By James Manning

A show doing poorly in the ratings often creates more media buzz than a program doing well.

Seven’s Sunrise does attract headlines too though. It’s usually connected with something that’s gone wrong. Or perhaps a social media overnight sensation that disappears as quickly as it originally went viral.

Of the ratings battle between Seven’s Sunrise and Nine’s Today, it seems assumed by some that Today is losing the ratings rather than Sunrise winning.

“I obviously don’t share that view,” longtime Sunrise executive producer Michael Pell told Mediaweek recently.

Natalie Barr, Sam Armytage, Michael Pell, David Koch and Mark Beretta

However, Pell did acknowledge that Today “eats up a lot of the headlines and it’s considered something of a boring story to say, ‘the market leader – who has been the market leader for 15 years – is doing well’.

“I would like to trust the public that they wouldn’t watch a show for that long if they didn’t think it was good.

“If you look at the production values, if you look at our news credentials, if you look at the experience of the team on camera and the producers off camera, it is a very good show. You don’t get to stay number one for that long if you’re not.”

Much of the media attention that breakfast TV attracts tends to be tabloid in nature. “Clickbait,” suggested Pell.

“The shows are clickbait because it’s front and centre every morning. Readers of websites as well as TV viewers do connect with the Sunrise people because they are almost like family. It’s a very personal time of the day. We are also on air for a long time – across Sunrise and Weekend –, almost 24 hours of air time per week.”

Those 24 hours are spread across seven days with the cross platform audience watching traditional TV, but also across 7plus and on the social media platforms Sunrise provides content to.

A keen collector of audience data to examine how viewers digest and react to the show, Pell said, “I noticed that people tend to get up a little bit later when it’s colder, when it’s darker and also in certain cities. Melbourne tends to wake up the latest and Queensland the earliest.”

Inside the Sunrise control room

Pell said the show makes sure it caters to all viewers, with the core demo women over the age of 30.

As to the financial success of the breakfast show, Pell said: “It’s performing well. I’m fairly involved in that side of things looking at budgeting.

“It’s a very profitable show and it’s a very important time of the day. It is a national show which gets the Seven day rolling.”

Showing Mediaweek around Sunrise mid-show recently, it didn’t seem the program was wasting shareholder funds. “We’re a fairly lean operation. You’ve seen today. There are not millions of people wandering around. Just a small amount of key staff who are keeping the show running every hour of the day. We’re still 24-hour operation.”

Maintaining the Sunrise program and controlling a small army on-air and off is an expensive business. Yet Pell said: “Seven does not pay more to win the breakfast ratings. They pay the same or less [than Today]. A lot of what we do, some of the bigger projects, are actually cost neutral at the end of the day.”

With a breakfast team that has been doing the same job for a number of years, how tempting is it to move on, looking for a new challenge?

“Part of the reason why we are all still here is that it’s not the same old stuff,” said Pell.

“The show is still evolving. We’re still trying to find new and different ways and more interesting ways to engage the audience.

“There will come a time when all of us will say, ‘Okay, we’ve had enough.’ And that’s fine. One of our advantages at the moment is that we’ve come to a place where we have a core team on camera and off that has stayed the same. It’s a constant and it has been for a few years. And if you look at breakfast, TV consistency is important to the audience.”

One of the clickbait items that regularly garner attention is the future of David Koch as a co-host. Last year he went to a four-day week to allow him to work on his other interests including the position of chairman of The Crows.

“Apart from an extra day off weekly, he’s not on the way out contractually.”

Pell said Koch remains very much in-demand at Seven.

As to what is left for Pell and the team at Sunrise, the executive producer said: “We’ve achieved more than I expected us to. It’s very humbling to see that people, via the ratings, are still interested in what we do after so, many years. We keep changing it up for them.”

Pell’s Sunrise show bucket list is certainly ambitious!

“I would like to organise something across five countries in five days. I would also love to do a show from the moon.”

In terms of quality breakfast TV shows around the world, Pell said Sunrise is on par with global leaders. “We are globally innovative and I’m proud of that. Sunrise does have a really good international reputation.”

Something that might come in handy for that breakfast show on the moon.

—

Top Photo: Michael Pell

Lindsay Lohan, music hit maker Dannii Minogue, pop culture guru Jackie O and comedian Dave Hughes have all ripped up their busy diaries in order to play the country’s biggest game of guess who, The Masked Singer Australia.

As 12 celebrities take the stage hidden beneath bizarre disguises (like The Prawn and The Unicorn) this musical crack unit of detectives will take a handful of clues and the sound of each celebrity’s voice to try and unearth just who is behind the mask.

Lindsay Lohan started her career at the age of three as a child model and has since gone on to prove herself a triple threat within the entertainment industry. This lady knows good talent when she sees it.

On joining The Masked Singer Australia panel, Lindsay said: “The show has already been a huge success and I can only imagine it will get bigger. Each week will be so exciting to watch who performs and try and guess who’s behind the masks. I feel honoured to sit on the panel and be a part of such an amazing show.”

Making her mark as a global pop sensation over three decades, in recent years Dannii Minogue has stepped out of the studio and onto television screens, cementing herself as one of the industry’s sharpest talent spotters.

On why she thinks The Masked Singer Australia will stand out from other talent competitions, Dannii said: “The Masked Singer is an incredible show that already has fans around the world. I love the music, drama of the costumes, the fun of guessing the performers, and most of all the tension when the performer is revealed.”

One of the most powerful voices in Australian media, Jackie O has the entertainment world on speed dial, and she’s not afraid to call. Years at the top of her game has made her a hit maker, now Jackie O is ready to unearth Australia’s hidden talent.

On why she’s decided to take her place on the panel, Jackie said: “I was really excited by the concept, it’s so unique and like nothing we’ve seen on Australian TV before. I love that everyone can play along at home trying to guess which celebrities are under the mask. I’m also excited for my daughter to see it, she will love it.”

While he may not have the sweetest singing voice, Dave Hughes will certainly bring the laughs to an already bonkers entertainment series. Despite not having the musical nous of his fellow panellists, Dave believes he has his finger on the pulse of those playing along at home.

On his place on such and outstanding panel, Dave said: “Never has the phrase ‘thorn between the roses’ been more apt. I will attempt to give the common man’s view while sitting amongst these goddesses.”

Hosted by compare extraordinaire, Osher Günsberg, The Masked Singer Australia is produced by Warner Bros. Australia.

The panellist’s astonishing list of over-achievements:

Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan

With years of experience in the entertainment industry, Lohan began her career as a model and child star, making her mark in family hits such as The Parent Trap and Freaky Friday. Lohan literally grew up in front of the camera, coming into her own in the lead role of Cady in cult teen comedy, Mean Girls.

Lohan continues to be a hugely successful international businesswoman, opening multiple Beach Clubs and most recently starring in her own MTV series Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club.

Dannii Minogue

Dannii Minogue

Dannii Minogue’s entertainment career has straddled music and television for nearly 40 years.

Singing and dancing her way into Aussie hearts as part of the young cast on Young Talent Time, Dannii has had her own global singing success twice over and cemented herself as a great nurturer of talent in her roles on Australia’s Got Talent, The X Factor UK and The X Factor Australia.

Jackie O

Now the highest-paid radio host, Jackie O first started working in Australian radio in 1993 and has since gone on to become one of the most powerful women in Australian media. As part of a Sydney radio duo with Kyle Sandilands, Jackie O brings the entertainment world to life daily, speaking with the world’s biggest stars often getting the scoop on pop culture’s biggest moments.

No stranger to television, Jackie O has been at the helm of some of the country’s biggest reality programs including a judging role on Popstars, hosting Australian Princess and co-hosting the 2008 series of Big Brother Australia broadcast on Network 10.  

Dave Hughes

Dave Hughes

One of Australia’s busiest entertainers, Dave Hughes keeps the plates of comedy, radio and television all spinning at the same time.

Part of the powerhouse drive radio duo, Hughesy and Kate, Hughes keeps the country on their toes delivering his laconic humour with deadpan delivery each weekday. On TV, Hughes calls on some of Australia’s funniest minds to help him solve the country’s biggest issues in Hughesy, We Have A Problem broadcast on Network 10.

Jo Hall will team up with Mike Perso, for smoothfm 91.5’s More Music Breakfast Show, filling for news journalist Jennifer Hansen who is on leave.

Georgie Page, smoothfm Program Director said, “Mike and Jen have such a loyal following in breakfast in Melbourne. Jo is one of the market’s most respected names in news and brings with her a wealth of experience not only as a journalist, but as a Melburnian and a mother, so we know our listeners are in good hands while Jen is on leave.”

Hall has been at Nine News for 40 years and presents four bulletins at 6pm to viewers in regional Victoria, as well as filing regular stories for the Melbourne bulletin.

Hall said, “I love radio and I love news, it has been in my blood for 40 years. I think of smooth in a similar way to the way I feel about Channel Nine; there is something prestigious and classy about working there, so I’m thrilled for the opportunity to join the smoothfm breakfast team.”

Michelle Stephenson, NOVA Entertainment’s National Newsroom Manager said, “Jo Hall is a name synonymous with Melbourne news, she’s one of the city’s most distinguished TV presenters, and as such she is the perfect person to jump in the seat on smoothfm 91.5 alongside Mike Perso.”

Jenner will lead Wavemaker’s 8,600 employees who manage $13 billion in billings (COMvergence) for clients in 90 countries. Reporting to Kelly Clark, GroupM’s Global CEO, Jenner will transition from his current MediaCom role over the summer and begin his new Wavemaker role in September.

Kelly Clark said of the appointment: “Toby has been an outstanding contributor to our group’s growth for more than 15 years. In his 11 years at MediaCom, he’s been instrumental in delivery of breakthrough client work, a winning streak on award circuits regionally and globally, and powerful business development performance.

“Toby is passionate about helping our clients win and is a fierce competitor for them, as well as for our business. He inspires our people to consistently exceed expectations and supports them in their own career development. He will be a strong leader with the very talented team at Wavemaker.”

Since its launch in 2017 Wavemaker teams around the world has added over 300 clients to their roster while winning 67% of pitches, after investing heavily in new capabilities in precision marketing, commerce, and content marketing. 

Jenner has previously held the of Global Chief Business Development & Marketing Officer, Asia Pacific COO, and CEO of Australasia.

“I’m really looking forward to meeting my new colleagues and our clients at Wavemaker in the coming months,” said Jenner. “I’m fortunate to join a business with very strong local markets, a great team, a great client portfolio, and a track record in delivering growth for brands. Like any business, I’m sure there are areas where we can be stronger. We’ll address those as a team and take the agency on to even greater success moving forward.”

“I’d like to thank everyone at MediaCom. Across 11 years, 4 different continents and 4 different roles, I’ve had the opportunity to meet the most amazing people who’ve all been instrumental in preparing me for this new chapter,” Jenner added.

Houghton will report to Tim Love, Head of Digital at Sky News, and will be responsible for the digital editorial output across skynews.com.au and publishing touchpoints including overseeing original online reporting and produced-for-web articles, videos and podcast content, the role also comes with an increased on-air presence.

Houghton will also oversee 2600, the Sky News digital-first brand and content platform for political enthusiasts, led by Courtney Gould who has been promoted to Senior Producer – 2600.

Sky News Product Manager Sarah Gaukroger has been promoted to the new role of digital operations manager, which will see her take on an increased portfolio of digital products, as well as drive product and marketing strategies for Sky News online content across existing and emerging platforms.

Tim Love, Head of Digital at Sky News, said: “These new roles are critical to the channel’s ongoing expansion and are a testament to the popularity of video content. Having launched the network’s video-first strategy 18 months ago, video views have increased by over 300 per cent.

“The increased investment sets us up for continued success during our next period of significant digital growth across our web, app and third-party platforms.”

Lise Carlaw and Sarah Wills, also known as Those Two Girls will join Dan Anstey and Ben Hannant to wake up Gold Coasters on weekdays from 6am – 9am. Carlaw and Wills will continue to host the national mid-dawns from 5am-6am for the Hit Network as well as being part of the new Hit90.9 Brekkie Crew.

Carlaw and Wills said, “For us, this new show is about friendship, it’s four mates coming together, shooting the breeze and having a lot of laughs along the way.”

“From the moment we both met Dan and Ben, we knew – as four years their senior – we could be their guiding light. This will be news to them, but how better to find out what a rollercoaster ride they’re in for, then right here in the press!” they said.

Head of The Hit Network, Gemma Fordham said, “Lise and Sarah have been hosting a successful show on The Hit Network for the past two years. Their show is hilarious and relatable, and we’ve seen it particularly resonate with Queensland audiences.”

“The moment we put Lise, Sarah, Dan and Ben together we heard their immediate chemistry, quite simply it just popped. The combination of the four delivers a show that is very funny, engaging and has heart.” she said.

Listen to the Hit90.9 Brekkie Crew with Lise, Sarah, Dan & Ben from 6am-9am weekdays on Hit90.9. The changes will take place from Monday, July 29.

Currently serving as chief political reporter for Sky News in Canberra, Gilbert joins Fox Sports  as a host on the dedicated Rugby World Cup channels, available in HD and 4K.

Gilbert will work alongside Fox Sports’ line-up of Rugby’s best experts and analysts including World Cup winners George Gregan, Tim Horan and Phil Kearns plus the voice of Rugby in Australia, Greg Clark.

Gilbert said: “My two great interests are politics and sport, so after 17 years covering politics I can’t wait to launch into some sport as well.

“I’m excited to be joining Fox Sports for one of the biggest sporting competitions in the world, working alongside Wallabies legends Phil Kearns, George Gregan and Tim Horan among others. It’ll be an honour and I can’t wait to cover all the action with them.”

Fox Sports head of television Steve Crawley said: “Kieran is a world class television host. When we called him to check on his interest in the Rugby World Cup he said he was taking holidays from Sky News and would be watching every minute.

“We said we might be able to make it a bit more interesting than that – and he jumped at our proposition to host Fox Sports  coverage.”  

Gilbert will return to his hosting role with Sky News at the conclusion of the Rugby World Cup 2019.

Every match of the Rugby World Cup Japan 2019 is live, ad-break free during play and in 4K across two dedicated channels on Fox Sports.

By Cam Shea, editor-in-chief, IGN Australia

Rainbow Six: Siege (which initially released back in December 2015 but has since gone from strength to strength as a competitive shooter) swapping in for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (which also came out yonks ago, but is such a brilliant game that it would be a crime against video games for new Switch owners to not be buying it).

Some of the games represented have jumped around, certainly, but last week’s top two remain: the rock solid kart racing action of Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled and the limitless possibilities of Super Mario Maker 2. And speaking of the latter, the community has been hard at work since the game’s release, creating some amazing levels that take Mario to cool – and sometimes strange – places. If you’re into 2D Mario games, Super Mario Maker 2 basically represents close to unlimited gameplay. (And to get you started, here are seven creators to follow.)

By James Manning

Singles

Only three other songs have spent a longer tine at #1 after Old Town Road from Lil Nas X has racked up week 12 on top of the ARIA singles chart. Those other artists are Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee with Despacito (13 weeks, 2017), Coolio with Gangsta’s Paradise (13 weeks, 1995/96) and Ed Sheeran with Shape Of You (15 weeks, 2017). Two other tracks have also spent 12 weeks at #1: Eminem’s Lose Yourself (#1 Dec. ’02) and Pharrell Williams’ Happy (#1 Jan. ’14).

The highest new entry of four newcomers inside the top 50 was Post Malone featuring Young Thug at #5 with Goodbyes. The track is the US rapper’s first new chart entry since Wow in April this year.

After the season final of The Voice and then a performance at the State of Origin mid-week, Guy Sebastian spends a second week in the top 10, with Choir climbing three spots to #7.

This week’s other chart debuts:

#24 Ed Sheeran with Best Of Me featuring Yebba.
#40 Ed Sheeran again with Blow featuring Chris Stapleton and Bruno Mars.
#41 Y2K and bbno$ with Lalala

Albums

Billie Eilish’s amazing run at or near the top continues with a fourth time at #1 where she has now spent seven weeks with her debut album When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go?, released 15 weeks ago.

It is a relatively sedate album chart this week with four new entries cracking the top 50:

#2 Dreamville, J. Cole with Revenge Of The Dreamers III. American hip hop label Dreamville releases its multi-artist compilation album.
#26 Machine Gun Kelly with Hotel Diablo.
#28 Soundtrack for Mystify: A Musical Journey with Michael Hutchence
#34 Jaden with Erys.

Special mention to INXS this week as the Michael Hutchence doco Mystify has also powered up the INXS compilation The Very Best, which jumps from #39 to #19 and has now spent a staggering 252 weeks in the top 50.

By James Manning

• Seven News 1,115,000
• Nine News 1,031,000
• ABC News 628,000
• The Project 241,000/431,000
• Insiders 282,000
• 10 News First 259,000
• Offsiders 206,000
• SBS World News 126,000

Breakfast TV

• Sunrise 241,000
• Today 182,000

Seven

Shayn & Carly returned to their brand-new Aussie dream garden on House Rules with the backyard earning a perfect 10 from the homeowners for Lisa & Andy who also won praise from the judges for their “genius” secret fairy garden. The episode did 732,000.

Sunday Night then did 434,000.

Seven managed to win the primary channel night with some help from the Wimbledon men’s final that got underway at 11pm. The coverage was watched by an average of 403,000. The epic match didn’t end until well into Monday meaning the ratings are to be split over 2 days.

Nine

Australian Ninja Warrior was on 899,000 for its first Sunday this season after audiences of 1m and 879,000 last week.

60 Minutes then did 571,000 followed by Suburban Gangsters on 261,000.

The World Cup Cricket on 9Gem saw many people willing New Zealand to a win, and they came so close. The audience watching the NZ innings after 7.30pm was 361,000. There was still over 100,000 watching by the time the England innings got underway, yet the game didn’t wrap until well into the Monday ratings.

10

The Project featured singer Jessica Mauboy and filmmaker Ian Darling (The Adam Goodes doco The Final Quarter) with 431,000 watching after 7pm.

Finals week started on MasterChef as tears were shed with letters from home arriving for the top six. The episode was on 605,000.

FBI then did 211,000.

ABC

The Planets did 490,000 in what promises to be a big week for space nerds.

Harrow then did 462,000.

SBS

Chasing The Moon was the channel’s best on 144,000.