Wednesday April 10, 2019

10’s Bachelor In Paradise: A second chance for reality TV lovers

Just a day after Nine’s Married At First Sight finished its run, Network 10 launched the second season of Bachelor In Paradise into the timeslot hoping to move across at least some of the big Nine audience.

By James Manning

Network 10 spreads three different executive producers across its three Bachelor franchises – The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and Bachelor In Paradise.

Working as 10’s executive producer this year is Ciaran Flannery.

Apart from a month in Fiji, he also looks after the network’s music show The Loop, The Living Room (sharing duties with Sarah Thornton) and Body Hack with Todd Sampson.

Like all the Bachelor franchise shows in Australia, Osher Günsberg is the host of Bachelor In Paradise which brings former contestants from the other programs together.

10’s production partner on all the shows is Warner Bros International Television Production Australia.

For its second season the show has returned to the same location in Fiji, but Flannery said it looks a little different due to a makeover at the resort.

Most of the cast will look familiar as they have all been on a former season of The Bachelor or Bachelorette, with some former US contestants also taking part again this season.

The executive producer said having participants who know the format is a great advantage.

Flannery told Mediaweek: “They get the basics and understand the requirements we have. The fact they know each other, or of each other, gives us content from day one. The fact the audience already has a vested interest in the people means we can get straight into the content much quicker.

10 doesn’t need to spend too much of episode one explaining the personalities. “All we need is a bit of backstory about their previous Bachelor journey.”

Flannery doesn’t think the TV reality veterans are any less authentic than newcomers. “Remember that people get nervous in front of the cameras. People who don’t have the same level of nerves can be more genuine because they have done it before.”

Unlike The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, Flannery explained this is a “fixed rig” setup with cameras running 24-7. “People can’t put on an act and try and hide seven days a week for a month.”

Network 10 doesn’t skimp on quality with the newer Bachelor spin-off, with Flannery paying tribute to the work of production house Warner Bros TV. “They do great work and manage to keep the balance between that shiny production value and the gritty production value that you can get from a fixed rig.

“In Paradise we do see the producers and the crews now and again, because it is impossible not to. It looks a little more real in that sense.”

The shoot took a month in Fiji, with cast and crew working seven days a week.

Flannery and the production team have to keep a handle on all the narratives that are playing out during the shoot. He monitors a live feed from the cameras in a central control room.

“Some of the gold nuggets in the show we don’t know about until we get back,” he explained due to the volume on content continually being captured.

Flannery said 10 has made enough season of various Bachelor shows to know what they want each time. “It’s not like we are trying to reinvent the wheel,” he said.

“Every year you are looking to have the right ingredients in the recipe. At its is base the franchise is about love and romance and you want people who are there for the right reasons. At its is core you have to make sure the individuals who are there are genuinely trying to make connections and find love. After that you need to make sure there is comedy, love triangles etc, so it’s important there are people in there willing to give things a try.

“You want there to be some tears and arguments.”

When asked if there is enough fodder for gossip columns this season, Flannery said: “I think they will be ok. I am over the moon with the series this year. There is a lot of talkability and social media is going to love it.”

As to participants who might have a media career beyond this season of Bachelor In Paradise, Flannery said: “It is really hard to pick. There are people who have the ability to be media personalities, but it might not be what they want. Not everyone who does this show is looking for a media career. If that was the case there would be a lot more of them on TV now. It is an easy assumption to make that people who go on reality TV want to get a TV career, but that really isn’t the case. A lot of people are doing it for the experience in its own right.

“There are great characters in this season. As to whether they want to take it further or not, you would have to ask them.”

Flannery said some of the gold on reality TV can happen when the producers step back and let things unfold. “A lot of the greatest moments happen when the hands of the producer are firmly in their pockets. You want things to play out naturally.” He said there are plenty of those moments in this season, with twists and turns sure to surprise the audience.

Top Photo: Ciaran Flannery

Game on in Perth: Gary Roberts saddles up again to run 96FM

ARN’s 96FM has announced Gary Roberts in the newly created position of managing director Perth, providing leadership and management across commercial, content and operations for 96FM.

Based in Perth, the former Nova Perth boss will work with ARN’s national executive leadership team including chief commercial officer Peter Whitehead, and national content director Duncan Campbell, to support the sales team on revenue growth and the content team to drive ratings.

Of the appointment, ARN’s CEO Ciaran Davis said: “ARN is proud to welcome Gary to the role of managing director Perth. This appointment forms part of ARN’s broader strategic review, and Gary’s unique and unprecedented career in radio will ensure we have the required level of senior leadership and management in Perth.”

The move marks a return to 96FM for Roberts, who launched the station as program director in 1980 and continued as general manager for 12 years. During this time, he led 96FM to a record 34 consecutive #1 surveys.

Roberts is the only person in Australia to have managed all commercial FM stations in one major market and most recently was with Nova – where he was managing director for 16 years.

“With an outstanding radio career and achievements spanning decades, we look forward to a strengthened strategic approach for 96FM under Gary’s management.”

Of his new role, Roberts said: “I’m excited about my return to 96FM. It has the strongest FM heritage brand in the Perth market and I’m looking forward to reigniting the strengths of 96FM for both our audiences and advertisers.”

Roberts returns to 96FM with decades of radio experience at a senior level. As managing director, Roberts was responsible for Australia’s first radio duopoly with Mix 94.5 and Hit 92.9 plus the launch of Nova 93.7 during which he led each radio station to long-term success.

Roberts was also a director of Commercial Radio Australia for eight years and was chairman of the peak radio industry body for three years from 1998 to 2000 – the only person from WA to ever have that role. Roberts was also awarded the Centenary Medal in recognition of his contribution to Australia’s 200th Anniversary and the Perth community.

Gary Roberts: What the veteran radio boss wants from Perth market

Dollars. That’s what ARN and its new Perth MD Gary Roberts want from Perth. Since acquiring 96FM from Fairfax Media, the radio group has been frustrated at trying to get the famous radio brand back in the game.

By James Manning

This hire should be a game changer.

Roberts and ARN will want to make a mark quickly. Perth used to be a wildly competitive market with public brawls about who was the best.

Roberts’ return to radio at 96FM is almost an internal move. During his years running Nova 93.7 Perth, ARN had been paying half his salary as Nova Perth (as is Brisbane’s 97.3) is owned 50% by ARN. Could that limit the extent to which the two radio brands will go head-to-head? SCA’s Perth duopoly will be the main target, which means all leave could be cancelled at Mix 94.5 and Hit 92.9 as they brace for the onslaught!

The revenue in Perth will follow ratings, which follows the talent.

Perth is the fourth biggest radio market in the country, worth $106m in 2018. It doesn’t trail Brisbane by too much. The Perth market grew sluggishly in 2018, up 1.15%, the smallest metro market increase.

Roberts and ARN will be wanting to grow the pie as well as getting a bigger share of it.

96FM’s share of the advertising market is believed to have drifted lower in the past few years and Gary Roberts is possibly better connected than anybody to be able to grow the revenue out of Perth.

Just what changes listeners can expect to hear on Perth radio will be linked with how much money ARN is prepared to invest in talent and marketing. After Kyle and Jackie O jumped ship five years ago from SCA, radio talent costs have skyrocketed for good breakfast teams, most of whom are locked up in long-term deals.

That could make it difficult for 96FM to look for an “off the shelf” solution if it decided to introduce programming changes.

Wavemaker promotes Philippa Noilea-Tani to national head of investment

Wavemaker Australia has promoted Philippa Noilea-Tani (pictured with Peter Vogel) to the role of national head of investment, charged with leading the agency’s trading and investment strategy across all four Wavemaker offices.

Noilea-Tani began her media career in 2005 at MEC (the previous incarnation of Wavemaker) as a media assistant and steadily progressed through the ranks, becoming TV buyer and most recently Sydney trading director prior to her promotion.

See also: Philippa Noilea-Tani was part of Mediaweek’s recent podcast – The Power of Radio: Talk host, media buyer and a sales director Listen here.

Noilea-Tani has worked across a vast range of categories, including entertainment, FMCG, retail, communications, insurance, pharmaceuticals, finance and government.

She steps into the role vacated by Claire Butterworth, who is moving to GroupM sister agency MediaCom as chief investment officer.

Peter Vogel, CEO of Wavemaker Australia & New Zealand, said: “In her 14-year career at MEC and now Wavemaker, Philippa has clearly demonstrated her technical investment excellence, how she builds absolute client trust and confidence, her strong media vendor relationships, her unrelenting passion for our business, and most importantly her complete dedication to mentoring, developing and leading highly motivated investment teams. There is no one better to take our investment practice to even greater heights.

“We’re also big believers in promoting from within at Wavemaker – it not only rewards talented and committed people such as Philippa for their hard work, it also benefits our clients by ensuring continuity and the retention of valuable IP.”

Philippa Noilea-Tani added: “I am so proud of what the Wavemaker investment team has achieved over the past 12 months. To be given the opportunity to continue developing my career at Wavemaker is incredibly motivating. I look forward to working more closely with our interstate teams and together as a national investment team, delivering even stronger work for our clients.”

Asher Keddie and Imogen Banks TV drama attracts Screen Aust funding

Screen Australia has announced over $600,000 of story development funding for seven feature films, four television dramas and five online series.

The slate includes a new feature film from Abe Forsythe, Jodi Matterson and Bruna Papandrea (currently untitled) based on a real missing person case in a remote Northern Territory town, a television series produced by Asher Keddie and Imogen Banks (Offspring) about estranged families who are pushed to opposite sides of the world in The Sisters Antipodes and an online series from writer/director Kauthar Abdulalim about a mother who sets her sights on winning the Australian Open in Salma and the City.

Screen Australia’s head of development Nerida Moore said: “It’s fantastic to see such strong applications coming through, and in this round we’ve noticed an increase in series as well as a lot of female writers attached to projects.

“We have 17 female writers attached across 11 of the projects, including new talent driving fresh online comedies with Caitlyn Staples on Nark Mikoladis the Trading Card King and Claudia Pickering on Cheetah Airways. We also have a number of established writers bringing their experience to distinctive new projects, including Lou Sanz working on her first feature Audrey and Fiona Seres adapting true events for television in The Sisters Antipodes.”

The projects funded for development include:

Audrey: A feature film from Invisible Republic about frustrated mother Ronnie who lives vicariously through her two daughters. When her daughter Audrey ends up in a coma after an accident, Ronnie has no choice but to follow her own dreams of becoming an actor. Director Natalie Bailey (Damned) and writer Lou Sanz, both working on their first feature, will team up with producer Michael Wrenn (Slam) and executive producer Jenni Tosi from Princess Pictures on this dark comedy.

Cheetah Airways: A six-part online series by comedy troupe Frothpocalypse which will go behind the scenes of a dodgy budget airline following the corporate big-wigs, flight attendants, baggage handlers and check-in staff as they deliver the worst customer service experience imaginable. Comedy filmmaker Claudia Pickering, fresh off the back of her webseries Resting Pitch Face, will write, direct and produce this project. She will be joined by Emma Leonard as writer/producer, Prudence Vindin as writer, Catherine van der Rijt as producer and Luke Eve (High Life) as executive producer.

Last Man Standing: A feature film from Deeper Water Films about the story of iconic athlete Steven Bradbury, the underdog who overcame insurmountable odds in his quest to win Australia’s first ever Olympic Winter Games Gold Medal. This is a new project from the seasoned team who have recently completed the feature Danger Close, including writer Stuart Beattie, director Kriv Stenders and producers John Schwarz and Michael Schwarz.

Nark Mikoladis The Trading Card King: A six-part online comedy following 26-year-old Angie who, after discovering that a rare Pokemon card is now worth a mini fortune, begins a quest to reclaim the card from the primary school bully who stole it from her 15 years ago. This adventure into nineties nostalgia will be written and created by comedian Caitlyn Staples, with comedians Jayden Masciulli, Ryan Zorzut, Mario Hannah and Elyce Phillips also attached as writers. It is the first project outside of Aunty Donna from the group’s production arm Haven’t You Done Well Productions.

Salma and the City: A six-part online series by writer/director Kauthar Abdulalim and producer Tony Jackson (You See Monsters) from Chemical Media. This project tells the story of a 45-year-old Australian-Pakistani mother who suddenly decides it’s time to chase her dream of winning the Australian Open, which means battling family expectations, gender stereotypes and centuries of tradition before she even meets an opponent on the tennis court. Told in Urdu and English, this comedy follows a woman’s journey of reinvention as she makes a choice between what people expect of her and what she demands of herself.

The Force (working title): An eight-part television series from No Coincidence Media centred on a team of ambos, police officers and firefighters who must work together to serve the community, but their rivalry to be the hero stands in the way. This comedy brings together writer/producer Mitchell Stanley and director Dena Curtis who have worked together previously on Colour Theory Underground, as well as writer Steven Oliver (Black Comedy). Script producer Jodi Molloy (The Jaquie Brown Diaries) and story consultants Shari Sebbens (Top End Wedding) and Rachel House (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) are also attached.

The Sisters Antipodes: A six-part television series from Endemol Shine Banks which follows true events from the 1960’s when two couples switched partners and as a result, two little girls were given each other’s fathers. The scandal pushed the realigned families to opposite sides of the world and it was seven years before they saw each other again. Based on an intimate memoir of the same name by Jane Alison this drama is presented by an all-female team, including acclaimed actor Asher Keddie producing alongside the renowned Imogen Banks (Offspring). Fiona Seres (Puberty Blues) and Rebecca Rigg are attached as writers.

Untitled Abe Forsythe Project: A feature film from the team behind Little Monsters, including writer/director Abe Forsythe and producers Jodi Matterson, Bruna Papandrea and Steve Hutensky from Made Up Stories. Inspired by a true missing person case, this mystery drama centres on a remote Northern Territory town where everyone is a suspect. Margot Robbie and Tom Ackerley from LuckyChap Entertainment and Emmy-nominated Janice Williams are also on board to produce.

Zac Power The Movie: An animated feature film based on the best-selling children’s book series of the same name. This family adventure film sees teenage spy Zac Power disobey orders to embark on a rogue mission against a crazy super-villain, risking everything in an attempt to rescue his kidnapped parents and save the world from being sucked into a black hole. Presented by Cheeky Little Media, this project will be written by John Armstrong (Beat Bugs), directed by David Webster (Spongo, Fuzz & Jalapeña), and produced by Barbara Stephen (Blinky Bill the Movie), Patrick Egerton (Spongo, Fuzz & Jalapeña) and Celine Goetz (Kazoops!).

TV Demand: Amazon’s Hanna and CBS’s The Twilight Zone chart

With The Umbrella Academy and Game Of Thrones remaining atop their respective Digital Originals and Overall TV charts, we are digging into the top 10s to look for lesser-known series making the chart.

On the Digital Originals chart there are new entries in Australia and New Zealand.

New to the Australian top 10 this week is the Amazon Prime action drama series Hanna. Based on the 2011 film of the same name, the series stars 19-year-old British actress Esme Creed-Miles as Hanna who tries to uncover her true identity despite the attention of a CIA agent who has hunted Hanna from birth.

One new entrant on the New Zealand chart this week is the CBS remake of The Twilight Zone, which is on the CBS All Access platform. The first series is 10 short stories in the fantasy horror genre. The first episode is about a comic who tells jokes about people in his act who then disappear!

New on the Overall TV chart in Australia this week is American Idol, which made history this part week with host Ryan Seacrest missing his first episode because of ill-health after 17 seasons! Saturday Night Live also made the list, with Keeping Up With The Kardashians one of the shows to disappear out of the top 10.

American Idol was in the NZ top 10 for a second week, while Last Week Tonight With John Oliver and The Ellen Degeneres Show were both new, as was PAW Patrol.

TV Ratings Analysis: April 9

• Seven’s foodie Tuesday a winner with MKR and Gordon Ramsay
• Nine share eases as final season of Big Bang gets MAFS timeslot
• Bachelor In Paradise lifts 10: Best Tuesday share in 8 weeks

Tuesday: Week 15 2019

By James Manning 

• Seven News 1,055,000/995,000
• Nine News 907,000/896,000
• A Current Affair 799,000
• ABC News 662,000
• 7.30 574,000
• The Project 252,000/432,000
• 10 News First 380,000
• SBS World News 134,000

Breakfast TV

• Sunrise 309,000
• Today 208,000

Seven

Despite winning the night, Seven’s share was down week-on-week from 22.1% to 21.5%.

An average of 700,000 is looking beyond Home And Away this week with 666,000 last night after starting the week on 679,000.

The soap was part of a winning Seven line-up though which turned to food after 7.30pm.

My Kitchen Rules did 854,000 after 836,000 a week ago, but up significantly on the 710,000 watching on Monday.

Gordon Ramsay and his friends Gino and Fred delivered a very entertaining hour with The Ultimate Road Trip: The Italian Job, which should have attracted a few more of the Travel Guides audience than it did – 326,000.

Nine

Not surprisingly the channel recorded its lowest Tuesday share since week 2 in January. The Australian Open and then MAFS have done a great job keeping it well above 20% until last night.

A Current Affair dropped from over 1m to just under 800,000.

The final season of The Big Bang Theory took over the 7.30pm timeslot with 571,000 and then 469,000 watching two episodes.

The 2017 movie Guardians Of The Galaxy: Volume 2 screened at 8.30pm with 355,000 staying the distance until after 11pm.

10

The channel recorded its best share in eight weeks with the launch of Bachelor In Paradise lifting the audience. The first episode did 553,000 after 752,000 on debut in 2018 on a Sunday night.

Network 10’s head of programming Daniel Monaghan said this morning: “Bachelor In Paradise is back and we’re thrilled to return as the #1 show in under 50s for the night. It was also #1 in every key demo. Once again, it fulfilled its promise to be the noisiest show on social media, trending #1 in Australia and #5 worldwide. The show had an explosive start last night and we can’t wait to share more of what Paradise has to offer in the coming weeks, starting tonight with one of the most anticipated moments of the season – when Richie Strahan and Alex Nation go head to head.”

Elsewhere on 10 The Project did 432,000 after 496,000 on Monday.

NCIS started after 9pm with 272,000.

ABC

The final episode of this season of Foreign Correspondent saw Sally Sara reporting from Brazil for the metro audience of 404,000.

A new season of Employable Me Australia followed with 355,000.

SBS

Michael Portillo was travelling across Greece on Great Continental Railway Journeys with 256,000

The audience held at just over 250,000 for Insight examining when family and faith collide.

Week 15 TV: Tuesday
TUESDAY METRO
ABCSevenNine10SBS
ABC11.7%721.5%919.3%10 12.1%SBS One5.8%
ABC KIDS/ ABC COMEDY2.6%7TWO2.8%GO!3.2%10 Bold3.7%VICELAND1.7%
ABC ME0.7%7mate2.4%GEM3.7%10 Peach1.9%Food Net0.8%
ABC NEWS1.2%7flix1.9%9Life2.2%  NITV0.1%
  7Food0.7%      
TOTAL16.2% 29.4% 28.3% 17.7% 8.4%

 

TUESDAY REGIONAL
ABCSeven AffiliatesNine Affiliates10 AffiliatesSBS
ABC11.0%721.2%916.0%WIN8.1%SBS One5.0%
ABC KIDS/ ABC COMEDY3.1%7TWO3.9%GO!3.4%WIN Bold3.6%VICELAND2.1%
ABC ME1.1%7mate4.7%GEM6.5%WIN Peach2.0%Food Net0.8%
ABC NEWS1.3%7flix1.9%9Life2.8%Sky News  on WIN1.4%NITV0.2%
TOTAL16.5% 31.7% 28.7% 15.1% 8.1%

 

TUESDAY METRO ALL TV
FTASTV
86.2%13.8%
TUESDAY FTA
  1. Seven News Seven 1,055,000
  2. Seven News / Today Tonight Seven 995,000
  3. Nine News Nine 907,000
  4. Nine News 6:30 Nine 896,000
  5. My Kitchen Rules Seven 854,000
  6. A Current Affair Nine 799,000
  7. Home And Away Seven 666,000
  8. ABC News ABC 662,000
  9. The Chase Australia Seven 602,000
  10. 7.30 ABC 574,000
  11. The Big Bang Theory Nine 571,000
  12. Bachelor In Paradise – Launch 10 553,000
  13. Hot Seat Nine 533,000
  14. The Big Bang Theory – (R) Nine 469,000
  15. The Project 7pm 10 432,000
  16. Foreign Correspondent ABC 404,000
  17. The Chase Australia-5pm Seven 403,000
  18. 10 News First 10 380,000
  19. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2 Nine 355,000
  20. Employable Me Australia ABC 355,000
Demo Top 5

16-39 Top Five

  1. Bachelor In Paradise – Launch 10 269,000
  2. My Kitchen Rules Seven 176,000
  3. Seven News / Today Tonight Seven 135,000
  4. Home And Away Seven 135,000
  5. The Project 7pm 10 127,000

 

18-49 Top Five

  1. Bachelor In Paradise – Launch 10 366,000
  2. My Kitchen Rules Seven 289,000
  3. Seven News Seven 236,000
  4. The Big Bang Theory Nine 235,000
  5. Nine News 6:30 Nine 233,000

 

25-54 Top Five

  1. Bachelor In Paradise – Launch 10 354,000
  2. My Kitchen Rules Seven 332,000
  3. The Big Bang Theory Nine 296,000
  4. Seven News Seven 292,000
  5. Nine News 6:30 Nine 287,000
TUESDAY Multichannel
  1. Bluey AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 217,000
  2. Death In Paradise 9Gem 175,000
  3. Peppa Pig PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 166,000
  4. Kazoops! PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 162,000
  5. Peppa Pig AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 161,000
  6. Peter Rabbit ABCKIDS/COMEDY 161,000
  7. Floogals ABCKIDS/COMEDY 158,000
  8. Fireman Sam PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 156,000
  9. Wanda And The Alien PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 155,000
  10. The Big Bang Theory – (R) 9GO! 149,000
  11. Ben And Holly’s Little Kingdom AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 148,000
  12. Bob The Builder PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 146,000
  13. Rusty Rivets ABCKIDS/COMEDY 145,000
  14. Bondi Rescue Ep 2 (R) 10 Bold 142,000
  15. Octonauts ABCKIDS/COMEDY 141,000
  16. NCIS (R) 10 Bold 140,000
  17. School Of Roars AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 137,000
  18. Thomas And Friends PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 132,000
  19. Kiddets AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 131,000
  20. PJ Masks AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 127,000
TUESDAY STV
  1. Paul Murray Live Sky News Live 75,000
  2. Jones & Co Sky News Live 73,000
  3. Live: AFL 360 FOX FOOTY 64,000
  4. The Bolt Report Sky News Live 61,000
  5. Credlin Sky News Live 52,000
  6. Family Guy FOX8 46,000
  7. PML Later Sky News Live 45,000
  8. Live: The Back Page FOX SPORTS 503 44,000
  9. Open Mike FOX FOOTY 43,000
  10. Live: WWE Raw FOX8 42,000
  11. Escape To The Country Lifestyle Channel 38,000
  12. Family Guy FOX8 38,000
  13. Live: NRL 360 FOX LEAGUE 37,000
  14. The Simpsons FOX8 35,000
  15. Chicago P.D. UNIVERSAL TV 35,000
  16. Border Security: Australia’s Front Line FOX8 34,000
  17. The Simpsons FOX8 34,000
  18. Criminal Minds TVH!TS 33,000
  19. 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown UKTV 33,000
  20. Border Security: Australia’s Front Line FOX8 33,000

Shares all people, 6pm-midnight, Overnight (Live and AsLive), Audience numbers FTA metro, Sub TV national
Source: OzTAM and Regional TAM 2018. The Data may not be reproduced, published or communicated (electronically or in hard copy) without the prior written consent of OzTAM

Media News Roundup

Business of Media

US private equity buys Gizmodo Media & The Onion from Univision

US private equity firm Great Hill Partners has acquired the Gizmodo Media Group and The Onion, a collection of premium digital content producers, from Univision Communications.

The combined assets will form a new company named G/O Media Inc. that will be led by digital content industry veteran James Spanfeller, who will also be a significant investor in the company. Financial terms of the private, all equity transaction were not disclosed.

However US media reports had the deal valued at less than US$50m, a considerable discount on the US$135m Univision spent on the digital assets in 2016 when it purchased the media brands in the Gizmodo Media Group from Gawker Media.

Great Hill Partners said the brands reach more than a third of all Americans online each month, attracting approximately 100 million unique visitors. The company’s collection of digital-first brands serve young, diverse influencers with content that reflects their values and passions, including category-leading sites focused on technology (Gizmodo), car culture (Jalopnik), modern women’s interests (Jezebel), sports (Deadspin), life tips and hacks (Lifehacker), gaming (Kotaku), and African American news and culture (The Root), and The Onion, which includes The A.V. Club and ClickHole.

Gizmodo, Kotaku and Lifehacker are licensed in Australia as part of the Nine-owned Pedestrian.TV group after Nine’s merger with Fairfax Media.

“This opportunity comes at a time when the entire digital media category is beginning to be recognised again for its unique ability to meet the diverse content and delivery needs of consumers and advertisers,” said Spanfeller. “As the largest player in our space, G/O Media is in an ideal position to capitalise on this dynamic, and I am excited to collaborate with a great team that boasts an incredible track record to further expand our reach, add value to our advertisers and enrich our visitors’ lives. G/O Media is already the leader among digital media companies speaking to the 10-to-34 year-old market, and we are confident and excited to see that lead expand.”

Armando Nuñez on Network 10 as part of CBS global expansion plans

CBS Corporation’s longtime international leader and the man who led the acquisition of Network 10, Armando Nuñez, was this week given Variety’s International Achievement in Television Award at the MipTV sales conference in Cannes.

“I have always loved the ability to interact with people from different parts of the world,” Nuñez told Variety’s business editor Cynthia Littleton of his 35-year (and counting) career. “I love creating relationships that last for decades. And I love the concept of exporting Americana in all its different ways, shapes and forms.”

He moved into the top international sales post at CBS in 1999. During the past decade he’s led CBS’ charge to expand internationally. He drove CBS’ 2017 acquisition of Australian broadcaster Network 10.

Nuñez has been instrumental in growing CBS’ international revenue by “several multiples” during the past 10 years, according to Joe Ianniello, CBS president and acting CEO.

“We have to be able to compete on a global scale,” Ianniello says. “Armando’s knowledge of international territories has given us the confidence to do deals like [the acquisition of] Network 10.”

Nuñez began forging his path in international sales at a time when producers saw international sales potential as “a nice little add-on” for a show. This was back in the era when Scandinavian TV buyers paid studios for programs by the minute, and some countries would only take a handful of episodes of shows.

“International was seen as a little icing on the cake,” Nuñez says. “Now it is the cake.”

Nuñez was instrumental in leading CBS’ acquisition in 2017 of Australian broadcaster Network 10 after the company ran into financial trouble and entered bankruptcy proceedings. The process started with CBS trying to sort out the impact of Network 10’s travails and the potential for CBS to be left with a big unpaid bill for programming. As Nuñez monitored the channel’s fate, it became clear to him that a revitalized Network 10 could play a big role in CBS’ global expansion plans.

“We went through an evolutionary process in our thinking. We started out with ‘Oh boy we’ve got a potential issue here’ to ‘There are assets that are unique here,’ ” Nuñez recalls. “I made about five or six trips to Australia in the same amount of months.”

Nuñez hints that CBS is looking for more network assets to scoop up in key territories. “We’re always looking for opportunities to expand our footprint and monetize our content in different ways.”

Photo: L-R Variety’s Stewart Clarke, Variety International Achievement in TV Award recipient Armando Nuñez and Reed Midem’s Paul Zilk

[Read the original]

News Brands

Balibo Five: Memorial unveiled to honour murdered Australian journalists

A unique living memorial has been opened to honour the sacrifice of five Australian journalists brutally murdered during the Indonesian invasion of East Timor 44 years ago, reports Seven News’ Nick McCallum

The school was built by Australian charities in the name of the Balibo Five, and the formal opening ceremony was attended by the widow of one of the journalists, Shirley Shackleton.

Shackleton was swamped by the 56 students now attending the school and was overwhelmed by the gratitude.

Shirley’s journalist husband Greg, camera operator Gary Cunningham and sound assistant Tony Stewart from the Seven Network in Melbourne, and journalist Malcolm Rennie and camera operator Brian Peters from Nine in Sydney, were filming the start of the incursion by East Timor in October 1975.

[Read the original]

Media who’s who pay tribute to giant of Australian journalism

An impressive assembly of Australian newspaper identities gathered in Sydney’s magnificent Vaucluse House on Tuesday to bid farewell to Vic Carroll, a former editor-in-chief of The Australian Financial Review and The Sydney Morning Herald, and the giant of postwar Australian journalism, reports The AFR’s Andrew Clark.

Carroll, who was editor of the Financial Review from 1964-70, the paper’s editor-in-chief from 1970-75, and editor-in-chief of The Sydney Morning Herald from 1980-84, died in Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital on April 2 after a brief illness. He was 94.

Among those attending were John B. Fairfax, a former board member of   Fairfax Media; Trevor Kennedy, a former editor of The Bulletin and chief executive of Kerry Packer’s Australian Consolidated Press; Gregory Hywood, a former chief executive of Fairfax Media and onetime editor-in-chief of the Financial Review; Max Suich, a former chief editorial executive at Fairfax; Max Walsh, a former managing editor of the Financial Review; Colleen Ryan, a former editor of the Financial Review; Trevor Sykes, a former editor of The Bulletin and Australian Business magazines, and author of the Pierpont column for more than 45 years; Michael Stutchbury, the current editor-in-chief of the Financial Review; and Paul Bailey, the Financial Review’s editor.

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Kerri-Anne Kennerley visits NT Aboriginal community: ‘Do you forgive me?’

Kerri-Anne Kennerley has visited members of a Northern Territory Aboriginal community, three months after being labelled a racist in a headline-making Studio 10 stoush, reports news.com.au’s Nick Bond.

The TV veteran has had a tumultuous few months, with that tense on-air confrontation with Yumi Stynes closely followed by the death of her husband, John.

Kennerley travelled to the Northern Territory at the invitation of the Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group and met with co-ordinator Shirleen Campbell.

Sitting with Campbell in Alice Springs, Kennerley said her comments were “never meant to be offensive” and clutched her host’s hand as she asked if she was forgiven.

“Do you forgive me, by the way?” said Kennerley.

“Yeah, I do. We’re all women and humans at the end of the day,” said Ms Campbell.

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Television

ABC Commercial acquires rights to comedy 600 Bottles of Wine

ABC Commercial has been appointed the new global distributor for the Cockatoo Co.Lab comedy 600 Bottles of Wine (8 x 9 mins / 4 x 18 mins), following the series’ critically acclaimed premiere on BBC Three in the United Kingdom and on 10 Peach in Australia last year.

Based on writer Grace Rouvray’s celebrated blog “The Island of the Dead”, the series follows the romantic misadventures of Claire – an apprehensive 20-something who, after breaking up with her boyfriend of the past five years, is suddenly flung back into the rollercoaster world of the dating scene where she finds herself uneasy about the rules and expectations she must navigate as a newly single woman. Exploring the difficulty of finding authentic love in today’s fastmoving world, the series pokes fun at everything from the pitfalls of Tinder to the dreaded walk of shame.

“A hilarious and highly relatable comedy, 600 Bottles of Wine speaks directly to the messy culture of modern-day dating while maintaining a cheeky sensibility that makes the series an absolute winner,” said Jessica Ellis, head of content sales & distribution for ABC Commercial. “We’re pleased to now be partnering with Cockatoo Co.Lab to continue to bring this poignant and wonderfully written series to the global marketplace.”

“Cockatoo Co.Lab is thrilled to now be working with ABC Commercial as we continue to bring 600 Bottles of Wine to both local and international audiences,” said producer Bec Bignell, co-founder of Cockatoo Co.Lab. “This innovative series created by our all-female creative team celebrates ideas from Grace’s blog that are expertly activated through director Ainslie Clouston’s whip-smart, awkwardly gritty comedic tone. The response has been overwhelmingly positive to date and we’re confident the success of the show will continue under ABC Commercial’s experienced stewardship.”

Sports Media

WA footy fans hope Eddie Maguire won’t ruin Saturday’s derby

West Australian football fans will have to endure the State’s most despised commentator when Eddie McGuire leads Fox Footy’s broadcast of Saturday’s western derby, reports The West Australian’s Mitchel Woodcock.

McGuire was voted the most annoying commentator by WA footy fans in last year’s Seven West Media’s Ultimate Footy Survey, taking 72.11% of the vote, while he received just 6.95% of the vote for the most liked.

This was in stark contrast to the most popular in Bruce McAvaney, who was clearly our favourite commentator with 47% of fans endorsing the Channel 7 caller’s work.

A spokeswoman for Fox Footy said it was treating the derby as one of the games of the round and it made sense to send a heavyweight team for the contest.

Callers to 6PR yesterday lashed out at the announcement, with one suggesting that they mute the television and choose to listen to the radio coverage instead.

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