Tuesday October 16, 2018

Women’s Health’s Women in Sport ‘making history’

Women’s Health’s annual awards night recognising women in sport is in its eighth year. However, this year will be the first time that the event will be televised.

By Kruti Joshi

“We will be making history,” Women’s Health editor Jacqui Mooney told Mediaweek. “It will be the first time that a female awards sporting night has ever aired on Australian free-to-air television.”

The founding editor of Women’s Health, Felicity Harley launched the awards in 2010. She passed on the baton to Mooney in 2017.

The awards are a full-year commitment for the team at Women’s Health, Mooney told Mediaweek in the lead-up to the big event. “It is something we work on as a program for 365 days a year. The awards are the pinnacle for us.”

The event will be held at the Hordern Pavilion on October 17 and will be broadcast on Seven during the week of October 28 as a 60-minute package.

“As a brand, Women’s Health has been campaigning for equality for women in sport for eight years. We are absolutely delighted to see this recognition in terms of air time,” Mooney said. “It demonstrates the hunger that is out there to celebrate these incredible athletes.”

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

Making TV more effective, Nine appoints Director of Effectiveness

Nine has hired Jonathan Fox (pictured) in the newly created role of director of effectiveness, with a brief to prove the return on an advertiser’s investment when partnering with Nine and 9Powered.

Fox was most recently head of effectiveness at Ebiquity, where he played a key role in the marketing and media consultancy’s Payback Australia Study, which examined the effectiveness of different media channels and unequivocally proved the power of television and premium online video for advertisers.

“We are tremendously excited about Jonathan’s appointment and we can’t wait for him to join Nine,” said Michael Stephenson, Nine’s chief sales officer. “We are focused on developing big creative ideas and using our unique assets to create marketing platforms for brands.

“We now want to prove that the ideas we create deliver real returns for our partners and that you get a better return on your advertising dollar when you invest with Nine.

“We will work even more closely with our partners and use a range of econometric and attribution-based modelling tools to demonstrate the impact that their media is having in delivering real business outcomes. It’s another example of how Nine is innovating to meet the needs of our ever changing market.”

Fox has been at Ebiquity for the past three and half years and prior to that he was an econometrician in the UK with marketing effectiveness agency Holmes & Cook.

“I’m immensely excited to be joining 9Powered and working with a team that has built a reputation for delivering powerful bespoke solutions to marketers,” said Fox. “There is a real opportunity for Nine to help marketers more clearly demonstrate the impact their media is having in terms of return on investment.”

Fox will work within the 9Powered team and begin on October 29.

Australian Survivor and Shane Gould lit up social media last week

The final of Australian Survivor and the perhaps unlikely victor Shane Gould were on top of Nielsen’s chart tracking social media interactions for non-sport TV shows.

By James Manning

The first two episodes of The Bachelorette on Wednesday and Thursday were next, giving TEN the top three places on the chart.

In the sports category, the Friday night trial match featuring Usain Bolt in the Central Coast Mariners team narrowly took top spot.

Just behind that match on Fox Sports was the Trans-Tasman Rugby League Test between New Zealand and Australia. The game was played in New Zealand and broadcast on both Fox League and Nine.

Also finding a place in the top five was the Women’s Trans-Tasman Test between the Jillaroos and Ferns, while the first week of NBL games saw the clash between Illawarra Hawks and Melbourne United rank #4.

TV Demand Charts: Second season of Netflix’s animated hit Big Mouth #1

The animated very adult sitcom Big Mouth has just launched its second season. The first season of Big Mouth launched with a bang – episode one was titled Ejaculation.

By James Manning

The second season dropped on Netflix last week and the 10 episodes are making a similar impact. The first two episodes this season are titled Am I Normal and What Is It About Boobs?

The series was straight into the Digital Originals charts in Australia and New Zealand this week at #1.

Also an instant hit is the third season of Man In The High Castle with the 10-episode season dropping on Amazon Prime Video on the same day as Big Mouth.

Meanwhile over on the Overall TV Charts Doctor Who has consolidated its return season. Last week the show was ranked at #10 in Australia and #8 in New Zealand. Just one week later the show has rocketed to #1 in both territories.

Also back for more is Riverdale. Screening on Netflix in Australia and New Zealand, the third season of the show launched last week and sits at #5 in both markets.

Box Office: First Man lands at #2 in first week

With the school holidays concluding on the weekend, this correlates with a 36% drop-off in total revenue with the Australian box office totalling $15.15 million.

By Trent Thomas

A large chunk of that total comes from Venom, which retained its top spot for the second week in a row despite a 56% decrease in revenue.

The other big earner this week was the Neil Armstrong biopic First Man, which cracked two million in its first weekend. The other film to join the top five this week was Bad Times a the El Royal, which debuted at #4.

Two films dropped out of the top five. Ladies in Black dropped to sixth spot, bringing home $912,859 in its fourth week in cinemas. The House with a Clock in its Walls slipped to seventh spot generating $685,450 in its fourth week in theatres.

#1 Venom $4.12m

 

After a monster start to its run in Australian cinemas last weekend, it has followed it up with another healthy total averaging $8,578 across 481 screens. This brought its total after two weeks to $15.98 million.

#2 First Man $2.32m

 

The film starring Ryan Gosling as American astronaut Neil Armstrong debuted on 433 screens for an average of $5,379.

#3 Smallfoot #1.41m

 

Continuing its solid run through the school holidays, it slipped only one spot in the rankings with a 51% decrease in revenue. The Yeti-based family film had an average of $4,553 across 310 screens to bring its Australian total to $12 million.

#4 Bad Times at the El Royale

 

The neo-noir thriller by Drew Goddard starring an ensemble cast of Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Cailee Spaeny, Lewis Pullman, Nick Offerman and Chris Hemsworth debuted at #4 despite showing on only 242 screens. This was thanks to a strong average of $5,033.

#5 Johnny English Strikes Again $1.04m

 

Keeping a spot in the top five after four weeks in theatres, the third entry in the Johnny English franchise produced an average of $3,677 across 283 screens despite a 47% decrease in revenue from last weekend.

TV Ratings Analysis: October 15

• Final week on The Block sees the show back to a 1m+ Monday
• Who will return for second rendezvous after Blind Date launch?
• Rebecca Gibney’s Wanted season 3 launches with double episode

By James Manning

Seven

Home And Away launched into the second half of October with 670,000 after a week 41 average of 594,000.

Emergency Call then did 579,000 after 512,000 last week. The ob doc hour also included an episode of Border Security, which did 513,000 after 424,000 a week ago.

Seven’s Rebecca Gibney drama Wanted then returned with a double episode, which ratings data sometimes indicates makes audience growth a bigger challenge than it otherwise is. The six episodes of season two ended in July last year with the final episode overnight audience of 634,000. Season three started on 455,000 and then dropped to 396,000 for episode two.

Nine

A special edition of A Current Affair featured Simon Bouda as he investigated the disappearance of mother of two Roxlyn Bowie. The episode did 815,000 after a week 41 average of 717,000.

It was then into the final week of renovations on The Block with the challenge apartment causing a few more budget blues. Still time to win the apartment too, apparently, if you get the lucky copy of The Block Monopoly. The Monday episode was on 1.00m after 1.03m on Monday last week.

Less compelling content filled the rest of the night starting with Serial Killer With Piers Morgan on 388,000.

TEN

Julia Morris was a guest on The Project talking up her new Blind Date series. She had to sit through a couple of awkward questions from Steve Price. The show’s 7pm week started on 564,000 after a week 41 average of 469,000. The episode, as did the news bulletin under way on Seven and Nine, got to break the news about a new royal baby. The new program did manage to rank #2 25-54 in the slot, behind only The Block.

Blind Date then launched with host Julia Morris having plenty of fun with the single guys and girls. The audience of 487,000 is a little disappointing, ranking the show fourth in the slot, although not much separated it from Border Security after 8pm.

The festival of Julia Morris then continued on Have You Been Paying Attention? where she was a guest quizmaster. The episode did a very healthy 769,000 to easily win the timeslot after 731,000 last week.

ABC

7.30 started its week on 672,000 after a week 41 average of 587,000.

Australian Story then did 666,000.

Four Corners featured an ITV documentary on prisons with 414,000 watching.

Media Watch then did 384,000 with Q&A on 329,000.

SBS

Britain’s Most Historic Towns did 257,000 as host Professor Alice Roberts visited the world’s largest cathedral in Winchester.

How To Lose Weight Well then did 200,000 followed by 24 Hours In Emergency on 166,000.

Week 42 TV: Monday
MONDAY METRO
ABCSevenNineTenSBS
ABC13.8%718.1%920.2%TEN13.7%SBS One5.2%
ABC 22.1%7TWO3.4%GO!4.1%ONE4.3%VICELAND1.0%
ABC ME0.5%7mate3.1%GEM2.7%ELEVEN2.0%Food Net0.7%
ABC NEWS1.5%7flix1.9%9Life1.5%NITV0.1%
TOTAL17.9%26.5%28.5%20.0%7.1%
MONDAY REGIONAL
ABCSeven AffiliatesNine AffiliatesTen AffiliatesSBS
ABC13.8%720.1%917.0%WIN10.8%SBS One3.6%
ABC 22.3%7TWO4.3%GO!5.0%ONE4.0%VICELAND1.2%
ABC ME0.9%7mate3.8%GEM4.9%ELEVEN2.1%Food Net0.9%
ABC NEWS1.5%7flix1.0%9Life1.9%Sky News  on WIN0.8%NITV0.1%
TOTAL18.5%29.228.8%17.7%5.8%

 

MONDAY METRO ALL TV
FTASTV
87.7%12.3%

 

Monday FTA
  1. Seven News / Today Tonight Seven 1,049,000
  2. Seven News Seven 1,014,000
  3. The Block Nine 1,003,000
  4. Nine News 6:30 Nine 965,000
  5. Nine News Nine 956,000
  6. A Current Affair Nine 815,000
  7. Have You Been Paying Attention? Ten 769,000
  8. ABC News ABC 705,000
  9. 7.30 ABC 672,000
  10. Home And Away Seven 670,000
  11. Australian Story ABC 666,000
  12. Emergency Call Seven 579,000
  13. The Chase Australia Seven 574,000
  14. The Project 7pm Ten 564,000
  15. Border Security – Australia’s Front Line Seven 513,000
  16. Blind Date Ten 487,000
  17. Hot Seat Nine 472,000
  18. Wanted Seven 455,000
  19. Four Corners ABC 414,000
  20. Wanted-E2 Seven 396,000
Demo Top Fives

16-39 Top 5

  1. The Block Nine 287,000
  2. Have You Been Paying Attention? Ten 284,000
  3. Blind Date Ten 165,000
  4. The Project 7pm Ten 154,000
  5. Seven News / Today Tonight Seven 135,000

 

18-49 Top 5

  1. The Block Nine 459,000
  2. Have You Been Paying Attention? Ten 431,000
  3. Nine News 6:30 Nine 279,000
  4. The Project 7pm Ten 260,000
  5. Blind Date Ten 259,000

 

25-54 Top 5

  1. The Block Nine 517,000
  2. Have You Been Paying Attention? Ten 485,000
  3. Nine News 6:30 Nine 341,000
  4. Nine News Nine 310,000
  5. Seven News / Today Tonight Seven 295,000
MONDAY Multichannel
  1. The Big Bang Theory TX2 9GO! 204,000
  2. The Big Bang Theory TX1 9GO! 200,000
  3. The Big Bang Theory TX3 9GO! 181,000
  4. NCIS E2 (R) ONE 166,000
  5. Dino Dana ABCKIDS/COMEDY 162,000
  6. Death In Paradise 9Gem 156,000
  7. NCIS Late (R) ONE 155,000
  8. Neighbours ELEVEN 154,000
  9. The Big Bang Theory 9GO! 154,000
  10. Bluey-AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 153,000
  11. NCIS (R) ONE 151,000
  12. Andy’s Wild Adventures ABCKIDS/COMEDY 150,000
  13. Peppa Pig-PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 148,000
  14. Shaun The Sheep ABCKIDS/COMEDY 147,000
  15. Ben And Holly’s Little Kingdom ABCKIDS/COMEDY 146,000
  16. Kiddets-AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 146,000
  17. Dot. ABCKIDS/COMEDY 145,000
  18. Luo Bao Bei-AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 144,000
  19. Peter Rabbit ABCKIDS/COMEDY 142,000
  20. Peppa Pig-AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 142,000
MONDAY Subscription TV
  1. Mr Inbetween showcase 57,000
  2. Paw Patrol Nick Jr. 55,000
  3. The Day Henry Met Nick Jr. 51,000
  4. The Walking Dead showcase 51,000
  5. The Bolt Report Sky News Live 47,000
  6. Paw Patrol Nick Jr. 47,000
  7. 24 Hours In Emergency LifeStyle Channel 45,000
  8. Blaze And The Monster Machines Nick Jr. 45,000
  9. Selling Houses Australia LifeStyle Channel 43,000
  10. The Walking Dead showcase 42,000
  11. Family Guy FOX8 42,000
  12. Paul Murray Live Sky News Live 41,000
  13. Top Wing Nick Jr. 40,000
  14. Jeopardy! FOX Classics 40,000
  15. Family Guy FOX8 40,000
  16. Peppa Pig Nick Jr. 40,000
  17. Bones TVH!TS 39,000
  18. The Simpsons FOX8 39,000
  19. Credlin Sky News Live 38,000
  20. Paw Patrol Nick Jr. 38,000

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

Nine-Fairfax merger remains compelling, say Nick Falloon, Hugh Marks

Fairfax Media chairman Nick Falloon and Nine Entertainment chief executive Hugh Marks have reaffirmed their commitment to the merger of two Australian media giants after a recent share price rout raised questions over whether the deal would still go ahead, reports The AFR’s Max Mason.

Fairfax and Nine have been sold off heavily after trading updates on Friday revealed weaker-than-expected numbers at real estate classifieds and services business Domain in the September quarter.

Nine and Fairfax shares have both since plunged 13.6% to $1.815 and 67¢ respectively. Domain, which is 60% owned by Fairfax, has collapsed 17.5% to $2.64.

“As we work towards the merger we feel even more confident of its success,” Marks said. “The long-term rationale for the merged entity remains compelling.”

[Read the original]

Inquiry: Michelle Guthrie warned a month before ABC sacking

A government inquiry into the saga that crippled the ABC and claimed the scalps of Michelle Guthrie and Justin Milne has revealed the former managing director was first warned of her dismissal in late August, a month before she was sacked, reports The Australian’s Rosie Lewis.

The nine-page report from Communications Department secretary Mike Mrdak – handed to Communications Minister Mitch Fifield last week and published yesterday – also found there was “no basis” for claims former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull or his ministers put “direct pressure on journalist employment or interference in setting editorial policies”.

The finding did not stop Labor from accusing Senator Fifield of having “direct personal involvement” in the scandal, as the opposition and the Greens push for a Senate inquiry into “political interference” at the public broadcaster.

[Read the original]

Greg Hywood emerges as possible candidate for ABC chairman

Outgoing Fairfax Media boss Greg Hywood has emerged as a possible candidate to replace Justin Milne as chairman of the embattled ABC, reports The Australian’s Lilly Vitorovich.

Hywood declined to comment on his interest in the ABC chairman position.

The government’s independent nominations panel, in charge of the hunt to find a new ABC chairman, will send a list of candidates to Communications Minister Mitch Fifield, who can reject the list or pass it on to Scott Morrison. Other names mentioned are Danny Gilbert of law firm Gilbert + Tobin and former Telstra boss David Thodey, both candidates last time.

Internal ABC sources say Sir Peter Cosgrove, the outgoing governor-general, is a possible candidate.

[Read the original]

European Commission extends deadline for Disney-Fox review

The Walt Disney Co has offered unspecified concessions in its bid to get regulatory approval for its planned $71.3 billion takeover of large parts of 21st Century Fox, the European Commission said Monday, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Neither Disney nor the Commission provided details about the concessions offered by Disney in its attempt to allay antitrust concerns surrounding the Fox deal. The Commission said it has extended the deadline for its review of the deal from October 19 to November 11.

The regulator is expected to seek feedback from customers and rivals of the two media giants before deciding whether to accept Disney’s concessions or demand more. Disney secured approval from the US Justice Department for the deal in June on the condition that it will sell off Fox’s 22 regional sports networks.

European regulators are likely to focus on the combined group’s might in the theatrical market and whether it constitutes a violation of EU antitrust law.

[Read the original]

Outdoor Media

APN Outdoor shareholders approve JCDecaux takeover

APN Outdoor Group has announced that shareholders have approved by the requisite majorities the scheme of arrangement under which JCDecaux SA, via its wholly owned subsidiary JCDecaux ANZ Pty Ltd, will acquire 100% of the issued share capital of APN Outdoor (Scheme).

The resolution to approve the scheme, as set out in the Notice of Meeting that was despatched to APN Outdoor shareholders together with the Scheme Booklet on September 13, 2018, was approved by the requisite majorities of APN Outdoor shareholders.

At the meeting 95.50% of APN Outdoor shareholders (in person or by proxy) voted in favour of the takeover.

After the vote, APN Outdoor chief executive officer and managing director James Warburton said:

“Today’s vote in favour of the acquisition of APN Outdoor by JCDecaux is a great result for our staff, shareholders and partners. The $6.70 a share all-cash offer for APN Outdoor represents a record valuation for outdoor industry transactions in Australia and New Zealand and a strong premium to where APN Outdoor shares were trading just two months before the offer was received.”

Read more at mediaweek.com.au

QMS launches mega landmark site The Victoria in Melbourne

QMS has launched what it is labelling one of the most iconic and powerful sites in Melbourne, The Victoria.

Spanning a huge 33 metres long, the site dominates the landscape as it wraps itself around the intersection of Victoria and Hoddle Streets in the heart of Richmond.

The tri-structure and sheer scale of the digital billboard ensures maximised viewing across three traffic directions at the notoriously congested intersection.

Delivering more than 2.7 million contacts per month, The Victoria provides advertisers with an opportunity to engage with a young, highly active and professional audience.

QMS Australia CEO John O’Neill said: “As we continue to deliver truly landmark digital billboards, we are proud to launch The Victoria – a standout digital in a standout location. Our portfolio of iconic digital billboards in this major inner Melbourne city area is unparalleled, providing our clients with a quality platform to hero their brands and create meaningful connections with their audiences.”

Inaugural advertisers on The Victoria include Network Ten, Maserati, ANZ, 7/11 and Vodafone.

Podcasting

Planet Broadcasting partners with Triton, announces new shows

Australian podcasting and YouTube network Planet Broadcasting has signed with global technology provider Triton Digital to power the delivery and monetisation of its podcast content.

Through this partnership, Planet Broadcasting will utilise Triton’s audio streaming network to deliver high-quality audio content to its 844,000 subscribers, and the Tap Ad Server to dynamically insert highly targeted pre, mid, and post-roll audio ads into its content.

Planet Broadcasting founders James Clement, Claire Tonti and Nick Mason

In addition to Triton’s audio streaming network and Tap Ad Server, Planet Broadcasting will continue to use the enterprise Omny Studio podcast management platform to capture, edit and distribute its podcast content.

“Providing an exceptional listening experience means working with the best in the industry,” said Claire Tonti, CEO of Planet Broadcasting. “Along with its knowledgeable team, Triton’s state-of-the-art audio streaming and advertising technology is unparalleled, delivering the enterprise-level sophistication and uncompromising reliability we need to support our global podcast network.”

Along with this news, Planet Broadcasting has also launched four new shows.

Read more at mediaweek.com.au

Television

The Royal Network in Royal Tour mode for next fortnight

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex touched down in Sydney yesterday, and Seven is promising viewers every moment of their historic 16-day visit.

The network was the only broadcaster covering last Friday’s royal wedding coverage, which returned spectacular ratings.

Seven will track Harry and Meghan from Taronga Zoo to Dubbo, Melbourne to Fraser Island, Fiji and Tonga, to be the home of the royal tour, featuring commentary and analysis from a dedicated team of journalists and royal experts live on air and across digital and social platforms.

Fresh from their successful broadcast on Friday, Seven News anchors Michael Usher, Ann Sanders and Sunrise’s Edwina Bartholomew will lead the team who will be with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle every step of the way as they commence their first official tour as a newly married couple.

Seven’s royal tour coverage began Tuesday in Sydney from 5.30am with special coverage on Sunrise live from the royal couple’s first reception at Admiralty House.

From 11.30am Tuesday Seven News has live rolling coverage as the couple heads to Taronga Zoo before travelling by boat to the Sydney Opera House for their first public walkabout.

Live coverage will continue for all 16 days of the royal tour, with the Seven News team of presenters and reporters, including Chris Reason, Mike Amor, Sharyn Ghidella, Max Futcher, Angie Asimus, Alex Hart and Sarah Greenhalgh, live in the field at key tour locations. With expert commentary from Seven News Europe bureau chief Hugh Whitfeld, Sunrise’s royal editor Rob Jobson and Hello! UK editor Emily Nash.

Each night at 6pm, Seven News is promising the most comprehensive coverage of the royal tour as well as the day’s other headlines from both Australia and abroad

Family Food Fight into Nine schedule after The Block wraps

Nine’s cooking show Family Food Fight will return for a second season on October 29 at 7:30pm.

The program will see eight new food-loving families from across the country go head to head in the kitchen in the quest to find Australia’s No. 1 food family and the $100,000 prize money.

The series will put the families through their culinary paces. The pressure will be on from the get-go to deliver or risk elimination.

Chef and restaurateur Matt Moran, pastry chef Anna Polyviou, and internationally renowned food writer and critic Tom Parker Bowles will return as judges.

Moran said: “This year Family Food Fight is vastly different. The game changers are harder, the challenges take contestants way outside their comfort zones, and the contestants themselves are highly competitive. We’ll see a melting pot of different nationalities and be presented with home-cooking secrets that on occasion shock us all.”

Family Food Fight is an Endemol Shine Australia original format developed with Nine.

Kyle Sandilands unhappy after his TV pilot picked up for full season

Kyle Sandilands yesterday announced on his KIIS 106.5 breakfast show he had signed up for a full season of Trial By Kyle. Network Ten, which screened the program as part of its Pilot Week initiative, has yet to confirm the series from Screentime as part of its 2019 schedule.

“Channel Ten did that Pilot Week shit and then I was the only one that got picked up,” Sandilands said on radio during an interview with Rebecca Gibney on Monday morning, reports Sydney Confidential.

“So now I’ve actually got to do something.

“I did it thinking, ‘I’ll do this and take the money and that’ll be the end of it.’ And they’re like, ‘Good news, Kyle. Yours is the only show we’re picking up. Goes to air in February next year.’ I was like, ‘Ohhh’,” he groaned.

[Read the original]

Publishing

Vogue Australia secures Victoria Beckham for November cover

The last time she visited Australia was for Spiceworld: The Movie but, two decades later, Victoria Beckham is scaling up for her encore Sydney trip for the Invictus Games this month, reports News Corp’s Kris Crane.

“The only time I’ve been there before was with the Spice Girls, 24 hours in Sydney and Melbourne,” Beckham told Vogue Australia’s November issue, out October 16.

“When you’re young and travelling the world like that, you’d sit in your hotel room and watch TV. When you’re older, you want to get out and see things.”

Pop star-turned-fashion designer Beckham will visit with former football star husband David, for Prince Harry’s event.

Vogue Australia editor-in-chief Edwina McCann said she was thrilled to have Beckham on this month’s cover for the visit.

“I know the trip means a lot to them, with David as an ambassador for the Invictus Games, and Victoria is really looking forward to joining him,” McCann said.

[Read the original]

Sports Media

Macquarie Media signs McGrath and Hussey for its cricket team

Glenn McGrath and Mike Hussey, two of Australia’s sporting greats, are the latest to join Macquarie Radio’s Summer of Cricket broadcast team.

They are the latest signatures in an established team featuring the most well-respected cricket commentators and experts on radio, as part of Macquarie Media’s new six-year agreement with Cricket Australia.

Macquarie Media will feature coverage of every ball bowled of all the Domain Test Series, Gillette One Day and T20 Internationals, the KFC Big Bash League and the Commonwealth Bank Women’s International Series on its new network, Macquarie Sports Radio.

The sports network is promising the most extensive coverage on commercial radio with cricket set to play an important role in the growth of Macquarie Sports Radio.

The first match is just weeks away, a one-day international between Australia and South Africa in Perth on November 3.

Mike Hussey said: “It’s going to be another huge summer of cricket and I am very excited to be part of Macquarie Radio’s Summer of Cricket. We have a great team with some of the best callers around plus a fantastic blend of experts that are able to dissect the game and give incredible insight.”

Glenn McGrath said: “I’ve loved being part of Macquarie Radio’s Summer of Cricket broadcast in recent years and can’t wait to be back in the thick of it again for another summer. With India, South Africa, Sri Lanka and New Zealand coming out to Australia, we’re in for a big challenge against some of the best players in the world in both men’s and women’s formats.”

McGrath sits fifth on the all-time list of wicket takers with 563 while Hussey across his 79-Test career was instrumental in Australia’s cricket success.

Macquarie Media CEO Adam Lang said the network is thrilled to secure both Hussey and McGrath in what is an exciting summer of cricket ahead. “The achievements of Glenn McGrath and Mike Hussey in the game of cricket really do speak for themselves. They are both highly respected throughout the world of cricket internationally and terrific on air. To have them as part of the Macquarie Sports Radio Summer of Cricket broadcast is very exciting for the audience, clients and ourselves.”

If Bolt leaves Mariners for Europe, real A-League stars can shine

There was plenty of star power in the room at the launch of the A-League and W-League seasons on Monday.

But the bloke who has brought an unprecedented worldwide buzz to Australian football was nowhere to be seen – and it may even be that he is never seen again in a Central Coast Mariners shirt, reports Fairfax Media’s Vince Rugari.

Melbourne Victory’s Keisuke Honda and Perth Glory’s Sam Kerr were front and centre at Fox Studios, embracing their new roles as the faces of their competitions. As they should be. Honda, the Japanese superstar, and Kerr, the all-conquering Matildas sensation, are globally recognised players who will drag punters through the gates and glue eyeballs to TV screens.

Usain Bolt, meanwhile, could be on his way out. The Australian agent who facilitated his “indefinite training period” with the Mariners, Tony Rallis, confirmed on Monday night that Bolt has received a contract offer from a southern European club.

The deal would be for two years with an additional one-year option. If Bolt signs on the dotted line, his dreams of becoming a professional footballer – rather than a celebrity triallist in Gosford – will become an instant reality.

[Read the original]

To Top