Monday July 29, 2019

Australian Survivor’s secret: “Trust the format, let the game play out”

• 10’s Stephen Tate on casting, competition and what it takes to win

By James Manning

“It’s the best season ever,” is a phrase Mediaweek has heard often from Network 10’s head of entertainment and factual Stephen Tate when he spruiks a new season of Australian Survivor. So far he hasn’t been wrong – each year Endemol Shine has been able to deliver 10 a show even more polished and engaging than the preceding season. And so far, season four looks like a cracker too.

“I’m five episodes in and I am really happy,” Tate told Mediaweek. “The gameplay is excellent and the production values are fantastic. [Host] Jonathan LaPaglia is in the best form he has ever been in…it’s really strong.”

The finished episodes are arriving not too far ahead of the broadcast dates, something Tate said is not too unusual. “We take a lot of time and care in post production. The team at Endemol Shine are just amazing and they are great craftsmen. It takes between seven and nine weeks to finish every episode.

Casting is the secret to a great reality show and Tate talked about one of season four’s interesting competitors: “The People’s Champion, Luke, is the person we debated the most. When you compare him to the other members of the Champions team he is an unusual casting. What he brings is possibly one of the best social games we have ever seen. That is not to be under-estimated. In the game of Survivor…or life! [Laughs]

“Luke certainly repays our faith in him. He’s a fantastic character. Because he was so popular in the series he was in we decided to give him a second chance. He is the first person to play Survivor twice in Australia.”

In Australian Survivor season two, Luke made it to the final eight.

When we suggest to Tate that both Luke and then Andy had a lot of screentime in the first episode, the executive producer cautioned: “Don’t take airtime as too much of a tell. We just go with the strongest stories in every episode.

Tate added it is a challenge to decide what to have to edit out of all the footage for each episode. “To work out what to run is a very hard task. Endemol Shine’s executive producer Amelia Fisk sent a note to the cast at the start of this season telling people if they didn’t think they featured as much as they should, ‘don’t worry, your time will come’.”

Tate said Survivor is a pleasure to cast because so many people are desperate to do it.

“People like Pia Miranda have been projecting themselves into the game since they were very young. Pia wasn’t on our radar until we saw an interview that asked her about the one show she would do that was non-drama. She said Survivor. She got a call from us the next day.

10 gets plenty of pitches from talent managers putting forward their clients as possible contestants. “We always welcome that,” said Tate.

Tate noted that during the tour to cast the Contenders, Endemol Shine reality veteran Fisk worked very hard this season on getting people who could compete with the Champions. “We think we have put together the most competitive team of contenders that you could possibly have found. They are really strong. They give us a really balanced game right until the end.”

The Survivor cast never get to meet each other before the game starts. “Because it is such a remote location, some may see each other on a flight or a boat. They are all chaperoned and given strict instructions not to talk to anybody. Essentially they don’t really know 100% who is in the game until the day they arrive.”

When asked about what it takes to win Survivor, physical or mental strength, Tate replied:

If you look at who has won, physical strength is very important in the early days of the game, but mental strength always wins out in the end.

10 doesn’t reveal the exact location, but Survivor takes place on the same Fijian island as the town of Savusavu which is the nearest port.

“We have mixed up the locations a bit this year and there are some new challenge locations,” said Tate of the location that TripAdvisor reports is “a fast-developing tourist hotspot”.

It is very important for 10 and Endemol Shine that there is little evidence of the presence after they depart.

Tate: “We take our eco credentials very seriously. Almost a day or two after we leave you’d never know we’d been there. If anything we might leave it cleaner than when we found it.”

A lot of the property Australian Survivor works on is privately owned and they negotiate with the local landowners.

Weather is a key factor in many episodes of the show and heavy rain early this season made the challenge in episode two very memorable.

“Heavy rain early really sorted people out. But they are a tough bunch. Competitors in our series have to last longer than nearly any other version.

No contestant has ever walked out on the series after starting. There has been injury and illness, but no quitters yet. Some have thought about it though.

“Amelia Fisk is the person who would talk to a contestant when that happens. Her first instinct would be make sure they get medical and psych support straight away. She would then ask them to give it 24 hours to make sure they really want to depart. That process usually sees them decide to stick it out.”

The senior producers meet once a day, usually late afternoon, to review the game and where it is headed. “They are intimately aware of every survivor’s game play. The location producers on the beaches feed back the details. The only thing that is made clear to all contestants is you can have a poker face in the game, but you have to let us in because we need to know what your strategy is for the television show.

“The one thing the format owners have impressed upon us is to have a light touch during the production. They tell us to trust the format and let the game play out.”

Tate shares executive production duties with Cathie Scott this year. Tate was on location for a few weeks while making other shows. He is finishing the year with more on his plate than ever. He’s juggling The Masked Singer, which is in production now, and readying The Amazing Race – two series that will both be going to air this year.

10 introduces the Bachelorettes ahead of Bachelor mid-week launch

Ahead of this Wednesday night’s premiere episode of The Bachelor Australia, 10 has revealed the 28 beautiful, brainy and brave women putting their hearts on the line this season.

Ranging in age from 23 to 34 and hailing from all over the country and abroad, this year’s Bachelorettes are a diverse group of women with one thing in common: a passion to find “the one”.

Bachelor Matt Agnew opens the doors of the Bachelor mansion to welcome this select group of ladies on their romance journey of a lifetime. Through a series of cocktail parties and breathtakingly memorable dates, they will discover who has the chemistry, intelligence, sense of adventure and charm to be Matt’s perfect partner.

Meet the Bachelorettes who are vying for Matt’s heart:

New South Wales has delivered nine ladies in nurse Elly, fashion brand manager Emma, sports teacher Tash, personal trainer Rachael, civil engineer Sogand, model Vakoo, children’s entertainer Julia, fashion designer Monique and student Nikki.

Asked why she wanted to be a part of The Bachelor Australia, Elly said: “I wanted to take a bit of a chance. You never know where life is going to take you, so if you don’t take chances then you’re going to stay put and you won’t find out”.

Eight beauties hail from Victoria: chemical engineer Chelsie, copywriter Sophie, digital account manager Hannah, cook Mary, makeup artist Jessica, chartered accountant Danush, public servant Sam and nurse Tara.

On her plan to win over The Bachelor’s heart, Chelsie said: “I just want to go in and be myself. If that is not good enough, then I don’t think it’s meant to be”.

Property analyst Abbie, café manager Nichole, Pilates instructor Isabelle, cosmetic nurse Georgie, textiles designer Keely and China researcher Kristen bring the six enviable tans from sunny Queensland, and health coach Helena, executive PA Jessie and clerical officer Brianna represent Western Australia.

Hailing from the Top End is healthcare coordinator Renee and waving the flag for Adelaide is jewellery designer Cassandra.

Matt said: “It may be an unorthodox way to meet someone, but I think it’ll be a sensational experience and make for a cracking ‘how we met’ story!”

The Bachelor Australia promises another extraordinary season filled with drama, humour, adventure and romance that captivates Australian viewers, as the country follows Matt’s journey to find love.

On Wednesday night, Matt is introduced to 20 beautiful Bachelorettes, before 10 shakes things up on Thursday night with eight unexpected arrivals.

TV Guide: The Ashes bringing Test Cricket to Nine, 9Gem and 9Now

The oldest rivalry in Australian sport reignites this Thursday August 1st at 7.30pm AEST, when The Ashes returns home exclusively to Nine.

All five Test matches between Australia and England will be live, exclusive and in HD during primetime on Nine and 9GEM (varies by state – check guides for details), and streamed live on 9Now.

In NSW and Queensland the first two nights of the first test on Thursday and Friday will be on 9Gem, while day three will be on Nine.

In Melbourne and other markets the first three nights of the test will be on the primary channel.

The Australian men’s side are in England as the current keepers of The Urn, having defeated England on home soil in 2017. They will be looking to replicate the success of the superstar women’s side who this week secured an emphatic victory over their English counterparts.

With the likes of Steve Smith, David Warner, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc in the side, Australia will be brimming with confidence and self-belief.

Tensions will be high, and they will be itching to gain a measure of revenge against a formidable English side who ended Australia’s World Cup dream only weeks ago. The home side will be hungry to continue their success with a squad which includes world class players in Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes and veteran Jimmy Anderson.

Todd Woodbridge

Hosting Nine’s coverage will be Australian sporting legend Todd Woodbridge, alongside former Australian men’s captain Mark Taylor, former Australian women’s captains Melanie Jones and Lisa Sthalekar, and Aussie wicket-keeping great, Ian Healy.

“Like most Australians, I grew up watching the cricket on our screens every year”, said Woodbridge. “Hosting something as iconic as The Ashes is a real privilege, and I can’t wait to work with some of the legends of Aussie cricket.”

Commentary will be provided by a collection of heavyweights of world cricket, such as Aussie and English stars Shane Warne, Ricky Ponting, Michael Atherton, David Lloyd, Isa Guha and more.

Mark Taylor, an Ashes-winning former captain of the Australian side, feels the series will be tight in 2019. “Both sides are filled with match winners, but I think the Aussies could have enough firepower to get them over the line this year and retain The Urn”, said Taylor. “It’s shaping up to be a brilliant series.”

Former Australian women’s captain Mel Jones – also no stranger to Ashes success – said, “Justin Langer’s first Ashes series as coach, Tim Paine’s as captain. Fresh, new faces for the oldest of competitions. This series will uncover new Australian heroes and reaffirm old ones as they take on the old foe on away soil.”

The five Test matches will continue over August and September, beginning at 7:30pm AEST this Thursday August 1st on Nine, 9Gem and 9Now.

Week 30 TV ratings: Seven surges from behind again to win

Nine started the week with a blast from three nights of semi final action on Australian Ninja Warrior, but Seven then claimed the next four nights and had enough momentum to win the week.

AFL was key to Seven’s wins on Friday and Saturday, while programs as different as The Front Bar and Britain’s Got Talent helped it across the line on Wednesday and Thursday.

Seven had the #1 news bulletins across the seven days and the #1 breakfast show across seven days. Sunrise had a winning weekday metro average of 266,000.

Seven’s biggest non-news program was the Winner Announced portion of House Rules on 827,000. The rest of the season final did 720,000.

Seven also had the #1 multichannel with 7mate on 3.6%.

Seven also had the best share of live commercial BVOD viewing – 45.4%.

In the year-to-date all people combined primetime channel shares, Seven maintains a narrow lead on 29.8%, with Nine on 29.5% and 10 back in fourth spot on 16.5%.

As mentioned previously, Nine’s best was three episodes of Ninja Warrior with audiences of 997,000, 942,000 and 884,000.

A Current Affair was the 7pm champ again on 721,000 – exactly 100,000 ahead of Home And Away on 621,000 with The Project 7pm on 475,000.

60 Minutes was again the best of the Sunday current affairs programs with 644,000 with Sunday Night on 458,000.

Nine ranked #1 with VOD viewing with a share of 45.3%.

Although 10 remains the third-ranked commercial network, it lifted both primary channel and network share week-on-week.

The channel’s biggest audiences came from the lowest-rating ever MasterChef final and the best-ever launch of Australian Survivor. Across the board in key demos 10 was competitive with six of the top 10 shows under 50, seven of the top 10 18-49 and six of the top 10 16-39.

The Living Room celebrated its 300th episode on Friday night and was up 14% week-on-week to 397,000.

10 Bold was the #2 multichannel and, get this, posted its 26th week of consecutive year-on-year growth.

The ABC’s best was again Anh’s Brush With Fame on 721.000 followed by Back Roads on 642,000 and then Mad As Hell on 616,000.

On SBS The Handmaid’s Tale drew the best audience with 227,000, followed closely by Insight on 218,000.

The third and final week of the Tour de France was a consistent performer each night after 9.30pm with an average of over 150,000 with a best of 205,000 on a rain delayed Saturday night.

ARIA Chart: Mendes & Cabello at #1, Sam Smith back in action

• Albums: Ed Sheeran prevails as Beyoncé’s The Gift charts

Singles

Lil Nas X hasn’t been able to break the record for the longest run at #1…yet. Old Town Road has been #1 twice so far, but could it make it back for a third time at the top? After 18 weeks on the chart, and 13 of them at #1, the song has slipped back to #2.

Taking over at #1 is Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello with Señorita which has spent four of its five weeks on the chart waiting patiently at #2 for an opportunity to move higher and this week it presented itself. Señorita is the first #1 in Australia for Canadian singer-songwriter Mendes and the second for Cuban-American artist Cabello.

Sam Smith

The highest new entry on the chart, and one of just three songs to debut in the top 50, is How Do You Sleep? from Sam Smith. It is Smith’s second release this year following Dancing With A Stranger, which peaked at #6 in March.

This week’s other debuts:

#38 Tones And I with Never Seen The Rain
#48 Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Childish Gambino with Mood 4 Eva

Albums

Ed Sheeran could be getting ready for another extended run at the top of the album chart with No 6 Collaborations Project sitting at #1 for a second week. It is already Sheeran’s third best performing album in terms of weeks at #1 with Plus spending one week at the top after release. Next best was Multiply, which ranked #1 for eight weeks, but there is quite some way to go to catch Sheeran’s record with Divide ruling the chart for 27 weeks.

Highest of three top 50 chart debuts this week was The Great War from Swedish metal band Sabaton. The album is the band’s ninth and the second to make the ARIA top 50 following 2016’s The Last Stand, which peaked at #29.

This week’s other top 50 debuts:

#12: Beyoncé with The Lion King: The Gift. The album is a companion to the soundtrack to the 2019 remake of The Lion King (#3 this week) and features performances by Beyoncé, as well as Jay-Z, Childish Gambino, Pharrell Williams, Kendrick Lamar and others. In the US some have labelled her new album a flop with smaller than anticipated initial sales. Beyoncé charted earlier in the year here with Homecoming: The Live Album (#18 in April). A single from the album is new this week at #48.

#30 Gravemind with Conduit. Debut album from the Melbourne metal band.

TV Ratings Analysis: July 28

• Nine’s expanded editorial firepower delivers blockbuster 60 Minutes
• TV combined with The Age & SMH’s Nick McKenzie in Crown exposé
• Crimebuster secures Nine win with Ninja Warrior GF part one over 1m
• Australia’s Got Talent revival debuts strongly for Seven with 800,000+
• Australian Survivor caught in Sunday night crossfire, just over 500,000

Sunday Week 31 2019

By James Manning

Breakfast TV

• Sunrise 223,000
• Today 179,000

Seven

Australia’s Got Talent returned to Seven last night after the channel originally let it go because of poor ratings. The format went to Nine before it then let it go, only to see Seven pick it up again. The series launched with a sword swallower sliding down a pole onto a blade. It was a look-away and memorable moment for the strong debut audience of 814,000. Sword swallower Alex might have been a former winner of Russia’s Got Talent, but he added some dramatic moments for the start of the revival. Plenty of Aussie acts followed on the first night.

Sunday Night followed with Matt Doran reporting on a tale of survival and Angela Cox reported on how the Woodstock festival impacted a generation. Cox did a great job tracking down people now living in Australia who were there including stage manager Chip Monck and the episode also interviewed performers included Roger Daltrey and John Fogerty. The Sunday Night team even tracked down the couple wrapped in a blanket used on the cover of the soundtrack album. The episode did 486,000. Next week the program featured a story on legalising marijuana by special reporter Pete Evans.

Nine

It was the penultimate episode of Australian Ninja Warrior, but it was 60 Minutes that stole the limelight with its incredible probe into Crown and its adventures in China and links to the underworld. The Crown story was reported by Nine newspapers’ Nick McKenzie and drew an audience of 738,000, up just on 100,000 from a week ago.

The first part of Ninja Warrior’s two-part grand final saw 11 contestants qualify for the final episode tonight. The producers made us wait until the last competitor tackled the course to see Flashlin Ashlin. He did it with ease and must be a clear favourite to take the trophy in season three. The episode was on 1.15m making it the biggest episode this season and only the second over 1m after the series launched with 1.009m.

Suburban Gangsters had a fascinating episode on gangsters Nik Radev and Dino Dibra who are as nasty a couple of crooks as you could find. The Suburban Gangsters episode, from Sydney indie production house The Full Box, featured insights from former cops and crime writers plus a collection of archive footage. The episode was the last of the eight-episode season and had an audience of 168,000.

10

The Sunday Project was hosted by Waleed Aly and 10’s weekend news anchor Chris Bath. Guests included Lisa Wilkinson speaking with Aussie actor Tom Long on the fight of his life. The episode did 361,000.

Episode three of Australian Survivor was on 562,000 after two episodes averaged 750,000 last week. The series sees the Champions really up against it this season as they lost their second team member in three days – long distance swimming champ Susie Maroney who was voted out. Survivor did manage to outrate AGT with viewers under 50.

The CBS US police drama Instinct returned for season two with 185,000 watching.

ABC

Episode four of the five-part The Planets was on 489,000.

The second of two new episodes of Midsomer Murders 2019 from series 20 did 470,000.

The channel then replayed David Bowie: The Last Five Years close to the 50th anniversary of the release of Space Oddity. The episode did 102,000.

SBS

A repeat of the Charlie Teo episode of Who Do You Think You Are? did 150,000 at 7.30pm.

It was followed by a repeat of Jack The Ripper which did 128,000.

The final stage of the Tour de France didn’t screen until the early hours on Monday morning.

Week 30 TV: Friday-Sunday
FRIDAY METRO
ABCSevenNine10SBS
ABC8.1%724.7%915.5%10 9.3%SBS One6.8%
ABC KIDS/ ABC COMEDY2.6%7TWO3.6%GO!5.9%10 Bold2.7%VICELAND1.1%
ABC ME0.7%7mate5.0%GEM2.4%10 Peach2.4%Food Net1.2%
ABC NEWS1.7%7flix2.0%9Life2.%  NITV0.2%
  7Food0.5%    SBS World Movies1.3%
TOTAL13.1% 35.9% 26.0% 14.4% 10.6%

 

SATURDAY METRO
ABCSevenNine10SBS
ABC11.5%720.5%916.6%10 5.0%SBS One9.3%
ABC KIDS/ ABC COMEDY3.6%7TWO3.9%GO!3.4%10 Bold2.3%VICELAND1.1%
ABC ME0.7%7mate3.6%GEM4.6%10 Peach2.3%Food Net1.1%
ABC NEWS1.9%7flix3.8%9Life2.6%  NITV0.4%
  7Food0.8%    SBS World Movies1.0%
TOTAL17.6% 32.6% 27.3% 9.6% 12.9%

 

SUNDAY METRO
ABCSevenNine10SBS
ABC12.4%721.8%925.1%10 9.6%SBS One3.4%
ABC KIDS/ ABC COMEDY2.7%7TWO2.1%GO!4.0%10 Bold2.0%VICELAND0.9%
ABC ME0.5%7mate3.7%GEM2.5%10 Peach2.4%Food Net1.2%
ABC NEWS1.3%7flix1.1%9Life2.1%  NITV0.3%
  7Food0.4%    SBS World Movies0.5%
TOTAL16.9% 29.2% 33.7% 14.1% 6.2%

 

 SUNDAY REGIONAL
ABCSeven AffiliatesNine Affiliates10 AffiliatesSBS
ABC13.0%723.1%921.5%WIN6.5%SBS One3.1%
ABC KIDS/ ABC COMEDY3.4%7TWO3.6%GO!3.7%WIN Bold2.3%VICELAND1.1%
ABC ME1.0%7mate3.7%GEM3.7%WIN Peach3.1%Food Net1.2%
ABC NEWS1.2%7flix (Excl. Tas/WA)1.2%9Life2.4%Sky News  on WIN0.5%NITV0.3%
  7food (QLD only)0.6%      
TOTAL18.6% 32.1% 31.2% 12.3% 5.7%

 

All People Ratings

Friday Top 10

  1. Seven News Seven 917,000
  2. Seven News / Today Tonight Seven 819,000
  3. Nine News Nine 769,000
  4. Nine News 6:30 Nine 716,000
  5. The Chase Australia Seven 589,000
  6. Seven’s AFL: Friday Night Football Seven 570,000
  7. A Current Affair Nine 548,000
  8. ABC News ABC 506,000
  9. Better Homes And Gardens Seven 487,000
  10. Hot Seat Nine 450,000

 

Saturday Top 10

  1. Seven News Seven 811,000
  2. Nine News Saturday Nine 678,000
  3. ABC News ABC 498,000
  4. Shakespeare And Hathaway ABC 465,000
  5. Father Brown ABC 439,000
  6. Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tale Nine 355,000
  7. Seven’s AFL: Saturday Night Football Seven 345,000
  8. Getaway Nine 271,000
  9. Border Security – Australia’s Front Line (R) Seven 264,000
  10. Seven’s AFL: Saturday Night Football – Pre Mat Seven 257,000
Sunday FTA
  1. Australian Ninja Warrior Nine 1,150,000
  2. Seven News Seven 1,106,000
  3. Nine News Sunday Nine 976,000
  4. Australia’s Got Talent Seven 814,000
  5. 60 Minutes Nine 738,000
  6. ABC News Sunday ABC 637,000
  7. Australian Survivor 10 562,000
  8. The Planets ABC 489,000
  9. Sunday Night Seven 486,000
  10. Midsomer Murders ABC 470,000
  11. The Sunday Project 7pm 10 361,000
  12. Seven’s AFL: Sunday Afternoon Football Seven 331,000
  13. Sunday Afternoon NRL Live Nine 283,000
  14. What The Killer Did Next Seven 270,000
  15. Insiders AM ABC 245,000
  16. Compass ABC 227,000
  17. Weekend Sunrise Seven 223,000
  18. 10 News First 10 220,000
  19. The Repair Shop ABC 214,000
  20. Landline PM ABC 213,000
Sunday Multichannel
  1. Bluey AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 165,000
  2. Peppa Pig AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 146,000
  3. Nella The Princess Knight AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 142,000
  4. Border Security – Australia’s Front Line -7ETPW.3OPM 136,000
  5. School Of Roars AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 132,000
  6. Go Jetters ABCKIDS/COMEDY 130,000
  7. Ghostbusters 9GO! 129,000
  8. Play School AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 128,000
  9. Bananas In Pyjamas AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 126,000
  10. Ben And Holly’s Little Kingdom AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 123,000
  11. Floogals ABCKIDS/COMEDY 121,000
  12. Kiddets AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 121,000
  13. Kiri And Lou PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 117,000
  14. Dinosaur Train ABCKIDS/COMEDY 117,000
  15. M- Men In Black 2 PM (R) 7mate 117,000
  16. Rusty Rivets ABCKIDS/COMEDY 116,000
  17. Bondi Rescue Ep 3 (R) 10 Bold 112,000
  18. Peppa Pig PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 109,000
  19. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2 9GO! 104,000
  20. M- Aliens PM 7mate 103,000
Sunday STV
  1. Live: NRL Panthers V Raiders FOX LEAGUE 218,000
  2. Live: AFL Gold Coast V Essendon FOX FOOTY 186,000
  3. Live: Bounce FOX FOOTY 148,000
  4. Live: AFL Sydney V Geelong FOX SPORTS 503 143,000
  5. Live: NRL Bulldogs V Roosters FOX LEAGUE 142,000
  6. Live: Supercars Ipswich: Race 20 FOX SPORTS 506 136,000
  7. Live: AFL Western Bulldogs V Fremantle FOX FOOTY 121,000
  8. Live: Sunday Night With Matty Johns FOX LEAGUE 118,000
  9. Live: Motorsport: F1: Germany Race FOX SPORTS 506 111,000
  10. Live: Supercars The Grid FOX SPORTS 506 87,000
  11. Live: Supercars Ipswich: Qualifying 20 FOX SPORTS 506 78,000
  12. Live: Supercars Live FOX SPORTS 506 77,000
  13. Live: Dunlop Super2 Series Ipswich FOX SPORTS 506 72,000
  14. Live: Supercars Ipswich Supports FOX SPORTS 506 69,000
  15. Live: F1: Germany Pit Lane Race Day FOX SPORTS 506 60,000
  16. Live: Big League Wrap FOX LEAGUE 59,000
  17. Live: Sunday Footy On Fox FOX FOOTY 58,000
  18. Live: Supercars Trackside FOX SPORTS 506 57,000
  19. The Beep Test FOX FOOTY 55,000
  20. Live: Supercars Live FOX SPORTS 506 54,000

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

Mark Ritson: ACCC just a mozzie to the giants of tech

Everybody is getting very excited about the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s digital platforms final report, writes Mark Ritson in The Australian.

After an 18-month inquiry, the ACCC has produced a long list of 23 hard-hitting recommendations to deal with the enormous market power of Google and Facebook.

Among the recommendations is a further inquiry into pricing, an increase in privacy for users, an update to merger laws and a new code of conduct.

In Google and Facebook, Australian legislators are facing the biggest and most potent threat to consumer privacy, domestic media policy and competition law this country has seen. But the idea that the ACCC will hold these behemoths “to account” is, unfortunately, laughable.

Australia is simply not big enough to have any impact on the corporate strategy of either Facebook or Google. We are an Australian mosquito convinced we are making a lot of noise and causing a lot of pain to two 900kg American buffalo chewing grass and entirely oblivious to our existence, never mind our bite.

[Read the original]

Will the ACCC & Government big tech crackdown be tough enough?

An 18-month inquiry that recommends two further inquiries – on that will run for at least five years – doesn’t quite feel like the very tough action that the ACCC’s Rod Sims has clearly made the case for, comments James Thomson in The AFR.

The sheer size of the 600-page final report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s digital platforms inquiry underscores just how big a genie we are trying to stuff back into the bottle here.

The challenge of retro-fitting regulation on behemoths like Google and Facebook, with the dominant positions in online searches, online video, social media and, most importantly, online advertising, are obvious.

ACCC chairman Rod Sims deserves praise for taking this challenge and doing more than just diagnosing the problem.

But two questions will remain: has Sims gone far enough, and will the government go hard enough in backing the ACCC’s recommendations?

[Read the original]

ACCC’s Sims promises digital giants will feel watchdog’s bite

The nation’s competition boss has warned Facebook and Google a proposed “code of conduct” will have “enormous teeth” – dismissing concerns regulators won’t be tough enough to hold the digital giants to account, reports The Australian’s Leo Shanahan.

Following the release of the ACCC’s landmark 613-page report into digital platforms and their effect on traditional media, chairman Rod Sims said he had no doubt platform providers should be treated like publishers.

The report recommends a “code of conduct” for the likes of Google and Facebook and traditional media to govern revenue-sharing, competition and fair use of journalism, governed by media regulator ACMA.

Sims dismissed criticism that too many of the report’s 22 recommendations relied on “codes”, saying the media code would have “enormous teeth”.

Facebook managing director (Australia and New Zealand) William Easton said he was committed to the process with the government and shared the “ACCC’s view that Australians should have control of their information and that supporting a sustainable news ecosystem is critical for our modern society, and we recognise the role we have to play in these areas. We have also committed to a fundamental shift in the way we operate by placing additional responsibility for privacy on the people building our products, and creating new oversight controls to ensure privacy is at the core of everything we do.”

[Read the original]

Mediacom CEO accused of firing exec over depression

The chief executive of Mediacom, Willie Pang, is facing allegations he unlawfully targeted a senior executive for redundancy because of his depression, reports The AFR’s David Marin-Guzman.

Former Mediacom general manager, Rob Moore, has taken Federal Court action against the global media agency for allegedly discriminating against him based on his mental disability and claims that his redundancy earlier this year was a sham.

Moore was promoted from managing partner to general manger in mid-2018 but he was forced out of the company less than 12 months later as part of a restructure.

According to court documents, six months before his departure, Moore had informed Pang he suffered from depression and needed to reduce his workload.

A Mediacom spokeswoman said the company had followed its internal policies and procedures in relation to Moore.

“These policies and procedures are fair, appropriate and non-discriminatory,” she said. “As this matter is presently the subject of legal proceedings, we do not propose to make any further comment pending the final outcome.”

[Read the original]

Television

Karl Stefanovic’s return to TV confirmed for Monday August 12

Nine has confirmed that Karl Stefanovic will return to TV on Mondays beginning August 12. That’s when the series he hosts, This Time Next Year, will return for its second season.

The new season again features people from across Australia pledging to change their lives by “this time next year” – whether it is to overcome a setback, find love, reunite with a relative or even achieve a world record. Then the result of each year-long story will be revealed in an instant.

Hosted by Stefanovic, many of the stories take unexpected turns over the course of the year, and some of the physical transformations are significant.

Episode one of the eight-part series features a range of diverse stories, including brave teenager Eden who has been plagued by a rare form of Tourette Syndrome and pledges to overcome it to go back to school; a mother-daughter duo who plan to lose 100kg of weight between them; and a couple who want to put years of heartache behind them to have a baby.

“I’m really proud and excited to be hosting series two of This Time Next Year,” Stefanovic said. “I’ve met some truly inspiring Australians who will warm the hearts of viewers by pledging to reach huge personal goals in just one year.

“We have a whole new group of contributors as diverse as a 101-year-old woman who wants to learn to fly, a wheelchair-bound mum who dreams of running in the backyard with her five-year-old son, and a woman who wants to medically transition to being a man.

This Time Next Year is an absolute joy to work on, and I’m not going to lie, I shed a tear or two.”

This Time Next Year is a format developed by Twofour in the UK and produced in Australia by Nine.

Ex-MasterChef judges, enjoy your slice of humble pie

“Never, ever, believe you’re irreplaceable. You always are,” writes The Age’s Wendy Squires. [In a column likening a moment in her career to the departure of the MasterChef judges.]

This sage warning is a pearl of wisdom that has been the foundation of retaining a sense of reality and humility throughout my career. A humbling adage passed on from a wise and wizened early mentor, it has kept me on my guard, always aware I’m only as good as my next story and not my last.

But, yes, there was a time when I forgot to respect the caution. It happened when I found myself in a difficult and specialised job I believed no one else could handle, something which I foolishly believed management realised. I assumed they would do anything to keep me, they would be mad not to! And so, when renegotiating my salary, I gave my boss the ultimatum of pay up or I’ll shove off.

Needless to say I was out the door the same day, the press release announcing my replacement in wide circulation even before I left the building.

[Read the original]

Masked Singer judge Dannii Minogue says Jackie O its secret weapon

Dannii Minogue says Jackie “O” Henderson will be the judging panels secret weapon when The Masked Singer airs next month, reports News Corp’s Briana Domjen.

Minogue, who is working alongside Henderson, Dave Hughes and Lindsay Lohan on the Channel 10 program – which sees celebrities perform in an elaborate disguise – believes the radio host will have an advantage when it comes to identifying the masked singer.

“She is feeling the pressure because we are all looking at her for the answer because she has done this entertainment reporting for so long. She has heard their voices.”

[Read the original]

Meanwhile News Corp’s Fiona Byrne comments:

As filming gets underway on The Masked Singer, the hiring of ageing party girl Lindsay Lohan as a judge on Channel 10’s new big budget ratings hope remains utterly baffling.

Lohan, who has been more of an afterthought than a headline star for the past decade, has taken her place alongside fellow judges Dannii Minogue, Dave Hughes and Jackie O, who must successfully guess the identity of the celebrity singers performing disguised as giant rabbits, peacocks, a lion, a prawn and a werewolf.

Just how will Lohan, who presumably has little to no idea of local Australian singers, pick the stars through the sound of their voice and some clues?

[Read the original]

ABC host wears yoghurt-thrower’s fury at Perth literary festival

ABC 7.30 host Leigh Sales has been attacked by an audience member who hurled a tub of yoghurt at her while she was delivering a speech at a Perth literary festival, reports The Australian’s Paige Taylor.

A 49-year-old man was later charged with common assault. A police charge sheet said only that the man was “upset and disagreed with the views being presented”.

The attack happened as Sales spoke at the Disrupted Festival of Ideas where entry was free.

The previous day, anti-vaccination activists took advantage of this and berated another guest, scientist Karl Kruszelnicki, also known as Dr Karl.

Sales was stoic as the man was taken away and insisted she was fine to continue her speech.

[Read the original]

Sales is booked to appear at the Byron Bay Literary Festival next weekend.

Radio

Alan Jones, Ray Hadley and Nine battle for control of Sydney’s 2GB

A three-way power struggle at top-rating talk radio station 2GB is threatening its future dominance of the Sydney airwaves, reports News Corp’s Annette Sharp.

Four weeks after Alan Jones returned to the helm of his breakfast show on a hard-won new $8 million contract – scuttling a management-backed plan to overthrow 2GB’s breakfast’s reigning king and replace him with morning show host Ray Hadley, also on a new $8 million contract – Jones and Hadley remain engaged in an arm-wrestle over the direction of the station, its content and culture.

Now, taking its own opposing position in 2GB’s war room is new majority stakeholder Nine, which, with a 54.5 per cent stake in the station’s parent company Macquarie Media and an appetite for greater control, has begun to agitate for softer, more female-friendly content that, according to industry stalwarts, will put at risk 2GB’s entrenched conservative audience and ratings domination.

The decision to insert Nine stars Karl Stefanovic, Deb Knight, Amber Sherlock, Phil Gould and Erin Molan into Steve Price’s new afternoon radio show is widely accepted as a sign of what is to come.

[Read the original]

Kyle Sandilands finds big fan in rival breakfast host Lawrence Mooney

Breakfast radio can be an unforgiving beast and rival hosts (and a few co-hosts) have been known to harbour truckloads of animosity for one another. But a new member of the competitive Sydney market has bucked the trend and declared his admiration for one of Sydney’s most polarising figures, reports News Corp’s David Meddows.

Lawrence Mooney, host of the new Triple M breakfast show Moonman In The Morning, probably isn’t someone you’d necessarily pick as a card-carrying member of the Kyle Sandilands Fan Club, but the comedian has all but declared his love for the controversial personality.

“Kyle is – how do I say this shyly – a bit of a hero of mine. I really love the idea that Kyle Sandilands is one of the few people in media who says what he likes and probably more so than an Alan Jones or a Ray Hadley,” he tells Meddows.

“Kyle actually is unabashed about his power and his position and his privilege and he’s ‘I am what I am’ and I think that is a very attractive thing. I like Kyle Sandilands a lot.”

[Read the original]

Sports Media

Network 10 close to landing A-League, W-League rights

Two A-League games and one W-League match will be shown live on Network 10 each weekend next season as part of a deal for the competition’s broadcast rights that could be agreed upon in a matter of weeks, reports The Sydney Morning Herald’s Dominic Bosi.

The Herald understands Network 10 are the only serious bidders for the free-to-air component of the A-League’s broadcast rights and have tabled a proposal that will more than double football’s exposure on TV.

It’s understood Foxtel would stand to save nearly $4.5 million each season by offloading the production and broadcasting costs for two games each round, with the production bill alone in the region of $75,000 per game.

The A-League’s dwindling TV appeal will be made clear to club owners and FFA next week when they meet with Foxtel chief executive, Patrick Delany, on Monday. Having successfully negotiated for the A-League to become independent of FFA, the onus will fall upon the clubs to improve the competition’s commercial and public appeal.

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