Business of Media
TV networks look to shift ratings measurement to seven-day model
Overnight television ratings look set to be dumped in favour of a weekly reporting model, with Australia’s television networks closing in on an industry agreement to shift to the seven-day schedule in order to capture the growing numbers of viewers who watch “catch-up TV”, reports News Corp’s James Madden.
The plan, which would likely inflate the audience numbers of the network’s prime-time shows by between 20 and 40 per cent, would overturn the decades-old practice of overnight ratings reports.
The urgency of the proposal — The Australian understands that the majority of free-to-air broadcasters are keen to have such a model in place by next month — comes as audiences continue the shift away from linear TV in favour of catch-up television services including ABC iview, 7plus, 10play and 9Now, and subscription services such as Kayo and BINGE.
Netflix Australia revenue grows off major Covid-19 streaming boom
A coronavirus pandemic-related streaming boom has directly benefited Netflix Australia, with the video giant growing its local revenue by 17 per cent last year as more people were forced to stay at home, reports The Sydney Morning Herald’s Zoe Samios.
Documents filed to the Australian Securities and Investment Commission show the company, known for shows such as Bridgerton, The Crown and The Queen’s Gambit, made $20.5 million in local revenue and a profit of $878,234 in the year ending December 31. The figures do not include local subscriber revenue, which is collected at Netflix Australia’s parent company in the Netherlands, but indicate growth in users through large increases in certain fees.
The streaming giant paid $553,705 in local income tax, up 14 per cent on the previous year because of higher non-deductable tax expenses.
“We comply with all Australian and international tax law,” a Netflix spokesperson said. “In addition, we continue to invest aggressively in Australian content.”
Nine Entertainment is under fire for its handling of dozens of jobs losses in regional areas
Nine Entertainment has been criticised for “exceptionally poor” communication after sacking dozens of staff across regional Australia and leaving many in limbo about their departures, reports News Corp’s Sophie Elsworth.
TV reporters and cameramen are among more than 60 staff whose jobs will be cut when the media company’s broadcast deal with Southern Cross Austereo ends on June 30.
One insider said many staff were extremely upset and had been left in limbo, not knowing whether they still had a job with Nine, would be given a redundancy, or would be offered help to find work elsewhere.
“There’s people in tears that are leaving, they know they’re leaving but they don’t know when, how, or if they are going to get offered another job,” the source said.
News Brands
The Australian makes changes to its media and Canberra reporting teams
After a decade reporting mostly in Canberra for the national broadsheet, Rosie Lewis has been promoted to political correspondent in the federal parliamentary press gallery.
And in another change announced on Saturday, James Madden has been named media editor of The Australian, and will be joined as a media writer by Sophie Elsworth.
Photo: James Madden, Rosie Lewis and Sophie Elsworth
Lewis began her career at The Australian in Sydney in 2011 and has covered six federal budgets, three prime ministers and two elections.
Madden joined The Australian in 1999, covering courts, crime and politics in Sydney and Melbourne before being appointed Sydney chief-of-staff in 2011. He rose through the news editing ranks to become national chief-of-staff.
Elsworth started her career at the Herald Sun in Melbourne and went on to work as a reporter at The Advertiser in Adelaide and The Courier-Mail in Brisbane.
“Rosie is an exceptional reporter, and has become a genuine leader among the new generation of political journalists in Canberra. Her elevation to one of our key political posts is testament to her determination and skill,” editor-in-chief Christopher Dore said. “Media is such a fascinating story and The Australian will continue to lead the industry coverage under James’s leadership, backed up by Sophie’s news-breaking credentials.”
Chris Bowen ‘boned’ for Q+A diversity quota
The ABC’s Q+A has over the years had to face down repeated claims from the Coalition side of politics that it has leant to the left. But in the last few days, we hear it’s the Labor side of the political fence that’s cranky with Aunty’s flagship panel show, reports News Corp’s Nick Tabakoff.
Diary is told that Labor’s Chris Bowen, the man who could have been treasurer in a Shorten government, expressed his displeasure with Q+A after he was snubbed by the show. But what magnified the snub from Bowen’s perspective is that he was passed over in his capacity as Labor’s climate change spokesman for a Q+A episode titled “Climate, Politics and Fossil Fools”.
However, this column has since established that the main reason Bowen was excluded from the panel was for “gender diversity” reasons.
Publishing
‘Make her skin a little lighter’: Editor Justine Cullen exposes realities of decades in mags
Elle Australia’s former editor-in-chief Justine Cullen has laid bare some of the realities of working in the magazine industry, including a request to lighten the skin of US celebrity Beyoncé and Photo-shop celebrity heads onto preferred bodies, reports Sydney Morning Herald‘s Zoe Samios.
Cullen, who left the helm of fashion bible Elle after five years in 2018, has claimed her decision to leave the title was over concerns it would not survive a year under its then-owners Bauer Media.
“I love Elle. For many years I thought I’d be one of those editors that died there or that they’d have to build me an office and I’d be turning about 80,” she told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age ahead of the release of her new novel, Semi-Gloss. “But when I was looking at the industry, and particularly [Bauer Media] … I had to make some tough calls. One of those was where would Elle be in five years under Bauer or even one year? And where did I want to be? And did those places collide? Sadly, as much as I loved the job, the answer was no.”
Television
Eddie McGuire’s career sashaying into US dance show market
Eddie McGuire is making a move into the US market with his TV production company, reports News Corp’s Fiona Byrne.
McGuire’s JAM TV is deep in pre-production at Melbourne’s Docklands Studios with the US series Come Dance With Me.
Come Dance With Me is a new format for CBS in America with Philip Lawrence, best known for his song writing partnership with Bruno Mars, as host and Jenna Dewan, a dancer and former wife of Magic Mike star Channing Tatum, one of the judges.
It is understood contestants are also being flown in from the US and will undertake mandatory quarantine before filming gets underway later this month.
The series is being shot in Melbourne for the US market.
Stars of new Netflix show Byron Baes ‘furious’ over press release
Stars of Netflix’s new reality TV series Byron Baes were left furious over a tongue-in-cheek press release about the controversial show, reports News Corp’s Mibengé Nsenduluka.
Netflix’s Director of Originals in Australia, Que Minh Luu, confirmed there’s been drama both on and off the set as members of the cast, which includes local models, musicians and business owners, were unhappy with a recent media announcement in which they were referred to as “influencers” and “hot Instagrammers”.
“They are artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, business owners, models, on a spiritual journey and more. They understand the power of influence. They are part of Byron. They understand the creative vision of the show that has been developed with them over several months,” Luu wrote on Twitter.
“Most of them hated the press release too! Did a lot of apologising that week. Fired the PR team (lol joking about firing, we’re all learning together).”
Luu was responding to growing criticism surrounding the show, including calls for a boycott from Byron Bay locals who worry the show will perpetuate stereotypes and attract the “wrong crowd” to the tourist hot spot.
The Chase crew welcomes new host Larry Emdur with open arms
The past few months has seen a change of city and the high-profile change of host for Seven’s top-rated quiz staple The Chase, reports News Corp’s Amy Harris.
Word from the set of the long-running afternoon game show is that the arrival of Larry Emdur is proving to be a hit with the show’s crew as well as network management.
Emdur replaced the embattled former host Andrew O’Keefe after the latter was charged for allegedly assaulting his partner in January.
According to insiders, which include both production and technical crew, Emdur has been operating like a “pro” since his arrival early last month, with his episodes set to begin airing in the coming weeks once the backlog of O’Keefe-helmed shows has been cleared.
Sam Newman ‘devastated’ by sudden death of wife Amanda Brown
Football and TV legend Sam Newman has been left devastated following the sudden death of his wife, who was on Sunday night remembered as a “wonderful” person, reports News Corp’s Fiona Byrne and Jackie Epstein.
Amanda Brown, 50, was found by the Geelong great lying on the floor of their Docklands apartment on Saturday night.
Emergency services advised they responded to reports of a cardiac arrest.
Ms Brown was said to be unresponsive.
“I’m just devastated, I can’t say anything else,” Newman told the Herald Sun.
Sport
Super Rugby TV ratings slump 57 per cent in two months
Super Rugby’s television audience has dropped dramatically over the course of the regular 2021 season, with ratings for the weekly live game on Nine slumping by 57 per cent in just two months, reports News Corp’s James Madden.
As part of its three-year, $100 million broadcast rights deal with Rugby Australia — signed last November — Nine aired one Super Rugby match each week during the season, with the remaining games shown on its subscription streaming service Stan.
While Stan hasn’t released any audience numbers for its Super Rugby coverage, the ratings for the weekly free-to-air match screened on 9Gem fell away badly throughout the 10-week regular season, particularly in the key capital city markets.
The opening match of the season between the Queensland Reds and the NSW Waratahs, on February 19, drew a healthy audience of 121,000 across the five-city metro market, but by Round 10, the weekly fixture on 9Gem was pulling just 52,000 — a drop of 57 per cent, according to ratings service OzTAM.
Bruce McAvaney won’t travel to Tokyo for Olympics
Broadcasting legend Bruce McAvaney will not be in Tokyo for this year’s Olympic Games reports News Corp’s Fiona Byrne.
McAvaney, who has long been the passionate and authoritative voice of Channel 7’s Olympic coverage, has confirmed he will remain in Australia rather than travel to Japan in July for the Games.
The decision should not come as a shock considering the worrying COVID-19 situation in Japan and expected stringent quarantine requirements.