Business of Media
Netflix asks brands to buy more ads on shows with sex and violence
Netflix has asked major brands to lower their advertising standards and market their goods alongside shows that feature sex scenes, violence and nudity after it sold more ads than it could show, reports Nine Publishing’s Sam Buckingham-Jones.
One month after Netflix began offering a cut-price, ad-funded tier for $6.99 a month – $4 lower than its cheapest ad-free price – the platform has started sharing results with brands from their first few weeks. Many have found that only a few of their ads have run.
In the month before launch, Netflix and its advertising sales and technology partner Microsoft went to major advertisers and asked for upfront commitments of advertising spending, discounting prices for those willing to commit more.
Multiple advertising executives with knowledge of specific Netflix ad campaigns said some brands committed hundreds of thousands of dollars and, due to either a small audience or strict content rules, spent less than $1000 in the first month.
Brands like alcohol giant Beam Suntory, National Australia Bank and Chemist Warehouse are among those said to have allocated money that went largely unspent.
Shows including Peaky Blinders, Outlander, Emily in Paris and Suits are tagged as having sex scenes or violence, which fall foul of “brand safety” guidelines built into advertising systems. Many companies do not want their ads running alongside raunchy or violent content because they want to avoid being associated with it.
Emma Tucker is named new editor of The Wall Street Journal, succeeding Matt Murray
News Corp named veteran U.K. journalist Emma Tucker as the next editor in chief of The Wall Street Journal, succeeding Matt Murray, who oversaw significant digital growth and guided the news organization through the Covid-19 pandemic, report The Wall Street Journal’s Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg and Alexandra Bruell.
Tucker, 56 years old, will assume her new position on Feb. 1, the company said Monday. Murray, also 56, will work with Tucker during a transition period until March 1. He will then continue in a senior position at News Corp, where he will work on new projects and report to Chief Executive Robert Thomson.
“As a long-time admirer and reader of the brilliant journalism of The Wall Street Journal, it is my honor to edit this great newspaper,” Tucker said in a statement. “I can’t wait to work with the entire team at the Journal and my new colleagues at Dow Jones, who have done so much in recent years to publish journalism that matters and set new records along the way.”
Tucker, who will be the first woman to lead the Journal, has served as editor of the Sunday Times, another News Corp publication, since January 2020. Among her achievements was the outlet’s coverage of the pandemic, which began early in her tenure, including a widely read article examining the British government’s missteps in preventing the spread of the virus.
Bruce Lehrmann could be paid up to $250,000 in sit down interview with Seven
Bruce Lehrmann’s team has held talks with Seven over a potential sit down interview which sources claim could be worth up to $250,000, reports News Corp’s Samantha Maiden.
The former Liberal staffer, who was previously charged with one count of sex without consent with Brittany Higgins has always denied the allegation and was never convicted of a crime. The DPP dropped the charge on December 2 citing Brittany Higgins’ mental health.
As Higgins’ lawyers prepares to hold mediation talks this week over her $3 million compensation claim against the Commonwealth on Tuesday, Lehrmann is weighing whether or not to talk to a TV network about the trial, the decision to charge him and the decision to drop the charge.
It follows bombshell revelations the police had doubts there was enough evidence to convict and did not want him charged and were fighting with the Director of Public Prosecutions over the matter.
Lehrmann’s friend, former Liberal staffer and colourful political strategist John Macgowan, who attended the trial with him on most days with his legal team, has held talks with journalists from the Seven Network but no decision has been made on who will conduct the interview.
Custody dispute over Oscar the cavoodle ends up in defamation courts
A loving family setting for Oscar the cavoodle was ripped apart by a custody battle between his three “parents” broadcast on A Current Affair and fought in NSW courts, reports Nine Publishing’s Miklos Bolza.
On Monday, Sydney barrister Gina Edwards launched her defamation hearing against Nine Network over reports she claimed openly lied about her attempts to retrieve Oscar as his legal owner.
In the Federal Court, barrister Sue Chrysanthou, SC, said Edwards was well regarded in professional circles before the ACA reports in May and July 2021, particularly because of her volunteering and work in criminal law.
This reputation was damaged, however, by Nine’s defamatory reports which claimed she stole the prize pooch and improperly delayed court proceedings so she could retain ownership of the animal.
Agencies
Havas Media Group’s Francis Coady joins Surfing NSW board
Francis Coady, entertainment, content, and communication expert, is preparing to ride a new wave with Surfing NSW.
In addition to his role as Havas Media Group chief marketing and content officer, he will join the Surfing NSW board in December to champion his support for the Olympic sport.
Surfing NSW chairman John O’Neill and the board were delighted to welcome Coady as the first full non-COVID summer in two years kicks off.
“Surfing in NSW has never had more opportunity than it does leading into 2023,” said O’Neill.
Vistar Media and UM reveal the impact of programmatic DOOH on online traffic performance
Vistar Media and UM announced the results of an ANZ industry-first study that sought to understand the customer journey from traditional and programmatic out-of-home (OOH) advertising exposure to online conversion.
The collaboration between Vistar Media and UM uncovers fresh insights to guide how brands can measure the direct association between OOH advertising exposure and the online conversion of target customer segments.
Applying anonymous consumer movement data to DOOH locations and ad serving times, and overlapping these unified identities with correlated anonymous website visits, successfully measured the consumer journey.
UM and HBF selected industry leading third-party verification partner OIS to independently verify the campaign delivery data that formed the basis of this research. OIS ensured that the reporting across tens of millions of data points was granular, accurate and consistent.
Television
NITV celebrates 10 years on free-to-air
In a busy media landscape, it’s easy to overlook just how the unique positioning of one channel has impacted the lives of its audience, those behind the scenes and all of those it so powerfully represents, reports SBS’s Melissa Compagnoni.
NITV began delivering authentic First Nations’ perspectives free-to-air for SBS at noon on 12 December, 2012, launching live from Uluru, our nation’s heart.
The broadcaster had come into existence five years earlier, in July 2007, but was being beamed out via paid subscription channels.
SBS launch hosts in 2012 were Stan Grant and Rhoda Roberts.
Nine years’ later, Roberts, a Widjabal Wia-bal woman, was engaged as SBS inaugural Elder in Residence. A longstanding advocate for First Nations-led media, she says she sensed that having a national Indigenous network was going to be truly enabling.
Paul Barry signs on to top Media Watch record
Media Watch host Paul Barry will in 2023 finally surpass the show’s founder, Stuart Littlemore, by officially claiming the longest unbroken stint on the ABC media watchdog, reports The Australian’s Nick Tabakoff.
Barry has confirmed to Diary that he will take charge of Media Watch yet again next year, after agreeing terms on a fresh one-year deal.
He has told your columnist: “I think about retiring every year. But I’m still enjoying it.”
Putin cancels annual marathon year-end TV news conference
President Vladimir Putin will not hold his traditional televised year-end news conference this month, the Kremlin said on Monday, 10 months into Russia’s stuttering invasion of Ukraine, reports Reuters.
The event is a staple of Putin’s calendar, giving him the chance to showcase his command of issues and his stamina as he sits alone on a stage in a large auditorium for a question-and-answer session with reporters that can last more than four hours.
But the war, which began on Feb. 24, has not gone well for Putin. His forces were beaten back from the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on, and have suffered major battlefield setbacks in the east and south of Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked in a call with reporters whether a date had been set for this year’s “big news conference”, and replied: “No, there won’t be one before the new year.”