech to The Courier-Mail’s Future Tourism campaign lunch, Coates will reveal that changes to International Olympic Committee rules, expected to be passed within a fortnight, open the door to the 2032 Games host being named at an IOC session, just days before the Tokyo Olympics next July.
Coates reinforced a pledge that the 2032 Games would pay for itself.