Tuesday October 9, 2018

MCN transformation: Announces new structure and advanced ad team

Multi Channel Network (MCN) has announced a complete transformation of the company’s structure, with the launch of a new customer-centric model, including a new Advanced Advertising Team dedicated to help advertisers win in the so-called attention economy.

MCN has also announced a complete re-brand of the business is to follow.

The new structure, which will be rolled out over the coming months across MCN’s Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane offices, will integrate its sales functions, reposition its channel partner model and place a stronger focus on servicing advertiser relationships.

MCN said the new structure will provide a more nimble and efficient service experience, plus accelerate integration partnerships between channel brands and advertisers. It will also provide advertisers with innovative ways to reach customers through a complete overhaul of ad loads across all screens, ultimately delivering a more impactful advertising experience.

MCN will soon announce the appointment of key executives to implement the changes.

The new structure will include:

• An integrated TV and digital agency sales group structured via agency patches, which work with an all-screen focus to provide a more holistic service. This group will manage advertising opportunities across MCN’s TV, Digital and DOOH network for each agency and their clients to ensure more effective cross-platforms solutions.
• A brand partnerships group dedicated to supporting MCN channel power brands. This group will be fully embedded into the frontline sales structure, ensuring MCN provides faster content-led responses to market.
• An internal centralised trading group to underpin the sales team and provide a fast and efficient transactional sales service for all MCN assets. MCN’s TV and digital operations teams will also be integrated to better support the centralised trading and sales team.
• A dedicated advanced advertising team tasked with innovating advertising models and platforms in collaboration with Foxtel and agency partners. The team will provide more effective advertising opportunities to agencies and clients to help generate cut-through in the attention economy.

The MCN Sport team will continue to operate as best practice in market to help brands better connect with consumers across multiple touchpoints.

MCN CEO Mark Frain said the announcement of MCN’s new structure was only the beginning of a number of exciting changes the business was looking to make over the coming months.

“MCN has a strong track record in breaking new ground and leading the industry, and shaking up our structure is another major step on that journey,” he said. “As MCN enters a new era, we’ve taken the opportunity to take a step back, listen to the needs of our agency, channel and client partners and completely rebuild MCN’s organisational design.

“The structure we’ve developed provides them with a better, smarter and faster advertising experience, which is critical in today’s media landscape. It’s a more holistic approach, which equals deeper, long-term premium brand partnerships, plus more efficiencies, so we can operate at the speed of our customer’s business.

“It also means MCN can better connect Foxtel’s innovative content brands and channels with advertisers, as well as strengthening how the business works with agency partners. While integrated screen sales sit at the core of the new model, the focus on embedding dedicated client and brand partnership teams into the sales function means MCN can now progress a brief response from ideation through to campaign implementation via the one team.”

Michael Carrington on his new role at ABC and the Invictus Games

While the new acting managing director of the ABC David Anderson was director of Entertainment & Specialist (E&S), a role he took on in February this year, he started the conversation about securing the broadcast rights for the Invictus Games.

There was also interest in the Invictus Games from a commercial network but the attraction of choosing the ABC was what the broadcaster could offer by embracing the Games as a national event.

Beginning Saturday October 20, the ABC will broadcast 100 hours of Invictus Games content via TV and iview, plus many more hours of supporting content.

Looking after the Invictus Games overall now falls to Anderson’s temporary replacement, Michael Carrington. Returning to Australia to join the ABC in 2016, Carrington has a wealth of broadcast experience at a range of broadcasters plus time spent in Australia at Network Ten.

Carrington was appointed interim head of distribution for E&S in May following the departure of Rebecca Heap, and now he is filling in for David Anderson as acting head of E&S.

The ABC’s go-to stand-in executive said he was “absolutely thrilled” to be filling in for Anderson. “Each job I get I think is the best job in the world and now here I am,” he told Mediaweek.

“With the previous restructure of the ABC into cross-platform genre groups driven by content, it means that I get to see all that goes on inside the ABC.

“I am also thrilled that I may be able to influence what we do in the next few months as we strive to be more relevant to audiences and bring to life the colours and textures of this great nation.”

As to how the ABC managed to land the rights for the sporting event, Carrington said: “Our ability to involve the entire ABC in the Invictus Games coverage was very appealing to the organisers.

Invictus Games hosts [L-R]: Anthony “Lehmo” Lehmann, Chris Bath, Dylan Alcott with Damien Thomlinson

All the ABC is embracing this from News to local to our multiple genres to radio and television and online.

“The ABC also has a huge connection with children in Australia and I think they provided a powerful message as well. That includes pre-school shows through to content appealing more to older children as well.”

Carrington said the investment from the ABC was big when you talk in terms of resources and time. “We are geared up to cover national events whenever they might become available. We didn’t have to go and find a special budget to cover the cost financially.” Carrington noted the annual budgets for the organisation have costings built in that cover one-off events like the Invictus Games. “Other annual one-offs we cover are New Year’s Eve, Australia Day, Anzac Day and that sort of thing.”

While the broadcaster isn’t as dependent on pulling audiences as commercial broadcasters and publishers, it is uppermost in the minds of ABC executives.

Speaking about the potential audiences, Carrington said: “It is the first thing we think about. What is special about Invictus is that it is a unique look at defence personal and recognising their contribution to our nation.”

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

Drive radio week: Nova’s Kate, Tim & Marty rule competitive timeslot

It’s sometimes called radio’s new primetime, but it’s been a pretty critical slot for broadcasters for a long time.

By James Manning

Both FM and AM broadcasters see it critical to their offering. With huge radio audiences listening to both breakfast and drive radio in their cars, the station that is left on in the car when the passengers get out at night is where they start when they climb into their vehicles each morning.

FM radio drive legends over the years have included network shows Tony Martin and Mick Molloy and more recently Hamish and Andy.

AM radio prefers local drive programs and we will look at some of the successful programs later this week.

We start today at Nova and Kate, Tim & Marty, who have the #1 national drive show in share with 11.6% and cume with 1,530,100.

Network performance Survey 6, 2018 (share and cume):

• Sydney 12.8% (+0.6) #1 overall, 519,000
• Melbourne 8.1% (+0.2) #4 FM, 479,000
• Brisbane 15.7% (+1.7) #1 overall, 301,000
• Adelaide 11.7% (-1.9) #2 FM, 157,000
• Perth 15.2% (-0.2) #1 overall, 296,000

(NB: Metro timeslots are for 4pm-7pm, Kate, Tim & Marty on-air 4pm-6pm)

Top Photo: Kate, Tim and Marty (who usually broadcasts long distance from Melbourne), with recent guest Brooke Satchwell

The Australian’s insert magazine The Deal marks a decade

Helen Trinca is one of the founders of The Deal. She helped set up the monthly newspaper inserted magazine circulated in The Australian in 2008.

By Kruti Joshi

However, the business-focused magazine had two editors before Trinca got the chair three years ago. She wears two hats at the national masthead. She is also the managing editor of the national broadsheet.

“There is enormous disruption in the business world. The media understands this because our business models have been disrupted by the internet too,” Trinca told Mediaweek. “The biggest change to come to The Deal under me is that we have tried to focus on new business models.”

In this way the magazine lives true to its tagline “Reinventing business”. The core readers of the magazine are those who are interested in business and work, typically aged 35-45.

Cover of first issue of The Deal, published in 2008

“They don’t necessarily have to be working in big companies. They still see themselves actively engaged,” Trinca said. “We are interested in profiling successful people. There are lessons to be learnt from them. We talk to them about their good and bad times. We also do a lot of management content.”

The advertising environment has been “tough” for The Deal, as with many print titles. How it has tried to combat the challenges of the current climate is by carving out a niche. “Our concern is to get the right sort of readers. They are quite well off financially compared to the average Australian,” Trinca said. “We assume that they are some of the best-informed readers of The Australian.

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

Screen Australia and Google Australia return with Skip Ahead to uncover new generation of YouTubers

Screen Australia and Google Australia have partnered for the fifth instalment of the Skip Ahead initiative.

It aims to uncover and develop the next generation of YouTube storytellers by expanding the vision and scale of their content.

Applications for the initiative opened this week. They are open to scripted narrative and documentary projects. Applications will be considered from individual content creators (YouTube channels), teams of content creators (multiple YouTube channels), and/or established YouTube channels teaming up with an external producer or production house.

Screen Australia and Google Australia will provide a 50/50 joint funding pool of up to $500,000. A maximum of $100,000 will be available per project, with up to six projects to be funded.

To date Skip Ahead has provided over $2 million in funding to support a total of 19 creative teams, whose Skip Ahead-funded projects have accumulated over 42 million views. Skip Ahead alumni include Aunty Donna, Mighty Car Mods, The RackaRacka, BrainCraft, SketchShe, and Superwog.

Following on from the success of the Superwog pilot from Skip Ahead #3, Princess Pictures confirmed earlier this year that a full six-part series of Superwog would be made. In a landmark move, the series premiered on the Superwog YouTube channel on October 7, two days before its broadcast on ABC Comedy and iview.

Australian online content creators who have YouTube channels with a substantial existing subscriber base and/or content that has reached significant viewership are eligible to apply. Collaborations between YouTube creators, as well as collaborations with established production companies, are encouraged.

Screen Australia and Google Australia are particularly interested in supporting content creators from diverse backgrounds in terms of culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, people with disability, geographic and/or socio-economic circumstance.

Eligible applicants can propose the format of the project, including episodic series, a standalone piece of entertainment, or an alternative that is appropriate for their creative concept. The project must premiere on the content creator’s YouTube Channel by the end of September 2019.

Lee Naimo, online investment manager at Screen Australia, said: “The success of Skip Ahead alumni such as Aunty Donna, BrainCraft and Superwog is testament to how this initiative can help supercharge careers. I’m looking forwarded to reading applications from exciting new scripted narrative and documentary projects and teams.”

Daniel Stephenson, YouTube content partnerships manager for Australia and New Zealand, said: “Over the last four years, Skip Ahead has provided more than $2 million in funding to support the Australian creative industry and helped local creators to develop their skills and produce more ambitious, longer-form content. As we enter year five, we cannot wait to see what stories we might uncover, especially as we branch out into new formats of online storytelling.”

Applications for the Skip Ahead program close on November 16.

 

 

OzTAM appoints Adrian Bogdan Vasile as projects director

OzTAM has appointed Adrian Bogdan Vasile to the newly created role of projects director.

In this key client-facing position, Vasile will direct the execution of project plans and manage timelines as OzTAM brings new products and initiatives to market.

Reporting to OzTAM’s CEO Doug Peiffer, Vasile will work alongside director of technical services Sylvano Lucchetti and the wider OzTAM team to ensure progressive service enhancements continue to meet client needs.

Vasile will start in early November and joins OzTAM from Nielsen, where he has been director of product leadership for Nielsen Media Impact – a cross-media planning platform – and, most recently, the company’s consumer and media view products.

Peiffer said: “Changes in the television and video viewing landscape have seen OzTAM’s service evolve rapidly over the past few years.

“With our team heavily focused on product development, we need an executive wholly dedicated to client relations, to keep OzTAM subscribers fully across and engaged in our efforts to measure and report the myriad new ways of viewing content.

“Adrian’s extensive and varied experience in audience measurement and media planning – spanning product development, project management, marketing and customer service – make him ideally qualified for this new client-facing role.”

Vasile said: “After working on all sides of the media and advertising spectrum I am returning to the core of it. I look forward of helping OzTAM and its stakeholders to reach and implement the next phase of content viewing measurement.”

Vasile began his career in 1997 with Zenith Media in Bucharest, Romania, as a media planner. He then spent eight years with Starcom MediaVest Group in Bucharest starting as outdoor media manager, and was subsequently promoted to executive director of direct marketing. Later roles included country manager for Reader’s Digest in Romania and Bulgaria, CEO of Central and Eastern European outdoor media group Epamedia, and international business development director for the B2B division of Tarsago Media Group in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).

Social Content Rankings: The Bachelor and Bathurst dominate listings

The Bachelor led TV social media engagement in the past week, according to the Nielsen Social Content Ratings.

The final of the Network Ten reality romance show left many viewers unsatisfied and they took to social media to voice their opinions. The Bachelor easily topped the Non-Sport rankings with The Block in second spot. The Bachelor and The Block both had two places on the chart, with Survivor the other franchise to make the top five.

Meanwhile the Bathurst 1000 weekend car race dominated the Sports Social Content Ratings with the top four spots on the chart. The race and its supporting events and qualifying rounds were broadcast across four successive days on Network Ten and Fox Sports. The only other entry in the top five was 7mate’s coverage of the T20 clash between the Australian and New Zealand women’s cricket teams.

doctor who
TV Demand Charts: The Good Place and Doctor Who new this week

The third season of the US comedy The Good Place and the new season of Doctor Who are new to the Overall TV Show charts that measure cross-platform audience demand for TV programs.

Both shows have entered the top 10 in Australia and New Zealand this week.

Meanwhile there has been little movement on the Digital Originals charts. Ozark remains #1 in Australia, while The Handmaid’s Tale has crept back to top spot in New Zealand, with Ozark sitting at #2.

Box office: Venom explodes into cinemas

In its holiday debut, Venom brought home a strong total of over $9 million, contributing to the weekend total of $23.61 million, a 58% increase over the previous weekend’s takings.

The only other new entry to the top five was The House With A Clock In The Walls, which increased its revenue by 23% in its third week in theatres.

Night School could last only one week in the top five as it dropped to #7 after bringing home $1.22m. The other film to fall out of the top five was A Simple Favour, which brought home $905,432 in its fourth week in cinemas.

#1 Venom $9.33m

The famed Spider-Man villain has made a mark with his first solo film, the Tom Hardy vehicle debuting on 519 screens with a robust average of $17,989.

 

#2 Smallfoot $2,882,444

Staying in second spot this week, the animated film directed by Karey Kirkpatrick has enjoyed its school holidays run with a 47% increase on the previous weekend. Based on the book Yeti Tracks, it produced an average of $9,328 across 309 screens.

 

#3 Johnny English Strikes Again $1.97m

In its third week in cinemas the British spy comedy experienced a 17% decline in revenue from the previous weekend. Despite this it still produced a $6,147 average on 322 screens. This brings its total Australian box office to over 10 million.

 

#4 The House With A Clock In Its Walls $1.39m

The family fantasy film directed by Eli Roth based on the novel of the same name has continued to build momentum producing its best result in its third week in theatres, generating an average of $4,926 across 283 screens.

 

#5 Ladies in Black $1.37m

The Australian flick has continued to produce strong results against international competitors producing an average of $4,168 across 331 screens.

 

TV Ratings Analysis: October 8

• The Block challenge apartment renovation under way with 1.03m
• Survivor’s biggest episode: Brian makes top 3, Shonee to the jury

By James Manning

Seven

Home And Away started its new week on 618,000 after a week 40 average of 559,000.

An ob doc hour followed with the premiere of Emergency Call, which did 512,000. An episode of Border Security followed on 424,000.

Seven then went with the 2016 movie The Accountant after 8.30pm, which did 408,000.

Nine

Daylight saving always seems to have an effect on early evening viewing and A Current Affair started its new week on 769,000. The week 40 average for the program was 768,000.

The Monday episode of The Block did big business with 1.03m as teams carved up the budget to work on the rooms in the challenge apartment.

The final episode of Doctor Doctor then aired with 642,000 watching. The first episode of the 10-episode third season launched with 720,000 back in August. Catch-up viewing sees the numbers swell each week. The episode that screened one week ago added 208,000 viewers after the initial broadcast. BVOD can then add close to another 100,000.

TEN

Steve Price had an uncomfortable moment on The Project when his colleagues looked to him for a comment about the behaviour of Alan Jones on his breakfast show last Friday. However, Price carefully explained he would not be sitting in judgement on his 2GB colleague, and nor would be doing so if ever asked about his colleagues at TEN. The episode also featured Graham Norton on a cross from the UK talking about his second novel. Carrie Bickmore asked him about Australia at Eurovision, which they both agreed continued to be a little weird. The Monday episode did 549,000 after a week 40 average of 505,000.

The penultimate night of Survivor showcased how Brian dodged yet another bullet by winning immunity to guarantee a one in three chance of winning the series. That left Shane, Sharn and Shonee exposed with Shane and Sharn agreeing to send Shonee home. The episode did 793,000, which is the biggest episode this season and actually the biggest ever for a regular episode. It pushed TEN’s share to 14.7%, the best Monday since MasterChef ended, and edged TEN ahead of Seven for the night in Melbourne.

The bigger Monday crowd was good news for Have You Been Paying Attention? with 731,000 its best result in three weeks.

ABC

Australian Story featured The Story of Samuel, an episode about Samuel Symons following his death last week. Samuel was the son of Elly and Red Symons and was diagnosed with a brain tumour aged four. He died on October 3 this year aged 27. The episode was watched by 717,000.

Four Corners followed on 632,000.

Media Watch did 552,000 followed by Q&A on 397,000.

SBS

Britain’s Most Historic Towns was the #1 show on the channel last week and it would be surprising if last night’s trip to York didn’t rank #1 this week. The episode did 252,000.

The channel’s next best was 24 Hours In Emergency at 9.30pm with 156,000. The channel is still keen to build its 9.30pm slot and continues to look for programs that will do well at 8.30pm.

Week 41 TV: Monday
MONDAY METRO
ABCSevenNineTenSBS
ABC16.2%717.6%920.9%TEN14.7%SBS One4.1%
ABC 22.3%7TWO3.1%GO!3.4%ONE3.2%VICELAND1.1%
ABC ME0.6%7mate3.2%GEM2.8%ELEVEN2.0%Food Net0.9%
ABC NEWS1.1%7flix1.2%9Life1.5%NITV0.1%
TOTAL20.2%25.2%28.6%19.8%6.1%
MONDAY REGIONAL
ABCSeven AffiliatesNine AffiliatesTen AffiliatesSBS
ABC14.9%718.5%918.4%WIN11.4%SBS One3.1%
ABC 22.5%7TWO5.1%GO!3.8%ONE3.2%VICELAND1.1%
ABC ME0.9%7mate4.7%GEM4.1%ELEVEN2.0%Food Net1.0%
ABC NEWS1.5%7flix1.0%9Life1.6%Sky News  on WIN0.9%NITV0.1%
TOTAL19.8%29.3%27.9%17.5%5.3%

 

MONDAY METRO ALL TV
FTASTV
86.9%13.1%

 

Monday FTA
  1. The Block Nine 1,035,000
  2. Seven News Seven 958,000
  3. Seven News / Today Tonight Seven 957,000
  4. Nine News 6:30 Nine 915,000
  5. Nine News Nine 890,000
  6. Australian Survivor Ten 793,000
  7. ABC News ABC 787,000
  8. A Current Affair Nine 769,000
  9. Have You Been Paying Attention? Ten 731,000
  10. Australian Story ABC 717,000
  11. 7.30 ABC 657,000
  12. Doctor Doctor Nine 642,000
  13. Four Corners ABC 632,000
  14. Home And Away Seven 618,000
  15. The Chase Australia Seven 599,000
  16. Media Watch ABC 552,000
  17. The Project 7pm Ten 549,000
  18. Emergency Call Seven 512,000
  19. Hot Seat Nine 465,000
  20. Doctor Who ABC 431,000
Demo Top Fives

16-39 Top 5

  1. The Block Nine 305,000
  2. Have You Been Paying Attention? Ten 277,000
  3. Australian Survivor Ten 274,000
  4. The Project 7pm Ten 157,000
  5. Nine News 6:30 Nine 149,000

 

18-49 Top 5

  1. The Block Nine 470,000
  2. Australian Survivor Ten 413,000
  3. Have You Been Paying Attention? Ten 409,000
  4. Nine News 6:30 Nine 280,000
  5. A Current Affair Nine 246,000

 

25-54 Top 5

  1. The Block Nine 516,000
  2. Have You Been Paying Attention? Ten 440,000
  3. Australian Survivor Ten 436,000
  4. Nine News 6:30 Nine 332,000
  5. A Current Affair Nine 285,000
MONDAY Multichannel
  1. The Big Bang Theory TX2 9GO! 181,000
  2. The Big Bang Theory TX3 9GO! 175,000
  3. Bluey-AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 169,000
  4. NCIS E2 (R) ONE 162,000
  5. Octonauts ABCKIDS/COMEDY 161,000
  6. Peter Rabbit ABCKIDS/COMEDY 157,000
  7. The Big Bang Theory TX1 9GO! 155,000
  8. Peppa Pig-PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 150,000
  9. Kiddets-AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 150,000
  10. Death In Paradise 9Gem 149,000
  11. Wanda And The Alien-PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 143,000
  12. Little Roy-PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 143,000
  13. The Big Bang Theory 9GO! 140,000
  14. Luo Bao Bei-AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 140,000
  15. Hey Duggee-PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 139,000
  16. Dot. ABCKIDS/COMEDY 137,000
  17. Sarah And Duck-AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 134,000
  18. Rusty Rivets-PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 134,000
  19. Dino Dana ABCKIDS/COMEDY 133,000
  20. Peppa Pig-AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 132,000
MONDAY Subscription TV
  1. Live: Cricket: Tea Break FOX CRICKET 75,000
  2. Live: Cricket: Pak V Aus 1st Test Day 2 FOX CRICKET 71,000
  3. Live: Cricket: Pak V Aus 1st Test Day 2 FOX CRICKET 69,000
  4. Live: Cricket: Pak V Aus 1st Test Day 2 FOX CRICKET 69,000
  5. Mr Inbetween showcase 67,000
  6. The Bolt Report Sky News Live 54,000
  7. Paul Murray Live Sky News Live 50,000
  8. Cricket Legends: Doug Walters FOX CRICKET 42,000
  9. The Simpsons FOX8 42,000
  10. The Walking Dead showcase 40,000
  11. The Simpsons FOX8 39,000
  12. Outsiders Sky News Live 39,000
  13. Live: Cricket: Big Break 2018 Cricket FOX CRICKET 37,000
  14. Blaze And The Monster Machines Nick Jr. 37,000
  15. The Walking Dead showcase 36,000
  16. Credlin Sky News Live 36,000
  17. Father Brown UKTV 34,000
  18. Criminals Make You Laugh Out Loud FOX8 33,000
  19. NCIS TVH!TS 33,000
  20. NCIS TVH!TS 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

Katie Finney appointed director of Seven’s program partnerships

Seven’s network director of sales Natalie Harvey has announced the appointment of Katie Finney (pictured) as Seven’s director of program partnerships.

Finney, previously the head of Seven program partnerships, succeeds Lisa Squillace, who is leaving Seven to take up a role at another company.

In her new role, Finney will steer overall strategy, creative direction and implementation of brand integration into premium programming on Seven, which has now been Australia’s most-watched network for 12 consecutive years.

Harvey said: “I am delighted to announce Katie’s appointment. The extensive experience she’s gained throughout her career at Seven has shown her to be second to none, and this is a very natural and perfect step up for her. I look forward to seeing her continued success in this new role.”

Finney said: “I’m so excited to be taking on this new role. As we showed with our recent AFL/McDonald’s integration, Seven is a leader in the delivery of high quality, entertaining, brand integration into the most effective medium of TV.

“And with the biggest and best portfolio of entertainment brands to work with, from Kitchen Rules to House Rules, and Home and Away to Better Homes and Gardens, the integration opportunities for our commercial partners across all Seven West Media assets are unlimited.”

Finney first joined Seven as a sales assistant in Melbourne in 2001 and has held roles within Seven of sales executive and group sales manager before being appointed Melbourne sales manager in 2015. She moved to Sydney in 2016 to take up the role of head of Seven program partnerships.

$16m funding attracts US feature film and TV series to The GC

Two major international productions will be filmed on the Gold Coast after receiving funding from the Federal Government.

Godzilla v Kong, feature film by Legendary Entertainment, and Reef Break, a 13-episode series by Disney ABC International Television, will kick off production this year.

Reef Break stars Poppy Montgomery (pictured) and is set on a Pacific island.

The $16 million in funding is provided under the Location Incentive program, which is designed to attract international feature films to Australia.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was thrilled the first two grants were awarded to such major projects on the Gold Coast.

“These projects will bring hundreds of jobs to the Gold Coast and further cement its reputation as one of the best places in the world to make movies.

“I’ve visited some of the businesses that service the film industry on the Gold Coast and they are the best at what they do.

“We want to keep securing big projects like these ones so local businesses can thrive and keep employing Australians.”

Minister for Communications and the Arts, Senator Mitch Fifield, said this support will bring investment of more than $100 million to the Australian economy.

“This is one of the ways the Government is boosting small business and creating the conditions for growth in the economy. These productions would not be investing in Australia without these grants.

They will use the services of over 1,600 Australian businesses, as well as directly employing more than 1,300 Australians,” added Fifield.

Debra Richards, CEO of Ausfilm, said “Ausfilm celebrates the Government’s decision today. This will be a tremendous boost to the Australian businesses in the industry and helps to secure jobs for Australia’s crews, technicians, cast, studios, VFX and post-production facilities and all the businesses that benefit from large scale international productions like these. Without the Government’s competitive incentives these productions would have gone elsewhere.”

Ausfilm explained that critical to attracting these two major productions was the Government’s new $140million Location Incentive, a merit assessed grant, delivered over four years from 2019-2020, which complements the Government’s 16.5% Location Offset and effectively provides up to 30% tax incentive on eligible productions.

Clive Palmer’s $1m+ media blitz sees $400k go to 2GB and 4BC

Clive Palmer’s advertising blitz for his latest political bid topped $1 million last month in radio and TV, new research shows, as the businessman’s representatives indicate his media bombardment may be just beginning, reports The Australian’s Nick Tabakoff.

Media and marketing consultancy Ebiquity has estimated Palmer spent $1.005m on 1,168 separate TV and radio ad slots in the capital cities during the month.

This figure included $600,000 on TV ads in Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, and nearly $407,000 on three radio stations in Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra.

Ebiquity’s figures show Fairfax Media radio offshoot Macquarie Media, owner of 2GB and 4BC, has been the biggest beneficiary of the media spending of Palmer’s United Australia Party, reaping an estimated $400,000.

[Read the original]

News Brands

Tamara Oudyn and Mary Gearin to helm ABC TV 7pm News Victoria

Journalists Tamara Oudyn and Mary Gearin are the new television faces of ABC News in Victoria.

Starting next Friday October 12, Gearin will be in the chair on Fridays and Saturdays and Oudyn from Sunday to Thursday. Both will also continue to add their reporting skills and experience to the newsroom and in the field.

The announcement of the new lineup follows the retirement of ABC News veteran Ian Henderson this month after more than 25 years bringing viewers the nightly news. His farewell bulletin will be on Thursday October 11.

Tamara Oudyn

Tamara Oudyn is already well known to Victorians after working for the ABC in Melbourne for 15 years as a journalist, anchor, podcaster and voice trainer. She’s been presenting weekend news bulletins in Melbourne for the past 12 years and coaches journalists across the network in broadcast voice. She produces and co-hosts a weekly podcast about Australian television dramas and the people who make them.

Mary Gearin

Mary Gearin is a leading journalist and former ABC Europe correspondent who led the national broadcaster’s coverage of events such as the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks and the birth of Prince George.

Gearin is regularly called in as co-host of ABC News Breakfast, The World, and her content has appeared across all ABC platforms – TV, radio and online – to a wide range of programs including the ABC’s flagship current affairs program 7.30.

Publishing

Good Food Guide Awards say Adelaide is home to best restaurant

Orana has been named Vittoria Coffee Restaurant of the Year at The Good Food Guide 2019 Awards. The small Adelaide restaurant where chef Jock Zonfrillo showcases Australian ingredients with fine-dining technique also received three hats – the Guide’s highest ranking – at the awards event October 8 at Crown Melbourne, report Fairfax Media’s Callan Boys, Gemima Cody and Scott Bolles.

The Good Food Guide 2019 Awards were attended by 800 of the restaurant industry’s biggest names and catered by chefs Neil Perry and Guillaume Brahimi.

It is the first time the awards have been held in Melbourne after The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times editions of The Good Food Guide were combined into a national publication last year, with reviews of more than 500 restaurants across Australia.

[Read the original]

See also: 
• The Good Food Guide 2019: Full list of award winners
• Good Food Guide 2019: Full list of hats

Audio

Opera House boss Louise Herron considering action after broadcast

Sydney Opera House boss Louise Herron will meet with her lawyers after Fairfax broadcaster Alan Jones’s ferocious follow-up attack on his breakfast show, reports The Australian’s Margin Call column.

As the wealthy Wagner family demonstrated last month, there’s serious money to be made in suing the broadcaster for defamation.

Will Herron go through with it?

Fairfax shareholders – still smarting from the $3.75 million awarded to the Wagners – might hope not.

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At the start of his 2GB/4BC Tuesday breakfast show, Alan Jones apologised to Louise Herron and people who had been upset by the tone of his discussion with her last Friday morning. Jones added he would be conveying his apology to her in a letter today.

Television

Nine launching final season of world’s #1 TV comedy October 16

The Big Bang Theory will begin its 12th and final season on Tuesday October 16 at 8.40pm on Nine and 9Now.

The Big Bang Theory debuted in 2007 and quickly became a worldwide comedy hit, receiving 52 Emmy nominations and 10 wins to date. The Emmy-nominated series will end next year with a record-breaking 279 episodes.

In a joint statement, Warner Bros. Television, CBS and Chuck Lorre Productions said: “We are forever grateful to our fans for their support of The Big Bang Theory during the past 12 seasons. We, along with the cast, writers and crew are extremely appreciative of the show’s success and aim to deliver a final season and series finale that will bring The Big Bang Theory to an epic creative close.”

The brilliant but socially challenged physicists and best friends Leonard and Sheldon (Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons) are back for the final season along with Penny (Kaley Cuoco), Raj (Kunal Nayyar) and Howard (Simon Helberg).

In Season 11 of The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon entered into a “Relationship Agreement” with his female companion Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik) and took his relationship to the next level by marrying her after a long courtship. Meanwhile Howard and his microbiologist wife Bernadette (Melissa Rauch) started to adjust to life with their two children.

In the season 12 premiere, Sheldon and Amy honeymoon in New York while Penny and Leonard discover they are uncomfortably similar to Amy’s parents. Special guest Kathy Bates appears as Mrs Fowler as Raj insults physicist Dr Neil deGrasse Tyson and starts a Twitter war.

Former Top Gear stars making big profits from Grand Tour deal

The firm set up by former Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May to produce their big-budget Amazon motoring show The Grand Tour made more than £7m in profits last year – and paid almost the same UK tax bill as the digital giant, reports The Guardian.

In 2015, the trio and executive producer Andy Wilman signed a three-series deal to create a rival to the BBC2 motoring show for a reported £160m.

The third series of the show – one of Amazon’s biggest hits and driver of subscribers to its Prime video subscription service – is due to be shown later this year.

Chump Holdings, the company set up to produce The Grand Tour, reported a pre-tax profit of £7.6m last year. Chump paid a UK corporation tax bill of £1.5m.

Chump Holdings’ four directors took home £5.2m in remuneration and fees for “presenting services”, which equates to £1.3m each.

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Sports Media

Fox Cricket making TV history with record 10 female hosts

The new Fox Cricket channel will make TV history with a record 10 female hosts, presenters and reporters signed to cover all areas of the game this summer, reports News Corp’s Holly Byrnes.

Women’s cricket will also be given unprecedented exposure, including telecasts of next month’s ICC Women’s World T20 tournament, as well as a tour of Australia by trans-Tasman rivals, New Zealand.

Isa Guha, a former women’s international player for England, will partner with Adam Gilchrist to front the new channel, which formally launches on air on November 4 with the Australia v South Africa one-day international.

Jess Yates, a Fox League favourite who got one of her early breaks on Fox Sport as a boundary rider during the first season of the Big Bash League, said the return of the rights for all forms of the game to Fox Cricket “feels like it’s coming home”.

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