Business of Media
Free-to-air calls for fair play on digital TVs
Free-to-air television lobby group Free TV has called for a mandatory industry code to require TV manufacturers to make free-to-air TV services easy to find on connected or smart televisions, reports AFR‘s Miranda Ward.
In its submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) discussion paper on the progress of its digital platforms inquiry, Free TV argued TV manufacturers and operating system developers (often Google’s Android) exert control over which apps and channels are presented to consumers, and direct viewers to services that can pay for preferred placement on the TV’s home screen.
“This gateway control imposed by TV manufacturers and operating system providers creates a competition issue that should be addressed by a new mandatory code under the CCA,” the submission said.
Telstra marketing chief moves to new role
Telstra is on the hunt for a new chief marketing officer as Jeremy Nicholas moves sideways into a digital role, reports AFR‘s Miranda Ward.
Nicholas’ shift was announced internally in February following the announcement that Jenni Barnett, Telstra’s previous digital executive, was leaving the company.
Public news of the changes comes after the resignation of chief executive Andy Penn last week.
Nicholas, who joined Telstra in July 2016 as executive director of marketing, is understood to have had a close relationship with outgoing boss Penn.
Elon Musk hints at a change of character for Twitter
He has caused havoc with his Twitter account. Now Elon Musk has signalled his intention to change the social media company, having become the largest shareholder with a board seat, reports Callum Jones and Poppy Koronka.
One of Twitter’s most controversial figures, with more than 80 million followers, the world’s richest man acquired a 9.2 per cent stake in the company this week and promised “significant improvements”.
Musk, 50, the boss of the electric car-maker Tesla, has started polling his followers on one proposed change to Twitter’s format — whether users should be able to edit tweets once they are posted. Four million have voted on the proposal.
Agencies
Hardie Grant Media acquires The Reload Group
Hardie Grant Media has announced it has acquired The Reload Group.
The Reload Group is made up of UK-based eCommerce and retail agency Reload Digital, digital transformation consulting firm Reload Consulting and digital marketing agency Reload Media.
Managing director Craig Somerville will continue to lead Reload, with the support of Reload Media managing director Alexandra Gannon, general manager of growth and development Marnie Whitten and general manager Adam Clarke.
Reload is the fourth agency to join Hardie Grant Media’s marketing network in recent years starting with production company Sherpa in 2018, PR agency tide.pr, content agency Heads & Tales and Slattery Media Group in 2019.
Hardie Grant Media’s acquisition of Reload is the company’s first presence in Brisbane, including a team of 25 in London. This will also give the agency the chance to launch in Sydney and Melbourne.
This comes after the agency’s reported revenue for the last financial year was $12.6 million, not including media.
Television
ITV Studios post-production boss: “When it comes down to it, I can’t make you say that thing”
Speaking at Screen Forever last week Jaala Webster, Creative Head of Post, ITV Studios Australia, was asked how much of the genre is storylined in the edit suite, reports TV Tonight.
“I definitely think it depends on the type of show. There’s two very different ways of making Reality television. One is a long form show, something like MAFS, which is shot over a long period of time,” she said.
“Then you’ve got something like I’m A Celebrity or Love Island… so we shoot that day, and it goes out that night or the next day. So depending on those shows we can maybe fix something in the edit.
“But when it comes down to it I can’t make you say that thing. We have a thing called “Frankengrab” which is basically like where you might take different parts of what someone has said, and you can make a cleaner sentence, which is generally what we use it for.
“I can’t Frankengrab you together having a fight with someone. I don’t have the capacity to do that. So if you look back in the edit, it’s probably because you did say or do something not so great. I can of course heighten that by the music choices I make for the scene, or how I juxtapose that with the scenes before and after.”
Block season hits snag
Filming of the mega reality renovation series The Block has stopped before it even started owing to Covid, reports News Corp’s Fiona Byrne.
Filming was set to get under way on Wednesday at the show’s Gisborne South site however a contestant returned a positive Covid test while final preparations were being made on Tuesday.
The contestant is in isolation and filming has been postponed by a week.
The remaining four teams of contestants are cooling their heels in Melbourne waiting for the new go date.
Channel Nine confirmed The Block had been hit by a Covid delay.
Brian Walsh asks broadcasters how often they socialise with their competitors?
Last week Foxtel’s Brian Walsh drew upon those words when he was conducting In Conversation chats with broadcasters at Screen Forever 2022.
Just how often do our current network execs socialise with their competition?
Seven’s Brook Hall replied, “I’ve got pretty good relationships with most people. It’s not quite the same as adversary days of the past. You’ve always got to be careful. They can be great because they can be the people that know most what you’re going through. But you’ve got to be a bit careful not to say something that might give them enough advantage. There’s always that fine line to dance here. Everyone is honest and having a great time as possible, but you can’t give something away that could come back to bite you as well.
Nine’s Adrian Swift revealed he didn’t catch up socially with Seven but added, “We’ve got quite a good relationship with 10.”
“Why is that?” asked Walsh.
“Who knows, Brian. It’s not coming from us. Can I be honest? Angus, Brook -anytime! I’m available to be bought dinner!”
Network 10 believes ‘Neighbours’ could return one day
“Neighbours” is due to come to an end on Aug. 1 in both Australia and the UK, but its Australian broadcaster Network 10 is still holding onto hope there could be a future for the show, reports Variety Australia’s Vivienne Kelly.
Beverley McGarvey, chief content officer and executive vice president of Paramount ANZ – Network 10’s parent company – said she is “still grasping at faint hope” the show could find a funding partner.
“Obviously the show had two commissioners and unfortunately the UK for their own good reasons wanted to invest their money into UK content. And unfortunately Fremantle were unable to find another UK partner,” she said at last week’s Screen Forever conference.
“Unfortunately unless they find international partners, it’s not possible for us to continue … There’s been a lot of attempts to restructure things and trying to work out how it’s possible.”
Despite the immense scale of the problem, it appears McGarvey hasn’t quite let go, admitting 10 would love to be able to keep doing the show.
“Now maybe I am an optimist, but I am still grasping at the faint hope that someday they will find another partner and we would love to continue to be the Australian partner,” she said.