Business of Media
Hey Hey, It’s Saturday! stars among guests at John Blackman private funeral
Hey Hey, It’s Saturday! star John Blackman has been remembered as a “loving” man with “razor sharp wit” by family and long-time friends, reports News Corp’s Olivia Jenkins.
Blackman, 76, died on June 4 of a suspected heart attack after undergoing surgery amid a long battle with ill health. Mourners gathered to farewell the television and radio great at a private ceremony on Sunday afternoon.
Among them was a raft of Australian show business luminaries, including actor and comedian Glenn Robbins, actor Rhonda Burchmore, television presenter Eddie McGuire, television industry veteran Pam Barnes and Channel 9 personality Livinia Nixon.
Purpose-driven marketing finds its meaning at Cannes Lions
Purpose in marketing has finally found its, well, purpose, as brands find the path to authentic connections with social causes and drive profit in the process, reports The Australian’s Danielle Long.
Purpose-driven marketing was one theme dominating conversations at this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in France.
The week-long festival, which attracts business, marketing, media and creative leaders from around the world, serves as a litmus test for the broader marketing and advertising trends that are set to dominate in the coming year.
Paramount Global to raise prices for its streaming plans
Paramount Global is raising subscription rates for its flagship streaming services, the media giant said on Monday, as it looks to recalibrate its business and pay off debt, reports Reuters.
The revision in pricing comes at a time when merger talks between Non-Executive Chairwoman Shari Redstone and David Ellison‘s Skydance Media for a potential sale of Redstone’s controlling stake in Paramount Global to the independent studio have failed, according to sources.
Radio
Joe Hildebrand: Witchy spell not the reason for Kyle and Jackie O’s ratings hell
Like a landed fish flapping on the deck, I had thought the social media outrage industry was firmly – or rather floppily – in its death throes, reports News Corp’s Joe Hildebrand.
Surely the idiocy of cancel culture has, by now, finally been cancelled. But it seems there is still a death twitch or two to go before rigor mortis finally sets in.
This became sadly apparent when I happened across a story in the Nine newspapers about a campaign by the online activist(s) “Mad F***ing Witches” to cancel Kyle Sandilands.
Television
Comedy panels over smart analysis? That’s not what the ABC needs right now
The ABC has been refreshing its line-up, filling program holes and trying to fix some nagging problems. A gentle evolution more than a revolution, the push is fronted by a reliable posse of personable presenters, familiar faces who the broadcaster hopes will bring viewers with them, reports Nine Publishing’s Debi Enker.
The mess of 9.30 on Monday nights has been filled, at least for now, by the new sports talk show, Monday’s Experts. Recently launched, it is presented by a couple of the network’s shiniest stars, the already celebrated Tony Armstrong and a proven talent in sports reporter Catherine Murphy.
Everything the new Media Watch host shouldn’t be, according to ABC reporters
The shock news that Paul Barry is stepping down from hosting one of the ABC’s most-watched programs, Media Watch, has naturally inspired a slew of speculation over who might be his replacement, reports Crikey’s Daanyal Saeed.
Barry has hosted the program for 11 years, the latest in a long line of experienced journalists to have held the role. Rumours are rife as to who might take his place — including about cartoon blue heelers and former employees — so Crikey asked 14 ABC journalists who they wanted in the job.
“These guys are the smartest, funniest producers in the country and they’re handing over the wheel to us.”
Tim McDonald and Melanie Bracewell still can’t believe their luck in hosting, and leading the editorial direction, of 10’s The Cheap Seats, reports TV Tonight.
McDonald recently told TV Tonight how the show is put together each week, poring over video clips.
“Show-wise it’s Mel and me, and we’ve got a small team of researchers who help us watch stuff. But honestly Mel and I spend a lot of time over the five days watching stuff. We meet up on a Monday morning and it’s just the two of us putting the show together,” he explained.
Sports Media
Ten seconds into this Origin ad, Queensland had seen enough
Queensland officials have described the decision to use Joseph Suaalii’s illegal Origin I tackle on Reece Walsh as part of the promotion for game two as “inappropriate and totally wrong”, reports Nine Publishing’s Christian Nicolussi.
Host TV broadcaster Channel Nine, owner of this masthead, rolled out the first of its TV commercials over the weekend, promoting Wednesday’s must-win second game for the NSW Blues.
Ten seconds into the 50-second ad, slow-motion footage of Suaalii lining up Walsh appears. The actual moment Walsh is hit in the head is not in the advertisement.