Foxtel has chosen Oscar day to announce changes to its movie services, including the addition of a new channel dedicated to the all-time greatest movies ever made and a new “golden oldies” library available On Demand.
The move comes just over 12 months since the subscription TV platform stopped carrying TCM, a classic movie channel.
Brian Walsh, Foxtel executive director of television, said: “We know how much our customers love movies and we recognise how important it is for them to have choice. That includes movies of every genre and from every decade. We recognised a gap in not providing a service dedicated to the all-time movie greats and that is why this new channel has been added to the lineup.
• Mediaweek meets The Programmers – Foxtel’s Brian Walsh
“Foxtel Movie Greats will be carefully curated with a wide selection of outstanding motion pictures from every major Hollywood studio, including 20th Century Fox, Disney, Warners, Sony, Paramount, Universal and MGM. The channel will feature titles from Hollywood’s illustrious past through to modern classics. It will mean that Foxtel customers will now have the choice of 10 dedicated movie channels, including our incredibly successful pop-up movie channel More Movies,” he said.
“All movies on Foxtel are available in HD and ad-break free with fresh titles added to the lineup every week – combined with over 1,200 movies to watch On Demand – including the World Movies service, making the Foxtel Movies offer compelling and the best currently available on the market.”
The new Foxtel Movie Greats channel will feature the most-acclaimed actors and actresses of all time including Meryl Streep, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Clint Eastwood, Kiefer Sutherland, Tom Cruise, as well as notable comics Eddie Murphy, Goldie Hawn and Dan Aykroyd, and fan favourites Molly Ringwald, John Travolta, Demi Moore, Rob Lowe, and Sean Astin.
Key titles during launch include King Kong, An Officer And A Gentleman, Kramer vs. Kramer, Saturday Night Fever, The Godfather, The Greatest Show On Earth, Risky Business, Flying High and Flying High 2, Chariots of Fire, Escape from Alcatraz, Death On The Nile, Murder On The Orient Express, Pretty In Pink, The Goonies, St. Elmo’s Fire, Trading Places, and all-time classics such as My Fair Lady, Cleopatra, The Great Escape, Ben-Hur, War And Peace, The Ten Commandments and many more.
Brian Walsh added: “We have secured brand new digitally remastered prints of many of the titles, which look stunning. For a great many of the movies, this is the first time they will be seen in glorious HD, which will add to the magic,” he said.
In addition to the introduction of Movie Greats, Foxtel has announced that veteran movie critic Bill Collins will be part of an expanded On Demand library service available to subscribers, also from March 23.
“Bill is a much loved and highly respected movie reviewer, currently celebrating 55 years on Australian television, 23 of those with Foxtel,” continued Brian Walsh.
“From next month, Bill’s popular Golden Years Of Hollywood will be available On Demand, with a dedicated section of the On Demand library boasting a large number of Bill’s personal favourites and the all-time classics from Hollywood’s golden age. It will be a real treasure trove of movie masterpieces,” he said.
Titles available in Bill Collins’s On Demand library will include, at launch, All About Eve, All That Heaven Allows, Sunset Boulevard, The Wizard Of Oz, Singin’ In The Rain, An American In Paris, Casablanca, The Philadelphia Story, The African Queen, Auntie Mame, The Postman Always Rings Twice and Magnificent Obsession.
The Foxtel Movie Greats channel will be available in HD to Foxtel Movies and Foxtel Platinum subscribers on Channel 403. Over 60 of the key films from the new Foxtel Movie Greats channel will be available to watch from Foxtel’s On Demand library and will be streamed on Foxtel Now.
The interview, conducted over two days by editor-in-chief Fiona Connolly, provides insight into the real Corby, focusing on her life now and what’s ahead for her.
Woman’s Day is describing the feature as intimate, candid and personal, showing a side of Corby never seen before. She opens up about her plans for the future, her hopes for a family of her own and how she has finally found some peace and happiness on the Gold Coast.
“Schapelle is arguably one of the nation’s most intriguing women, but despite countless articles, books, a movie even, she has remained a mystery – until now,” said Fiona Connolly. “This story covers everything from what she’s watching on TV to her deepest fears, regrets and hopes for the future.
“You’ll read what it’s like to be a woman who, rightly or wrongly, has gone to hell and back and, in her own words, is now simply happy to be alive. She trusted Woman’s Day to tell her story, in her words.”
Connolly told Mediaweek she had been negotiating a deal with Corby and her team since late last year.
Connolly travelled to the Gold Coast for the two-day lifestyle photo shoot and interview. “We shot it at a location house near Tugun. Schapelle wanted an opportunity to show the real Schapelle, the side people do not know, and she trusted Woman’s Day to do that.”
Now to Love, Woman’s Day’s digital platform, will be sharing exclusive content from the interview and photo shoot in the coming days. Two stories have gone live this morning to coincide with the magazine on sale.
Connolly said there is no long-term deal with Corby, just a one-off story.
When asked to comment on any financial agreement between Bauer and Corby, Connolly referred Mediaweek to a spokesperson who said: “Bauer Media does not discuss commercial agreements.”
Just last month Macquarie Media told the ASX it was reviewing the underperforming format.
Late last week Macquarie Media executive chairman Russell Tate (pictured above) told staff of the change in format. Later Talking Technology host Trevor Long revealed his program was closing down later this month ahead of the format change.
Tate told Mediaweek that it is still early days and there are plenty of decisions to be made about the move to sport.
He said the Macquarie Media group currently has existing sports rights agreements that could see live sport on the stations. However, he noted whatever they decide to do, they will not be changing the live sport component on either 2GB or 3AW this year.
The new format will launch across the three stations now carrying the Talking Lifestyle format in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Tate also confirmed to Mediaweek that it will be taking on the new sports brand on its own, and not in partnership with another broadcaster.
The Melbourne sports radio station 1116 SEN has found it difficult to monetise its sports content in the Melbourne market and after a shareholder vote on March 15, the station is expected to be run by Crocmedia, which has been in caretaker control for some time.
Melbourne also has RSN Radio (racing and sport), so the addition of another station will give the market three stations competing for the audience.
Sydney already has Sky Sports Radio with its all-sport The Big Sports Breakfast program.
When asked if sports fans John Stanley and Garry Linnell will continue hosting the new station’s breakfast program, Tate told Mediaweek it was too early to talk about the new station’s program schedule.
News Corp already publishes kidspot.com.au, which aims to help parents take care of the family.
The news to launch Kidsnews.com.au comes after Saffron Howden and Remi Bianchi, the founders of kids newsbrand Crinkling News, pulled the plug in January this year on the venture despite raising over $200,000 via crowdfunding in 2017.
Kids News will offer students and teachers a literacy tool for the classroom, helping to improve children’s general knowledge and thirst for information, teaching them the importance of relying on trusted news sources.
Chairman of the Herald & Weekly Times and News Corp Australia’s Community Ambassador Penny Fowler said: “We are immensely proud of News Corp’s passionate and principled contributions, giving back to the communities in which we serve across the country.
“The launch of a national news site for school children is an important part of News Corp’s commitment to educating the next generation, improving children’s literacy, and investing in readers of the future, through our News in the Community program.
“We hope students around the country will embrace this dedicated news site, and teachers find it an invaluable tool to better educate and inform their students about what is happening in Australia and around the world.”
Kids News content will be sourced from News Corp’s key newspapers and websites including the Herald Sun, The Daily Telegraph, The Courier-Mail, The Advertiser, The Mercury and NT News, as well as from its regional papers and community titles.
The site is isolated, so it does not link to outside news sources, meaning students can use it safely in a supervised or unsupervised environment or for independent learning.
Former Herald Sun associate editor (Lifestyle), Toni Hetherington, who championed the initiative and has overseen a successful pilot, has been appointed to the newly created role of national education publisher – and will assume responsibility for the new, national kidsnews.com.au site.
Hetherington said: “Thanks to the generous support from the Herald & Weekly Times and News Corp’s News in the Community initiative, the uptake and positive feedback from schools has been phenomenal.
“The site averages almost three million page views a year, and an average time on site of almost five minutes. We are now ready to take it to the rest of Australia and let other schools experience the wonder of learning through relevant news stories.”
Hetherington said Kids News had attracted both state and national support, with advertisers including Hewlett Packard and the Melbourne Cricket Club.
“Kids News offers both national and local advertisers access to a niche and engaged audience including students, teachers and parents. And the fact the site encourages learning is very attractive to advertisers,” Hetherington said.
Pictured above: Penny Fowler and Toni Hetherington
Mediaweek editor James Manning takes a look at the ARIA Charts for the week starting February 26.
Drake has managed to lead the ARIA singles chart for a fifth consecutive week with “God’s Plan”, which means Drake and Ed Sheeran are the only artists to claim top spot as we enter the third month of the year.
Just falling short of upsetting the status quo was Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign with “Psycho” with a #2 debut. The song was one of only two chart debuts inside the top 50. The single comes from the forthcoming Post Malone album “Beerbongs & Bentleys”. This is his third top 10 single and comes after a long reign on top in 2017 with “Rockstar”.
The other debut this week was 5 Seconds Of Summer with “Want You Back” new at #32.
“Look Alive” from BlocBoy JB featuring Drake has climbed into the top 50 at #36 after a debut last week at #51.
Although he made a much bigger splash on the album chart this week, Vance Joy is seeing singles action too. “We’re Going Home” moves up 15 spots to #16 after seven weeks on the chart, and “Lay It On Me” has climbed back to #50 after 33 weeks on the chart with a peak at #18.
Finally a 2018 release has made it to the top of a chart dominated by either Ed Sheeran’s “Divide” or The Great Showman soundtrack until now. (Both albums hover still in the top 10.) Joy’s second album “Nation Of Two” is his second #1 album. He becomes the first Australian artist to top the albums chart this year.
As noted last week, there will be no escaping Ed Sheeran as he plays for 1m+ people across Australia and New Zealand in the next few days. Here are this week’s Sheeran chart stats:
#3: “Divide” after 52 weeks: His third album celebrating a year on the chart
#8: “Multiply” after 193 weeks
#12: “Plus” after 300 weeks
Three other albums debuted in the top 50, one of them in the top 10.
#5: Sarah Blasko’s sixth album “Depth Of Field”: Five of those albums have landed in the top 10, with “As Day Follows Night” peaking at #5 in 2009.
#11: 6ix9ine with “Day69”: Album chart debut for the US rapper.
#20: Augie March with “Bootikins”: The group’s first album in four years. All previous albums also made the top 50, with the highest peak being 2008’s “Watch Me Disappear”, which made it to #4.
Pictured above: Vance Joy (c: Justin Bettman)
By James Manning
The TV juggernaut that Married At First Sight has become was key to Nine’s first win of the survey year. MAFS audiences continue to grow in week 10 and Seven was missing late night share that the Winter Games delivered in weeks 8 and 9.
Nine’s analysis of the week noted Nine comfortably won the week with all key demographics, securing the following network primetime commercial shares:
People 25-54 (40.8%) and 16-39 (41.8%). Nine Network also won the week with total people, securing a 39.3% primetime commercial share.
On primary channel shares, Nine was also #1 with all key demos including people 25-54 (30.6%) and 16-39 (32.0%). Nine was also the #1 primary channel with total people (28.8%).
By James Manning
The channel resisted any temptation it may have had to move the much-hyped but less-anticipated Australian Spartan after a soft launch a week ago with 816,000 watching. Episode 2 held onto the 7pm timeslot with a much lower 524,000. This would not be acceptable given Seven’s Sunday record and expect Spartan to be moved soon.
Sunday Night returned for first time this year with host Melissa Doyle speaking with Karlie Tyrrell, the mother of missing toddler William Tyrrell. The episode did 488,000, which is one of the show’s smallest-ever audiences after a poor lead-in.
Crimes That Shook The World followed close to 10pm with 196,000, while the third season of Blindspot then launched close to 11pm with 81,000.
We are already 21 episodes into Married At First Sight, which featured the second-last commitment ceremony, where there was surprise about a bride’s decision. The Sunday episode set yet another audience record for the format – 1.53m for a regular episode.
60 Minutes rode the gamut from university residential colleges initiation rituals to Aussie surfers riding 30-foot monster waves. The episode did 795,000 after 823,000 a week ago.
The third episode of the gruesome Born To Kill: Class Of Evil then did 246,000.
The Sunday episode of The Project features Lisa Wilkinson, Hamish Macdonald, Tommy Little and Rachel Corbett each week. Guests last night include actress Yael Stone and journalist Sharri Markson with 365,000 watching after 7pm.
Finals week has arrived for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! and the latest guest to make a brief appearance was TEN News presenter Sandra Sully. The Sunday episode saw visiting butler Paul Burrell sent home. The audience of 633,000 for the elimination and 580,000 for the regular ep was down on little on the week prior.
NCIS then did 419,000, followed by SEAL Team on 224,000.
Encore screening started the primetime week with The Checkout at 6pm on 100,000 followed by Hard Quiz at 6.30pm on 204,000.
The 40-minute Sunday news bulletin was on 738,000.
A Victorian gate house in North London was the subject of a renovation on Grand Designs with 621,000 watching.
The four-part adaptation of EM Forster’s classic novel “Howards End” telling the story of two independent and unconventional sisters and the men in their lives only went to air in the UK at the end of 2017 and it was a treat for ABC viewers last night. The first episode did 569,000 putting it in the top 10.
Episode five of Eight Days That Made Rome screened at 7.30pm to 176,000.
Coverage of the 2018 40th anniversary of the Sydney Gay and lesbian Mardi Gras followed with 243,000 watching part 1 and the 206,000 staying on for part 2.
SUNDAY METRO | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Seven | Nine | Ten | SBS | |||||
ABC | 11.3% | 7 | 15.4% | 9 | 26.9% | TEN | 12.0% | SBS One | 5.7% |
ABC 2 | 2.1% | 7TWO | 3.1% | GO! | 3.0% | ONE | 2.3% | VICELAND | 0.7% |
ABC ME | 0.5% | 7mate | 5.3% | GEM | 2.9% | ELEVEN | 1.8% | Food Net | 0.8% |
ABC News | 1.6% | 7flix | 2.2% | 9Life | 2.4% | NITV | 0.1% | ||
TOTAL | 15.4% | 25.9% | 35.2% | 16.1% | 7.3% |
SUNDAY REGIONAL | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Seven Affiliates | Nine Affiliates | Ten Affiliates | SBS | |||||
ABC | 11.0% | 7 | 19.6% | 9 | 23.0% | WIN | 11.4% | SBS One | 5.1% |
ABC 2 | 2.7% | 7TWO | 3.3% | GO! | 3.0% | ONE | 2.2% | VICELAND | 0.5% |
ABC ME | 0.9% | 7mate | 4.6% | GEM | 4.5% | ELEVEN | 1.4% | Food Net | 0.7% |
NEWS 24 | 1.4% | 7flix | 2.1% | 9Life | 2.6% | NITV | 0.1% | ||
TOTAL | 16.0% | 29.6% | 33.1% | 15.0% | 6.4% |
SUNDAY METRO ALL TV | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FTA | STV | ||||||||
84.9% | 15.1% |
Friday Top 10
Saturday Top 10
Australian News Channel, which owns Sky News and Sky News Business, and its parent company News Corp have been keen to get its content on free-to-air television after its plans with Network Ten were nixed when Ten was bought by CBS last year.
The commission-based fees, incentives, free ad space and bonuses media agencies can earn as a percentage of an advertiser’s ad spend range from about 7% to 10% with Google and Facebook on average, whereas television, radio, newspapers and outdoor media pay about 3%.
That’s the key finding from an analysis of regional and global agency deals by global marketing management consultancy Trinity P3 and Mark Ritson, an adjunct professor at Melbourne Business School.
Presenters such as David Speers and Kieran Gilbert will continue to appear on video screens during Qantas flights after Sky’s contract was extended for a further two years.
As part of the move to retain Sky, Qantas has appointed oOh!Media as its in-flight entertainment advertising sales partner with the award of a three-year multimillion-dollar deal.
The firm already manages advertising in Qantas terminals and lounges, building on a 14-year relationship. It includes international and domestic networks.
The outdoor advertising firm replaces Multi Channel Network, a joint venture between Foxtel, Fox Sports and Ten Network. MCN held the contract for three years.
The three-year-old business in partnership with Telstra has developed an Internet of Things (IoT) product that will leverage the mobile network of Australia’s largest telecommunications provider for its flagship TaxiLive product.
TaxiLive is a digital advertising billboard fitted on the back of taxis, which can target consumers based on factors such as time of day and location.
A number of taxis have been fitted with TaxiLive in Sydney and more than 300 are expected to be by April 1. Cab Digital Media expects 945 cabs will be fitted with TaxiLive nationally by November.
Frank was one of the candidates for the top job at Pacific Magazines following the departure of Peter Zavecz to News Corp 18 months ago. That position went to Gereurd Roberts.
The departure of another senior magazine executive from the sector comes at a time when there has been a big focus on cost cutting. The executive ranks at Bauer Media have also been thinning this year with the recent departure of Jayne Ferguson.
Seven West Media chief executive Tim Worner said: “Jackie is regarded both within Pacific and among industry peers as one of Australia’s most successful and respected publishing executives.
“She is known for her intrinsic understanding of the consumer, her passion to drive brand innovation, her ability to create extraordinary content, and for leading teams to their full potential, especially in a time of great transition. Jackie’s unique ability to be equally at ease in both commercial and creative environments has been the linchpin of her success.”
The Awards are for young journalists employed full-time or freelance who have self-published or had work published or broadcast through Australian media outlets, including online publishers, between April 27, 2017 and April 26, 2018.
Thanks to the support of the Jibb Foundation, the entry fee is just $50 (entry is still free for MEAA members).
The overall winner prize is a two-week trip to US newsrooms and a stellar mentorship program.
The 2018 categories:
• All media: Short-form journalism (supported by ABC)
• All media: Long-form feature or special (supported by Fairfax Media)
• All media: Coverage of community & regional affairs
• All media: Visual storytelling (supported by Sky News)
• All media: Public service journalism (supported by News Corp Australia)
• Student journalist of the year (supported by Macleay College)
The Walkley Young Australian Journalist of the Year ( supported by the Jibb Foundation): Winners from each category are automatically nominated. Not open for self nomination.
• AIDC conference director Alice Burgin reveals program highlights
Themed “Southern Exposure”, the 2018 program is focused on providing the best possible international marketplace exposure for Australian factual screen creatives. As a mark of real development in this area, over 315 producer-decision maker meetings are scheduled for the new format, curated by Cut To The Chase pitching market, which brings filmmakers together with the buyers and commissioners most relevant to their projects.
AIDC conference director Alice Burgin said: “AIDC is nothing without the community that supports it and the support this year has been overwhelming. The program has been a culmination of hours and hours of hard work from so many people who do it purely for their love of the sector. We look forward to welcoming everyone who put time and energy into bringing this together, and we can’t wait to celebrate with them!”
Film Victoria CEO Caroline Pitcher added: “We’re honoured to continue our support of AIDC. Australian factual content filmmakers are invaluable to Victoria’s screen industry and this forum is an essential opportunity to connect with peers, international guests and key decision makers in the marketplace.”
You’ve watched him on Gruen, you’ve heard him on radio and if you were anywhere near Wagga Wagga circa June 2017, you might have seen him being bundled into the back of a divvy van for a free ride to the lockup or in the lead story on the local TV news.
Wil Anderson’s highly publicised arrest following a flight to country NSW is the backbone of this show, which is more story than stand-up, at least in the style you’re probably most accustomed to seeing at the Fringe.
It’s a good story but the narrative feels a bit thin spun out over the course of an hour.
Too much setup, not enough pay-off.
Lewis said his time with the network had “flown by” but he still vividly recalled his early days.
“When I first started, I remember saying something along the lines of ‘I’m not Einstein and I have played rugby league all my life and most people believe we aren’t the smartest operators,’” he said.
Cleary is heading to AFL Media where he will be working as a journalist for afl.com.au.
Cleary has worked on Sportsday Radio over the past 14 months and had worked on a number of Crocmedia properties including time on Nine’s Footy Classified, hosted by Crocmedia CEO Craig Hutchison.