Tuesday April 17, 2018
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Netflix reports record global growth: Now 125m members, revenue +43%
“Our job is to spend this money wisely to increase our members’ delight,” Netflix said as it released its Q1 2018 results today.
Fastest growth ever: Q1 Results and Q2 Forecast
Revenue grew 43% year over year in Q1, the fastest pace in the history of Netflix, due to a 25% increase in average paid streaming memberships and a 14% rise in ASP.
Global membership grew to a new Q1 record of 7.41m, up 50% year-over-year and ahead of the 6.35m forecast.
In the US, Netflix added 1.96m memberships (compared with forecast of 1.45m).
Outside of the US, membership grew by 5.46m (vs forecast of 4.90m). International membership now account for 50% of revenue and 55% of memberships.
Netflix’s Queer Eye
Content spend
Netflix reported it will be spending between US$7.5b and $8b on content in 2018.
Q1 scripted original series debuts included the dark, coming of age story The End of the F***ing World and sci-fi thriller Altered Carbon as well as returning seasons of Marvel’s Jessica Jones, Grace and Frankie, Santa Clarita Diet and A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Netflix noted in the last year it expanded its efforts in original programming to unscripted shows across several genres. “Our output in this area is now comparable to similarly focused US domestic cable networks. Shows like Queer Eye and Nailed It are great examples of our ambitions in this area: engaging, buzz-worthy shows that drive lots of enjoyment around the world.”
On Super Bowl Sunday, Netflix launched The Cloverfield Paradox, the third film in the Cloverfield franchise.
Netflix’s The Cloverfield Paradox (Scott Garfield / Netflix)
“Through tight coordination among our original film, product, marketing and PR teams, the event showcased how a big branded film can be marketed and delivered to consumers instantaneously across the globe without a wait for the theatrical window. Outside of North America, we premiered the Alex Garland-directed Annihilation , starring Natalie Portman, just weeks after its US theatrical debut and it has enjoyed large audiences in nearly every country for us. We also released a broad range of original films: from Benji for kids and families to the Seth Rogen/Evan Goldberg-produced comedy Game Over, Man to the Sundance hip hop biopic Roxanne, Roxanne.”
Netflix also noted its regret that its films are not able to compete at this year’s Cannes film festival.
“The festival adopted a new rule that means if a film is in competition at Cannes, it cannot be watched on Netflix in France for the following three years. We would never want to do that to our French members. We will continue to celebrate our films and filmmakers at other festivals around the world but unfortunately we will have to sit out Cannes for now so that our growing French membership can continue to enjoy our original films.”
Product and Partnerships
While wanting to remain primarily a direct-to-consumer business, Netflix said its bundling initiatives are an attractive supplemental growth channel.
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Top photo: Neil Patrick Harris in Netflix’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events (Eric Milner / Netflix)
Glosscar Awards 2018: And the winners are…
Hosted by Australia’s biggest beauty review website, beautyheaven.com.au, the Glosscar Awards have been branded Australia’s Oscars of the beauty world – an annual consumer-voted awards initiative, showcasing the best beauty products to hit the shelves in the previous year.
Over 15,000 votes were cast for the products by beautyheaven members.
This year beautyheaven awarded winners and runners-up in more than 70 beauty categories, chosen from 605 product nominations.
Brands that made an impact in the market in the last 12 months included:
• Benefit Cosmetics (five awards in the Makeup category)
• Rodan + Fields (14 awards in the Skin Care category)
• The Body Shop (six awards across the Body and Skin Care categories)
• Sukin (six awards across various categories)
Commenting on this year’s awards, beautyheaven’s general manager Amber Robinson said: “More than ever, this year’s awards show that Australian women are savvy consumers who seek out the best-performing products in each category when making beauty purchases, and aren’t afraid to experiment with new products and brands. Spanning multiple price categories, the winners showcase fantastic product innovation from M.A.C’s clever double wand mascara to skin serums featuring the latest potent ingredients and formulations.”
For a complete list of winners and runners-up for the 2018 Glosscar Awards, click here.
Some of the winners included:
Best New Foundation: Designer Brands Luminous Hydrating Foundation
Best New Lipstick: Australis Cosmetics GRLBOSS Demi Matte Lip Cream
Best New Mascara: M.A.C Bold & Bad Lash
Best New Cleanser: Rodan + Fields REVERSE Deep Exfoliating Wash
Best New Day Moisturiser: Rodan + Fields SOOTHE Moisture Replenishing Cream
Best New Facial Sunscreen: Neutrogena® Sheer Zinc Face Dry-Touch Lotion SPF 50
Best New At-Home Hair Dye: Schwarzkopf Brilliance Gems
Best New Dry Shampoo: Batiste Dry Shampoo – Rose Gold
Best New Heat Styling Tool: ghd contour
Best New Nail Polish: Sally Hansen Color Therapy Nail Polish
Best New Women’s Fragrance: Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Floral Shock
Back With The Ex EP Deb Spinocchia: ‘Everyone wants to find love’
By James Manning
One of those new shows is Seven’s new dating format Back With The Ex, a reality format developed by the team at Seven Studios. Executive producer Deb Spinocchia told Mediaweek that is one of the good things about working at Seven – it comes up with original formats.
Deb Spinocchia
As to whether this new format could be compared to any of the other romance/dating/wedding shows from Married At First Sight to The Bachelor, Spinocchia said: “There seems to be an undying hunger for stories about love. All of the shows that are working on commercial television tap into things that are universal. Cooking works, renovating works – everyone needs to cook and everyone has a home and everyone wants to find love.”
When asked whether TV formats go in cycles or whether a well-produced program could work at any time, Spinocchia said: “I think it is both. A few years ago I was a series producer of House Rules on season 1. It launched really soft. It can be hard to sell a brand new idea. People like familiarity. The network really backed House Rules though and it grew and grew until it overtook The Voice.”
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This is an excerpt from the full article, which appears on Mediaweek Premium. Read the full article here, or subscribe to Mediaweek Premium here.
Nine EP John Walsh on The Voice 2018 and 25 years of Getaway
By Kruti Joshi
• Inside Married At First Sight’s ‘scandalous’ 2018 season with EP John Walsh
Jonas, of Jonas Brothers fame and the lead singer of DNCE, was confirmed as the fourth coach on the seventh season of the show in December 2017. He replaces the “Kiss From A Rose” singer Seal.
Walsh told Mediaweek: “There is no doubt that we hope that Joe will help get bigger numbers in the younger demographics.”
Nine’s John Walsh
Walsh said more young people auditioned for the singing competition this year than previously. He associated this with the presence of Jonas on the show. “The show feels younger and fresher.”
Other coaches on The Voice Australia this year are Boy George, Delta Goodrem and Kelly Rowland. “The coaches all have different strengths and attract different types of artists,” Walsh said.
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This is an excerpt from the full article, which appears on Mediaweek Premium. Read the full article here, or subscribe to Mediaweek Premium here.
Peter Tonagh named chairman of inclusive filmmaking organisation Bus Stop Films
Bus Stop Films uses film studies to assist people with intellectual disabilities, increasing their English and social skills and improving their overall confidence.
Tonagh’s appointment follows a number of significant milestones for Bus Stop Films, including presenting to Walt Disney Animation Studios and delivering the closing keynote address on inclusive film making at Toronto International Film Festival Kids.
Peter Tonagh said: “I have followed the wonderful work of Genevieve and the team at Bus Stop Films for some time. Their unique programs and award-winning content are groundbreaking, and are paving the way for a more diverse, inclusive and dynamic screen industry not only locally but throughout the world.
“I am honoured to be taking up the role of chairman and look forward to working with Genevieve to ensure Bus Stop Films’ ongoing success.”
Bus Stop Films CEO Genevieve Clay-Smith says “We are thrilled to have Peter on board as our chairman. Bus Stop Films is brimming with passionate creative people, who recognise the importance of diversity and inclusion and have delivered our amazing work for close to 10 years.
“To have someone of Peter’s calibre lead the organisation into its next chapter not only strengthens our core but reflects our position as an industry leader in inclusive filmmaking. We can’t wait to see how the organisation will evolve under his direction.”
Bus Stop Films’ world-class accessible film studies program sees students working with industry mentors to create films, some of which have won awards and been screened internationally – including the UN and various Oscar Qualifying film festivals.
Five Days of Denton: Day 5 – Launch day arrives
By James Manning
• Who’s on first: Possibly the Campbell sisters Bronte and Cate
• Who’s on second: Very likely Robert Plant, Led Zeppelin rock god
Our festival of Andrew comes to a close as the talkshow host brings to an end his first-episode media blitz with an appearance alongside Sam and Kochie on Sunrise on Tuesday morning.
Day 1: Andrew Denton and Jon Casimir on Seven’s interview format
Day 2: How Andrew Denton handcuffed himself to Kerry Stokes
Day 3: Jon Casimir on Legacy Media, Denton on CJZ
Day 4: Andrew Denton’s Q&A – from nerves to social media fear
Denton told Sunrise’s David Koch he was returning to TV “because of the insatiable desire for a Logie”.
He added: “The world has got very interesting as I sat out of the interview space for 10 years. To my surprise the hole left by our previous show Enough Rope was never really filled – the idea that a show is based around a long-form one-on-one interview.
“With social media, the rise of Donald Trump and the general madness of the world, it is a really interesting time to step back into the conversation.”
Sam Armytage said she was glad Denton has chosen to return on Seven and that the Australian public had been crying out for a show like this.
When asked how he gets around particular no-go areas for various guests, Denton replied: “The way to make a guest interesting is to ask them questions that are going to interest them.”
Kochie: “Do you have to be famous to be interesting?”
Denton: “Not at all. Some of the most exceptional people have come out of our audience.”
Andrew Denton with Robert Plant
Andrew Denton on set with the Campbell sisters Cate and Bronte
Box Office: Rampage #1 – another hit move for Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson
• Dwayne Johnson doing what he does best – generating ticket sales
Box office revenues were up 13% to $16.24m over the four-day weekend with just one new release making it into the top five.
That box office total is just one million short of the four-day Easter weekend and is the second best weekend since late February and the second weekend of release for Black Panther.
The top six movies all took over $1m, something that hasn’t happened since the start of February when The Greatest Showman was topping the chart after six weeks with $1.6m.
#1 Rampage #3.03m
Given his superb box office pedigree – most recently on display in Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle – it is no surprise that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson dragged an audience to the cinema over the weekend. Jumanji 2 lived in the top 20 for 12 weeks before it dropped off the chart after taking $48.42m.
Johnson’s new sci-fi monster film won’t be in that ball park, but it has started strongly though with $3.03m after opening on 469 screens at an average of $6,478. It was the only new release to lob into the top five.
#2 Peter Rabbit $2.52m
After four weeks the production still manages to hold at #2. The mix of real life and animation appeared on an additional 33 screens on the weekend taking its total to 439 with a screen average of $5,746. The total earn after four weeks is $19.23m.
#3 A Quiet Place $2.36m
John Krasinski’s well-reviewed horror movie had the weekend’s best screen average – with $8,377 from each of its 282 screens. Aussie audiences like their horror. The movie has taken just over $6m in the 10 days since it was released.
#4 Ready Player One $1.60m
The Spielberg magic continues to work here with a third week in the top five and a total earn of $11.39m so far. The movie shed 78 screens to 325 with a screen average of $4,946.
#5 Blockers $1.14m
The comedy based around the trio of concerned parents trying to control their teenage children also spends a third week in the top five. It has the lowest number of screens in the top five – 296 – and subsequently the lowest screen average – $3,860.
Outside the top 5:
Truth Or Dare was new at #6 with $1.06m from 209 screens giving it a screen average of $5,105.
Isle Of Dogs opened with $838,000 on 123 screens giving it an average of $6,820, the second-best for any movie in the chart this week.
TV Ratings Analysis: Monday April 16
By James Manning
Seven
Life after the Commonwealth Games means Home And Away returning to the 7pm slot with a first-up audience of 784,000.
The Ultimate Instant Restaurant round kicked off on My Kitchen Rules with episode 36. After the bumper Sunday audience of 1.30m, Monday was on 1.25m. Sisters Jess and Emma fell apart under pressure and were dragged over the coals for their skanky scallops, average arancini and botched brûlée.
The season final of The Good Doctor delivered an audience of 855,000. While well short of the program’s best during its first season, it cements the show’s position as the hottest drama on television by a long way.
7mate’s Talking Footy did 89,000 across three markets with 56,000 in Melbourne.
Nine
A Current Affair host Tracy Grimshaw was in a chopper on the show last night reporting on the story of Tony and Leigh Lethbridge who were living their worst nightmare when their teenage son Sam went missing. The episode was on 859,000 after a week 15 average of 703,000.
Episode 2 of The Voice season 7 found a few more unsigned singers who will move to the next stage of the competition. The numbers for the first two of three episodes to be shown this week:
Sunday 1.02m
Monday 930,000
Lip Sync Battle then returned to the schedule with Neil Patrick Harris one of the performers in an episode that did 502,000.
The late night football shows saw 100% Footy on 76,000 with 49,000 in Sydney.
Footy Classified did 140,000 with 94,000 in Melbourne.
TEN
Joel Creasey and James Bay were guests on The Project with 570,000 at 7pm after a week 15 average of 436,000.
The second night of Apollo on Bachelor In Paradise did 676,000 after an audience of 673,000 on Monday last week.
TEN went with a Monday movie after 9pm as it showed Father Of The Bride from 1991 to 182,000.
ABC
Dear Emma was the name of the Australian Story episode telling the story of Emma Betts and her cancer battle, which she turned into her war on the biggest cancer killer. The audience was 594,000.
The secretive world of Cambridge Analytica was featured on Four Corners with 583,000 watching.
Media Watch looked at the Sunrise demos and medical marijuana for its audience of 594,000.
Q&A then did 390,000 with guests including Senator Mitch Fifield and Missy Higgins.
SBS
A doco series on Queen Elizabeth launched at 7.30pm with 266,000.
Series 3, episode 2 of Trust Me, I’m A Doctor was followed by 24 Hours In Emergency with both shows on close to 240,000.
Week 16 TV: Monday
| MONDAY METRO | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Seven | Nine | Ten | SBS | |||||
| ABC | 13.2% | 7 | 24.9% | 9 | 19.3% | TEN | 11.5% | SBS One | 5.3% |
| ABC 2 | 2.3% | 7TWO | 3.6% | GO! | 3.0% | ONE | 2.9% | VICELAND | 1.2% |
| ABC ME | 0.6% | 7mate | 3.4% | GEM | 1.9% | ELEVEN | 1.9% | Food Net | 0.7% |
| ABC News | 1.3% | 7flix | 1.7% | 9Life | 1.4% | NITV | 0.1% | ||
| TOTAL | 17.3% | 33.6% | 25.5% | 16.3% | 7.3% | ||||
| MONDAY REGIONAL | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Seven Affiliates | Nine Affiliates | Ten Affiliates | SBS | |||||
| ABC | 12.9% | 7 | 26.5% | 9 | 16.8% | WIN | 8.6% | SBS One | 3.9% |
| ABC 2 | 3.0% | 7TWO | 5.9% | GO! | 3.5% | ONE | 3.2% | VICELAND | 1.3% |
| ABC ME | 0.8% | 7mate | 3.5% | GEM | 2.6% | ELEVEN | 2.4% | Food Net | 1.1% |
| NEWS 24 | 1.0% | 7flix | 1.5% | 9Life | 1.4% | NITV | 0.1% | ||
| TOTAL | 17.7% | 37.4% | 24.3% | 14.2% | 6.4% | ||||
| MONDAY METRO ALL TV | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTA | STV | ||||||||
| 87.5% | 12.5% | ||||||||
Monday FTA
- My Kitchen Rules Seven 1,253,000
- Seven News Seven 1,130,000
- Seven News / Today Tonight Seven 1,093,000
- Nine News 6:30 Nine 992,000
- Nine News Nine 987,000
- The Voice Nine 930,000
- A Current Affair Nine 859,000
- The Good Doctor Seven 855,000
- Home And Away Seven 784,000
- ABC News ABC 766,000
- Bachelor In Paradise Ten 676,000
- 7.30 ABC 634,000
- Media Watch ABC 594,000
- Australian Story ABC 594,000
- Four Corners ABC 583,000
- The Chase Australia Seven 578,000
- The Project 7pm Ten 570,000
- Hot Seat Nine 507,000
- Lip Sync Battle Nine 502,000
- Ten Eyewitness News First At Five Ten 486,000
Demo Top Fives
16-39 Top 5
- Bachelor In Paradise Ten 329,000
- My Kitchen Rules Seven 281,000
- The Voice Nine 181,000
- The Project 7pm Ten 174,000
- Home And Away Seven 165,000
18-49 Top 5
- My Kitchen Rules Seven 461,000
- Bachelor In Paradise Ten 444,000
- The Voice Nine 371,000
- Home And Away Seven 283,000
- Nine News 6:30 Nine 280,000
25-54 Top 5
- My Kitchen Rules Seven 517,000
- Bachelor In Paradise Ten 416,000
- The Voice Nine 412,000
- Seven News Seven 345,000
- Seven News / Today Tonight Seven 338,000
Monday Multichannels
- Floogals ABCKIDS/COMEDY 208,000
- Peppa Pig-PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 201,000
- PJ Masks-PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 195,000
- Peter Rabbit ABCKIDS/COMEDY 192,000
- Kazoops!-PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 188,000
- The Hive-PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 185,000
- The Justine Clarke Show! ABCKIDS/COMEDY 183,000
- Hey Duggee-AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 180,000
- Octonauts ABCKIDS/COMEDY 175,000
- Dinosaur Train-AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 173,000
- The Big Bang Theory 9GO! 172,000
- Olobob Top-AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 167,000
- Peppa Pig-AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 164,000
- Andy’s Baby Animals ABCKIDS/COMEDY 162,000
- Thomas And Friends-AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 162,000
- The Big Bang Theory TX1 9GO! 160,000
- Play School-AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 159,000
- Fireman Sam-AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 159,000
- Shaun The Sheep ABCKIDS/COMEDY 158,000
- NCIS E2 (R) ONE 156,000
Monday Subscription TV
- Live: AFL 360 FOX FOOTY 87,000
- The Walking Dead showcase 84,000
- The Walking Dead showcase 70,000
- The Bolt Report SKY NEWS LIVE 60,000
- Live: On The Couch FOX FOOTY 60,000
- Paw Patrol Nick Jr. 56,000
- Paw Patrol Nick Jr. 53,000
- Family Guy FOX8 52,000
- Paul Murray Live SKY NEWS LIVE 51,000
- American Dad! FOX8 48,000
- Grand Designs LifeStyle Channel 46,000
- Live: NRL 360 FOX LEAGUE 46,000
- Peppa Pig Nick Jr. 45,000
- The Simpsons FOX8 45,000
- Family Guy FOX8 45,000
- Credlin SKY NEWS LIVE 43,000
- The Simpsons FOX8 39,000
- Peppa Pig Nick Jr. 39,000
- Live: Big League Wrap FOX LEAGUE 38,000
- Peppa Pig Nick Jr. 37,000
Media News Roundup
Business Of Media
Account win: Federal Govt shifts ad-buying from dentsu X to UM Sydney
The move is a huge boost to Danny Bass, chief executive of Mediabrands, the company that holds Interpublic Group’s UM, and the newly appointed CEO of UM Fiona Johnston.
Bass and Johnston have been working on a repositioning of UM, and recently won ad-buying accounts for AGL, ING, and the NSW government.
In the last financial year, the federal government spent $174.7m on advertising, including $43.3m on Australian Electoral Commission campaigns, making it Australia’s largest advertiser.
Unlockd forced to pull plans for an imminent ASX IPO after Google ban
Unlockd is one of Australia’s most heavily backed startups, having raised more than $60 million in just two years, including a $30.7 million round last May, with a roster of big-name investors including Lachlan Murdoch, Peter Gammell, Margaret Jackson and Catch of the Day founders Hezi and Gabby Leibovich.
Unlockd users agree to consume content – such as advertising – by viewing it on the screen as they unlock their phone, in exchange for rewards like money off their monthly bill. It has over 330,000 monthly active users worldwide.
Unlockd only works on phones running Google’s Android operating system, meaning exclusion from its platforms would pose a huge threat to the ongoing viability of the company.
Outdoor Media
JCDecaux announces partnership with Seedooh for greater campaign reporting
JCDecaux Australia CEO Steve O’Connor, Seedooh CEO Tom Richter
The agreement sees Seedooh’s reporting and verification platform integrated into JCDecaux’s system, allowing advertisers to access real-time data around their campaign’s delivery and performance across JCDecaux’s complete digital portfolio.
Seedooh was launched in 2017, and provides near real-time delivery data for out-of-home campaigns in both digital and traditional formats. It has aligned with PwC to bring third-party verification of the data in its platform to create clear, validated and standardised reporting for advertisers, media agencies and out-of-home media owners.
JCDecaux Australia CEO Steve O’Connor said: “The digital expansion in out-of-home has been rapid and significant and now sits at almost half the total industry’s media revenue, but measurement has not kept up. At JCDecaux, we expect to exponentially increase our digital assets to 2,500 by early 2020 and, as a company, we anticipate that more than 80% of our business will be digital.
“JCDecaux fully supports the OMA’s decision to invest in the MOVE measurement system to accurately measure audiences for digital out-of-home. We know that digital offers considerable benefits for advertisers and the partnership with Seedooh allows advertisers to have complete confidence that their campaigns have appeared and offers the highest level of transparency.”
Seedooh CEO Tom Richter said: “We are delighted that JCDecaux recognises the value in transparent, connected and standardised reporting. We welcome its commitment to the Seedooh platform and look forward to delivering this important solution to market.”
oOh!media given consent for ads to continue on Australia’s biggest billboard
Inner West Council did not back a recommendation from its staff to oppose an application by Eye Drive Sydney, a subsidiary of oOh! media, to extend the consent for advertising on the heritage-listed silos.
In a report staff stated the advertising was no longer justified because it was only supposed to be in place for a limited time to promote the Sydney 2000 Olympics bid.
The silos, currently advertising The Book of Mormon musical, are among the most expensive billboards in Australia. Nike, Samsung and ING Direct have previously advertised on the silos, which Eye Drive Sydney leases from the Port Authority of NSW for a lucrative annual fee of about $1.9 million.
An oOh! media spokesman said the company is “pleased” councillors decided against objecting to the extension. They would introduce a 1am curfew for the lighting on the advertising.
“The decision to introduce a curfew, which will come into effect from June 1, was taken after some Glebe residents raised concerns about the lighting during public consultation,” he said.
Publishing
Bauer Media recruits more people for its commercial storytelling division Story54
Formerly the strategy manager at Bauer Media, Anna Preston has been promoted as the head of strategy. The national role will see Preston lead a team of 10 strategists.
Nova Entertainment’s Casey Greig has joined Story54 as its commercial research director. She will lead the research team and deliver commercial insights for new and existing clients.
Natalie Cornish has joined Story54 from Nine Entertainment. Cornish will take on the role of senior commercial editor. She will work closely with the commercial content team headed by Sarah Macrae, who was recently promoted to this role.
Bauer Media’s GM for Story54, Jane Waterhouse, said: “The team changes at Story54 come at an exciting time for us. Over the past few months, our Female Futures trend forecast has not only been warmly embraced by clients, but has also helped to steer the development of authentic and effective insight-led brand stories for key advertisers. We’re looking forward to growing and developing our strengths even further with the new team.”
News Brands
Daily Mail trainee writer has contract terminated following c-word controversy
The article prompted Alexander, 28, to lodge a complaint and demand a personal apology from the website.
“I’ve thought about legal action but upon reflection I don’t want to waste my time on negative energy,” she told The Daily Telegraph.
Trainee writer April Glover had her contract terminated yesterday following an internal probe into how she published the c-word in the last paragraph of the article about the star’s media promotion of a cosmetic procedure she’d had.
Last night Daily Mail Australia issued a statement reading: “After an internal investigation, Daily Mail Australia has now terminated the employment of the journalist responsible for the offending words.”
Television
John and Dan Edwards to turn Tony Jones’s political thriller into 8-part TV series
The new eight-part TV series will be written by award-winning screenwriter Christopher Lee (Paper Giants: The Birth Of Cleo, Howzat!, The Secret Life of Us) with John and Dan Edwards of Roadshow Rough Diamond to produce.
“The Twentieth Man” written by Tony Jones, one of Australia’s most admired journalists, is a work of fiction based on real events and focuses on both the personal and the ideological and ethnic clashes that spring from World War Two, Vietnam and the Balkan conflicts reverberating into a star-crossed love story that spans 40 years.
“It is a surprise to find an international story of war crimes and universal passions half a world away having Australians so centrally involved – Tony’s books are a gripping yarn that makes for great epic television,” said John Edwards.
“John and Dan have decided to create for television an Australian story whose main characters are enmeshed in a Day of the Jackal-style assassination plot in Canberra, a manhunt in Bosnia and a love affair that takes us from Sydney to the stunning Croatian coast to a war crimes prison in The Hague. It’s a global whodunit that requires a global vision. Rough Diamond get five stars from me!” said Tony Jones.
Are junk food ads shown more frequently on TV when children watching?
The research, led by the University of Adelaide’s Associate Professor Lisa Smithers and funded by the Heart Foundation, showed that children were exposed to twice as much unhealthy food advertising as healthy food advertising.
It found that children would view more than 800 junk food ads each year if they watched 80 minutes of TV a per day.
A TV monitoring system, believed to be the first of its kind in the world, allowed Prof Smithers’ team to capture a year’s worth of TV and ads from one free-to-air commercial TV network in SA.
Sports Media
Next sports rights auction: Bidding war expected for Premier League matches
As a result of strong interest from Optus in retaining the EPL rights and speculation that Foxtel and Fox Sports will attempt to regain the package of 380 live matches they lost in 2015, there are expectations of a bidding war.
Seven’s Johanna Griggs disputes ABC claims regarding Closing Ceremony
The network stoked anger among viewers with an attack on the Games organising committee and host broadcaster after a torrent of Twitter abuse throughout the event.
The athletes entered Carrara Stadium before the television broadcast and were rarely shown to TV audiences as they stood in darkness on the fringe of the stage.
Prior to the Gold Coast closing ceremony all rights holders, including Channel Seven, were given a minute-by-minute briefing on Saturday morning detailing how the closing ceremony would unfold – complete with a 34-page media guide.
In response to the Holmes article, Seven’s Johanna Griggs yesterday released a statement which said in part:
I was one of the people representing Channel Seven in that briefing…
At no point in the guide does it mention there wouldn’t be one single shot of athletes watching the performances. We assumed, like every other Closing Ceremony ever shown, that the host’s vision would feature athletes nonstop…
If we’d left the briefing room with any indication given us that no athletes would feature, then of course we would have made other arrangements to capture those moments.
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The trendy US PR gurus behind the embarrassing Commonwealth Games closing ceremony, which snubbed athletes in favour of a series of speeches and “karaoke” performances, pocketed a total of $46 million for their lacklustre efforts on the Gold Coast, reports News Corp’s Rose Brennan.
Jack Morton Worldwide won the tender for its work at the Games in controversial circumstances.
It beat bids from some of Australia’s finest entertainment producers for the $33.15 million contract two years ago and received an extra $13 million last year for other Games events.
Podcasting
Breckenridge parents thanks Daily Telegraph reporter for murder investigation
The young medical student’s family and friends granted The Telegraph unprecedented access to their lives and a series of intimate interviews to breathe new life into the 2002 mystery.
“Nicole’s efforts have been outstanding,” David’s father Stephen Breckenridge said yesterday.
After months of research, Hogan and The Telegraph team had produced a “sensitive, balanced and extensive series of articles and podcasts consistent with our aims”, Breckenridge said.
“She has worked tirelessly over several months, been totally professional at all times, demonstrating the finest journalistic qualities for the benefit of our family.”
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