Agencies need to stop making redundancies while the people impacted are on parental leave, Creative Natives’ Ryan Kelly tells Mediaweek: “It’s either poor business planning [or] greed … but I think until we call it for what it is, and stop accepting it.”

Last week, Kelly posted on LinkedIn: “Being made redundant whilst on maternity leave is so f%cking brutal. Companies please stop doing this … it’s complete bullshit and the impact it has on families is way more significant then you realise.”

His post – which racked up more than 1,600 likes and 173 comments – came soon after someone from OMD posted about experiencing it. She’d been with the agency almost a decade.

“My inbox this week has never gotten so mad,” Kelly says of the reaction.

“And I’m talking about people globally, in really high up senior roles, saying ‘good on you for bringing it to attention’, but also, ‘I’ve had to sign NDAs, I’ve had to do this, I’ve had to do this.’ And I mean, it’s been quite an experience this week, like ‘holy shit. What have we actually opened up here?'”

In response, the industry recruitment firm Kelly runs, Creative Natives, is holding a webinar at lunchtime today called ‘Redundant on Parental Leave: What’s Next?’ Kelly expects more than 1,000 people to tune in, and hopes the result is people talking more about the issue, and committing to take action.

“Maybe this is a bit ambitious, but is there an opportunity for a pledge where businesses pledge to not doing this. And that doesn’t mean it’s a legally bound, ‘we can’t make redundancies’, but how can you position yourself as an ethical business if you’re doing this stuff?

“There’s actually great things about the industry but who is actually shining the light? I think there’s a lot of bodies or whatnot that pander to the networks. They’re there to tell the networks what it is, and I fundamentally disagree with it.

“I know I’m gonna ruffle a lot of feathers with this … whilst I empathise with businesses that have to run in a certain way, I also call bullshit on it, because I run a business that has part time women within the business and that operate at a high level, and they make it work. And I think that we’ve got to stop telling, particularly women, what they can and cannot do.”

‘I knew something was up’: How it feels to lose your job when you’re about to return to it

Mikhaila Warburton, who works with Kelly as a senior consultant, knows what it feels like first hand. Just before Christmas in 2020, her role was made redundant. She was on maternity leave with her first daughter, about to return four days a week in the new year.

“So when I got a call on Monday night at 5pm to be available for a Tuesday meeting with two new execs I’d not met, I knew something was up,” she says.

She was given the news over a Zoom meeting. There was not any of the consultation that legally needs to occur before you make a role redundant. She was not told she could take a support person to the meeting. “Very little was said. Not even a ‘thanks for the last 5 years.'”

The two people impacted by redundancies were in the same boat: new mums, on maternity leave but about to return to the business part-time.

“The usual HR comments were used, ‘it’s not you it’s the position,’ and I would accept that if it were actually true. But I could read between the lines.

“Two of the highest billers made redundant. The only thing that linked us was that we were both return-to-work parents seeking part-time hours.”

Warburton explains that it was difficult to cope with the news, and find a new role. She was looking for a part-time position in January – the quietest recruiting period of the year – at the height of the pandemic.

“Part time roles we know barely exist still today, let alone in 2020. Job share arrangements are incredibly hard to come by.

“I was restricted with days that I could work, as that was the care I had pre-planned with a daycare centre that took months on a waitlist to finally get into.”

‘Are they trying to screw a five day [week] into three days?’: The difficulty of part-time

Currently, Creative Natives has a pool of more than 2,000 people in the industry looking for part-time work. Kelly explains that the stress of losing your income – when job security may well have been a key consideration in family planning – and trying to find a part-time job with a baby is unfair.

“There might be a couple of part time roles, but geez, how competitive are they?” he asks. “And are they really businesses offering part time, or are they trying to screw a five day [week] into three days and expecting it?”

Creative Natives cuts its recruitment fee in half if an agency hires a returning parent, and increases its guarantee from six months to 12 months. One agency donated the remaining 50% of its fee to a charity helping women experiencing domestic violence, “so there’s good people out there that will do that. But then I don’t want to be feeding shit companies talent for free, that are going to take advantage of them.”

Mums in Ads launched its Part Time Pitch in September, asking agencies to agree to advertise all roles as part time negotiable. Plenty of agencies have signed on. F*ck the Cupcakes has been at the forefront of the industry’s gender equality conversation, recently holding an event for men to talk about it while making pies. 

There’s a long way to go. Women in their mid-30s leaving the industry was one of the key issues uncovered in the Ad Council’s inaugural Create Space census in 2021 – the results of the second are due later this month – with ACA head of engagement Hannah Sturrock telling Mediaweek last year that while “this is always going to be a slow and quite painful process, I think to rewire our industry … at least we’re making some progress in putting this topic on the agenda.”

‘A lot of parents get railroaded, loaded with legal jargon’

Many facing this experience deal with it quietly, feeling shame or worrying that speaking up will burn bridges or impact future career prospects. When Warburton spoke to people she knew, she “noticed that many others were also experiencing shitty return to work experiences like rejected part time hours, returning to different roles that were less appealing, other redundancies, unnecessary performance management as a way of moving people out without redundancy payments.”

She notes that there’s a big gap in “supporting people whilst they are in the redundancy negotiations. I know a lot of parents get railroaded, loaded with legal jargon … not having access to support, legal advice, knowing your rights, what else you can ask for is a big gap. So I think having a free and accessible resource library for the industry around ‘where to go’ would be helpful whilst in the negotiations.”

Since 2020, people have started speaking more openly about redundancy, including redundancy while on parental leave.

“I think in the grieving process of losing a job, your lose part of your identity and with that comes an element of shame and self doubt,” Warburton observes. “People are definitely moving on from shame, and into bravery. And bravery is what’s driving change.”

Kelly encourages people in the thick of it to talk about it, take some time to come to terms with the redundancy, and create a plan of action. “But that’s all well and good me saying that, because I’ve got a job and I don’t have two hours sleep under my belt and a child crying.”

Kelly and Warburton hope that today’s webinar is the start of a bigger conversation, and a change in agency behaviour.

“Employers that are labelling it a redundancy when really it’s not, just as a way to move return to work parents out of the business at their most vulnerable times,” Warburton says. “It’s shitty. It’s got to stop.”

The Australian Financial Review will be moving a digital-only title in Western Australia due to a new contract from a Seven-owned business that doubled the cost of printing.

The AFR has been distributing a printed newspaper in WA for seven decades. The last print edition in the state will be on 22 May, coinciding with the Financial Review Mining Summit held in Perth.  

Distribution of the magazines produced by the Financial Review will continue, with the glossy magazines sold separately in news agencies.

Colourpress is the only printer of major newspapers in WA, and is owned by competitor Seven. When the Nine-owned AFR suggested it was a targeted decision, a Seven spokesman responded by saying it was “a commercial decision” and that “to suggest anything else would be inaccurate and disingenuous.”

In response, the AFR will be focusing on enhancing the digital offering for WA readers and subscribers on afr.com, with an upgrade to the digital version of the physical paper. 

“This decision is specific to Western Australia and has no impact on our papers and magazines in the rest of the country,” said Tory Maguire, managing director of Nine Publishing.  

“We work very constructively with the printers of our newspapers and magazines to ensure the long-term sustainability of our print products, which continue to be profitable. Fortunately, the Financial Review is an incredibly successful digital publication, which has allowed us to make this decision in the best interests of our business.”  

AFR editor-in-chief Michael Stutchbury added that the publication’s WA coverage was recognised most recently with journalists winning the business award at this year’s Quill Awards for Journalistic Excellence. 

“The Financial Review digital readership is disproportionally the biggest of any newspaper brand in Australia and we are confident we can serve all West Australians interested in our award-winning journalism,” he said.

Channel 10 has urged the Prime Minister to “urgently intervene and save these regional TV broadcasts” after the news that Mildura Digital Television will be shut down on 30 June.

The decision means that people living in the regional Victorian town will lose access to Channel 10, 10 BOLD, and 10 Peach on free to-air.

On Thursday, Mildura Digital Television said that while the joint venture owners, Seven and WIN, have continued to fund MDT despite the station running at a loss since its inception, the financial position “is no longer tenable”.

Chris Halios-Lewis, chair of Mildura Digital Television said: “It is a regrettable position we find ourselves in. We have had ongoing discussions with government but this has not provided us with any certainty that continuing MDT is viable.

“Whilst we understand this will be a surprise to the local community, the challenging nature of the regional television market has led to this action.”

A Network 10 spokesperson said the team were “bitterly disappointed that regional TV operators are being put in a position that they need to take this action.

“It’s the people of Mildura and the surrounding region that will be hurt by this decision and it’s unacceptable that tens of thousands of Australians will see some of their favourite free-to-air broadcast channels go to black.

“The federal government must act urgently to ensure the Network 10 affiliated channels can continue to be available via broadcast transmission.”

The spokesperson continued, saying this was an example of “how vitally important prominence of our free streaming services has become,” as the prominence debate continues in Canberra.

Last month, Free TV and Seven expressed their displeasure with the findings of the Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications, in response to the inquiry into proposed prominence and anti-siphoning laws.

In particular, representatives pointed to the need for the laws to cover existing screens, to keep sport available on FTA, and to make sure that the anti-siphoning list includes digital rights.

See Also: ‘Major missed opportunity’: Industry reacts to prominence and anti-siphoning findings

Just days after taking part in a Buyer’s Jury on the new season of The Block, Neale Whitaker has revealed he is stepping away from the biggest show on TV.

The new season of the Nine juggernaut is close to wrapping its next season on Phillip Island, two hours southeast of Melbourne.

The news of Whitaker’s departure comes after just last weekend it was revealed The Blockinator, Keith Schleiger, aka Foreman Keith, would only have a smaller role in the new season.

Whitaker shared the news about his departure on a social media post:

It’s no secret that The Block is currently filming on Victoria’s Phillip Island and lots of people have been asking me if I’m back on the show this year. I thought now was a good time to answer those questions.

In 2023 – as many of you will know – I took a break from The Block to spend more time with my partner David who was dealing with some serious health issues. We all hoped that by this year I would be able to return full-time to the show, but life doesn’t always run to schedule. David gets stronger with each passing month, but my decision remains to be at home as much as possible.

So while you’ll see me on Phillip Island from time to time, I’ve handed my judging sheet permanently to Marty Fox (who stepped in so brilliantly last season) and I know he will have a blast with Shaynna and Darren as I did for 17 seasons.

Neale Whitaker with fellow Block judges Darren Palmer, Shaynna Blaze and Marty Fox

It’s been such a privilege to be part of Australia’s most iconic TV show for an unbelievable 13 years – unbelievable to me, anyway. My thanks to The Block creators Julian Cress and David Barbour for having faith in me all those years ago, to my fellow judges who have become good friends, to the amazing production team and crew (so many of whom have been with the show as long as me) and – of course – the dozens of contestants that kept us judges on our toes week after week, season after season. Who will ever forget Matt and Kim’s ‘crime scene’ room … sorry, Jackson Pollock homage?

And thank you to Nine for having me on its flagship show for so long. Congratulations and good luck to this year’s Blockheads for their Phillip Island journey.

Neale Whitaker with his partner David

Whitaker shared details of his relationship with David Novak Piper several years ago for The Wedding Series.

We met in Sydney at a charity cabaret for Fashion Targets Breast Cancer. David was backstage doing hair and I was performing. I’m no Michael Buble but I can hold a tune! I was singing ‘Stop In the Name of Love’ with two industry colleagues, Brooke Tabberer and Susan Skelly. David asked if he could give me big hair (the theme was ‘70s Soul Train’) – I think it was a bad attempt at flirting. Anyway, it worked.

See also: On location – The Block Phillip Island opens the doors for the Buyers’ Jury

Mamamia has introduced Sam to the market – a dynamic AI-powered voice trained on hundreds of hours of Mamamia podcasts. 

Sam will work to unlock programmatic audio advertising across the Mamamia network, with close to real-time turnarounds.

According to Mamamia’s State of Women research, 79% of women trust recommendations made by the platform. Host-read ads can drive better outcomes than traditional radio programmatic audio ads, and the addition of Sam means brands get the ability to trade programmatically with all the benefits of a familiar podcast voice.

Luca Lavigne, head of product, said: “We know over 70% of listeners find host-read ads more effective than radio ads, so we’ve never taken radio ads across our network. We’re incredibly protective of our audience and we want the best outcomes for our partners. 

“Sam allows our client and agency partners to tap into the benefits of a host-read ad, but with programmatic turnaround times. We’re excited to be at the cutting edge of audio.”

Jessie-Lee Klass, podcasts content director, added that while AI is at the core of the Sam voice, human oversight remains imperative to ensure high quality standards. 

“Sam frees up our talented creators and producers to focus on what they do best – crafting brilliant content and working on more bespoke integrations for our partners.”

Bel Cook, head of audio sales concluded: “Brands will still be able to access Mamamia talent as part of our premium programmatic offering. However, the introduction of Sam allows for a streamlined production process, quicker turnarounds, and more creative variations for partners who want to tap into the unparalleled engagement we have with our podcast audience.”

Earlier this week, Mamamia appointed Natalie Harvey as chief executive officer, four months after she joined the independent women’s media group in January.

See Also: Mamamia promotes Natalie Harvey to CEO

On Wednesday, 8 May, Swans HQ in Moore Park was home to Nine’s 2024 Agency Games, a gathering of 14 different agencies competing for Gold, Silver and Bronze medals under the watchful eye of Olympians and Paralympians. 

The afternoon opened with host James Bracey welcoming the agencies to the games, as well as introducing breakdancing Olympian Rachael Gunn and Wheelchair racing Paralympian Rheed McCracken who kept score and judged the teams on activities such as an Olympic walking relay and a breakdance battle.

Teams also participated in games of goalball, badminton, futsal and wheelchair basketball. Starcom ended up taking home Gold with a score of 265, PHD secured Silver with 244 points, and Kaimera scored Bronze with 203 points.

Matthew Granger, director of sales for sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games at Nine was present at the event and told Mediaweek that Nine is in the third stage of its games release – firstly going to market in July 2023 with a package release, premium packages releasing in February, and now it is up to the casual market. 

“We are exactly where we wanted to be at this point in time with those premium package holders,” he said. 

“Part of the premium package release we had was providing access to keep key brands outside of partner sponsor level and we have met the key focus right now.

“The reason for this event today was to make sure that the agency community were across what an amazing event the Olympics will be, and particularly for them to get the balance between the Olympic Games and actually participating in Olympic Sports.”

Granger said for him and his team, success from the Olympic and Paralympic games will be measured by how well they can provide for partner and sponsor brands. 

“We came into this with a proposition of providing a mega marketing platform for brands, that proposition being delivering a unified content ecosystem that was a global first,” he said.

“Our success benchmark is being able to deliver that for partner and sponsor brands, in a way they’ve never been able to do before, and we feel very comfortable in reaching that.” 

The 2024 Paris Olympics begins on 26 July and the Paralympics begin on 28 August. 

See Also: ‘Biggest undertaking in the history of Nine’: Nine’s Paris Olympics plans, 100 days out

Meta has launched its enhanced generative AI tools and services for advertisers as part of its Advantage+ suite to help improve ad performance, automate parts of the ad creation process, or increase credibility and engagement, which will be rolled out across Australia and New Zealand over the coming months.

Naomi Shepherd, group industry director at Meta, told trade media press at a roundtable at the tech giant’s Sydney headquarters that the tools are being grouped together within Ads Manager under the Advantage+ suite of products.

“What that means, essentially, is that all of the automation and AI that are driving an advertiser products, and are also fuelling creative content production as well.”

Naomi Shepherd

Meta’s new generative AI features for advertisers include Image Generation, which allows users to create full image variations inspired by original ad creative. There are text overlay capabilities, plus the ability to generate new backgrounds around product images and expand images to better fit multiple surfaces.

In the coming months, advertisers will be able to use text prompts without an existing asset to help make creative production more seamless and efficient.

Image expansion is a feature that uses a brand’s image or colour palette and allows advertisers to adjust creative assets to fit different aspect ratios across Meta’s multiple surfaces, such as Reels and Feed across both Instagram and Facebook.

Nine expects to grow its total television revenue share this year, off the back of the growth of its metro free-to-air audiences on an average 24-hour, 7-day-a-week basis this year – both in total people and among younger demographics.

“This markedly improved audience trend gives us confidence that the Group is well-positioned when economic conditions and advertising markets begin to recover,” Nine CEO Mike Sneesby said in his introductory comments at the Macquarie conference.

Sneesby said Nine is also reporting strong performances from its digital subscription businesses – Stan and its metro mastheads. Subscription revenues for Nine are expected to account for around 30% of its Group revenues, excluding Domain, in FY24. 

“In the first half, our subscription revenues grew by 8%, and we have seen ongoing momentum both in terms of pricing (with price increases this half at both Stan and the AFR.com.au) and subscriptions into the second half.

“We remain focussed on the ARPU [average revenue per user] opportunity, a function of the premium content that we create, and which we believe has some way to run.”

Nine has started the 2024 calendar year as the clear ratings leader, Sneesby said, across all key demographics, finishing the March quarter with a 45.2% share.

“Nine has also recorded real audience growth across its core Metro markets on its primary channel (2am-2am), both on a financial year-to-date and calendar year 2024 basis, underpinning confidence in the cycle as advertising markets improve.

“Reflecting our strong ratings performance, Nine achieved a 43.3% share of FTA revenues and a 55.1% share of BVOD revenue 2 in the March quarter. With ratings momentum continuing, and coupled with the run-in to the Paris Olympics and Paralympics in Q1 FY25, Nine expects to grow total television revenue share in the current half on H2 FY23.

“9Now continues its growth trajectory, with low double-digit growth in Q3 with positive momentum expected to continue through Q4.”

Sneesby added that Nine’s publishing business continues to benefit from the growth of digital audiences, with digital subscription revenue growth expected to be in the low double digits, but admitted it will be challenging to maintain. 

“The advertising market remains challenging, particularly digital display, mainly reflected in the performance of Nine’s ‘other’ Publishing revenues (non-metro mastheads).”

JCDecaux has lifted the lid on one of the largest Digital Large Format screens in the Southern Hemisphere, the JCDecaux ICON. 

Located in Melbourne’s St Kilda Junction, JCDecaux ICON features four digital screens integrated into luxury apartment buildings. Offering a prime location, JCDecaux ICON exposes advertisers to diverse audiences, from city commuters to residents.

The site also includes additional Classic Large Format sites, and are being offered as one complete precinct, sold fortnightly. The site is opening with launch partner, BMW.

The ICON joins a lineup of flagship JCDecaux sites, including Young & Jackson and White Street Gantry in Melbourne, The Continental in Auckland, and Aspire in Sydney CBD.

Steve O’Connor, chief executive officer, JCDecaux Australia and New Zealand, said JCDecaux ICON would be “redefining Out-of-Home impact.”

“This striking site is set to capture attention, offering advertisers a unique opportunity to reach a half a million people each fortnight. Its sheer scale, combined with its strategic positioning at one of Melbourne’s busiest five-way intersections, renders it the most compelling location in Australia.”

JCDecaux’s national product director – large format, Sam Noble said the site was a combination of “the master brand dominance of classic assets with over 700sqm of digital signage for flexible and dynamic messaging. It truly is iconic, akin to globally recognised sites like London’s Piccadilly Circus.”

Alex McLean, general manager, marketing at BMW Australia said BMW was “excited to partner with JCDecaux and take advantage of an iconic and high traffic junction in Melbourne.”

“Out-of-Home is a powerful channel to engage with a relevant audience. This collaboration serves as a valuable platform to boost attention and educate audiences about the breadth of electric vehicles that BMW has available in Australia today, including the selected BMW models that offer incredible value, below the Luxury Car Tax threshold.”

See Also: JCDecaux wins Sydney bus contract, promotes Ben White to lead transit portfolio

New research from oOh!media, ‘A Professional Perspective’, has shone a light on the importance of both offices and airports when it comes to reaching affluent business professionals.

The report by strategic consumer insights consultancy, Nature, surveyed 997 business professionals and business owners who earn more than $100k. These people were surveyed in key areas across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. 

Offices

The report found that 83% of business professionals say in a world that has embraced hybrid working, the office remains a hub for community, productivity and connection.

C-suite executives spend an average of 78% of their week in the office, which equals 3.9 days.

71% believe businesses function better with everyone working in the office, compared to 34% of non-managerial roles. 

Three quarters of respondents said being in the workplace gave them a sense of community and connection. 58% enjoy going into the office.

Professionals showed a strong inclination towards luxury goods, with brands like Cartier, Chanel, and Tiffany & Co being listed in particular. This is combined with a notable preference for shopping in CBD areas post-work.

On both ends of the spectrum, a quarter of office workers shop for luxury brands monthly, and a similar proportion shop at grocery stores near their offices weekly. 

Airports

82% of people surveyed expressed a passion for travel – the highest of any other category including Movies & TV and Health & Fitness. 

93% of C-level executives are more likely to travel for work, a number which dips slightly to 84% for senior managers.

Two-thirds of professionals fly for work, a number expected to either remain steady or increase. Qantas is the top choice for the majority of business travellers, with Virgin in second.

Importantly for brands advertising in these spaces, more than a third of these travellers have access to an airport lounge, and 80% of C-level executives. 

Seven in ten people prefer spending their time in lounges over other airport locations, and will stay for an average of 40 minutes.

Bel Harper, executive group director, product strategy, oOh! noted that half of business professionals get brand recommendations from colleagues in the office, and a quarter shop for luxury brands each month in CBD locations. 

“This social connectivity extends to airports where business travel integrates with work and leisure time, with 70% enjoying the time they spend in airport lounges, using them to speak with their peers because of extended dwell times.”

Bel Harper presenting at oOh!media’s A Professional Perspective event in Sydney

Cost of Living

The cost of living and housing affordability crises haven’t missed Australian professionals, with 76% saying they are concerned about the cost of living, including 40% who are extremely concerned.

Housing affordability impacts 69% of the surveyed professionals. Data security is also a concern, with 57% at least slightly worried about the safety of their personal information.

Harper added: “Through this major piece of research, we can provide invaluable insights to our clients and agencies by giving them a clearer understanding of how business professionals spend their time on their commutes, when they are in the office and when they travel for work, enabling brands to more effectively capture this affluent audience.”

See Also: oOh!media and POLY launch two-phase campaign for Greening Australia

Compiled by Tess Connery

‘The best podcast producers in the country work with us’: Sam Cavanagh on the reasons to love podcasting

As the head of entertainment and culture at LiSTNR, Sam Cavanagh has his finger firmly on the pulse of everything to do with podcasts.

Podcast Week’s Tess Connery caught up with Cavanagh to speak about the podcasts catching his attention and what the team are working towards next. 

The last 12 months have been very busy for the LiSTNR team. What have some of the highlights been for the entertainment and culture team?

“We’ve been really lucky with our recruitment, I can honestly say the best podcast producers in the country work with us, which makes my job really fun. 

“In terms of shows in the most recent months, we’ve relaunched Bizarre with Mick Molloy and Titus O’Reilly. Those guys launched their podcast Sports Bizarre under 12 months ago, and it’s already in the top 50 of the podcast ranker. They’ve extended it now to All Bizarre. 

“I spent about two years trying to convince Lucy and Nikki from Happy Hour to join LiSTNR. At one point I thought they would either send me a cease and desist letter or just tell me to piss off but it’s been great having them. They’re just so funny and work really hard. They’re everything you want in talent.

“What still amazes me about Hamish and Andy is given their success, they still work as hard on the podcast week in and week out as they did 15 years ago when they were doing the radio show. The work ethic and the focus on the audience is the same now as it was back then. When you’re in the industry as long as I have, it’s just great to see.”

Sam Cavanagh

What are you looking for when finding podcasts to join the LiSTNR entertainment and culture stable?

“Within entertainment and culture, we’ve got three main subgenres – that’s comedy, health and wellness, and pop culture. First, the content has to fit within those genres. 

“When you’re talking about migrating existing shows over to LiSTNR, we’re generally looking for where we can help. That’s where a creator has managed to get the show and audience to a certain level by themselves, and would like the assistance of producers, social content creators, marketing, promotion, strategic support, or performance feedback to get them to the next level.”

Are there any particular trends emerging that show what listeners are resonating with at the moment?

“No. That’s what’s beautiful about podcasting – there are so many different styles, genres, niches. It’d be impossible to pick trends. 

“One myth is that if someone has a really high profile, it means they’ll have a successful podcast. I don’t think there’s any evidence to support that. We spoke about Lucy and Nikki from Happy Hour, they’re not household names, but they’re number 13 on the podcast ranker. There are plenty of very, very famous people with podcasts who have nowhere near the audience that they do. 

“It’s one of the reasons I love podcasting, it’s so much more democratic. Something has to be good to work, you can’t just promote something and have it be successful. It has to be good.”

Where are you and your team focusing your attention for the rest of the year?

“Our goal every day, as with everything we make and publish, is to try and get it in front of the largest possible audience and then monetise it as effectively as possible. I know that sounds like a corporate answer, but all my conversations with our creators and all our producers are about what we’re making and how we get that in front of more people.

“We are always trying to grow the audiences, it’s really as simple as that.”

ARN’s iHeart and The Athletic join forces to power up Australia’s sports podcast scene

ARN’S iHeart has announced an ad sales partnership in Australia with The Athletic. The alliance aims to expand the Australian sports podcast landscape, offering significant access and opportunities for advertisers to engage a previously untapped audience at scale.

The Athletic is known for its storytelling and analysis, offering listeners a unique perspective on the world of sports. From breaking news to exclusive interviews, The Athletics’ teams of journalists deliver content that resonates with sports fans through flagship podcasts including The Athletic FC Podcast, The Totally Football Show with James Richardson and No Dunks.

Crime at Bedtime, from the host and creator of One Minute Remaining and Wanted

In September 2022, former Australian radio host Jack Laurence took a leap of faith into the world of podcasting. He quit his radio career of 15 years to launch his first True Crime show called One Minute Remaining – Stories from the Inmates.

In August 2023, Laurence released his second crime show Wanted, a short 12 part series which also topped the charts and has amassed over 300,000 downloads.

Now he has launched his third crime podcast offering called Crime at Bedtime. The show aims to mix mindfulness and breathing exercises with one of the most popular podcast genres, with Laurence returning as the host, each week he’ll tell a crime story from around the world, aiming to bring people a mix of well know stories and ones you may not have heard before.

[Listen to Crime at Bedtime here]

Liz Ellis and DM Podcasts launch No Dribble podcast

DM Podcasts has joined forces with former Australian Diamonds Captains Liz Ellis AO and Catherine Cox AM and their pal of twenty years, comedian Carolyn Swindell, to launch No Dribble, a podcast for the community that surrounds and supports Australia’s most popular sport for female participation, netball.

Ellis said, “No Dribble starts with our friendship and our love of netball as a launchpad to talk about the things that matter to women. And let’s face it, there’ll also be talk about things that really don’t matter but are a good chat anyway.”

No Dribble is described as being the next-best thing to touring with the Diamonds, reminiscent of the best and most entertaining conversations netball lovers have had on the way to netball, on the side-lines at netball, and at the pub after netball.

[Listen to No Dribble here]

Whilst smooth sailing is always more welcome, Fern Canning, marketing director, consulting at Deloitte has said it’s the hard times “that make you”.

“When you work in this career, sometimes you are on top of the world – your campaigns are looking incredible, you’ve nailed the creative, it’s bang on strategy, everyone’s applauding you, you’re winning awards. It’s absolutely fantastic.

“But that isn’t what grows you, that’s the really hard times.”

Canning told News Corp Australia’s director of the Growth Intelligence Centre and independent think tank The Growth Distillery, Dan Krigstein, that when you move into a leadership position, you don’t have all the answers – and sometimes it’s just about getting out the other side and learning from experience.

“That same pay it forward journey applies when you lead teams, you create that experience that it’s okay when things go wrong. Because you can say, ‘Hey, back in the day, this happened to me, and I came up with something better and I learned more. I became stronger and I’m better at what I do, because I’ve had the lived experience.'”

Speaking to Mediaweek after the recording, Canning said the biggest myth of leadership is that it comes in a hierarchy.

“I think when you hear about a leader or leadership, you start to picture a pyramid, or you picture an organisational structure and reporting lines. I fundamentally believe that leadership is not a position, it’s a behaviour.

“You don’t have to be managing somebody to be a leader. It’s more about who can you inspire? Who can you nurture? Who can you help?”

When asked if she had any advice for people looking to move into leadership roles, Canning said it is important not to “go in half hearted and think that being a mentor is ticking a box.

“Often you’re helping to guide somebody through quite difficult times and have really open conversations, and you have to gain their trust for them to be able to have that conversation.

“As a mentor, I think it’s really important to understand that it’s not it’s not about something you put on your CV. It should be a part of your legacy as a person in our industry.”

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Top Image: Fern Canning

The historic Italian football blockbuster at Optus Stadium between AS Roma and AC Milan will be broadcast live at 7pm AWST, Friday 31 May on Seven and 7plus.

The end of the European football season means Australians get a chance to experience some of the top flight teams live.

The two teams next visiting Australia – AC Milan and AS Roma – last played each other in a Europa League in a Quarter Final in April. Roma won 2-1.

Both teams finish their 2023-24 Italian season with games on 19 May.

The Asia Pacific exclusive match on Friday 31 May is supported by the Western Australian Government. It is the first time two Serie A teams will play each other in Australia.

The CEO of Seven West Media WA Maryna Fewster said: “It’s befitting of the status of the teams, and the historic nature of the match as the first Serie A battle on Australian soil, that it will be broadcast live on Seven and 7plus, Australia’s home of sport, for those unable to attend in person.

“It’s great to have such big-name teams not only in Perth for the WA Day weekend but on our screens of Seven and 7plus live and free across the country.”

WA deputy premier and minister for tourism Rita Saffioti added: “We’re very excited to be hosting this match between two giants of Italian football here in Perth and expect tens of thousands of fans to attend in person, and even more watching the live broadcast all over the world, putting Western Australia on the global stage once again.

“This match is definitely not one to miss, and I encourage those who aren’t able to attend in person to tune in to the broadcast to watch what is sure to be yet another blockbuster football match hosted in our beautiful city.”

The historic rivalry has been contested 190 times in Italy since 1927 with Milan recording 85 victories against Roma’s 45 with 54 draws.  

AC Milan last played in Australia in 1993 while AS Roma last played in Australia in 2015, in front of more than 80,000 at the MCG against Real Madrid.

Italian football TV broadcast times on Seven

AC Milan v AS Roma
Sydney: 9pm live on 7two and 7plus
Melbourne: 9pm live on 7mate and 7plus
Brisbane: 9pm live on 7two and 7plus
Adelaide: 8:30pm live on 7mate and 7plus
Perth: 7pm live on Channel 7 and 7plus

The Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA) has secured a record number of group deals for its members, offering additional savings on everything from workplace cultural health checks to research and data insights.

The new deals provide members with savings on insurance, industry reporting tools, HR, management, data, out-of-home verification, coaching and more.

Sam Buchanan, IMAA CEO, called the IMAA’s group deals program, launched in 2021, a game-changer for the independent media sector.

“This year, we have negotiated with our partner vendors best in market deals which are exclusive to our IMAA members. The latest phase of our group deals’ initiative offers an incredible range of benefits for members across all aspects of their business,” he said.

“Now more than ever, with the national cost-of-living crisis and tightening ad budgets, these discounts support our indie agency sector and help to reduce critical business running costs. They’re also an important part of the IMAA’s commitment to creating an even playing field for independent media agencies across the country and providing value to our members.

“We’re proud of the breadth of business deals we have secured for our members since the launch of the program in 2021 – the initiative is now industry-leading and has made a significant difference to the day-to-day running of our many member agencies across the country.”

Adam Sulway, Maple insurance and risk director, said: “There is no doubt the economy is headed into more turbulence and business confidence will weaken. What a great opportunity for the independent media industry to be more disruptive, creative, and aggressive than ever.

“We are passionate about supporting the independent sector, by reducing their costs so agencies can compete more aggressively than ever. Our risk advisory services will enable agencies to feel comfortable to take risk to grow, while safeguarding their future with greater resilience while facing the key risks in the media sector – financial, regulatory, operational, reputational, and strategic risks.”

Human Kind Collective founder, Virginia Scully, said the deal struck with the IMAA offered members’ access to complimentary culture health checks, along with discounts on other company services. 

“Agencies are facing several broad-scale workplace challenges – from women over 30 leaving the industry in droves, to managing multi-generational workforces and a concerning level of mentally unhealthy employees – and that’s on top of an ambitious legislative agenda with the compliance and governance bar rising. This is not the time to go it alone,” she said.

Ipsos iris commercial lead, Brian Hogan, added: “Ipsos is thrilled to partner with the IMAA and to provide discounted access to Ipsos iris, Australia’s IAB-endorsed digital measurement service. Access to Ipsos iris will ensure IMAA members are able to provide the best media strategy advice to their clients on their digital media investment.”

The industry body has presented 44 new group deals to its members from providers, including:

• Abe’s Audio – voiceover and audio production company
• Analytic Edge – real-time marketing analytics solutions
• Apollo Secure – cyber security platform
• AudioNET – commercial audio verification
• Canda – IT solutions provider
• Criteo – customer acquisition and retention commerce media platform
• Cuppa – demand masterclasses, expert discussions, and unique experiences
• Data Intelligence – intelligent use of technology and data for organisations
• David Fish – strategic coach and business leader
• Digital Brief – training and sales development
• DOMO – cloud software
• Dotgap – media agency recruitment
• Drawbridge – builds and deploys 3D immersive experiences
• Fabulate – influencer discovery
• Flaunt Talent – entry level recruitment and coaching
• Fonto – research and insights
• Funnel – marketing data hub
• GfK – radio ratings
• GWI – audience insights
• Holistic Analytics – attribution and marketing mix modelling
• Human Kind Collective – people, talent and culture consultancy
• I Am Mentally Fit – Builds resilience and mental fitness in teams and communities
• Integral Ad Science – ad verification and contextual targeting
• Indeed – recruitment services
• Ipsos iris – media measurement currency  
• Maple Insurance & Risk – general insurance and risk advisory
• Market Mind Analytics – marketing mix modelling
• Marquee – material instruction and ad file delivery platform
• Max Dragon – AI and media and entertainment technology
• Moving Walls – out-of-home planning, buying and measurement platform
• My Net Zero – climate action employee engagement
• Nielsen – data and research
• On Device Research – independent brand lift measurement
• Onloop – AI-drive manager enablement for agency teams
• Plexus – specialises in marketing and promotional compliance
• Prophet – predictive intelligence and analytics
• Roy Morgan – research and insights
• Rubii – real time performance monitoring and reporting visualisation platform
• Seedooh – Third party ad verification of OOH, DOOH, cinema and stadia campaigns
• Shirofune – AI ad management platform
• The Spec Sheet – ad specs and material instructions management
• Thundercloud – automation platform
• Veridooh – Independent verification of out-of-home campaigns
• WildJar – Call tracking software

See also: IMAA celebrates Female Leaders of Tomorrow graduates

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Top image: Sam Buchanan

The Oasis Committee has teamed up with Perth distillery Spirit of Little Things to create a bottle of gin, with all proceeds from the signature gin going towards helping Western Australia’s disadvantaged youth.

The West Australian charity aims to leverage the power of the WA advertising and communications industry to drive continued financial support to the Salvation Army and the Oasis Project, which supports disadvantaged youth between the ages of 16 and 25 by creating safe, supported, and sustainable accommodation options.

The Committee has collaborated with Spirit of Little Things – the official alcohol sponsor of the 2024 Oasis Ball – to produce a bespoke gin named ‘The Spirit of Oasis’ to ensure the $150,000 target is reached.

Michelle Testa, client partner at Carat and 2024 Chairperson, said: “We are so proud of the efforts of WA’s advertising industry to come together to support our efforts to raise funds for WA’s disadvantaged young people. I really challenge our media partners, creative, and media agencies around Australia to help us get to our target by jumping online and purchasing a bottle of Spirit of Oasis.

“It’s an easy way to make real change in the world and makes a heartfelt addition to the office bar cart, the perfect staff reward, end-of-financial drink for the office, client gift or birthday present for friends and family. Of course, drink responsibly and donate in any way you can.”

The Signature gin is a nod to London Dry style gin with a delicate touch that comes from being hand-crafted and enjoyed G&T, in a cocktail, or straight up.

As the official alcohol sponsor of Oasis Ball, Spirit of Little Things will also mix two bespoke cocktails available to purchase on the night for a donation of $5.

Josh Krueger, Spirit of Little Things co-founder, said: “We are delighted to be producing this unique and limited release premium gin for such a great industry initiative that will raise important funds to support young people between who are marginalised and disadvantaged.

“When Michelle Testa approached me there was no hesitation to bring this initiative to life! We are proud to be part of this event knowing your G&T enjoyment will be helping people in need, so don’t miss out on this exclusive g limited release gin.“

The Oasis Ball, now in its 27th year, will be held on Friday 17th May at Crown Towers and features the Campaign Brief WA Awards amongst entertainment, experiences and many more ways for more than 900 guests to contribute towards the Oasis Committee’s fundraising goal of $150,000.

See also: oOh!Media and Nine Perth among returning sponsors for 2024 Oasis Ball

The Australian Influencer Marketing Council (AiMCO) will host a webinar on influencer agreements between brands and influencers or their agencies.
 
The Influencer Agreements 101 webinar, to be held on 14 May, explores the intricacies of legal and contractual agreements between brands, agencies, and influencers.

The 45-minute webinar, led by AiMCO guiding council chair Tegan Boorman from Social Law Co., is the latest in a series of online education sessions designed to provide key insights into influencer marketing best practices.

It will cover topics including how to structure contracts to meet specific campaign objectives and deliverables, and the need to understand the current branded content policies on TikTok and Meta.

The AiMCO webinar will also look at key takeaways from Ad Standards complaints when negotiating influencer agreements, as well as tips for mitigating risk.

Boorman will also provide real-life examples, highlighting the importance of compliance, and insights on best practice ad disclosure.

“Influencer marketing has emerged as a powerful tool for brands to connect with their target audiences authentically. To harness its full potential, understanding the legal and contractual framework is paramount,” Boorman said.

“This webinar aims to ensure our members are equipped to successfully negotiate agreements that enable them to meet client expectations and mitigate risk, while continuing to build trust with their audiences.

AiMCO managing director, Patrick Whitnall, added: “This webinar is part of AiMCO’s ongoing commitment to provide value for our members. As the nation’s leading body for influencer marketing, we strive to ensure our members have an understanding of key legal issues commonly arising out of influencer marketing campaigns, and feel confident in negotiating deals with those issues in mind.

“As the influencer marketing space continues to evolve, and as regulators turn their attention to influencer marketing legal compliance, it’s more important than ever for our members to understand the issues that can arise, and how to mitigate risk.”

The Influencer Agreements 101 webinar will be held on 14 May at 11am. It will be free for AiMCO members, and $100 for non-members.

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See more: Patrick Whitnall: The growth of AI influencers means transparency and authenticity will continue to be important

Top image: Tegan Boorman

TV Report 8 May 2024:

Nine TV Report

Spacey Unmasked

Nine aired Spacey Unmasked, a series investigating how Kevin Spacey’s fall from grace came amid allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour. 

A Current Affair

Over on A Current Affair, the program spoke to Australians eating out of bins and skipping meals just to afford housing and investigated the supermarket meat bandit who’s allegedly stolen $12k worth of meat.

Seven TV Report

The Front Bar

The Front Bar welcomed Malcolm Michael as they shared a laugh about the world of AFL and caught up with stars of yesteryear and today, ahead of the ninth round of the AFL 2024 season.

Home & Away

Earlier in the night was Home & Away as Felicity’s worlds collide, Tane faces jail time and Alf is sceptical of a film crew in the Bay. 

10 TV Report

The Project

The Project on 10 reported on Stormy Daniels testifying in Donald Trump’s court case, there’s hope for Aussies with Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome and the team spoke to Mark Knopfler. 

MasterChef Australia

On 10’s MasterChef Australia, Round One saw one champion per team cook, with the winner of the Round One then taking their teammates into Round Two and out into the garden to cook for Immunity. 

ABC

7:30

On 7:30, The security guard who survived being stabbed during the Bondi attack reveals the full extent of his ordeal. 

Hard Quiz

Tom Gleeson welcomed this week’s contestants who were experts on Norman Lindsay, John Coltrane, Lana Del Ray and Pompeii. 

SBS

Alone Australia

Frustration reached a tipping point for most contestants, with varied methods of catching fish proving too much for some. 

The Titan Sub Disaster: Minute by Minute

Five men aboard the Titan submersible descended to the bottom of the ocean in search of the most famous shipwreck, the Titanic. What happened next resulted in an international search effort and headlines across the world. 

Tuesday 7 May 2024: VOZ Total TV Ratings Overnight Top 30 – Programs ranked on reach

Total People TV Ratings

Nine’s LEGO Masters recorded a total TV national reach of 1,919,000, a total TV national audience of 848,000, and a BVOD audience of 48,000.

Nine’s A Current Affair recorded a total TV national reach of 1,628,000, a total TV national audience of 1,065,000, and a BVOD audience of 60,000.

Seven’s Farmer Wants a Wife recorded a total TV national reach of 1,792,000, a total TV national audience of 1,016,000, and a BVOD audience of 98,000.

Also on Seven, Home & Away recorded a total TV national reach of 1,388,000, a total TV national audience of 877,000, and a BVOD audience of 97,000.

10’s airing of MasterChef Australia recorded a total TV national reach of 1,247,000, a total TV national audience of 646,000, and a BVOD audience of 51,000.

See Also: TV Report 7 May 2024: LEGO Masters finale sees biggest build in show’s history

People 25-54

Nine’s LEGO Masters:
• Total TV nation reach: 732,000
• National Audience: 370,000
• BVOD Audience: 30,000

Nine’s A Current Affair:
• Total TV nation reach: 508,000
• National Audience: 307,000
• BVOD Audience: 34,000

10’s MasterChef:
• Total TV nation reach: 523,000
• National Audience: 269,000 
• BVOD Audience: 30,000

Seven’s Farmer Wants a Wife:
• Total TV nation reach: 547,000
• National Audience: 304,000
• BVOD Audience: 54,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 453,000
• National Audience: 298,000
• BVOD Audience: 56,000

People 16-39

Nine’s LEGO Masters:
• Total TV nation reach: 291,000
• National Audience: 150,000
• BVOD Audience: 15,000

Nine’s A Current Affair:
• Total TV nation reach: 220,000
• National Audience: 124,000
• BVOD Audience: 17,000

10’s MasterChef:
• Total TV nation reach: 238,000
• National Audience: 118,000 
• BVOD Audience: 17,000

Seven’s Farmer Wants a Wife:
• Total TV nation reach: 232,000
• National Audience: 121,000
• BVOD Audience: 29,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 199,000
• National Audience: 118,000
• BVOD Audience: 34,000

Grocery Shoppers 18+

Nine’s LEGO Masters:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,417,000
• National Audience: 595,000
• BVOD Audience: 38,000

Nine’s A Current Affair:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,239,000
• National Audience: 827,000
• BVOD Audience: 48,000

10’s MasterChef:
• Total TV nation reach: 962,000
• National Audience: 509,000 
• BVOD Audience: 41,000

Seven’s Farmer Wants a Wife:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,420,000
• National Audience: 827,000
• BVOD Audience: 79,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,109,000
• National Audience: 704,000
• BVOD Audience: 77,000

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