Tuesday October 2, 2018
Why launch a drama channel in Grand Finals week? Foxtel explains
By James Manning
In the middle of all the noise that surrounds the biggest AFL and NRL football matches of the year, Foxtel wanted to talk to its customers about drama.
The channel has rebranded its showcase channel to Fox Showcase. In its move to highlight how much content it has on demand, the new drama destination is now not only the home of HBO, but also dramas from FX and local productions, which it is now branding as Foxtel Originals.
A launch function was held at the Dendy Quays cinema beside Sydney Harbour in the shadows of both the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. The guest list included actors from FX and Foxtel productions, executives from the production and TV distribution sector, MCN executives and media from Sydney and Melbourne.
Foxtel chief executive, hosting his third major announcement in almost as many weeks (with another to come mid-October), Patrick Delany explained why the drama channel launched on biggest sports week of the year.
“Why are we doing a drama showcase when it is the sports week of the whole year?” the Foxtel CEO asked guests.
“I’ll tell you why… half of the people are going to be watching the biggest sports week of the whole year – in a normal sporting week, about one-third watch sport.
“While we are known for sports at Foxtel, we are far more than sports. We are a whole lot of things.
“I want to make it clear tonight what Foxtel is and what Foxtel isn’t. In this era of digital disruption and the era of Netflix, we are unashamedly a premium service.
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This is an excerpt from the full article, which appears on Mediaweek Premium. Read the full article here or subscribe to Mediaweek Premium here.
2018 News Media Award winner profile: The Gympie Times
By Kruti Joshi
“It has been amazing,” editor Shelley Strachan told Mediaweek. “Before that we had a paywall, where the readers got three free hits a month. Then once they tried to read that fourth story they would hit the paywall.”
This approach caused much backlash from the readers of The Gympie Times.
“We copped a lot of hate on Facebook,” Strachan said. “The fluffy stories, breaking stories and community stories about flood and fires are now all unlocked.
“That is the stuff we used to get a lot of hate on. If the readers were trying to read what roads were cut by the flood waters and they’d used up their free three articles, we would get complaints on Facebook saying, ‘How dare you not let us have this information? This is a life and death situation.’”
That hate has declined since The Gympie Times introduced the freemium model to its website.
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This is an excerpt from the full article, which appears on Mediaweek Premium. Read the full article here or subscribe to Mediaweek Premium here.
TV demand: My Hero Academia charts in Australia and New Zealand
That is close to how the top of the charts have looked for the past three weeks.
The Japanese animation franchise My Hero Academia has turned up on the Overall TV Show chart in Australia and New Zealand.
Also new are a number of shows including Grey’s Anatomy, South Park and The Flash.
The big mover on the Digital Originals chart is the new Netflix drama Maniac, which debuted at #2 in Australia and New Zealand.
Readership: Sydney Morning Herald again #1 cross-platform chart
Of the 16.3 million people who read news media, 13.1 million consume digital news and 12.1 million (66% of the population) read newspapers, according to the latest emma (Enhanced Media Metrics Australia) for July 2018, released today.
Metro newspapers are read by 10 million people, or 54% of consumers. Meanwhile, one-third of the population (5.8 million) reads regional and community news media brands.
In addition to the industry currency readership data, emma CMV2 provides insights into Australian consumers’ product purchases, behaviour and attitudes. This data has revealed that Australians are becoming more discerning, with three in four Australians (74% aged 14+) seeking quality over price when it comes to their purchases. A greater proportion of men (77%) agree with this than women (72%).
One in two Australians now believe that stores’ own brand products offer equal quality to well-known brands. More women (51%) agree with this than men (44%).
NewsMediaWorks CEO Peter Miller said: “The inexorable rise of the ubiquitous smartphone device will continue to drive digital readership of our news media as people seek their trusted news brands on the go and in the palm of their hands. This equips publishers with compelling commercial opportunities in cross-platform brand and content propositions, which is a terrific, positive outcome.
“It’s interesting to note that consumers overwhelmingly say they value quality over price. This is also clearly reflected in the news media sector where digital subscriptions are growing because of the trust that authoritative, credible journalism commands. The Galaxy data from the ADTRUST study demonstrates that greater trust in a media channel positively impacts purchase intent.”
This is the fifth month of emma cross-platform readership data to come from Nielsen in a new strategic collaboration announced in May.
Under the new arrangement, Nielsen leads the fusion process that brings together the industry-accredited print readership data from Ipsos and Nielsen’s IAB-accredited digital audience data to deliver a total audience readership figure. Nielsen Consumer & Media View (CMV) is fused to the emma cross-platform data to provide critical product and attitudinal data.
The Sydney Morning Herald continued to be Australia’s highest-reaching title across all platforms with 5.03 million readers. The Herald Sun followed, reaching 4.02 million readers, and then The Daily Telegraph on 3.83 million.
Perth Radio Wrap: Day 1 – West Coast are champs, so is Nova 93.7
By James Manning
The trip has taken us so long in fact that the final two days of the Perth market summary will include data from GfK survey six.
Nova 93.7 Survey 5 shares: 10+ 13.9%, Breakfast 15.0%
Cumulative audience: 10+ 568,000, Breakfast 367,000
Nathan, Nat and Shaun returned to work this morning at Perth’s #1 radio station after a week and one day off air.
The team was assembled using the standard model for a breakfast show – a footballer, a reality TV star and a chiropractor. Shaun McManus played 228 games for the Dockers (and is a cousin of Rove). Nathan Morris spent 57 days in the Big Brother house. Natalie Locke was a chiropractor who now works in radio full-time. Natalie Locke visited the MCG on the weekend to cheer her beloved West Coast Eagles. She sounded more husky than ever this morning, telling her colleagues: “This is the best I have sounded in three days.”
The breakfast trio have been together since 2009 and they must be close to the record for the longest-running metro FM breakfast show at the one station. Their breakfast ratings have never been stronger and the show helps lift the station across the day. This summary after survey five details how hot Nova has been recently:
Nova 93.7 is Perth’s number 1 station with a share of 13.9%, and has the most listeners with 568,000. Nathan, Nat & Shaun is Perth’s number 1 breakfast show with a record share of 15.0%, and has the most listeners with 367,000.
Dave McClung has the most listeners in afternoons, 316,000.
Kate, Tim and Marty followed by Fitzy and Wippa have the number 1 drive show with a share of 15.4%, and have the most listeners with 311,000. Smallzy’s Surgery is the number 1 night show with a share of 14.6%, and has the most listeners with 119,00.
Nova 93.7 has the most listeners 10-17 (31.0%), 18-39 (21.9%), 18-44 (22.1%), 18-54 (18.8%), 25-39 (22.1%), 25-44 (22.4%), 25-54 (18.4%) Under 40 (23.7%), Under 50 (21.2%) and Under 60 (18.8%).
Phew!
Nova programming boss Paul Jackson continues to be thrilled with the Perth performance.
“I spoke to the breakfast team on survey day and their share is just astonishing,” Jackson told Mediaweek.
“They are absolutely world class and I can’t talk highly enough of Nathan, Nat and Shaun.
Jackson wanted to keep a lid on any wild predictions about future results.
“To win two surveys in a row is certainly a shift and a breakthrough. I’m sure Mix will win a few more surveys and so will we.”
Listen to Perth Nova podcast
Mediaweek’s James Manning spoke with Natalie Locke as part of the Nova Entertainment Women In Radio season of podcasts Mediaweek conducted earlier this year.
Justine Cullen to edit David Jones’s content portfolio at Medium Rare Content Agency
The custom publishing company, owned by News Corp Australia, launched Jones magazine in 2013 and it was recently appointed as David Jones’s content agency after a competitive tender.
In her new role, Cullen will be responsible for developing and implementing content strategies for David Jones across a number of platforms. These include Jones and Mr Jones magazines, digital and social content campaigns for key categories, as well as seasonal catalogues.
Cullen said: “I am thrilled to be joining Medium Rare to work with such an iconic and well-respected brand as David Jones. The media landscape is evolving rapidly and radically and, with its enviable distribution channels already engaging such a large sophisticated audience, David Jones represents the future of publishing.
“I’m excited about working with Medium Rare’s best-in-class teams to create a truly inspiring and dynamic content-meets-commerce experience that redefines the concept of fashion for a new era.”
Prior to launching Bauer Media’s Elle Australia in 2013, Cullen edited Shop Til You Drop.
Medium Rare Content Agency managing director Gerry Reynolds said: “Justine’s broad fashion media experience and proven track record for innovative thinking make her the perfect fit for creating inspiring and actionable content for David Jones’s valued customers. We are a business built on talent and Justine is a most welcome addition.”
David Jones’s general manager for marketing and communications Georgia Hack said: “We are truly excited to welcome Justine on board. It’s an exciting time for David Jones as we look to engage with our customers in new and innovative ways. We very much look forward to working with Justine and Medium Rare to develop, tailor and evolve content that inspires and empowers our customers while reinforcing David Jones’s position as the authority on fashion and style.”
Mark Humphries joins 7.30
Humphries and his co-writer Evan Williams said: “We had many offers but the prospect of bringing the ABC’s flagship current affairs program down to the level of third-rate undergraduate humour was too tempting to resist.
“We just love the job stability that can only be found at the ABC.”
This is not the first time 7.30 has had satire. The much-loved Clarke and Dawe segments were a part of the show for many years.
Humphries and Williams said: “We will never be able to fill John Clarke’s shoes because his family refuses to give them to us.”
7.30 presenter Leigh Sales said, “I’m a huge fan of quality political satire so you can only imagine my disappointment that we couldn’t land Shaun Micallef.”
Mark Humphries’s fortnightly segment will begin on Thursday October 4.
Sports Week: Weekend wrap on AFL, NRL and Seven’s cricket clash
The bottom line is that they both do very well although both are under pressure to fold their previous numbers.
When it comes to comparing Grand Final TV audiences, the AFL had the edge with bigger numbers.
AFL Grand Final Saturday on Seven
National average: 3,378,000 (Metro 2,601,000, Regional 777,000)
National peak: 4,297,000 (Metro 3,257,000, Regional 1,040,000)
The biggest average audience watching the AFL match was 1.24m in Melbourne.
NRL Grand Final Sunday on Nine
National average: 3,034,000 (Metro 2,122,000, Regional 911,000)
National peak: 3,445,000 (Metro 2,373,000, Regional 1,071,000)
Nine also showed the Women’s NRL Grand Final on Sunday between the Broncos and the Roosters with an average audience of 460,000. The metro audience was 275,000 and the regional audience 185,000.
There were an additional 79,000 watching the game on Fox League.
Commentary shared for the first Seven cricket match
Seven and Fox Cricket also shared the cricket commentary on Saturday night for the T20 match between Australia and New Zealand.
Andy Maher was one of the key commentators who could be heard on both channels for the ball-by-ball commentary.
Both broadcasters had their own hosts for pre and post-game coverage and during the innings break. For Seven that was Mel McLaughlin and for Fox Cricket it was Brendon Julian.
And just like the football, Seven had a commercial break after every over while Fox Cricket stayed with the game until the innings break.
Seven reported its coverage of the Australia v New Zealand T20 International cricket from North Sydney Oval delivered the highest audience ever for women’s cricket with a peak metro and regional audience of 1.298 million viewers, averaging 609,000.
The splits for the average audience were 398,000 metro and 211,000 regional.
Top 10 Game Charts: Spider-man takes back top spot
By Cam Shea editor in chief, IGN Australia
This week Spider-Man came out on top, which shows just how popular the PlayStation 4 exclusive title has proven to be. It’s no great surprise, however, given how much momentum it had leading into release, not to mention its broad appeal and positive critical reception. The NBA 2K games have also historically sold incredibly well in Australia, so we’re expecting NBA 2K19 to stay on the charts for the foreseeable future too. See what IGN thought of the game here.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider holds its position at number three from last week. The game represents the final chapter in the reboot trilogy which kicked off with an inexperienced and fresh-faced Lara and ends with a much more driven and flawed character. It’s well worth seeing to the end.
Elsewhere we very much have the usual suspects, but that’s likely to change now that we’re entering release season.
TV Ratings Analysis: October 1
By James Manning
Seven
Seven’s Monday share has been on a rollercoaster rider these past few weeks. In week 38 the Monday share was 14.1%. It nearly doubled a week later to 27.1%, thanks to the Brownlow Medal coverage. The shares settled back a little last night to 22.5%, which was enough to make Seven very competitive, narrowly trailing Nine in primary and combined channel share.
Helping Seven’s numbers was the screening of the wonderful CJZ documentary Jimmy Barnes: Working Class Boy, which came to TV just weeks after screening in cinemas. The compelling story about a childhood in Glasgow and then Adelaide for one of Australia’s greatest-ever entertainers screened at 8.30pm through until close to 11pm with an audience of 733,000.
Earlier in the night Home and Away started a new week on 609,000 after a week 39 average of 578,000.
CJZ is also the producer of Highway Patrol, which did just on half a million for Seven after 7.30pm. It was part of an ob doc hour that also featured Motorbike Cops, which did 570,000.
Nine
A Current Affair had a brilliant start to the week with 920,000 tuning in for the first episode in the last week before daylight saving kicks in. The episode had the biggest audience for the show since April 23 and it was the biggest Sydney audience for the year. The ACA average audience last week was 747,000. The Monday episode reported on the mysterious death of Ocean Grove mum Samantha Kelly this year and the show reported her husband asked for a six-figure amount to tell his story.
Because of Nine’s Sunday night NRL Grand Final The Block’s re-do rooms weren’t revealed until last night. There was also a Blockheads family reunion early in the show with many tears being shed. The Monday audience of 1.33m was the biggest crowd for a Monday episode this season.
Doctor Doctor then followed with 565,000.
TEN
Entertainment industry icons last night filled the second half of The Project – Judith Lucy and then Paul McCartney. The episode was on 492,000 after a 7pm average of 484,000 last week.
Australian Survivor is down to the final five and Brian Lake managed to dodge some bullets again last night although without immunity he could be in big trouble tonight. The episode did 645,000 after 629,000 a week ago.
Have You Been Paying Attention? had a rare night under 600,000. Its audience of 580,000 comes after 635,000 a week ago when it clashed with the Brownlow Medal coverage. Tom Gleisner returned to the show after Dr Chris Brown hosted last week.
ABC
Laura Tingle was the host of 7.30 last night with an audience of 558,000. The program’s week 39 average was 588,000.
Australian Story then did 503,000 followed by Four Corners on 461,000.
Media Watch kept most of the Four Corners audience with 456,000 staying with the channel.
Q&A then returned to the timeslot with 278,000.
SBS
Anything about travelling around Britain performs well and the new series from anatomist, osteoarchaeologist, physical anthropologist, palaeopathologist, television presenter and author Dr Alice Roberts did very well. The series is Britain’s Most Historic Towns and it started in Chester with 292,000 watching.
The final of Hugh’s Fat Fight did 120,000 and then 24 Hours In Emergency was on 133,000.
Week 40 TV: Monday
| MONDAY METRO | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Seven | Nine | Ten | SBS | |||||
| ABC | 11.4% | 7 | 22.5% | 9 | 23.3% | TEN | 11.9% | SBS One | 4.5% |
| ABC 2 | 1.9% | 7TWO | 3.7% | GO! | 3.8% | ONE | 3.5% | VICELAND | 1.0% |
| ABC ME | 0.6% | 7mate | 2.7% | GEM | 2.7% | ELEVEN | 1.7% | Food Net | 0.7% |
| ABC NEWS | 1.0% | 7flix | 1.3% | 9Life | 1.5% | NITV | 0.2% | ||
| TOTAL | 14.9% | 30.2% | 31.3% | 17.1% | 6.5% | ||||
| MONDAY REGIONAL | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Seven Affiliates | Nine Affiliates | Ten Affiliates | SBS | |||||
| ABC | 11.2% | 7 | 24.5% | 9 | 19.9% | WIN | 9.3% | SBS One | 3.5% |
| ABC 2 | 2.7% | 7TWO | 4.4% | GO! | 5.4% | ONE | 3.0% | VICELAND | 1.0% |
| ABC ME | 0.8% | 7mate | 2.7% | GEM | 4.4% | ELEVEN | 1.5% | Food Net | 0.9% |
| ABC NEWS | 1.0% | 7flix | 1.3% | 9Life | 1.3% | Sky News on WIN | 0.9% | NITV | 0.2% |
| TOTAL | 15.7% | 32.9% | 31.0% | 14.7% | 5.6% | ||||
| MONDAY METRO ALL TV | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTA | STV | ||||||||
| 86.7% | 13.3% | ||||||||
MONDAY FTA
- The Block Nine 1,166,000
- Seven News Seven 1,023,000
- Nine News Nine 987,000
- Nine News 6:30 Nine 974,000
- Seven News / Today Tonight Seven 968,000
- A Current Affair Nine 920,000
- M: Jimmy Barnes: Working Class Boy Seven 733,000
- ABC News ABC 677,000
- Australian Survivor Ten 645,000
- Home And Away Seven 609,000
- The Chase Australia Seven 591,000
- Have You Been Paying Attention? Ten 580,000
- Motorbike Cops Seven 570,000
- Doctor Doctor Nine 565,000
- 7.30 ABC 558,000
- Hot Seat Nine 516,000
- Australian Story ABC 503,000
- Highway Patrol (R) Seven 499,000
- The Project 7pm Ten 492,000
- Four Corners ABC 461,000
Demo Top Fives
16-39 Top 5
- The Block Nine 317,000
- Australian Survivor Ten 219,000
- Have You Been Paying Attention? Ten 202,000
- A Current Affair Nine 149,000
- Nine News 6:30 Nine 136,000
18-49 Top 5
- The Block Nine 509,000
- Australian Survivor Ten 327,000
- Have You Been Paying Attention? Ten 321,000
- Nine News 6:30 Nine 290,000
- A Current Affair Nine 274,000
25-54 Top 5
- The Block Nine 566,000
- Nine News 6:30 Nine 367,000
- Australian Survivor Ten 349,000
- A Current Affair Nine 346,000
- Nine News Nine 344,000
Monday Multichannel
- The Big Bang Theory TX1 9GO! 162,000
- NCIS E2 (R) ONE 157,000
- Death In Paradise 9Gem 154,000
- The Big Bang Theory TX2 9GO! 150,000
- Peppa Pig-PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 149,000
- Doc Martin-PM 7TWO 147,000
- The Big Bang Theory TX3 9GO! 145,000
- Wanda And The Alien-PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 139,000
- Peter Rabbit ABCKIDS/COMEDY 139,000
- Hey Duggee-PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 139,000
- NCIS (R) ONE 131,000
- Little Roy-PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 130,000
- The Big Bang Theory 9GO! 129,000
- Octonauts ABCKIDS/COMEDY 126,000
- Fireman Sam-PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 118,000
- Dot. ABCKIDS/COMEDY 118,000
- Bondi Rescue E2 (R) ONE 114,000
- Foyle’s War-PM 7TWO 113,000
- World War Z 9GO! 113,000
- Sarah And Duck-AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 113,000
Monday Subscription TV
- Live: AFL 360 FOX FOOTY 89,000
- Mr Inbetween showcase 87,000
- Mr Inbetween showcase 85,000
- The Bolt Report Sky News Live 53,000
- Live: NRL 360 FOX LEAGUE 49,000
- Live: On The Couch FOX FOOTY 44,000
- Rusty Rivets Nick Jr. 43,000
- Credlin Sky News Live 43,000
- Paul Murray Live Sky News Live 43,000
- Nella The Princess Knight Nick Jr. 42,000
- Paw Patrol Nick Jr. 40,000
- The Simpsons FOX8 40,000
- Paw Patrol Nick Jr. 39,000
- AFL Tonight FOX FOOTY 36,000
- Outsiders Sky News Live 35,000
- Jeopardy! FOX Classics 35,000
- Last Week Tonight With John Oliver COMEDY CHANNEL 34,000
- Shimmer And Shine Nick Jr. 33,000
- As Time Goes By FOX Classics 33,000
- American Dad! FOX8 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
Viacom appoints new head of global kids’ brand Nickelodeon
In his new role, Robbins will manage the creative and business operations at Nickelodeon and will be responsible for evolving the brand for a new generation of young audiences, including further bolstering its content pipeline through a mix of new and legacy franchises, and accelerating its push into next-generation platforms and feature films.
Robbins most recently served as president of Paramount Pictures’ Paramount Players division, where he worked closely with Nickelodeon and Viacom’s other brands to identify talent and properties to be developed into co-branded feature films.
In his new role, Robbins will remain integrally involved in the development, production and marketing of all Nickelodeon co-branded films with Paramount Players, including Dora the Explorer, Rugrats and other current projects.
Bakish said, “Brian is a creative powerhouse who has spent his career on the frontlines of our industry, anticipating and driving changes in television, film and digital media. With his unmatched credentials in kids’ entertainment and his firsthand knowledge of Nickelodeon, I have asked Brian to drive the innovation and transformation that will ensure the brand remains the dominant force with young audiences.”
Robbins said, “Nickelodeon is one of the entertainment industry’s most vibrant and groundbreaking brands, with iconic properties, a deep culture of creativity and invention, and an incredibly talented team of kids’ entertainment professionals. I’m thrilled to return to Nickelodeon and draw on its many strengths – including its rich library and rapidly growing studio production business – to deliver must-see content to kids on every platform around the world. During this time of upheaval in big media, I can’t wait to disrupt the disrupters.”
Prior to leading Paramount Players, Robbins co-founded the multiplatform media company Awesomeness in 2012 and served as chief executive officer. Robbins also co-founded the production company Tollins/Robbins Productions and was the founder and president of Varsity Pictures. In this role, he executive produced numerous television hits for teens and young audiences, including the popular Nickelodeon series Kenan and Kel and All That, the latter of which Robbins adapted into the Nickelodeon feature film Good Burger.
Co-founders announce Adam Mosseri as new head of Instagram
Mosseri, the current vice president of product, will take on the new role immediately.
The co-founders commented:
Adam began his career as a designer, managed his own design consultancy, and then joined the Facebook design team in 2008. Since he joined, he moved from design into product management, and spent time working on Mobile, then News Feed and, most recently, we recruited him to Instagram. In his role leading Instagram, Adam will oversee all functions of the business and will recruit a new executive team including a head of engineering, head of product and head of operations.
L-R: Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger, new head of Instagram Adam Mosseri, Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom
Since we announced our departure, many people have asked us what we hope for the future of Instagram. To us, the most important thing is keeping our community – all of you – front and centre in all that Instagram does. We believe that Adam will hold true to these values and that Instagram will continue to thrive.
Neil Brown: Coalition ‘ignored’ best candidates for ABC board
Neil Brown QC, a former deputy Liberal Party leader under John Howard and former communications minister in the Fraser Coalition government who left the panel last year, said the process had “gone wrong” because the government had not complied “with the spirit or the letter of the law” that related to the nominations panel.
Brown criticised the appointment of ABC board members, including South Australian business executive Donny Walford, whom he said “came from nowhere” and also revealed Bulent Hass Dellal was not the panel’s top choice to be SBS chairman.
Neil Brown also talks to Fairfax Media’s Bevan Shields:
Brown has also called on the seven remaining ABC directors to quit following last week’s firing of managing director Michelle Guthrie and resignation of chairman Justin Milne.
Alan Kohler: Why last week was a good one for the ABC, really!
Sure, it was messy and, as the Prime Minister Scott Morrison said yesterday (on the ABC), the board had “a pretty ordinary week”. But the organisation? All fine, for three reasons.
First, the wrong CEO has gone. Michelle Guthrie is a good person and a fine executive, but she turned out to be wrong for leading the ABC for an important reason, one that should inform the next appointment.
Second, the wrong chairman has gone.
Justin Milne was wrong for a different, but equally important reason: because he is a businessman and he’s on way too many boards.
By the way, the accusation of bias that underpins a lot of the criticism of the ABC, and led to the chairman Justin Milne urging the sacking of two journalists, is absurd.
As someone who has worked in most parts of the Australian media, I can report that the ABC has the most infuriatingly diligent anti-bias and complaint-handling processes of any organisation. No one comes close to it in dealing with complaints, errors and bias, and no organisation is more genuine in trying to do the right thing, from top to bottom.
Which brings us to the third reason it was a good week for the ABC: its independence from government interference has not just been bolstered, it’s been almost sanctified.
Serial entrepreneur Elisabeth Murdoch’s startup Vertical Networks
While her dad and brothers, Lachlan and James, have been busy selling the family’s old-line studios to the Walt Disney Company, she has quietly built Vertical into a major supplier of app-based video series for mobile devices. The stories are told in short bursts (20-second scenes, episodes that last mere minutes) that rely on whiz-bang production techniques (split screens, onscreen text) and are filmed vertically instead of horizontally: MTV for Generation Z.
“I wanted a front-row seat in seeing this new world unfold,” Elisabeth Murdoch, 50, said in an email. “It’s harder than it looks. Great mobile video is unforgiving, labour-intensive and often counterintuitive to produce.”
While the Murdoch sons have mostly spent their careers in the family fold, Ms Murdoch, who lives in London, has been a serial entrepreneur. She spotted the rise of reality TV, founding Shine Group in 2001 and churning out localised versions of shows like MasterChef and The Biggest Loser. She sold Shine 10 years later to her father’s News Corporation for US$770 million in today’s dollars. Murdoch is also credited with pushing her father to take a chance on a show that would become one of the biggest reality-TV hits in history: American Idol.
News Brands
Emma Alberici stands tall at ABC as Michelle Guthrie & Justin Milne tumble
A skilled self promoter in an industry where getting attention is a first-order talent, Alberici personifies the national broadcaster’s recent tragedy: an important and trusted organ damaged by ego, ambition and an absence of subtlety.
Last week she was in Italy playing the innocent bystander. She insisted there was almost nothing wrong with her tax-cut assault that thrilled the Labor Party, enraged the government and helped destroy ABC chairman Justin Milne, even though it led the national broadcaster to alter its editorial structure to ensure comment could not be dressed up as analysis again, especially that so blatantly partisan.
Television
Kochie explains success of Sunrise, wants to return in 2019
“We get on, and put out the best show we can, day in, day out,” Koch said of the Sunrise team, which includes Sam Armytage, Natalie Barr, Mark Beretta and Sam McMillan.
“We’re quite ordinary people,” Koch said. “We don’t go out and chase compliments or headlines or anything like that, and we’ve won the ratings for 14 consecutive years.”
Koch said: “Other people get a lot of attention, but they have never won (television) breakfast (ratings) in their entire career.”
Koch said he would return to Sunrise in 2019.
“I’m there if the viewers say yes, and if the bosses say yes. I’m like any other person, in any other job. But it’s a job that gets measured every day.”
Sports Media
Auto racing: Supercars Bathurst 1000 this weekend on TEN and WIN
One of the biggest and most iconic events on the Australian sporting calendar, the Supercars line up on the grid this Sunday at 11.10am AEDT.
2018 will mark the final year on Mount Panorama for the iconic Ford Falcon, as Ford prepares to welcome the Mustang to the grid next year.
Racing great Craig Lowndes is revving up for his last race on the Mountain. The six-time Bathurst winner will retire at the end of the 2018 season after an illustrious 21-year career.
TEN Sport’s Matt White will lead the commentary team alongside motorsport industry veteran Aaron Noonan and reporters Mark Howard and Kate Peck.
Network Ten will broadcast more than 20 hours of live coverage throughout the weekend, followed by the premiere of TEN’s new entertainment show, Game Of Games, hosted by Grant Denyer at 7.30pm on Sunday October 7.
See also: Ten’s Matt White on Supercars, Rugby Tests and Sport Tonight
Supercars Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000:
Friday 5 October: 12noon-5pm AEST on TEN and WIN Network
Saturday 6 October: 11.30am-6pm AEST on TEN and WIN Network
Sunday 7 October: 7.30am-6pm AEDT on TEN and WIN Network
Australian sports journalist & broadcaster Ron Casey dies aged 89
The former broadcaster and talkback radio presenter passed away at Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital.
Casey was well-known for his work with the Wide World of Sports program along with his co-presenter Frank Hyde. He also hosted talkback programs on radio stations 2GB, 2SM and 2KY.
In 1988, Casey was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for his services to Australian television and sport.
His career spanned 70 years.
New Magazines This Week
