Business of Media
Netflix CFO has no plans for advertising but ‘never say never’
A senior Netflix Inc executive said the company had no current plans to offer a streaming option that included advertising but declined to rule it out in the future, reports Reuters’ Lisa Richwine.
“Never say never,” CFO Spencer Neumann said when asked if the company would change its long-standing position that its service should remain ad-free, adding “it’s not something in our plan right now.”
Some Wall Street analysts have urged Netflix, the world’s largest streaming service, to develop a lower-cost tier with advertising to boost revenue. The company’s pace of new subscribers has slowed in recent quarters, and Netflix shares have fallen nearly 43% this year.
Walt Disney Co on Friday announced it would offer an ad-supported streaming option for Disney+, joining AT&T’s WarnerMedia, Comcast Corp and others trying to attract customers who are willing to watch commercials to avoid paying a monthly fee.
Madeleine West tilts at NSW parliament
Actor Madeleine West has announced she will run as a candidate in the next NSW election, reports TV Tonight.
West (Neighbours, Playing for Keeps, Underbelly), is based in the Northern Rivers region which has been decimated by floods.
She told Studio 10 she would make a tile at state parliament.
“There is a point in time where you stop talking, and you start doing. I’m not agitating to see change anymore. I want to be change. So today I’m formally announcing that I intend to run for State parliament at the New South Wales elections next year,” she said.
Advertiser group asks Nielsen to pause “Big Data” releases
An industry trade group is again calling out Nielsen for what it perceives as flaws in the company’s measurement, reports The Hollywood Reporter’s Rick Porter.
The Video Advertising Bureau, which represents TV networks and ad firms, asks in a letter for Nielsen to stop any further “big data” releases regarding the ad market after finding what is says are several inconsistencies in the first month’s worth of such data. Nielsen disputes those findings.
And in a devil-you-know situation, the VAB is asking Nielsen to give ad buyers and sellers clarity ahead of the upfront season by relying on its traditional dataset from its national panel — which the VAB has also criticized heavily over the past year.
Amazon to secure unconditional EU approval for $8.5 bln MGM buy
Amazon is expected to win unconditional EU antitrust approval for its $8.5 billion buy of U.S. movie studio MGM, people familiar with the matter said, a move that is set to ramp up competition with streaming rivals Netflix and Disney+, reports Reuters’ Foo Yun Chee.
Announced in May last year, the deal would also strengthen Amazon’s video streaming service, drawing people to subscribe to Amazon Prime, which offers fast shipping and encourages consumers to shop more regularly.
News Brands
The New York Times pulls its news staff from Russia
The New York Times is temporarily removing its journalists from Russia in the wake of harsh new legislation that effectively outlaws independent reporting on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, reports The New York Times‘ Michael M. Grynbaum.
“Russia’s new legislation seeks to criminalize independent, accurate news reporting about the war against Ukraine. For the safety and security of our editorial staff working in the region, we are moving them out of the country for now,” a spokeswoman for The Times, Danielle Rhoades Ha, said in a statement.
“We look forward to them returning as soon as possible while we monitor the application of the new law,” Rhoades Ha said. “We will continue our live, robust coverage of the war and our rigorous reporting on Russia’s offensive in Ukraine and these attempts to stifle independent journalism.”
Agencies
Icon Agency opens its digital production studio
Icon Agency has opened a dedicated digital production studio in inner-Melbourne as it ramps up its content capabilities amid strong growth.
The studio space is located in Richmond’s iconic Rosella Complex and is called The Content Garden. It is a purpose-built creative space for photography, film, social media and web content production.
The studio, which spans more than 600 square metres, will be a hub for emerging digital content creatives, hosting film nights, collaborations and networking events.
The Content Garden will also be home to Icon’s expanded video production division, including a newly created Auslan studio to produce content for deaf, blind and deaf-blind audiences.
Rosella Complex
The independent agency’s co-founder and managing director, Joanne Painter, said The Content Garden responded to the changing needs of Icon’s government and corporate clients.
“The Content Garden lets us produce multi-format, multi-channel content quickly and flexibly in a controlled and COVID-safe environment,” she said.
“And like any thriving garden space, The Content Garden is a place to grow and nurture. The space will be used by film and digital creatives for producing and curating content in all its forms – from podcast series and webinars to long-format film and short animations.
“During COVID, we’ve experienced a significant shift in the way audiences consume digital content. With the launch of The Content Garden, Icon Agency is primed to deliver snackable content to support multi-channel campaigns and briefs,” she added.
In addition to three large-format production studios, The Content Garden also has a sound recording studio, editing suites and a media training space.
Painter said the new venture capped a huge two years which have seen the firm double in size and continue expanding its national footprint.
“We’re really excited about the future of digital storytelling and the opportunity to use this remarkable space to foster the next generation of digital content creators,” she added.
Entertainment
Genesis Owusu, Jerome Farah and May-A voted the winners of Vanda and Young Songwriting contest
“Write from your heart, don’t write what you think people want to hear,” was the first piece of advice emerging pop artist May-A was given when she started penning songs at 13, reports News Corp’s Kathy McCabe.
Following her heart has put the 20-year-old indie pop artist in the winner’s circle with breakout star Genesis Owusu and another rising voice Jerome Farah in the 2022 Vanda and Young Songwriting Competition, the world’s biggest prize for composers.
Owusu took out first place with Gold Chains, his commentary on the smoke and mirrors of the music industry which he said was “inspired by life, the music industry and the reality of certain situations compared to outside misconceptions of them.”
R & B vocalist Farah came second with Mikey Might, a deeply personal song about his struggles with bi-racial identity with the powerful refrain: “Way too white to be a black kid, right? / Not enough to live that white kid life, am I ever gonna feel right?”
And May-A won third place with her sunny pop song Time I Love To Waste about falling in love with a girl at high school.
Television
“Everyone has put network rivalries to one side… for a much more important cause.”
For the first time in 17 years, networks Nine, Seven and 10 will mount a joint broadcast to benefit communities affected by devastating floods in NSW and Queensland, reports TV Tonight.
Hosts include Scott Cam, Sylvia Jeffreys, Andy Lee, Peter Overton Natalie Barr, David Koch, Sonia Kruger, Mark Ferguson, Carrie Bickmore, Dr. Chris Brown, Amanda Keller and Osher Günsberg.
Performers will include Tones And I, Jimmy Barnes, Delta Goodrem, Jon Stevens, Missy Higgins, Jessica Mauboy, Vanessa Amorosi, Hunters and Collectors, Guy Sebastian, Kate Miller-Heidke, The Living End, Casey Donovan and Sheppard.
Executive Producer Brent Williams told TV Tonight network rivalries had been put aside for the event he is bringing together in just a single week.