Business of Media
Digital to be key ad battleground this federal election
The 2022 federal election advertising war will be fought on television, but the rise of audiences watching free-to-air through broadcast video-on-demand (BVOD) apps like 7plus or 9Now will help political messages be more targeted at specific audiences than during the 2019 election, reports AFR’s Miranda Ward.
As the Prime Minister has officially called the federal election, legislation now kicks in allowing more political ads on commercial free-to-air television, with free-to-air TV, radio and outdoor billboards to be used to communicate the party’s big messaging, such as broad policy ads and easy to digest grabs like Albanese’s pledge to be a leader “who shows up, who takes responsibility and who works with people” and Scott Morrison’s “that’s why I love Australia”.
“The battleground will be how they can use each medium – TV, outdoor, radio, print, online and social – to tailor a specific message to the various groups and demographics they need to talk to,” said media agency Spark Foundry Australia’s Sue-Ellen Osborn.
“TV will be the medium wherein they can establish the overarching core headline message that they want all people to believe. Social environments will be where they can become more specific and persuasive with their message – including to try to convert the undecided in a more nuanced way.”
Morrison government considers banning TV fee for placement
Communications Minister Paul Fletcher may ban TV manufacturers and digital TV operating systems from demanding payment from free-to-air broadcasters to ensure they are featured prominently on smart TVs, reports AFR’s Miranda Ward.
The government did not tackle the issue of the prominence of free-to-air services on smart TVs and other connected devices in its February media reforms.
Instead, it has established a working group of free-to-air broadcasters, consumer and broadcast technology bodies, transmission infrastructure providers and smart television manufacturers to examine the prominence issue, which met for the first time on Friday.
Commercial radio and TV broadcasters cry poor over blackout laws on political advertising
Contentious media blackout laws that prevent commercial radio and television stations from airing political advertising in the final days of election campaigns will remain in place for the upcoming federal poll, despite repeated calls from industry leaders for the bans to be scrapped, reports News Corp’s Sophie Elsworth.
The laws prohibit political advertising on radio and TV three days from election day, meaning broadcasters potentially miss out on millions of dollar from political parties wishing to spruik their last-minute messages to voters.
Industry body Commercial Radio Australia’s chief executive officer Joan Warner said it was a disappointment the rules had not been changed in time for the May 21 election.
Agencies
‘Silent threat’: Ad agency wants to help businesses navigate sustainability
Advertising agency TBWA\Melbourne is pushing into the sustainability space, launching a sustainability practice to help businesses navigate the “silent threat” of sustainability and realise the commercial benefits of tackling social problems, reports AFR’s Miranda Ward.
TBWA\Sustain, as the practice is called, applies the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals to re-work the way businesses operate to better understand the commercial opportunities in embracing sustainability across all areas from climate action to gender equality, and responsible consumption and production.
“Fundamentally we see the growth opportunity to work with businesses to re-engineer the way they do business to realise the potency that comes at the commercial level,” said TBWA\Melbourne chief executive Kimberlee Wells.
The practice is designed to help align an organisation on its sustainability goals and targets to ensure all members of the business, in particular the C-Suite, are on the same page and then to amplify that narrative to the business’s customers or other stakeholders.
News Brands
‘Not all about 7.30’: Why Scott Morrison spurned Leigh Sales
The campaign is finally under way, and Leigh Sales is making no secret of her demand that Scott Morrison appear at least twice on 7.30 before election day on May 21, reports News Corp’s Nick Tabakoff.
In total, Sales wants the PM to have appeared on her show three times in the space of little more than six weeks. In a feisty pre-campaign interview between Sales and Morrison last Tuesday, the 7.30 host continually grilled the PM in an attempt to extract a commitment that he would do two interviews with her once the campaign was under way.
But Diary is told that while the Morrison camp isn’t at this point ruling out two campaign interviews with Sales, they’re definitely not ruling it in either. Some on the government side believe that allowing two more interviews with the 7.30 host after last week’s effort on 7.30 could add up to overkill.
Television
Last major US content deal up for grabs as NBCU delays local Peacock launch
US film studio giant NBCUniversal has delayed plans to launch its streaming service Peacock in the Australian market, setting the stage for a fierce battle between the nation’s commercial networks for the last major Hollywood content deal, reports SMH’s Zoe Samios.
The Comcast-controlled media company flew in Justin Che, NBCU’s managing director – Asia Pacific from Singapore several weeks ago to formally start the process of selling its programs, films and channels in Australia. Several industry sources, who spoke anonymously because the talks are confidential, said the company has met with local media executives that are expected to bid against one another for the content over the next few months, given most existing deals expire in December.
NBCU’s negotiations will be fiercely competitive and expensive as they could be the last major content discussions to occur in the Australian market. Other international players such as Disney and Paramount have already taken back content from local networks and launched direct-to-consumer streaming services.
The decision to strike a content deal delays NBCU’s previous plan to launch its streaming service Peacock into the market, or tie-up with a local player such as Seven West Media, which held joint venture talks with the company. NBCU has had commercial deals in place with Stan and Foxtel for several years, but these agreements have become critical as the market fragments and international production companies take back content for their own services.
Viewers complain to Australia’s TV watchdog about scandalous, sexy MAFS
Reality TV soap opera Married At First Sight has attracted a raft of complaints from viewers to the Australian TV watchdog, reports News Corp’s Fiona Byrne.
The Australian Commercial Media Authority revealed it had received 40 viewer complaints related to this season of the controversial top-rating show.
The ACMA said in a statement “most of the contacts referred to allegations of inappropriate sexual content or treatment of participants.”
Under the broadcasting co-regulatory system, complainants have been directed to Channel 9.
Sport Media
Melbourne Press Club decision to annul Age journalist Sam McClure’s 2020 Quill award was ‘flawed’
The controversial decision to strip an Age sports reporter of a prestigious Victorian media prize was “flawed” and the award should be reinstated to the journalist, an independent review has found, reports News Corp’s Sophie Elsworth.
The decision by the Melbourne Press Club board to annul Sam McClure’s 2020 Quill Award in the sports news category was heavily criticised by many in media circles and prompted the review by four independent panellists, who spent weeks scrutinising the MPC board’s process.
The 15-page review, which is due to be discussed at the MPC board meeting on Wednesday, criticises the unanimous decision to strip McClure of the award – a decision taken after issues arose about his reports on the Adelaide Crows’ 2018 training camp.
Foxtel, Stan fight for their rights to boxing and UFC
Foxtel is seeking to further capitalise on the burgeoning fan base of Australian boxing and UFC, locking in broadcast deals to a series of key fights this year as it looks to strengthen its stranglehold on the sports, reports News Corp’s James Madden.
As part of its partnership with pay-per-view channel Main Event, Foxtel (part-owned by News Corp, publisher of The Australian) announced earlier this month it had secured the rights to three world title fights involving Australian boxers in 2022, the first of which will be George Kambosos’ bout against US star Devin Haney in Melbourne in June. Australian boxers Tim Tszyu and Jai Opetaia will also compete for respective world titles this year.
Head of pay per view at Foxtel Conor Woods said the talented cohort of young Australian boxers represents a “golden age” for the sport, and as such it was increasingly attractive from a broadcasting perspective.