Warburton will start as CEO of Seven West Media effective immediately.

“This is an exciting time for Seven as we welcome James back to the company,” Stokes said. “James has extensive experience in the industry with knowledge across media, advertising, sports administration, marketing and particularly sales. His passion and energy will reinvigorate the team. We look forward to the contribution he will make.”

James Warburton said: “I am delighted to be returning to Seven and I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead to continue to build the business. The foundation of the business is a powerful combination of assets underpinned by outstanding content from Seven Studios, News and our partners in AFL, Cricket, horse racing and the Olympic Games.”

Stokes thanked Tim Worner for his contribution to the business over many years. “I know I speak on behalf of the board and all of our people in thanking Tim for his hard work.” he said.

“Our industry is more dynamic today than ever, experiencing rapidly evolving market conditions which continue to present us with challenges and opportunities. In reviewing the requirements for the company, the board has been considering the right mix of skills and experience required to take advantage of opportunities and accelerate into its next phase of growth.

“Tim has been a tireless leader at Seven for more than two decades and has been Chief Executive Officer for the past six years. All parties agree now is the time for change. We are fortunate that James was available to commence immediately.”

Tim Worner said he was proud of the team he leaves at Seven, a team that has delivered leadership in the television sector for 12 consecutive years. “I would like to thank Kerry and the board for the opportunity they provided me, and their ongoing support and counsel,” Worner said. “It’s with mixed emotion that I tender my resignation, however Seven – a company I love – is a very different company now from the one I joined 25 years ago. It’s changed faster than ever in these last few years and that’s down to the hard work of the best team in the business. I sincerely thank the team and I wish them absolutely nothing but continued success.”

Warburton will present the full year financial results next week.

By James Manning

Although she starts work on Monday as the new co-host of ABC News Breakfast on ABC and ABC News, Lisa Millar is no stranger to the program.

“I was actually on the first show,” Millar told Mediaweek, recalling a cross she made from the US where she was working as an ABC correspondent. “And subsequently there have been a lot of live crosses in 12 years to the breakfast program.”

Millar made the move from Queensland to Melbourne on Thursday. She goes to departing co-host Virginia Trioli’s lunch party after the News Breakfast show today and then is on air on Monday.

When Millar knew she was headed back to Australia she was proactive in calling the News Breakfast EP and asking if there was any fill-in work available. “I loved the program and I was trying to work out what I was going to do when I came back.”

Millar subsequently co-hosted for 10 weeks on the show at the beginning of this year as Trioli took some time off.

Millar has worked mostly outside of Australia for the past 20 years for the ABC. After her posting that ended in 2005, Millar was hungry for more and headed off again in 2009.

But she’s ready to settle in Australia, for now. “When I now sit here watching correspondents doing live crosses in what is sometimes the middle of the night for them I am reminded how hard I worked and how tired I was by the time I finished!”

Millar said 2017 was the busiest she’s ever been with some of the stories covered including Manchester Arena attack, the London Bridge and Westminster attacks and the hung parliament. “Hands down that was the most challenging year I have ever had.”

Millar is not surrendering her passport though. She has recently returned from Europe where she filed a report for Foreign Correspondent that will be broadcast in September.

Millar will also travel within Australia for the breakfast show and for two episodes of Back Roads she will be guest hosting each year.

Settling down means this is the first time Millar will have a routine in decades. “Even though I will be up at 3am, I am off air at 9am. I will have the opportunity to plan things, like improving my swimming for example, something I have wanted to do for a while.

“I will have to go to bed at 8am though, so I am not available on those nights for dinner.”

As to what Millar would have done if the News Breakfast role was not available, she said she loves talking to people and allowing them to tell their stories. “I knew I didn’t want to go into management, and I didn’t want to be behind a desk producing.”

The News Breakfast EP wasn’t the only producer Millar rang when leaving London. She also spoke with a number of other shows including 7.30 and Four Corners.

“I do see myself as being an ABC person. The ABC was the only thing on in our household when I grew up in regional Australia. I could sing the ABC news theme by the time I was seven and I used to walk around the house interviewing members of the family.

“There have been times over the years when I have had approaches from other channels, but I love the ABC and what we do.”

Millar already knows her new co-host Michael Rowland very well after first meeting him in the 1990s. “He’s such a great guy and he and his wife have had me over for dinner and I have known their kids since they were very young. I feel very comfortable with Michael and that is very important when you are sitting on the couch together.”

Millar said she and Rowland have had discussions about making some changes to the program. “That will come naturally, viewers won’t watch on Monday and be shocked. Any change will be gradual.”

Bigger coverage of regional Australia will be one change. Millar comes from Gympie and she mentioned the recent success of Rowland’s drought tour.

“Our promise to Sydney is an exciting and upbeat breakfast alternative for Sydneysiders on their morning commute where they can expect us to play just music for breakfast.”

“A huge thank you must go to our breakfast show team, Grant, Ed & Ash, for the past 18 months – they are absolute professionals, have been a true delight to work with and have contributed to a culture of fun, community and inclusiveness we are proud of at 2Day.

“Ash London will continue to host Ash London Live nationally from 6.30pm weeknights. Ed Kavalee will continue to fill in for Kate Langbroek, who is enjoying the European summer with her young family, with Hughesy from 4.30pm. Grant Denyer will continue making appearances around the Network. From Monday, 2Day’s Music for Breakfast will be played by Jamie Angel, who returns to the 2Day airwaves.”

Your Domain will focus on everything about property and will tap into the nation’s ongoing obsession with property. Regardless of whether the audience are buyers, sellers or renters, Your Domain is anticipated to become a must-watch guide to understanding the property market, according to Domain CEO, Jason Pellegrino.

“Inspiring confidence in all of life’s property decisions is at the heart of what Domain does. We’re thrilled that, through the strength and expertise of Nine in television production, we will now have a dedicated program to complement our digital and publishing footprint,” Pellegrino said.

“Whether Australians want to know the best way to increase the value of their property, get their house ready for sale, choose an agent, learn about the market or find out about the longer-term outlook for their suburb – Your Domain has it covered.”

Pellegrino said Your Domain is the next stage in a strategic partnership with Nine, and builds on the TV presence Domain has established through its successful sponsorship of The Block.

Your Domain will live beyond a single program or timeslot, with the brand to be extended into other Nine news and current affairs properties as well as online across Nine and Domain’s digital, video-on-demand and social media assets.

Kohler, most recently with Your Money and Sky News, will also become a part of the Nine News reporting team covering property and business news.

The content will cover a wide array of topics with a strong focus on everyday Australians. This includes localised property news, lifestyle tips and tricks, Domain Research House market analysis, real-life case studies, and even the opportunity for sellers to feature on Your Domain, according to Nine’s managing director of partnerships, Lizzie Young.

“Our goal with Your Domain is to develop the most effective marketing platform for property in Australia, and support Domain in helping inspire confidence for all Australians in all of life’s property decisions,” said Young.

“The launch of Your Domain is our first major initiative post Fairfax merger that really highlights the unique position we have with the combined strength of Nine and Domain’s assets.

“We are really looking forward to offering something new that will engage our audiences, and even provide an opportunity for sellers to extend the advertising of their property via the reach of Australia’s largest and most effective locally owned media company.”

Your Domain launches on September 7 at 10.00am on Channel 9.

Williams will be working with Australian and international broadcasters to assess market requirements and to build a development slate of local youth-focused productions. He will collaborate with the children’s production sector in Australia, including talent, agents, writers and producers to source kids content that Fremantle can deliver to the local and international marketplace.

Chris Oliver-Taylor, CEO Asia Pacific, and Jennifer Collins, director of content, Fremantle, said: “We are thrilled to have secured someone of Joel’s calibre to help us understand the global children’s content market and our potential place in it. Joel has been tasked to work with his incredible contacts around the world to source great ideas and projects that will entertain Australian children and children around the world. We’re also thrilled to now have the potential to partner with local independent producers on children’s content and tell uniquely Australian stories for a youth audience.”

Joel Williams said: “I am super excited to be working with Fremantle on the development of their kids slate. Fremantle’s reputation as a creative powerhouse will ensure we produce outstanding children’s content for the Australian market that has broad global appeal.”

Williams’ television experiences extends across free-to-air networks, subscription, video on demand, social video and digital platforms having held key leadership roles at The Walt Disney Company and Nickelodeon.

Fremantle is keen to partner with local independent producers on the development and co-production of projects in both the scripted and unscripted space. The key focus is targeting children 5-12 years old with unequivocally Australian stories.

Williams will report into Fremantle’s director of content, Jennifer Collins, and began in the role this week.

By Andrew Mercado

Whilst it is good to see any Working Dog show, this is starting to feel like the same situations and jokes in every episode. But perhaps that’s the point. The Office is the most popular show on Netflix, with twice as many viewers re-watching it as any of their original fare. Clearly many, many viewers relate to workplace humour and they never tire of it.

Utopia is still a great reflection of modern bureaucracy and we are even more cynical about such institutions than when the show first began in 2014. This is a show rooted in reality, and that also applies to the timely new BBC drama Dark Money: Shattered Dreams (Friday on ABC).

When a young British actor returns from starring in a Hollywood blockbuster, a horrible truth is revealed to his naive parents when they learn he was sexually abused by the movie’s powerful producer. Their decision, about whether or not to accept a cash payout, is just the beginning of this powerful examination of abuse survivors and their families.

There is also a tragic truth at the heart of The Righteous Gemstones (Tuesday on FoxShowcase) as a family of televangelists fleece their flock so they can live a lavish lifestyle. Eli Gemstone (John Goodman) can handle the competition (Dylan McDermott), but he can’t control his juvenile offspring (Danny McBride, Adam Devine & Edi Patterson) who all have their own garish mansions inside a giant gated estate.

Created by Adam McBride, this is an ambitious leap forward from his previous comedies Eastbound & Down and Vice Principals. The situations are wackier but the tone is less vulgar, if you don’t count the ostentatious displays of wealth. I’ve binged all six episodes (keep watching for Walter Goggins) and news about its renewal has to be a no-brainer.

Morning television has just lost one of its brainiest now that Virginia Trioli has finished up with News Breakfast. Good luck to Lisa Millar when she takes over next Monday.

And thank you to Sunrise who had the funniest interview of the week when Adelaide’s international superstar Hans got Kochie rolling in the aisles.

“I’ve been on this show so many times, people think I’ve joined One Nation”, he quipped and with lines like that, Hans deserves his own sitcom with Working Dog. Or maybe he could guest-edit The Australian’s brand new “gender” section, because anything the cross-dressing accordionist has to say would be better the nonsense currently on there.

Thursday Week 33 2019

By James Manning 

• Seven News 994,000/923,000
• Nine News 818,000/826,000
• A Current Affair 658,000
• ABC News 656,000
• 7.30 514,000
• The Project 286,000/457,000
• 10 News First 366,000
• The Drum 159,000
• SBS World News 125,000

Breakfast TV

• Sunrise 262,000
• Today 212,000
• News Breakfast 164,000

Seven

After three nights in a band above and below 650,000, Home And Away dipped to 575,000 on Thursday.

The Front Bar did 320,000 across the metro network with 196,000 in Melbourne.

Viewers in Sydney and Brisbane saw Martin Clunes: Islands Of America at 8.30pm with 95,000 watching.

Nine

The rain stopped long enough in London for a full day’s play so the Second Ashes Test could get underway. The action started on 9Gem in Sydney and Brisbane, on Nine in other markets. The first session had an audience of 724,000 with 333,000 up after midnight for the second session.

The NRL clash between Manly and West Tigers did 158,000 in Sydney and 78,000 in Brisbane.

10

The Bachelor had another good night as controversy surrounding the use of the C-word dominated media coverage. The audience of 742,000 gave 10 its biggest Thursday number of the year – even better than any MasterChef Thursday episodes. The program was again #1 non-news show of the night.

The year’s second season of Gogglebox began with verdicts on the latest returning shows including The Bachelor, SeaChange and a longish segment on AGT. The TV critics also got to watch a compelling episode of Anh’s Brush With Fame featuring Kylie Kwong. Googlebox recorded an audience of 704,000, up 17% on the series launch episode earlier in 2019. The combo of The Bachelor and Gogglebox also gave 10 the two most-watched entertainment shows.

The Bachelor had a great night with an audience of 783,000 making it the best this season. The show also ranked #1 non-news for the night and outrated The Block.

The Bachelor helped 10 to rank #1 under 50 for the night.

Earlier in the evening The Project did 485,000 at 7pm.

Later in the night My Life Is Murder was on 364,000.

ABC

Escape From The City ventured into the Northern Rivers area of NSW with 364,000.

A repeat of the series Little Women then started on 126,000.

SBS

The final episode of The Handmaid’s Tale drew an audience of 153,000 after 9.30pm.

The channel’s biggest audience was again for the penultimate episode of The Hunting with 187,000.

After 7.30pm Going Places With Ernie Dingo did 158,000 followed by Gourmet Farmer on 149,000.