Friday June 1, 2018

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New Mediaweek Podcasts

It’s been a big week for our mobile podcast studio. After visiting the Nine Network and production house CJZ earlier this month, this week Mediaweek visited Twitter, the ABC and the PodcastOne studios.

• Twitter: A news media masterclass with Twitter director, news, Asia-Pacific, Jonathan Harley

• ABC Radio: Podcast with new ABC Sydney breakfast hosts Wendy Harmer and Robbie Buck

• TV Week Logies: A studio special session on the TV Week Logie nominees with TV Week editor Thomas Woodgate and Mediaweek’s Andrew Mercado and James Manning

Listen to the podcasts online here, on PodcastOne here, or subscribe here.

How partnership with telco keeps SBS as broadcast home of FIFA World Cup

When Mediaweek asked SBS director of sport Ken Shipp how the broadcaster managed to continue to keep rights to the FIFA World Cup, he paid tribute to SBS commentator Les Murray, who steered the broadcaster toward becoming a specialist football broadcaster. 

By James Manning

The relationship that Murray and SBS have built with FIFA over the years is key to keeping the partnership going.

The major change for the SBS coverage in Russia this year is that it has a partnership with Optus, which has rights to all games. SBS has all Socceroos matches and then picks the game of the day and has the finals too.

SBS’s football commentators David Basheer, Lucy Zelic, Craig Foster and Craig Moore

Shipp said keeping the rights over the years has meant simply paying more money in fees and also increasing its commitment to the game in terms of output. “It has been hard,” he told Mediaweek. “We have had to work our business cases hard. Ultimately FIFA saw SBS as someone that genuinely cared about the game of football. If it went to another broadcaster it would be a second or third tier sport.

This is an excerpt from the full article, which appears on Mediaweek Premium. Read the full article hereor subscribe to Mediaweek Premium here.

Jennifer Keyte joins Network Ten, new role soon for Stephen Quartermain?

Network Ten this week appointed journalist, newsreader and presenter Jennifer Keyte to TEN Eyewitness News First At Five in Melbourne as presenter.

She will be taking over the role from Stephen Quartermain, who is being sidelined. The move is the first major change in strategy made by recently appointed network director of news content Ross Dagan.

Keyte, who has presented Seven Network’s weekend news in Melbourne since 2003, will join weather presenter Mike Larkan on TEN later this year.

Ross Dagan said: “Jennifer is one of Melbourne’s favourite and most accomplished news presenters and reporters. She knows Melbourne and Victoria intimately and understands what viewers want.

Ten’s network director of news content Ross Dagan

“Jennifer and Mike are institutions of the Melbourne media profession and will make a fantastic team, bringing Victorians the best of international, national and local news coverage.

“I would also like to pay tribute to Stephen Quartermain, who has fronted our Melbourne bulletin for more than four years. He is a class act and we appreciate all he has done, not just in the news chair, but over his many years with the network, particularly in sport,” he said.

Network Ten is in discussions with Quartermain about what it labelled “a substantive role” to continue his long association with the network.

The average audience for TEN Eyewitness News First At Five last week indicates Melbourne attracted the biggest news audiences for the network. Out of a Monday to Friday network metro average of 442,000 viewers at 5pm, 135,000 were in Melbourne and 103,000 in Sydney.

Network Ten chief content officer, Beverley McGarvey, said: “Jennifer’s return to Network Ten is another step in the evolution of our news service.

“Network Ten has a long and proud history in news and we are now backed by CBS, one of the world’s largest and most respected news organisations. The appointment of Jennifer and the recent launch of our news and entertainment website ten daily are just two examples of our commitment to expanding our news service.”

There have been a number of changes to the Melbourne bulletin over the past couple of years. In 2014 the bulletin was jointly presented by Quartermain and Candice Wyatt. However, Quartermain has presented the bulletin solo from 2016. Sports presenter Brad McEwan left the bulletin at the end of April this year.

Modern, relevant and innovative: How Elle Australia continues to grow

There were just three fashion magazines that recorded a climb in readership in the 12 months to March 2018.

By Kruti Joshi

According to Roy Morgan, NewsLifeMedia’s GQ Australia and Vogue Australia increased its readership by 4.4% and 2.4% respectively. Meanwhile, this figure for Bauer Media’s Elle Australia was 5.1% – giving it the highest readership growth YOY of any fashion magazine in Australia.

The five collector’s edition covers of Elle’s ‘print-on-demand’ issue

“When we first launched Elle five years ago, we were criticised for being too young for a fashion title,” editor-in-chief Justine Cullen told Mediaweek. “Luckily we stuck to our guns. What’s wonderful is how that has paid off both in terms of the advertising market soon realising how valuable the millennial customer was, and also how we’ve managed to grow that younger audience across not only digital but also print – no mean feat in 2018. This has very much to do with the DNA of the brand – it’s modern, highly relevant to the culture of the times and innovative. This audience responds to that.”

It is a “tough” market for print at the moment, Cullen admitted. So what helped the magazine buck the downward readership trend?

This is an excerpt from the full article, which appears on Mediaweek Premium. Read the full article hereor subscribe to Mediaweek Premium here.

Pirate radio: Christian O’Connell goes rogue three days early on Gold 104.3

Listeners to the all-music breakfast show on ARN’s Gold 104.3 got a surprise this morning at 7.33am when Christian O’Connell burst onto the station with a preview of what he will be getting up to from Monday at 6am.

Accompanied on-air by his new sidekick Jack Post, he premiered a jingle that Jack had composed for the station. O’Connell kindly said it was a winner but that it needed a little more polish.

The banter between the British import and his new Aussie colleague was great. Jack’s on-air stumbles sounded authentic and listeners should hope they do most of their work polishing the combo on-air as it could be a lot of fun.

O’Connell revealed that his former employer, Absolute Radio, had let go of the Christian O’Connell Facebook page, which had been quickly snapped up by someone in the US. O’Connell said that he had been asked for money for the return of his Facebook page. Instead of paying the ransom, O’Connell has started a new Facebook page – The Christian O’Connell Breakfast Show on Gold104.3.

O’Connell said he will be making his first visit to the MCG to see Richmond play on Saturday night.

The new breakfast host also did a great job pumping up new Gold colleagues – particularly Huggie’s morning show and his 104 minutes of ad-free music.

Top photo: Christian O’Connell (credit: Featureflash / Shutterstock)

TorchMedia launches Australia’s largest transit asset: 70m full wrap train carriage

Charles Sturt University has partnered with TorchMedia to launch the largest transit asset in Australia.

TorchMedia has launched the first full train wrap on Sydney Trains with foundation client Charles Sturt University. Measuring over 70 metres long, it wraps four carriages.

Following the popularity of showcases launched in 2017, TorchMedia invested considerable time in developing larger formats with Sydney Trains to meet advertiser demand. The Full Wrap format was created for the advertiser who truly wants to dominate the commuter environment on a large scale.

Kirsty Dollisson, TorchMedia managing director, said, “Executing this campaign has been a true logistical triumph. It has required the utmost cooperation between the Torch team, McCann, Charles Sturt University, Sydney Trains and our production and install partners. The execution took 28 hours to install over 280 square metres of material.”

“The ability to offer clients high impact options like the Full Wrap on a network that delivers one million journeys daily is what sets rail advertising apart from other mediums.”

The CSU wrapped train will run for 12 weeks across the Sydney Trains network, encouraging potential students to “Start Now”.

Julie-anne Sprague replaces John Stensholt as editor of Financial Review Rich List

The Australian Financial Review has appointed Julie-anne Sprague as the editor of Financial Review Rich List. She replaces John Stensholt, who had held the position since 2008. His last edited Rich List was released last week.

Sprague has worked as a financial journalist for more than 17 years, working in Australia and UK. At the Financial Review she has held roles including deputy companies and markets editor, Perth bureau chief and corporate reporter.

In her new role, Sprague will oversee the research and direct the flagship Rich List coverage for Australia’s premier national business, financial and political daily publication.

Financial Review editor-in-chief Michael Stutchbury said: “We’re thrilled to have Julie-anne stepping into this high-profile role. She is a journalist of the highest calibre and will do an excellent job building on the Financial Review’s 35-year heritage reporting on wealth in Australia.”

Sprague said: “I’m looking forward to telling the inside stories of some of the nation’s best and brightest entrepreneurs and business builders. The Financial Review Rich List is a cherished franchise within our newsroom. It has a wealth of data that I can’t wait to jump into and explore.”

The Financial Review Rich List consists of the 200 wealthiest Australians and is published annually in May. Its compilation is the single biggest undertaking in business journalism in Australia. Young Rich, which lists the 100 wealthiest Australians aged 40 and younger and is published in October. Both lists appear on afr.com and inside The Australian Financial Review Magazine.

The appointment comes after a series of new initiatives with the Rich List, including a new micro-site afr.com/richlist, as well as the special Rich List issue of AFR Magazine being sold as a stand-alone magazine in news agencies, were launched. It is the first time AFR Magazine has been sold as a stand-alone in addition to being inserted into the Financial Review newspaper.

Andrew Mercado on TV: Cornelia Frances, Roseanne and the best drama of 2018?

Cornelia Frances always thought she got cast as no-nonsense, tough, scary women because of her hair colour.

By Andrew Mercado

Remembering Cornelia Frances

That meant she was typecast, but that also meant years and years of constant work in four iconic TV series. Yes, there were periods of unemployment, but she always saw the lighter side of it, even naming her autobiography “And What Have You Done Lately”, which was a nod to enquiries from others actors, and customers who would wonder why she was sometimes working at a winery.

Her breakthrough role was in 1976 on The Young Doctors. From the very first episode, when she gave young nurse Jo Jo Adam (Delvene Delaney) a good dressing down, Sister Grace Scott became a force to be reckoned with. The character could have been a one-dimensional authoritarian but Cornelia Frances’s skill was always in showing the vulnerable and lonely side of her ladies. Sister Scott became a bitch that the audience were secretly rooting for, and she needed that sympathy given years of being tortured at St Alberts Memorial Hospital by terrible men who raped her or left her at the altar. Falling down that elevator shaft, however, was strictly her own fault.

In the 80s, Frances popped up on another Grundys soap, Sons and Daughters. Somebody needed to be able to stand up to Pat the Rat (Rowena Wallace) and that turned out to be Barbara Morrell, who went on to marry Patricia’s former husband and became Barbara Hamilton. Staying with the Seven Network, her next iconic role was in Home and Away playing Morag, the sister of Alf Stewart (Ray Meagher). Being a judge also meant that Morag was able to be called back again and again over the years, given Summer Bay’s propensity for attracting delinquents.

Amazingly though, there was one other milestone in her long career when she parlayed this character type into hosting The Weakest Link. Most quiz show hosts are themselves, but this format required Cornelia to play to her type yet again. And yet anybody who met her in real life knew that she was the opposite of these TV personas and was actually a warm and funny person. So to all of her fans, and everyone who worked with her over the years, what a loss she is to the TV industry.

Vale Cornelia Frances.

Mystery Road and Roseanne

Mystery Road hit cinemas in 2013 and was the best Australian movie of that year. Three years later it spawned a sequel, Goldstone, and now Mystery Road is on ABC TV and iview as a six-part TV series. Like the movies, it has another all-star cast (including Judy Davis, her husband Colin Friels playing her brother, and Deborah Mailman and John Waters but not hooking up like they did together in Offspring). And thanks to director of photography Mark Wareham, it remains visually stunning to watch, especially with its constant use of aerial shots looking down onto the parched countryside.

For me, the second movie veered just a little bit into unbelievable territory, but this new TV mystery seems more grounded and it really grabs your attention right from its opening frame. Based on the movie-length opener (combining eps 1 and 2), this could be the best Australian drama of the year.

Racism is at the heart of every Mystery Road story. Detective Jay Swan (Aaron Pederson) is treated warily by his own people because he works with whitefellas, who in turn treat his methods of working with suspicion. Given the ABC’s commitment to diversity, it is no surprise they decided to adapt these movies into a series.

What is really surprising though, is the speed at which America’s ABC network cut Roseanne Barr loose after a racist tweet. The Disney-owned, family-friendly network cancelled its highest-rating show within a few hours and all Roseanne re-runs were also pulled off every TV network and all streaming services. Locally, TEN and ELEVEN followed suit, meaning Australian fans of the show will never see the rest of the rebooted series.

• Cancelled! So how many people were actually watching Roseanne in Australia?

Roseanne’s mouth has regularly got her into trouble but the speed at which she has been dethroned is dizzying. Couldn’t the show have sent her away or killed her off, like when Valerie Harper was sacked and her sitcom Valerie became The Hogan Family? A Roseanne-less show called The Connor Family would still have John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf and Sara Gilbert, which is still one hell of a cast, or is Roseanne too huge of a presence to even consider moving forward without her?

Roseanne

Roseanne’s comment was abhorrent but I am sad to see her show wiped from history. For all her wacky conspiracy theories and bad jokes, she has always been a contradiction and an enigma, who used her sitcom to educate fellow rednecks and Trump supporters about left-leaning issues such as gay marriage, trans rights and America’s substandard healthcare system.

Would an Aussie ever get fired today for making a racist remark like Roseanne did? Eddie McGuire made a tone-deaf joke about Adam Goodes and King Kong in 2013 and yet he is still hosting his radio show. And since then, he has also returned to the AFL Footy Show alongside Sam Newman, another entertainer who has survived numerous misogynistic and blackface moments.

Recently, an Aussie media outlet, with the help of some 1980s comedians, was complaining about living in a too-politically correct world. But until a massive entertainer like Roseanne suffers the same fate down under, they can all rest easy. They should, however, consider themselves warned. Because it won’t be a mystery if some big mouth gets kicked to the road one day. Until then, just watch Mystery Road.

Top photo: Cornelia Frances plays Morag in Home and Away

NZ Media News: NBR legal move, digital ad dollars, Imagination sells sex to TVNZ

Mediaweek’s John Drinnan rounds up the latest media news from the NZ market.

NBR move against former columnist

A politician’s defamation claim against the National Business Review and high-profile political commentator Matthew Hooton has taken an unusual turn. Former finance minister Steven Joyce lodged a claim over comments in Hooton’s NBR column. Hooton was subsequently dropped by NBR, but he was quickly hired as columnist in the NZ Herald. He apologised to Joyce and was dropped from Joyce’s claim. Now, in an unusual move, NBR publisher Fourth Estate Holdings has lodged a claim against Hooton alleging he did not fulfil his duty of care in the writing of the article. Radio New Zealand media commentator Gavin Ellis said this week the NBR move against its former columnist appears to be unprecedented. Ellis said the outcome of the case might have implications for the degree writers could expect the support of publishers, and it should be closely watched.

Digital advertising

The Interactive Advertising Bureau announced that First Quarter 2018 revenue was NZ$244.5 million. Desktop Display revenue generated $62.9 million, which was 26% of the total. The revenue from mobile devices was $19.5 million, up 50% in year-on-year growth. Smartphone revenue reached $17 million, or 6% of total revenue, and it had 65% year-on-year growth. Across all devices, total display advertising revenue was $35.7 million with general display advertising $21.5million, a 2% year-on-year increase. Video generated $7.5 million, a 15% year-on-year increase. Programmatic Revenue (outside Google Ad Ex) in Q1 2018 was $15.7 million. The Search category topped $151 million in the quarter and is now 62% of total revenue. Social media revenue from NZ media agencies was $11 million in Q1 (5% of total revenue).

Children’s TV funding

New Zealand On Air has invested $14 million in a new children’s TV platform with RVNZ online called HEIHEI. Broadcasting and digital media minister Clare Curran said many Kiwi kids have “nothing that mirrors their stories – that puts a sense of value in their stories”. 90% of surveyed parents had said they want to see more New Zealand content for children, she said.

SEE MORE: TVNZ partners with Brightcove for new kids platform HEIHEI

Sexed-up reality commission

TVNZ says it is taking a more experimental approach to scheduling. This includes doubling up the UK soap Coronation Street to catch up with the UK, alongside off-peak screening of dated episodes. A new series, Heartbreak Island, will run three times a week at 7.30 pm, a first for the broadcaster. While Heartbreak Island, which has been described as a sexed-up reality show set on a Fijian Island, it is far from unique, TVNZ says it is a new format, which it jointly owns with NZ production company Imagination, run by Bettina Hollings and Darryl McEwen.

Dancing hit

Dancing with the Stars NZ won its timeslot on Sunday night with an 8.5 rating and 27.0% share in the key 25-54 demographic. It is now half-way through the season. MediaWorks said it is averaging a rating of 9.1 and a 25.8% share for 25-54 year olds.

Engaging the iGeneration

A research paper has been released by the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) that outlines the way in which young people engage with film and offers suggestions for ways exhibitors could better meet the needs of this young audience. Born between the mid-1990s and mid-2000s, this is the first generation to have grown up entirely digitally connected – the iGeneration. Launching the report at the New Zealand Motion Picture Industry Council’s annual conference in Auckland, NZFC CEO Annabelle Sheehan said, “The NZFC undertook this research because, while we embrace the opportunity provided by the multiple platforms available to watch film, we wish to ensure the unique nature of the cinema experience continues to develop and evolve to meet the needs of young New Zealanders.”

Some of the report’s key findings include:

• iGens like watching films and films have a major impact on their opinions and beliefs and act as a catalyst for discussion about social issues.
• iGens recognise the social, cultural and economic value of the NZ film industry.

Continued at mediaweek.com.au.

Top photo: Heartbreak Island hosts Matilda Rice and Mark Dye

NZ Media Profile: New Zealand On Air chair Ruth Harley

The Government decision to appoint Dr Ruth Harley as chair of New Zealand On Air was a relief for some in the Kiwi production sector.

By John Drinnan

With a TV budget of $79 million, NZ On Air is fundamental to the industry. In a volatile environment with risk-averse networks, its support for local content is essential to survival.

• NZ Media Profile: Stuff CEO Sinead Boucher
• NZ Media Profile: TVNZ Commercial Director Paul Maher

The return of Harley, the foundation executive director, suggests stability.

NZ On Air was set up in 1989 to remove state-owned TVNZ control of the industry and open funding to the private sector.

Harley fought assiduously to maintain the independence of the agency and the production industry.

“I can understand why, at the time, TVNZ was not pleased,” she told Mediaweek.

This is an excerpt from the full article, which appears on Mediaweek Premium. Read the full article hereor subscribe to Mediaweek Premium here.

TV Ratings Analysis: Thursday May 31

• Loki meltdown: Ramsay rocks MasterChef without entering the kitchen
• More sightings of Ramsay on Seven than final night of TEN’s Ramsay week
• Shares: Seven remains #1 combined share, TEN’s second-best Thursday
• Foxtel night on ABC: Peter Maddison’s Grand Designs Australia + Wentworth

By James Manning

Seven

Home and Away ends its week with a three-episode average audience of 559,000 after three nights very close to 700,000.

The Front Bar was open for viewers in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. The three-market metro audience was 301,000 with 210,000 in Melbourne. (AFL Footy Show had 173,000 in Melbourne.)

Sydney and Brisbane viewers got two hours of Gordon Ramsay from 8.30pm with other markets getting him at a later time. Kitchen Nightmares did 280,000 and then Hotel Hell was on 189,000.

Nine

On A Current Affair, Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Russell Barrett spoke to host and Gold Logie nominee Tracy Grimshaw about fake roadside breath tests while Leila McKinnon reported on millionaire property developer Max Delmege and his wife Sam spending $100,000 to start a family. After a big 900,000+ Wednesday, last night was on 769,000.

The Nine/Gem metro audience watching the NRL was 409,000 for the Sea Eagles v Cowboys with 204,000 in Sydney and 169,000 in Brisbane.

The Footy Shows recorded a combined metro audience of 435,000. Sydney was on 110,000 after the match last night, with Melbourne on 173,000.

Sam Newman does the ‘cryo’ in last night’s AFL Footy Show

TEN

Nice piece of cross promotion on The Project with Todd Sampson detailing some of his challenges on Body Hack 2.0. The Project has had one of its stronger weeks this year with 562,000 last night.

Gordon Ramsay week continued on MasterChef… but without Gordon Ramsay. In his place was his Aussie chef Matt Abé, who looks after Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London – one of only five restaurants in the UK with three Michelin stars. (The Fat Duck is one of the five too.) The complete losing team from Wednesday night was in a Pressure Test to see who would go home. There was plenty of talent in the team including immunity pin holder Loki. One of the biggest stars to emerge from the series decided not to use his immunity pin and, well, guess what happened if you don’t already know? The Thursday episode did 845,000 after 782,000 on Thursday last week with Nigella.

The second season of Body Hack 2.0 launched after MasterChef with 537,000 watching Todd Sampson in India.

ABC

Thursday has become Foxtel night on the channel with Grand Designs Australia moving into the 8pm timeslot. The very first episode was screened last night with host Peter Maddison visiting a bushfire rebuild way back in 2010. The episode did 532,000.

QI separated the two Foxtel acquisitions with 321,000. Episode eight of season one of Wentworth then did 105,000.

SBS

Michael Portillo started his Great British Railway Journey in Chichester, West Sussex, and then travelled to Cowes. The episode did 230,000 after 229,000 a week ago.

Episode 11 of Luke Nguyen’s Food Trail then did 128,000.

The Handmaid’s Tale was on 277,000 after 204,000 last week.

Week 22 TV: Thursday
THURSDAY METRO
ABCSevenNineTenSBS
ABC10.7%717.4%919.4%TEN16.9%SBS One5.0%
ABC 22.8%7TWO4.1%GO!3.4%ONE2.9%VICELAND0.8%
ABC ME0.7%7mate4.3%GEM2.0%ELEVEN2.3%Food Net0.9%
ABC NEWS1.5%7flix2.9%9Life1.9%NITV0.1%
TOTAL15.7%28.7%26.6%22.1%6.8%
THURSDAY REGIONAL
ABCSeven AffiliatesNine AffiliatesTen AffiliatesSBS
ABC10.6%716.9%919.5%WIN13.6%SBS One4.2%
ABC 23.1%7TWO6.3%GO!3.3%ONE2.6%VICELAND0.7%
ABC ME1.3%7mate5.3%GEM3.6%ELEVEN2.3%Food Net1.0%
ABC NEWS1.5%7flix2.4%9Life1.9%NITV0.1%
TOTAL16.5%30.9%28.3%18.5%6.0%
THURSDAY METRO ALL TV
FTASTV
83.7%16.3%
Thursday FTA
  1. Seven News Seven 1,028,000
  2. Seven News / Today Tonight Seven 973,000
  3. Nine News Nine 928,000
  4. Nine News 6:30 Nine 913,000
  5. MasterChef Australia Ten 845,000
  6. A Current Affair Nine 769,000
  7. ABC News ABC 690,000
  8. The Chase Australia Seven 600,000
  9. The Project 7pm Ten 562,000
  10. Home And Away Seven 559,000
  11. Hot Seat Nine 550,000
  12. 7.30 ABC 538,000
  13. Todd Sampson’s Bodyhack 2.0 Ten 537,000
  14. Grand Designs Australia ABC 532,000
  15. The Footy Show Nine 435,000
  16. Ten Eyewitness News First At Five Ten 416,000
  17. The Chase Australia-5pm Seven 386,000
  18. Thursday Night NRL Live Nine 373,000
  19. The Project 6.30pm Ten 330,000
  20. Family Feud Ten 324,000
Demo Top Fives

16-39 Top 5

  1. MasterChef Australia Ten 256,000
  2. Todd Sampson’s Bodyhack 2.0 Ten 173,000
  3. The Project 7pm Ten 149,000
  4. Nine News 6:30 Nine 142,000
  5. Seven News Seven 135,000

 

18-49 Top 5

  1. MasterChef Australia Ten 393,000
  2. Todd Sampson’s Bodyhack 2.0 Ten 284,000
  3. Nine News 6:30 Nine 257,000
  4. Seven News Seven 240,000
  5. The Project 7pm Ten 236,000

 

25-54 Top 5

  1. MasterChef Australia Ten 431,000
  2. Todd Sampson’s Bodyhack 2.0 Ten 320,000
  3. Nine News 6:30 Nine 318,000
  4. Seven News Seven 304,000
  5. Nine News Nine 299,000
Thursday Multichannel
  1. Kazoops!-PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 211,000
  2. Peppa Pig-PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 211,000
  3. Go Jetters-PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 197,000
  4. Fireman Sam-AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 191,000
  5. PJ Masks-PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 190,000
  6. Luo Bao Bei-PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 181,000
  7. Peppa Pig-AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 176,000
  8. Father Brown-PM 7TWO 175,000
  9. Ben And Holly’s Little Kingdom-AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 175,000
  10. Floogals ABCKIDS/COMEDY 175,000
  11. Peter Rabbit ABCKIDS/COMEDY 174,000
  12. Hey Duggee-AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 168,000
  13. The Justine Clarke Show! ABCKIDS/COMEDY 168,000
  14. Andy’s Baby Animals ABCKIDS/COMEDY 162,000
  15. The Big Bang Theory TX2 (R) 9GO! 161,000
  16. M- Terminator Genisys-PM 7mate 158,000
  17. Teacup Travels-PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 158,000
  18. Sarah & Duck-PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 156,000
  19. Thomas And Friends-AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 155,000
  20. Love Island Australia 9GO! 154,000
Thursday Subscription TV
  1. Live: NRL Sea Eagles v Cowboys FOX LEAGUE 235,000
  2. Live: The Late Show With Matty Johns FOX LEAGUE 110,000
  3. Live: NRL Thursday Night League FOX LEAGUE 73,000
  4. Aussie Gold Hunters Discovery Channel71,000
  5. Selling Houses Australia LifeStyle Channel66,000
  6. Live: AFL 360 FOX FOOTY 60,000
  7. The Bolt Report SKY NEWS LIVE 46,000
  8. NCIS TVH!TS 43,000
  9. Selling Houses Australia LifeStyle Channel 42,000
  10. NCIS: Los Angeles TVH!TS 41,000
  11. Jeopardy! FOX Classics 37,000
  12. Gold Rush: Parker’s Trail Special Discovery Channel37,000
  13. Paul Murray Live SKY NEWS LIVE 36,000
  14. Paw Patrol Nick Jr. 36,000
  15. Credlin SKY NEWS LIVE 36,000
  16. Criminal Minds TVH!TS 35,000
  17. NCIS TVH!TS 34,000
  18. Outsiders SKY NEWS LIVE 33,000
  19. Grand Designs New Zealand LifeStyle Channel32,000
  20. Bones TVH!TS 32,000

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

VidCon Australia announces lineup additions, YouTube returns as title sponsor

VidCon Australia has announced a new roster of creators who will be appearing at the event to be held in Melbourne later this year. YouTube has returned as title sponsor for the second annual VidCon conference to be held in Australia.

VidCon 2018 lineup announced, Victorian Government secures event for 2018/19

YouTube stars, online video creators and social media celebrities will gather with fans and brands to create one-of-a-kind IRL experiences and celebrate all things online video. The three-day event will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from August 31-September 2.

YouTube will have a significant presence at VidCon Australia, building out interactive experiences for fans, creators, and industry attendees.

Creators announced today will join a lineup of internationally acclaimed online video creators including Anna Akana, SketchShe, Tanya Hennessy, Hank Green and Maaz.

Celine Sargent, Executive Producer of VidCon Australia, said, “Our partners at YouTube, Creative Victoria, and the Melbourne Convention Bureau brought so much enthusiasm to the inaugural VidCon Australia and to the fans and creator communities who came to celebrate with us in Melbourne. We couldn’t be happier to partner with YouTube again this year in a collective effort to celebrate, uplift, and accelerate online video and shine a light on the richness and diversity of the global creator community.”

Approximately 7,500 fans and creators are expected to attend VidCon Australia this year. The first-ever VidCon Australia, held in 2017 in Melbourne, had over 6,500 attendees and more than 60 featured creators from 12 different countries.

The latest creators added to this year’s VidCon Australia lineup are:

• Grace Helbig – The creator of It’s Grace channel, which has over three million subscribers

• Thomas Sanders – American singer, actor, scriptwriter and internet personality

• Brett Stanford and Derek Herron – two of a trio of Australians that make up the How Ridiculous team

• Jaiden Animations – American YouTube creator and animator

• Adelaine Morin – The Canadian showcases her passion for makeup by transforming into famous movie and television characters on YouTube. The AdelaineMorin channel has over 2.4 million subscribers

• Riley J. Dennis – A non-binary trans creator, who produces vlogs that address politics, gender, and intersectional feminism

• Sha’an d’Anthes – Sydney-based illustrator behind the furrylittlepeach channel

• Chloe Ting – Melbourne-based YouTube creator and fashion blogger

• Jamie and Nikki – A couple from Melbourne who share weekly snippets about their lives as young parents

• Adele Vuko, Greta Lee Jackson and Sarah Bishop – Comedic trio behind the YouTube channel Skit Box, known for the Activewear video, which has 130 million views

• Danger Dolan – Australian creator behind the channel Planet Dolan. It has a total of 8.5 million subscribers and 1.9 billion views

• Annika Victoria – Australian fashion designer and seamstress

AFR: New private equity investor will take heat off Mediaworks’ balance sheet

New York-headquartered credit fund HPS Investment Partners has emerged as Mediaworks’ new lender as part of a refinancing process overseen by Moelis Australia, reports The AFR’s Street Talk column.

Sources said HPS, which offers mezzanine finance and other structures used in leveraged buyouts, has provided a $NZ95 million loan and will largely replace private equity giant Oaktree Capital Management and Westpac Banking Corp in Mediaworks’ capital structure.

The deal will take the heat off Mediaworks’ balance sheet. The New Zealand TV and radio broadcaster and digital publisher breached its banking covenants in the second half of 2017 after years of widening losses.

[Read the original]

See John Drinnan’s Mediaweek New Zealand column today.

ABC to reshape technology team – could mean loss of up to 37 staff

The ABC has announced a proposal to reshape its technology team, which could lead to the loss of up to 37 staff.

The newly named product and content technology team will bring together employees from across the ABC with expertise in product, design and development.

Under the proposal, the ABC will double its investment in digital products for audiences, to recognise the shift from broadcast to digital platforms. The proposal also includes a flatter structure to enable faster and more streamlined decision-making and accountability.

The ABC said the new structure and approach will accelerate digital growth and deliver better audience outcomes by creating a product capability that focuses on product, design and development.

ABC chief digital and information officer Helen Clifton said the proposal would strengthen the ABC’s ability to deliver more to audiences.

“These are hard decisions, but the right ones to guarantee the ABC remains properly equipped, now and into the future, with so many rapid changes in technology,” she said.

Radio

KIIS 101.1’s Jase and PJ broadcast show while floating down the Yarra River

KIIS 101.1 breakfast was broadcast live from a unicorn float in the Yarra River this morning.

Presenters Jason Hawkins and Polly Harding pulled the stunt to mark the first day of winter.

Titled “Where The Tide Takes Us”, the show saw Hawkins and Harding begin their journey at Herring Island with the hope of sailing a 7km course downstream at peak commute time, picking up guests from jetties along the way. The guests on the show this morning were MasterChef’s George Calombaris and reality TV star Jarrod Woodgate from Bachelor in Paradise.

The floatation device was 5m in length and 2.9m in height. It could fit up to six people on board.

Watch the broadcast on Jase & PJ’s Facebook page. 

News Brands

Biscuit maker and online publisher celebrate the return of the Tim Tam Genie

Daily Mail Australia has detailed a partnership with Arnott’s Tim Tam and Wavemaker to celebrate the return of the Tim Tam Genie and to promote the Golden Tim Tam competition, which rewards three customers each with three wishes worth $100k.

With a readership of 3.1m Australians, Daily Mail Australia was selected as Arnott’s digital media partner to ensure that the Tim Tam activation was an integral part of the daily news agenda throughout the three-month campaign period.

Daily Mail Australia produced a five-part series of captivating sponsored content articles, a strategic influencer campaign, video and high impact display.

The partnership was launched on May 2 with a full site takeover as well as Arnott’s Tim Tam owning all social extensions and supporting editorial display. On the same day, Daily Mail Australia also published the first sponsored content article, announcing the appointment of Apollo Jackson – the popular contestant in The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise – as the new Tim Tam Genie.

This was the first time that a brand has set up a registered account on Daily Mail Australia and allows the brand and the character of the Tim Tam Genie to directly respond to readers’ comments.

Daily Mail Australia further amplified the sponsored content by publishing the post to its Facebook page, which boasts a following of 1.2m.

Daily Mail Australia also partnered with nine Instagram content creators – including of-the-moment celebrities, food bloggers and lifestyle influencers – whose selection was based on their reach, audience and creative flair.

Television

Love Island Australia: Some viewers wondering where is host Sophie Monk

Sophie Monk was announced with great fanfare as the host of Love Island Australia last December and has been promoting the new reality TV show ever since, reports news.com.au’s Hannah Paine.

• Inside Sophie Monk’s return to dating reality TV: ‘I’m a sucker for love’

But with the first week nearly over and four instalments of the series – which premiered last Sunday – already aired, Monk has only appeared in one episode leaving viewers scratching their heads.

A Nine spokesman told news.com.au: “As is the case with the UK version, the format of this multiplatform series revolves around our islanders.

“As host, Sophie’s appearance in the villa means the islanders know something big is about to happen so she comes in whenever a major shake-up is made.”

[Read the original]

One Nation founder Pauline Hanson has come close to tears on Sky News

One Nation founder Pauline Hanson has come close to tears in a fiery interview about the future of her Senate team as her former ally Brian Burston approaches other parties to take him on, reports Fairfax Media’s David Crowe.

Senator Hanson came close to tears on Sky News on Thursday night when asked about the state of her party, prompting her to reveal he had approached the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party.

After saying the Shooters’ party had rejected Burston, Senator Hanson grew increasingly angry on Sky News over the affair, as host Ben Fordham asked if she had an issue in managing her team.

“Am I happy? No, I’m not happy,” she said.

“This isn’t the first time Brian has stabbed me in the back, and it hurts me. It hurts me deeply because… it means so much to me, what I’m trying to do.”

[Read the original]

ABC sacked Roseanne, will Time Warner fire Samantha Bee after C-word insult?

Samantha Bee is under fire for referring to Ivanka Trump with a vulgar word on her TBS comedy show, reports Associated Press.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders on Thursday called Bee’s language “vile and vicious” and said executives at TBS and corporate parent Time Warner “must demonstrate that such explicit profanity about female members of this administration will not be condoned”.

Bee called Ivanka Trump a “feckless c—” toward the end of a segment about President Trump’s immigration policies on her show, Full Frontal, on Wednesday. She used the slur in urging Ivanka Trump to speak to her father about policies that separate children from their parents.

Bee said, “Put on something tight and low-cut and tell your father to f—ing stop it.”

By Thursday afternoon, Bee issued an apology to Ivanka Trump and viewers for using an obscenity to describe her on a segment of her show.

Bee said her language was “inappropriate and inexcusable”.

“I crossed a line, and I deeply regret it,” she said.

Coming two days after ABC cancelled Roseanne following a racist tweet about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, Bee’s remark was immediately seized upon by conservatives who believe that offensive language by liberals is not viewed as harshly.

[Read the original]

Sports Media

New Zealand broadcasters reveal rights deals for next America’s Cup

New Zealand media companies have announced deals this week for coverage of the America’s Cup:

TVNZ announced it has secured the exclusive broadcast rights for New Zealand to the 36th America’s Cup, which include the preliminary World Series events, the Christmas Race in 2020, followed by the Prada Cup in early 2021 and the 36th America’s Cup Presented by Prada in March 2021.

The event’s return to TVNZ will give New Zealanders access to all races with live and free broadcast and streaming across TVNZ’s platforms. Coverage will begin with the America’s Cup World Series in 2019 and culminate with Emirates Team New Zealand’s defence of the Auld Mug in 2021 during the 36th America’s Cup Match Presented by Prada in Auckland.

The deal resumes TVNZ’s association with the event that goes back to 1987, when it was part of the original family of five sponsors of Emirates Team New Zealand.

Meanwhile Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport are celebrating after NZME announced this week it had entered into an agreement with TVNZ to secure exclusive radio rights for the 36th America’s Cup Presented by Prada in March 2021. The stations will also cover all preceding events including the America’s Cup World Series in 2019 and 2020, the America’s Cup Christmas Race in December 2020 and the Prada Cup Challenger Selection series in January and February 2021.

Don’t miss John Drinnan’s Mediaweek New Zealand today.

Alan Jones writes in The Australian: “The Super Rugby competition has to go”

Each week, the debate continues, with the focus on Super Rugby and the continuing failure of Australian teams to make any impact of note on the competition, writes Alan Jones in The Australian:

I will have something to say about the whole Super Rugby concept at a later date, but to put it in the most succinct way, and from a purely selfish Australian Rugby point of view, the Super Rugby competition has to go.

The manifestations of the kind of problems I’ve been articulating are everywhere and the Super Rugby competition won’t assist in resolving any of them.

On the contrary, without urgent changes, the problems and the results will get worse.

[Read the original]

Nine’s lively NRL match call as Gus uses the C-word to describe player

NRL commentator Phil Gould must have forgotten he was calling a game on Channel Nine last night and not chatting with mates, reports The Daily Telegraph.

Nine’s Phil Gould (L) and Ray Warren in the commentary box

He shocked viewers when he labelled one player a c*** live on air.

Listen to the colourful call here.

Gus meets Matty: NRL networks Fox Sports and Nine call ceasefire

NRL networks Fox Sports and Channel 9 have called a ceasefire in their billion-dollar TV ratings war to allow the voice of rugby league Ray Warren to appear on the Matty Johns show this weekend, reports News Corp’s Phil Rothfield.

The Channel 9 stalwart, who will call his 90th State of Origin game this year, is “on loan” to Fox Sports on Sunday Night With Matty Johns to discuss his career highlights and pump up the series opener at the MCG next Wednesday night.

Fox Sports’ head of television Steve Crawley phoned his Channel 9 counterpart Tom Malone on Monday to seek permission for a one-off appearance for the legendary commentator, who is rugby league’s version of Richie Benaud.

[Read the original]

Why Sam Lane says comedian Lawrence Mooney “overstepped the mark”

Channel Seven Melbourne’s Sam Lane says comedian Lawrence Mooney “overstepped the mark” when he made a sexually charged comment towards her during a live broadcast, reports News Corp’s Stephen Drill.

The panel on the pre-game program The Kick, including Matthew Richardson, Luke Darcy and Lane, had been discussing players with the name of Cox.

Mooney opened the segment saying he loved “double entendres” and there had been “more than a handful” of Coxes to play the game.

But the joke bombed when Mooney brought Lane into the conversation, saying: “And now I cross to you Sam Lane for the Cox report… you love the Cox.”

Lane professionally swept over the comment, saying she would go to some “serious news”.

But Lane told the Herald Sun that she spoke to Mooney about it off-air.

“Lawrence has acknowledged that he overstepped the mark and I agree with that,” Lane said.

The incident was discussed at a regular Monday morning meeting, where Mooney was told not to repeat the mistake.

Mooney told the Herald Sun that he went too far.

[Read the original]

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