Business of Media
Gambling reform: TV stations and footy codes prophesise doom
Broadcasters are now warning a ban on gambling advertising would put at risk billions of dollars spent on free-to-air TV, writes gambling reform advocate Martin Thomas in The AFR.
We may never again see free-to-air TV with its important news and current affairs, sport – and not to mention Married at First Sight and Love Island – if a gambling ad ban goes ahead.
There is particular concern about the impact on regional free-to-air television. It is an impact that is keeping government ministers awake at night with concern.
This is even though, according to the Australian Communications and Media Authority, regional television receives only 12 per cent – or $29 million – of the advertising take from gambling ads.
This is a pittance in contrast to the profound, costly and devastating impact gambling is having across Australia.
It is worth noting the report by the Australia Institute that a 1 per cent levy on $17.2 billion gambling company revenues could easily offset the $239 million in gambling advertising on free-to-air TV, metropolitan radio, and online.
Foxtel chief Patrick Delany apologises for mock Nazi salute
Foxtel chief executive Patrick Delany has met Jewish leaders and apologised for a mock Nazi salute a decade ago, after an image of the incident emerged online, reports The Australian’s James Dowling.
The former head of Fox Sports and current chief at the Foxtel Group told staff in an email on Sunday the demonstration was intended to show its similarity to a pose used in a chant for the A-League soccer team Western Sydney Wanderers. In the image, Mr Delany appears to hold two fingers below his nose with his right arm outstretched, imitating a Sieg Heil.
He apologised on Monday for the “inappropriate” and “highly offensive” salute.
“Since becoming aware of this photo, I have been searching my mind for a circumstance, from over a decade ago,” he said.
Advertising
CMOs tell execs to back off as they stake claim on creativity
Suncorp executive general manager of brand & marketing Mim Haysom has warned the C-suite to stop interfering in creative marketing decisions, reports The Australian’s Danielle Long in Growth Agenda.
Speaking on a panel alongside marketing leaders from Telstra, Uber and Nine at the Advertising Council of Australia’s annual Festival of Creativity, This Way Up, Ms Haysom said she “strongly” believed that boards and C-suite executives should not be involved in the day-to-day running of marketing departments beyond the budget approval process.
Responding to a question from Nine chief marketing officer Liana Dubois about how the marketing leaders navigate interference from senior executives, Ms Haysom said: “I don’t take creative ideas anywhere else for approval. I firmly believe that as the chief marketing officer, you are accountable for your brand and you are accountable for your creative. Our creative does not go anywhere else for approval.”
See also: Growth Agenda
Memes, TikTok and lots of chicken: The new world of movie marketing
Over the past month, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman seem to have taken over the internet. On Instagram, they’re eating spicy wings for Hot Ones. On YouTube, they’re cameoing in Stray Kids’ music video. On TikTok, they’re nibbling nuggets with Chicken Shop Date’s Amelia Dimoldenberg, writes Nine Publishing’s Nell Geraets.
This surge in exposure (and chicken consumption) has one goal: to get people talking about Deadpool & Wolverine, their film that landed in cinemas in July. But unlike traditional film marketing, such as press junkets, in which celebrities do back-to-back interviews, and celebrity profiles, this kind of promotion doesn’t have to mention the film. All it needs to do is go viral.
News Brands
The Advertiser reinforces growing audience, with more than 1.7m readers
The Advertiser has reinforced its growing audience, continuing to reach more than 1.7 million print and digital readers in the latest Roy Morgan figures, reports News Corp’s Adelaide newsbrand.
The readership data, released this week for the 12 months to the end of June, means The Advertiser and Sunday Mail engages with an average of 45 per cent of South Australians.
The Sunday Mail continued to have the highest state penetration of any Sunday masthead in the country, read by one in five (20.8 per cent) across the state each weekend, sustaining increases across the past year’s trend periods.
Editor Gemma Jones said the results proved the value South Australians placed on staying informed across their busy weeks – from breaking news and exclusive investigations to analysis of the news and lifestyle reads.
“Our journalists know Adelaide and South Australia and write the stories that matter to you and your friends and families – from great talking points to breaking the big stories.
“We thank readers for their ongoing loyal support.”
WAtoday and Nine prominent as WA Media Awards finalists announced
Journalists from WAtoday are finalists in numerous categories of the 2024 West Australian Media Awards in what judges called an “exceptionally strong year”, reports WAtoday’s Emma Young.
Business journalist Jesinta Burton’s exclusive ‘A lotto win, a spending spree and a ‘trail of lies’: Unravelling Trent Bowden’s trading scheme’ is a finalist for Best Business, Finance or Economic Report.
Of the three finalists for the prestigious Matt Price Prize for Best Columnist, two are WAtoday contributors chosen for their work for this masthead: Gary Adshead who is a presenter at 6PR, and Brendan Foster, whose work for WAtoday is also shortlisted in the category for best freelance work.
Winners will be announced Saturday, September 21 at a gala event at the ANZAC Club, Perth.
Television
Larry Emdur honours backside tattoo vow after Gold Logie win
It was a promise he never expected to follow through on.
Larry Emdur has been tattooed live on television after winning Australian television’s highest honour, and now has his fellow Gold Logie nominees’ initials inked on his bottom, report three of News Corp’s finest – Kathy McCabe, Jonathan Moran and Briana Domjen.
JM, AL, RI, TA, SK, AK will forever remain on Emdur’s behind, representing Julia Morris, Andy Lee, Robert Irwin, Tony Armstrong, Sonia Kruger and Asher Keddie.
It came after Emdur’s triumphant Gold Logie win at the 64th annual awards on Sunday night.
“Is this permanent,” he said. “Can I just tell you one thing, that love bite there, it is actually from Ant Middleton.”
Bondi Ink artist Zach Spiros had the honour of tattooing the 59-year-old Aussie TV icon.
[Read more and see photos of Larry’s backside]
Trent Dalton reveals new project after Logies win: Another Netflix collaboration
After the television adaptation of his much-loved novel, Boy Swallows Universe, was the star of the Logie Awards, Trent Dalton has announced his next move, reports News Corp’s Frances Whiting.
Author and journalist Dalton will now work with Netflix to turn his 2023 novel, Lola in the Mirror, into a television show, he and producer Troy Lum said Sunday night at the Logies.
And he is also working on another new production – a stage adaptation of his Love Stories novel, with the Brisbane Festival.
Love comes in all forms, all colours and by many different roads, as Dalton found out when he sat on the corner of Brisbane’s Adelaide and Albert streets in the autumn of 2021. Dalton asked passers-by to tell him their love stories, the result was a best-selling book, Love Stories, and now a stage production of the same name.
Part of the Brisbane Festival, Love Stories will take some of the real life stories from the book to the stage.
“It was a long way from doing pie nights”: Eddie recalls Footy Show
The show was never far from controversy, but for a huge chunk of its 25 years The Footy Show was also must-see TV, including for non-football fans, reports TV Tonight.
The AFL show drew upon Nine’s heritage of Live television from “Television City’ in Burnley Street, Richmond when it hit screens in 1994.
Anchor and producer Eddie McGuire tells TV Tonight a new two-part retrospective special, 30 Years of the Footy Show, began with a nod to the past.
“On the first ever show we did, when I walked out, we broke into the Don Lane theme song and that was an homage to all that had gone before us in Studio Nine, from Graham to Bert and Don, Ernie and Denise, all those great shows that we grew up with, with a nod to Lou (Richards), Jack (Dyer) and Bob (Davis) and the team at World of Sport on Seven,” he recalls.
“We were unashamedly saying that they were the great influences on us.”
Olympic Gold Jess Fox medallist replaces Karl Stefanovic on Nine’s Today desk
Karl Stefanovic celebrated turning the big 5-0 last week and those celebrations are kicking on with the Today host taking some well-deserved time off, following Nine’s Paris 2024 coverage, to spend some quality time with his family, reports 9News’ Tom Livingstone.
Sports presenter Alex Cullen filled in for Karl alongside Sarah Abo, but this meant we were one down for someone to take on Alex’s role.
Luckily for Today viewers, 3X Olympic Gold medallist and Paris 2024 superstar, Jess Fox was on hand to fill in for Alex with reading the latest sports news. Fox was also on duty on Today on Tuesday morning too.
Fox was also a guest presenter at the TV Week Logie Awards on Sunday night.
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