Thursday April 22, 2021
Podcast Week: The Briefing’s milestone, Ella Hooper joins SCA, Facebook podcasts
The Briefing: Tom Tilley talks milestone
The Briefing, the daily breakfast news podcast hosted by Tom Tilley has recently celebrated its one year anniversary.
Mediaweek‘s Trent Thomas caught up with Tilley to discuss the show’s milestone.
“It was a bit of an experiment for SCA and LiSTNR and was a little bit for me as well. On a personal level, it was the first step into working in commercial media after being at triple j and the ABC, and I am really enjoying the type of attitude and level of investment in high quality news talk at SCA,” said Tilley.
Tilley also said that over the last 12 months that the team has become very settled as well.
“We have Annika Smethurst who was a great newspaper journo, and now we have her on this podcast and it’s been great seeing her growth and bringing what she does so well to this medium.
“Jan Fran who is such great talent has brought so much to it as well.”
Going commercial
After spending so long at the ABC, Tilley said that the move to commercial broadcaster SCA and its LiSTNR platform has been the perfect transition.
“There is more flexibility to do things differently in the podcast space than the FM dial. The SCA management has been super supportive of what we are doing and that means it’s the sort of content that works well for me. It felt like a really natural evolution from what I did at Hack even though it’s a whole new show on a different platform.”
What is he doing with his extra time?
Tilley described the 4:00 AM alarm situation for him as pretty intense but has been loving having the flexibility in his day.
“The main thing that I’ve been doing is writing my memoir. I have a book coming out called Speaking in Tounges with Harper Collins ABC books later this year.
“That has been awesome for me on a personal level because when I was working at Hack, being at the ABC was all-consuming and part of the reason to take this next step in my career was to make room for a thing like a book, where you can go much deeper on a project.
“This is really cool because I get to stay in touch with the news of the day by doing this podcast, but then have lots of flexibility to work on deeper projects.”
Goals for The Briefing moving forward
With one year in the can Tilley said the goal is to keep growing the audience and improving the show.
“We want to keep growing because the podcast is designed to appeal to a wider audience, people who want a simple relatable snapshot of the most important stories, and a bit of a deeper dive on the bigger issues. I feel that is something a lot of Australians would enjoy when they find out about it.”
Ella Hooper is Front and Centre for SCA
SCA has announced that Ella Hooper, is the host of the new music podcast, Front & Centre.
Hooper became a household name as a teenager in the 90’s with her band Killing Heidi. From 2012 -2015, Hooper hosted SCA’s Top 20 Countdown and in 2012 earned an ACRA for Best Newcomer.
Hooper was the first female to win the APRA Songwriter of the Year award in 2000 and has five ARIA awards to her name.
Front & Centre is exclusive to the LiSTNR app, where Hooper will interview a list of artists that includes Lorde, Benee, Green Day, The Living End, The Killers and Imagine Dragons.
Hooper said: “I’m thrilled to be back on air and in the exciting digital audio world with LiSTNR, bringing fresh content via the podcast and am relishing the chance to wax lyrical about my favourite musical decade, the 90’s.”
SCA head of music, Mickey Maher, said: “As an artist herself Ella will bring a unique insight and storytelling ability to her Front & Centre features and as the front person of one of Australia’s biggest bands of the 90’s no one is better placed to host workdays on Triple M 90s. We are delighted that someone with Ella’s charm, quick wit, intelligence and musical knowledge has joined our ranks to front not one, but two, music projects for us.”
Hooper will also be heard on Triple M 90s as the workday host, playing all her favourite tracks from that decade.
[The Front & Centre podcast and the Triple M 90’s station on LiSTNR]
Facebook makes major changes to its audio offering
Facebook has announced a series of additions and improvements to its audio offerings which include new audio creation tools, audio formats, podcasts, audio rooms, and monetisation.
A Sound Studio in Your Pocket
Facebook has described the new tools as having a sound studio in your pocket.
Through speech-to-text and voice morphing the company will provide an audio creation tool directly inside the Facebook app. Facebook claims the tools will improve audio quality even if it’s recorded on a busy street corner.
Users will be able to use music from Facebook’s Sound Collection as well as the ability to mix audio tracks, plus a growing collection of sound effects, voice effects and filters.
Soundbites: A New Social Audio Format
These audio creation tools will enable users to create short-
Facebook will start testing Soundbites over the next few months while a small number of creators refine the product with their input before the company releases it to the market.
Podcasts Are Coming to Facebook
According to Facebook, Over 170 million people are connected to hundreds of thousands of podcast pages on Facebook, and more than 35 million people are members of fan groups around podcasts but have to leave the Facebook app to listen to these episodes.
Within the next few months, users will be able to listen to podcasts directly on the Facebook app — both while using the app or when the app is backgrounded. Facebook will also help users discover podcasts based on their interests, make comments, and recommend them to their friends. Podcast creators will also be able to reach and connect with new listeners within the Facebook app.
Live Audio Rooms in Facebook and Messenger
Facebook is also going to start testing Live Audio Rooms and expect it to be available to everyone on the Facebook app by Winter to be used by 1.8 billion people that use groups every month in the tens of millions of active communities on Facebook.
As part of this initial rollout, Facebook will also bring Live Audio Rooms to public figures so they can host conversations with other public figures, experts and fans. The company will also make Live Audio Rooms available on Messenger this summer.
Everything is Being Built to Work Together and Be Accessible to All
Creators will also be able to turn a live conversation into a podcast for everyone to listen to later. The tools will allow creators and fans to share the best excerpts from a live audio or podcast and publish them as Soundbites.
Facebook will also offer captions on all these audio experiences.
Monetisation Opportunities
At launch, Facebook is introducing multiple ways for audio creators to monetise their content.
When Live Audio Rooms launch, fans will be able to support their favourite creators and public figures through stars, or donate to causes they care about.
Soon after launch, Facebook will also offer other monetisation models, like the ability to charge for access to a Live Audio Room through a single purchase or a subscription.
To kickstart Soundbites, the company is introducing an Audio Creator Fund to support emerging audio creators and get early feedback on the new product experience.
Future Women’s Drive podcast returns for a second season
Future Women’s Drive podcast returns for a second season on 21 April, hosted by journalist and presenter, Leila McKinnon.
The season features interviews with a range of diverse women including Aminata Maternal Foundation CEO and founder, Aminata Conteh-Biger; director of neurosurgery at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Professor Kate Drummond; Code Like a Girl Founder and CEO, Ally Watson; Hon Linda Burney MP; head of restaurants for Uber Eats Australia and New Zealand, Bec Nyst; and writer, presenter and media diversity professional, Lisa Cox.
In the season’s launch episode, Leila speaks to retired NSW detective Deborah Wallace about her ascension in the force and her career-defining moments.
“What a thrill to speak to women who think around corners, disrupt their industries, thrive after trauma and make real and positive changes in the lives of others. I hope others will feel as inspired and entertained as I do by what they have to say. Celebrating what we’ve achieved and envisioning a world in which women have more say is something special, and of course what fun would smashing the patriarchy be without a good laugh too?” said McKinnon.
[Listen to Drive by Future Women here]
New original Australian podcast Night Light arriving April 26
Launching on the 26th of April the new Australian podcast Night Light will showcase a collection of curated stories with each episode featuring a powerful tale performed by a renowned Australian creative, with an evocative soundscape to accompany.
With a goal to combat the quiet epidemic of anxiety, depression and loneliness, the podcast series seeks to inspire an intimate experience to pause, stop and refresh, through a literary experience.
Created by Australian director and actor (and studying psychologist), Catherine Mack and produced by Current Mood Films with support from Northern Beaches Council, Night Light is set to break new territory for the Australian podcast space.
Mack said, “With the Night Light podcast, I wanted to create a comforting space that takes listeners to an oasis for the mind, a million miles away from the pressures of everyday life. Because pausing, deep listening and focusing your mind on a single immersive experience has the power to change your state and your outlook on life. My hope is that the series can be a light in the darkest of nights, anywhere, anytime”.
The list of performers includes Rachel Ward, Erik Thompson, Georgie Parker, Matilda Brown, Kassandra Clementi, Catherine Mack, Tim Pocock, Mark Cole-Smith, Rick Donald, as well as celebrated UK poet David Whyte.
The Night Light podcast will be available to download from Monday 26th April across all podcast platforms.
Kinderling Kids streams ahead with direct-to-consumer offering
Kinderling Kids Radio has announced the completion of its move from DAB+, where it launched six years ago, to a direct-to-consumer streaming model, accessible online or through the Kinderling Kids iOS and Android app.
Receiving over 11 million on-demand listens in 2020, with over 500,000 listening hours streamed from more than 321,000 global family listeners, Kinderling continues to build its subscription base with 200% growth since January 2021, 75% of which have converted from their free app trials.
Kinderling’s on-demand programs range from stories and fables to Kinderling Originals such as the kid-hosted educational programs Fact Detectives, or the Australian Podcast Award winner Mr Snotbottom.
Kinderling has also launched 3 new seasons of Bedtime Explorers – a globally award-winning sleep program that has guided children to sleep over 10 million times.
Readership war is over: Publishers turn to Roy Morgan with emma closing down
ThinkNewsBrands has announced the appointment of Roy Morgan to oversee news readership measurement from 1 July. As part of this decision, emma will be retired.
Since 2013 advertisers wanting to plan advertising in newspapers and magazines and their digital products have had to decide between audience measurement from the industry-backed emma or data from Roy Morgan.
Readership has always been the key data advertisers looked to when assessing publishing success. However it became the only metric available after major publishers ceased releasing circulation data four years ago.
ThinkNewsBrands is backed by News Corp, Nine and Seven West Media. emma data was collected quarterly for the industry by research firm Ipsos with additional input measuring cross platform readership from Nielsen.
In a statement today, the industry marketing body ThinkNewsBrands said:
We have listened to the industry and acknowledge the need to implement a single unified readership metric for total news, produced by one entity rather than with multiple data sources.
The move to a Total News metric brings clarity to the industry as all advertisers, agencies and publishers will now rely on one measurement, approved and used by all parties, enabling better campaign investment decisions through simplified media planning tools.
The commencement of the partnership follows work between ThinkNewsBrands and Roy Morgan to further refine Roy Morgan’s well-established readership methodology across news in both print and digital formats.
When the partnership begins in July, updates will be made within the Roy Morgan database such as the inclusion of additional publications and an upgrade of categories to more clearly represent the news platform as a whole.
ThinkNewsBrands will continue to release quarterly readership data, now termed Total News, in conjunction with Roy Morgan, with the first data release scheduled for August. Current users of emma will retain access to historical data to conduct comparative analysis where required.
See also: Emma readership changes: Renews Ipsos contract, adds Nielsen’s CMV data
IAB clarifies its market position on Nielsen’s new Digital Media Ratings
The IAB Australia Board, executive and measurement council believe having a robust, transparent, standardised currency from an independent measurement vendor is important in providing a level playing field for comparison of audience reach and characteristics and provides confidence to advertisers for planning decisions on where to invest their media budgets.
The retirement of third-party cookies and the increasing emphasis on digital privacy from regulatory, consumer and platform perspectives require changes to how Nielsen measure digital audiences. Nielsen are in the process of developing a new product to measure digital audiences for content environments visited by Australians. The IAB see the new Digital Media Ratings, to be released by Nielsen in soft launch on Thursday 22nd April, as an interim step in a longer-term transformation needed to adjust to new market conditions.
In the limited time frame for review, the IAB is currently unable to support the tagged monthly audience data being provided in soft launch by Nielsen in the new Digital Media Ratings product as outstanding methodology concerns and data queries remain unresolved. This audience data includes monthly unique audience, reach % and rankings for tagged entities.
There have been no changes to methodology for volumetric data measured from media owner tagging and the IAB continues to support market usage and reliance on this overnight traffic data (e.g., page views, time spent, sessions metrics).
The IAB Board and IAB Measurement Council (representing 15 media & agency organisations) take the endorsement of ratings currency data very seriously. The most recent iteration of data produced under the new methodology was provided to the Measurement Council in early April and this has been reviewed in parallel with data produced under the previous Digital Content Ratings methodology.
The methodology change has resulted in significantly different data under this new interim step audience measurement solution. The Measurement Council is concerned with the broad range of variation and inconsistency of impact on unique audiences under the new methodology and have queries on these variances and why the new methodology produces such different data.
The IAB Board and Measurement Council will continue to review this new product for future short-term endorsement and currently advise caution in reliance on this new audience data in Digital Media Ratings for ranking and direct comparisons of audience and per person derived metrics. During the soft launch period, Nielsen will not be releasing audience rankings using Digital Media Ratings data in press releases.
As the measurement solution evolves and support status changes the IAB will revisit this market guidance statement.
With regard to endorsed digital audience data in the longer term future, the IAB has previously announced it will issue an RFP for online audience measurement services in May 2021, inviting measurement vendors to submit their services for tender evaluation. The invitation will culminate in vendor/s being endorsed as the preferred supplier/s for the planning, buying, and reporting of online audience measurement.
Zenith names Sarah Heitkamp as Sydney’s head of strategy & planning
Zenith Australia today announced the promotion of Sarah Heitkamp to the new role of head of strategy and planning – Sydney.
Heitkamp moves from her current position as Sydney strategy director effective immediately, reporting to Zenith Sydney managing director, Jonny Cordony.
Heitkamp returned to Zenith Australia at the beginning of last year after a two-year stint at the agency network’s London headquarters. As global strategy director, she worked across key clients including Luxottica, Nomad Foods, and Coty. She has also worked for Zenith in other markets including Germany, and brief secondments to Beijing and Milan.
Since joining Zenith Australia, Cordony said Heitkamp has demonstrated a passion for “big thinking, insights and linking that to real-world outcomes.” He added: “At Zenith, our purpose is to inspire growth for our clients and to solve for the now as well as for what’s next. We are very lucky to have Sarah leading this charge on the strategy front; she is an asset to our business and I am delighted to announce her promotion to this new role.”
On her appointment, Heitkamp said: “What we have seen throughout the last year is that outcome-based planning, agile partnerships and a deep understanding of what really matters to our clients are even more important than ever. Brands that leverage true human insights and connect them to a strategic solution that is realistic, practical, and measurable will ultimately succeed.
“I am absolutely thrilled to take on this new role, continuing to develop our strategic product and working closely with our clients to deliver brand solutions and customer experiences that are grounded in business success metrics, not just media KPIs.”
Cordony himself was promoted to the role of managing director – Sydney earlier this month. On his appointment, Cordony said “I am truly humbled by the opportunity to continue my progression in such a dynamic industry and business. From starting out as an account coordinator all those years ago, to taking on such a hugely fulfilling, challenging and exciting role, I’d like to thank our amazing talent, clients and strategic partners for all their support and trust. I am proud of our continued momentum at Zenith and I look forward to continually challenging ourselves as a business in 2021.”
Matt Moran to launch season two of his series Kitchen Tales
Matt Moran is launching a second season of Kitchen Tales, with more surprise menus and conversation with Australian personalities in his home kitchen. The series commences on May 2.
Across eight episodes broadcast on YouTube and IGTV, Moran invites friends and guests into his home, and recreates some of their favourite food memories. It’s only as he cooks that they start to work out what’s on the menu. The dishes chosen show that Moran has done his research, delving into the meals that have stayed with each guest – from what they loved (or hated) for dinner growing up, dishes they cooked to woo their partner, and the weirdest places they have cooked.
In each episode, the guests tell stories, and Moran shares some personal stories and cooking tips along the way, while he takes guests through how to prepare the dishes he’s making.
The Season 2 lineup features:
• Jane and Jimmy Barnes – musicians and food lovers
• Karl, Pete, and Tom Stefanovic – brothers, TV hosts, and an almond farmer, together in an interview for the first time
• The Inspired Unemployed – popular comedic influencers
• Zoe Terakes – emerging actor and activist
• Ronni Kahn – waste warrior and founder of OzHarvest
• Angie Hong – Vietnamese chef, restaurateur, and mother of chef Dan Hong
• Matt Wright – Northern Territory-based Outback Wrangler
• Vincent Fantauzzo – award-winning artist and Matt’s best mate
“I love filming this show. I feel very lucky to spend a few hours with these inspiring friends in my favourite place, my kitchen,” says Moran. “It’s no secret that the kitchen’s where all the best stories get told, and each time I welcome a guest into my kitchen, I learn something really surprising or special about them. There are some cracking tales in this season and, of course, the food’s not bad either.”
Australian produce is at the heart of everything Moran does and Kitchen Tales showcases Australia’s produce from Olsson’s salt, Alto Olive Oil, Messina gelato, Mandolé Orchard almond milk, Malfroy’s Gold honey, Maremma duck, Humpty Doo Barramundi, and Moran family farm beef.
The first episode of Kitchen Tales will be live on May 2 via Moran’s YouTube channel, with episodes released every week for eight weeks.
Annual Anzac Day match headlines big week of AFL on Seven
Collingwood and Essendon clash in the annual Anzac Day match as part of a week of live and free AFL on the Seven Network this Sunday.
Since their inaugural Anzac Day match in 1995, the Magpies and Bombers have taken their rivalry to new heights with a series of matches on one of the most significant days on our national calendar.
This year, both teams strive to get their 2021 campaigns back on track after disappointing 1-4 starts to the season. Seven’s broadcast begins at 2.00pm AEST Sunday on Channel 7 and 7mate, and includes the traditional pre-game Anzac observance ceremony.
The AFL’s commentary team will lead Seven’s round six coverage this weekend, featuring Brian Taylor, James Brayshaw, Hamish McLachlan, Luke Hodge, Wayne Carey, Abbey Holmes, Luke Darcy, Matthew Richardson, and Jude Bolton.
Two of the biggest figures in Anzac Day matchs, Collingwood’s coach in the inaugural game, Leigh Matthews, and former Bombers captain Jobe Watson, who played 11 times on the big occasion, will be part of Seven’s on-air line-up.
Fans will also be taken behind the scenes at Collingwood and Essendon in the lead-up to Sunday as both clubs reflect on the honour of playing on Anzac Day, while current Pies and Dons stars relive some of the great moments of past matches in Commentary Recall.
Seven will also share the stories of some of the VFL/AFL players who served in the Armed Forces, including former Geelong wingman Wayne Closter who served in Vietnam in between playing 191 games from 1964 to 1975.
The live and free week of footy starts when The Front Bar returns to Thursday night for the first time in 2021. St Kilda great Stewart Loewe is set to join Mick Molloy, Sam Pang and Andy Maher at the bar on Channel 7 and 7plus at 8.30pm in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, and 11.10pm in Sydney and Brisbane.
The on-field action kicks off on Friday when the GWS Giants and Western Bulldogs square off at Manuka Oval. The live and free coverage begins at 7.00pm AEST on Channel 7 and 7mate.
On Saturday night, Seven hosts the undefeated Demons as they meet reigning premier Richmond at the MCG in the Anzac Day Eve fixture. On a night when former skipper Nathan Jones will become just the second Melbourne player to reach 300 games, and one of the competition’s stars, Dustin Martin, plays his 250th match, fans can tune in from 6.30pm AEST on Channel 7 and 7mate.
Managing director Seven Melbourne and head of network sport, Lewis Martin, said: “There are few more spine-tingling moments than when Collingwood and Essendon players run out together for the Anzac Day match. The game has become one of the AFL’s greatest occasions, on a day when Australians, young and old, pause to give thanks to the men and women who have served – and continue to serve – our country so bravely.
“In a massive round six on Seven, fans will also enjoy the latest instalment in the ever- growing Giants-Bulldogs rivalry and a potential finals preview between two of 2021’s genuine flag contenders, Melbourne and Richmond. You won’t want to miss a second of the action, live and free on Your Home of Footy.”
After Friday night’s Giants-Bulldogs grudge match, Adam Cooney and Cam Luke will settle in on the Armchair Experts sofa to give their take on all the fallout from the big match on Channel 7, 7mate and 7plus.
On Monday night, premiership teammates and footy mavericks Heath Shaw and Dale Thomas will give fans a view of the game’s biggest stories on the brand-new Heater and Daisy Show on 7plus.
In the SANFL, South Adelaide and Sturt square off on Saturday at Flinders University Stadium in a round four clash live from 3.00pm ACST on Channel 7 in Adelaide and 7plus.
In round four of the WAFL, Perth meets cross-town rival East Perth at Mineral Resources Park on Sunday. Seven’s coverage begins at 4.00pm AWST on 7mate in Perth and 7plus.
Taika Waititi, Kylie and Dannii Minogue announced as first Drag Race Down Under guests
Stan, the home of RuPaul in Australia, today revealed that the Queens of Australian music, sisters Kylie and Dannii Minogue, along with esteemed Kiwi director, screenwriter and actor, Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit, Thor: Ragnarok), will all be appearing in the Stan Original Series RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under premiering 1 May, only on Stan.
Kylie said: “I’m SO excited to finally be a part of RuPaul’s Drag Race for the first series Down Under. It’s such an iconic show and I can’t wait to watch the contestants perform their hearts out to win the title of Down Under’s first Drag Superstar!”
Dannii said: “I got to have a cheeky ‘Untucked’ chat with the girls on RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under Season 1. They had come straight from the runway challenge so it was exciting and tense all at the same time, not knowing who was going to have to lip sync for their life!”
Whether the other guest stars will be judging runway looks, mentoring a maxi challenge, or dishing expert tips in the workroom, viewers will just have to wait and see.
The queens who will be racing down the runway soon are: Anita Wigl’it (Auckland, NZ), Art Simone (Geelong, VIC), Coco Jumbo (Sydney, NSW), Elektra Shock (Auckland, NZ), Etcetera Etcetera (Sydney, NSW), JoJo Zaho (Newcastle, NSW), Karen from Finance (Melbourne, VIC), Kita Mean (Auckland, NZ), Maxi Shield (Sydney, NSW) and Scarlet Adams (Perth, WA).
Stan Original Series RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under is an 8×60’ World of Wonder production in collaboration with Warner Bros. International Production New Zealand for Stan in Australia, TVNZ in New Zealand and WOW Presents Plus. Randy Barbato, Fenton Bailey, Tom Campbell, and RuPaul Charles serve as executive producers. Vicki Keogh (TVNZ), Nick Forward (Stan), and Greg Heathcote (WB) also serve as executive producers. Passion Distribution distributes the series globally in line with Passion Distribution and WOW’s distribution strategy.
TV Ratings Survey: Wednesday Week 17
Primetime News
Seven News 947,000 (6 pm)/933,000 (6:30 pm)
Nine News is 909,000 (6 pm)/921,000 (6:30 pm)
ABC News 640,000
10 News First 343,000(5 pm)/232,000 (6pm)
SBS World News 177,000 (6:30 pm)/135,000 (7 pm)
Daily current affairs
A Current Affair 701,000
7:30 541,000
The Project 287,000 (6:30 pm)/436,000 (7 pm)
The Drum 170,000
Breakfast TV
Sunrise 255,000
Today 216,000
News Breakfast 180,000
Late Night News
ABC Late News 92,000
SBS World News Late 50,000
Nine
Nine has continued its strong Sunday to Wednesday performance so far this year, with another win. The broadcaster had a primary share of 20.8% and a network share of 29.0%.
Lego Masters was the top non-news program last night with 766,000. This was the lowest ratings that the show has had this season as its first week came to a close.
Lego Masters season three ratings:
Monday, April 19: 838,000
Tuesday, April 20: 782,000
Wednesday, April 21: 766,000
Lego Masters was followed by the Aussie drama Amazing Grace with 298,000, which was down on last week’s 403,000.
Seven
Seven aired a double of Highway Patrol last night in the 7:30 pm slot with 378,000 and 361,000 tuning in. Afterwards was the cinema classic Shawshank Redemption with 241,000.
Home and Away was the top rating show for Seven with a metro average of 573,000 viewers.
10
MasterChef has continued its launch week with 549,000 viewers tuning in last night, as the top 24 contestants were welcomed to the MasterChef kitchen with a mystery box challenge, selected by Back to Win champion, Emelia Jackson. Last night’s episode was down on Tuesday’s ratings which had 582,000.
This was followed by a Bull double with 244,000 and 143,000 viewers.
Earlier in the night, The Project had 287,000 (6:30 pm) and 436,000 (7:00 pm) as the show discussed the Gorge Floyd verdict, the Tamil family on Christmas Island, and the Big Bird bandits.
ABC
The ABC had a strong Wednesday night after Hard Quiz was able to outrate MasterChef with 653,000 viewers. This was followed by a strong audience on The Weekly with Charlie Pickering with 530,000.
Kitty Flanagan‘s Fisk has continued its strong run, outrating its preceding show The Weekly with 542,000 and was up slightly on last week’s 537,000.
SBS
The top show on SBS was Titanic: Dead Reckoning with 194,000 viewers.
Week 17: Wednesday
| WEDNESDAY METRO | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Seven | Nine | 10 | SBS | |||||
| ABC | 14.2% | 7 | 17.5% | 9 | 20.8% | 10 | 13.3% | SBS One | 5.0% |
| ABC KIDS/ ABC TV PLUS | 2.4% | 7TWO | 3.0% | GO! | 2.2% | 10 Bold | 4.5% | VICELAND | 0.4% |
| ABC ME | 0.3% | 7mate | 2.1% | GEM | 2.8% | 10 Peach | 2.7% | Food Net | 0.9% |
| ABC NEWS | 1.6% | 7flix | 1.7% | 9Life | 2.2% | 10 Shake | 0.6% | NITV | 0.1% |
| 9Rush | 1.0% | SBS World Movies | 0.6% | ||||||
| TOTAL | 18.5% | 24.3% | 29.0% | 21.1% | 7.1% | ||||
| WEDNESDAY REGIONAL | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Seven Affiliates | Nine Affiliates | 10 Affiliates | SBS | |||||
| ABC | 13.7% | 7 | 18.2% | 9 | 15.7% | WIN | 9.7% | SBS One | 5.7% |
| ABC KIDS/ ABC TV PLUS | 2.1% | 7TWO | 4.6% | GO! | 2.4% | WIN Bold | 5.1% | VICELAND | 0.5% |
| ABC ME | 0.7% | 7mate | 3.0% | GEM | 5.0% | WIN Peach | 2.8% | Food Net | 0.8% |
| ABC NEWS | 2.0% | 7flix (Excl. Tas/WA) | 2.8% | 9Life | 2.6% | Sky News on WIN | 2.3% | NITV | 0.1% |
| SBS Movies | 0.6% | ||||||||
| TOTAL | 18.5% | 28.6% | 25.7% | 20.0% | 7.7% | ||||
| WEDNESDAY METRO ALL TV | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTA | STV | ||||||||
| 86.6% | 13.4% | ||||||||
Wednesday FTA
- Seven News Seven 947,000
- Seven News At 6.30 Seven 933,000
- Nine News 6:30 Nine 921,000
- Nine News Nine 909,000
- Lego Masters Nine 766,000
- A Current Affair Nine 701,000
- Hard Quiz S6 ABC TV 653,000
- ABC News ABC TV 640,000
- Home And Away Seven 573,000
- MasterChef Australia 10 549,000
- Fisk ABC TV 542,000
- 7.30 ABC TV 541,000
- The Weekly With Charlie Pickering ABC TV 530,000
- The Chase Australia Seven 480,000
- Hot Seat Nine 447,000
- The Project 7pm 10 436,000
- Highway Patrol (R) Seven 378,000
- Highway Patrol-Ep.2 (R) Seven 361,000
- 10 News First 10 343,000
- The Chase Australia-5pm Seven 317,000
Demo Top Five
16-39 Top Five
- Lego Masters Nine 166,000
- Nine News 6:30 Nine 128,000
- MasterChef Australia 10 125,000
- The Project 7pm 10 117,000
- Nine News Nine 111,000
18-49 Top Five
- Lego Masters Nine 311,000
- Nine News 6:30 Nine 213,000
- MasterChef Australia 10 206,000
- The Project 7pm 10 200,000
- Nine News Nine 191,000
25-54 Top Five
- Lego Masters Nine 363,000
- Nine News 6:30 Nine 269,000
- Nine News Nine 246,000
- MasterChef Australia 10 242,000
- Seven News Seven 230,000
Wednesday Multichannel
- NCIS (R) 10 Bold 179,000
- Bluey ABC Kids/ABC TV Plus 154,000
- Peter Rabbit ABC Kids/ABC TV Plus 144,000
- Ben And Holly’s Little Kingdom ABC Kids/ABC TV Plus 136,000
- Peppa Pig ABC Kids/ABC TV Plus 133,000
- Shaun The Sheep ABC Kids/ABC TV Plus 130,000
- NCIS: Los Angeles (R) 10 Bold 129,000
- The Adventures Of Paddington ABC Kids/ABC TV Plus 129,000
- Peppa Pig ABC Kids/ABC TV Plus 128,000
- Bluey ABC Kids/ABC TV Plus 127,000
- Neighbours 10 Peach 120,000
- School Of Roars ABC Kids/ABC TV Plus 119,000
- Rusty Rivets ABC Kids/ABC TV Plus 115,000
- NCIS: Los Angeles Ep 2 (R) 10 Bold 114,000
- Remy & Boo ABC Kids/ABC TV Plus 113,000
- The Wonder Gang ABC Kids/ABC TV Plus 111,000
- Love Monster ABC Kids/ABC TV Plus 110,000
- Kangaroo Beach ABC Kids/ABC TV Plus 106,000
- Kiddets ABC Kids/ABC TV Plus 103,000
- Hey Duggee ABC Kids/ABC TV Plus 102,000
Wednesday STV
- Gogglebox Australia Lifestyle Channel 154,000
- Live: AFL 360 FOX FOOTY 62,000
- Paul Murray Live Sky News Live 56,000
- Alan Jones Sky News Live 54,000
- The Bolt Report Sky News Live 51,000
- Live: NRL 360 FOX LEAGUE 47,000
- PML Later Sky News Live 47,000
- Credlin Sky News Live 46,000
- Grand Designs Australia Lifestyle Channel 43,000
- Unforgotten BBC First 36,000
- Peppa Pig Nick Jr. 34,000
- Abby Hatcher Nick Jr. 34,000
- Blaze And The Monster Machines Nick Jr. 33,000
- The Kenny Report Sky News Live 33,000
- Abby Hatcher Nick Jr. 33,000
- Matty Johns Face-To-Face FOX LEAGUE 32,000
- Peppa Pig Nick Jr. 30,000
- Peppa Pig Nick Jr. 29,000
- Peppa Pig Nick Jr. 29,000
- Peppa Pig Nick Jr. 29,000
Shares all people, 6pm-midnight, Overnight (Live and AsLive), Audience numbers FTA metro, Sub TV national
Source: OzTAM and Regional TAM 2021. 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
WPP AUNZ shareholders approve takeover bid by British parent
WPP AUNZ chairman Robert Mactier paid tribute to CEO Jens Monsees and the company’s senior leadership team “in delivering a transformation of our business model and company against the backdrop of the unprecedented challenges and uncertainties of the Covid-19 pandemic”.
“Transformation does not come without pain and the need to make tough decisions, particularly in a year like no other. Thank you to Jens and our senior leadership team and the many, many talented employees across our many disciplines,” Mactier said.
MEAA to withdraw its support for the Australian Press Council
The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance is giving notice to leave the APC — the self-regulatory body for print media — after it said it had lost confidence it in to do its job.
MEAA federal president Marcus Strom said the union has contributed more than $1m in fees to the APC over the past decade but feedback from members was that it was not doing its job properly.
Under existing rules, the MEAA must give four years’ notice before departing the APC. This means it will be unable to leave the organisation under 2025.
NZME fined $NZ100,000 for breaching stock exchange rules
The New Zealand Market Disciplinary Tribunal ruled NZME breached market rules by releasing incomplete announcements that would have moved its share price.
The tribunal concluded that NZME’s May 11, 2020 announcement gave the impression to the market that its proposal to acquire Stuff from Nine Entertainment (the owner of this masthead) was well advanced, implying that competition concerns were the only obstacle the deal faced.
The precarious operation to demolish Nine’s Sydney TV transmission tower
The demolition of Willoughby’s 233-metre TX Tower is another sign of progress in Sydney: the site, which symbolised a new era of technology when it was built in 1965, will be replaced by hundreds of apartments.
The structure, erected on the site of Nine Entertainment Co’s long-time Artarmon Road headquarters, was one of three built in the area in the 1950s and 60s to broadcast television.
News Brands
ABC apologises for JobKeeper error
The public broadcaster said reports that were published across its radio, television and online channels failed to make clear issues relating to JobKeeper payments made by employers trying to cheat the system.
The reports were aired and published on January 29 and have now been updated this week.
The correction said the reports, “did not make clear the ATO’s investigations into employers’ JobKeeper claims for potentially fictitious employees including prisoners and the dead were occurring at the application stage, prior to JobKeeper payments being made”.
The SMH celebrates 190 years: How a cast of business moguls shaped Sydney
Fairfax took a job as a librarian, making friends with other immigrants, among them businessman David Jones, who had just opened his first department store on George Street.
The modern city of Sydney was 50 years old and prospering on the back of its agricultural trade, especially wool. It was a city of opportunity as John Fairfax had hoped. Within three years of his arrival he became the co-owner of the Sydney Herald, which by then was the city’s dominant newspaper. In 1853, he would become the paper’s sole owner, and after returning to England to pay his creditors, he would begin building the foundations of a media empire and dynasty, John Fairfax & Sons, which would last over 150 years.
In the 1930s, the Herald faced intense competition from a rising media mogul Frank Packer who would launch The Australian Women’s Weekly and take control of The Daily Telegraph. At the time, the Telegraph, unlike the Herald, put news on its front page.
After a special edition of The Sydney Morning Herald on Monday this week, the publication has been running stories about its achievements, the city it covers and its readers and writers all week.
See also: The Sydney Morning Herald celebrates its 190th anniversary
London’s Sunday Times apologises for appearing to trivialise Prince Philip racism
The newspaper sent Christina Lamb, its chief foreign correspondent, to file a dispatch from the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral at Windsor on Saturday. In her article she wrote: “Prince Philip was the longest-serving royal consort in British history – an often crotchety figure, offending people with gaffes about slitty eyes, even if secretly we rather enjoyed them.”
In response to the front page a group of east Asian journalists and campaigners published an open letter and attracted 17,000 signatures to a petition demanding a retraction.
Entertainment
Under the Southern Stars festival organisers cancel 2021 concert series over COVID-19 fears
Under the Southern Stars festival co-ordinators announced on Wednesday the concert series, set to feature Cheap Trick, Bush and Stone Temple Pilots around Australia in April and May, would be postponed until 2022 to “protect” patrons, artists and crews during the ongoing pandemic.
“We are as upset about this as you are!” the statement on its website began.
“Given the disappointingly slow rollout of the vaccine by the government, there is no confidence that we can keep all safe and proceed as planned at our festivals this May.
“The continuing mismanagement of the Covid-19 situation at all levels of government has led to numerous inconsistencies and ongoing broken promises by officials that ultimately affect the safety of our patrons, artists and our crews, both domestic and international.”
Golden Globes crisis deepens as former president expelled and advisers resign
In a brief statement, the HFPA said: “Effective immediately, Phil Berk is no longer a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.” The HFPA’s move follows outspoken criticism from NBC, the TV network that broadcasts and pays for the Golden Globes, which called for Berk’s expulsion. “NBC strongly condemns Phil Berk’s actions … [and] swift action on this front is an essential element for NBC to move forward with the HFPA and the Golden Globes.”
Sony films will move to Disney after Netflix window expires
The new deal, which covers Sony’s 2022-26 theatrical slate, will bring the films to Disney-owned streaming services Disney+ and Hulu, as well as to Disney’s linear TV networks, including ABC, Disney Channels, Freeform, FX and National Geographic.
The deal comes weeks after Netflix and Sony inked a massive pact for Sony’s films to go to the streaming service for their first-pay-windows, which usually come 18 months after a film hits theaters. Once that window expires, the new Disney deal will see Sony’s titles hit Disney platforms for their Pay 2 windows.
Television
More than 18 million tuned in for the Chauvin verdict.
An average of four million people watched CNN from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., more than double the number of viewers the network drew the previous day in the same time slot, according to Nielsen. Another four million watched on ABC, and 3.4 million saw it on Fox News. MSNBC and CBS each had about three million viewers.
NBC’s viewership totals were not yet available, which means the verdict was likely seen on television by an audience of more than 20 million. And because Nielsen’s numbers do not include people who watched the proceedings on their phones or laptops, the total number of people who watched was certainly even bigger than that.
Streaming wars enter rebundling phase: James Murdoch
The media scion said as streaming services have scaled and grown, they have had to create a bundled offering to compete and offer consumers better bang for their buck.
“Netflix is, in and of itself, a bundle of services – a kids service, a movie service, a serialised television service, and so forth,” Murdoch told APOS, Asia’s leading media summit on Tuesday, citing Disney+ as another example of an aggregated bundle with its Marvel, Lucas Films, National Geographic, and Disney content.
New base for SAS Australia
Daily Mail Australia has snapped photos of a site in the Blue Mountains, around 50km west from Sydney.
“Epic photos appear to show a huge building for the celebrities to reside in, and fields as far as the eye can see for gruelling endurance challenges to take place,” it claims.
“A large tarmac area with a stage was also visible – a place where lead trainer Ant Middleton has been known to torment recruits in the past.”