The busiest match day every week at Fox Footy – Foxtel’s most-watched winter TV channel – is Saturdays. The channel gives over the Saturday night hosting slot to Kath Loughnan and her team as they help viewers navigate coverage of the final games of AFL matches that started early in the afternoon.
The Saturday evening session on Fox Footy is branded Saturday Stretch and it recognises the time many viewers have put in watching the coverage. After the more serious analysis offered up on Thursday and Friday nights, the Saturday Stretch, and then Bounce on Sundays, offers viewers a little more fun mixed with footy insights.
“Saturday Stretch is my main hosting job,” Loughnan explained to Mediaweek. “We come on air before the main Saturday night game and then we return again at the end of the match and start a full wrap of the day’s games. We cover all the main talking points from what is usually four or five games. That number varies if there is Thursday night football that round or any Covid restrictions.”
The Saturday Stretch team includes Jordan Lewis, Brad Johnson and Tom Morris. “They are a very fun crew and we tend to loosen up a bit on Saturday nights,” added Loughnan.
The show’s host has just started her second year of fronting Saturday nights working alongside Saturday night “veteran” Johnson while the others are comparative newcomers to the evening. “We have formed a tight Saturday night family and we are pumped to do it again this year,” said Loughnan.
“Last year none of us had anywhere else to go. So being able to come to work was a luxury. This year people have more options like going to the pub or catching up with friends.”
Loughnan has already notched up seven years of service at Fox Sports, landing her first job with the broadcaster when she was just 20, fresh out of university in Perth.
“I started with Fox Sports News before moving to Fox Footy in the winter and Fox Cricket in the summer.”
As to how someone lands a job with Fox Sports at such a young age, Loughnan explained: “I was purely lucky. I just send an email to a generic company email I found – I think it was [email protected] – asking if they had any work experience.
“The HR department miraculously got back to me. I got a week of work experience which led to some freelance work which then led to a contract.”
To take up the work experience offer Loughnan had to get herself from Perth to Sydney out of her savings. “I decided to stay in Sydney which was a bit risky when I look back at a 20-year-old who didn’t know anybody in the city.”
Her first roles on air were pre-recorded pieces to camera. “Nothing too hard,” she laughed.
“After [now executive director] Steve Crawley came to Fox Sports he said I would get to read the news on Saturdays as they were sending Jess Yates up to Townsville. I was thinking, ‘I can’t do this.’ But I couldn’t say no to an offer like that. Luckily I got through that first Saturday and I have been lucky to have Steve Crawley mentor me along the way.”
Watching Loughnan on air viewers quickly realise she knows her sports well. “I always try to make sure I am well-prepared and I am careful to make sure I do every opportunity and every show justice.
“I am an over-preparer. But as a sports fan, I watch a lot of sport, so it doesn’t always feel like you are working.”
In addition to the Saturday Stretch, viewers can see Loughnan on AFL Tonight on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. “That is the 30-minute Fox Footynews now leading into AFL 360,” she explained. “I will also be doing some Thursday night football hosting or working on the ground and then some pre-game hostings with the team on Sundays.”
As to what she enjoys most, Loughnan said it is hard to beat going to the ground to work on match coverage. “After a year of no footy in Melbourne because of Covid, it is very special to have games on again. But I do have a soft spot for Saturday Stretch where the four of us have built a good chemistry. We have dinner, watch the game together and go on air to talk about it. It’s a very cool gig.”
The former players and journalist colleagues she works with have all been very supportive, said Loughnan. “The best compliments I have had, separately from colleagues at Fox Cricket and Fox Footy, were asking if I grew up with brothers. To me that shows I understand the banter and being around sport.” Did Loughnan have bothers? Yes, two. “They were on the money,” Loughnan, the youngest of five children, laughed.
She added her parents, while concerned about her move from Perth to Sydney at such a young age, were nothing but supportive. “They are very sporty themselves, so they love my job and love chatting about footy and cricket.”
Loughnan hides it well which AFL team she supports. No surprise it is one of the Perth teams. “The guys have occasionally mentioned it on air. But I do support Fremantle. I got an interest in footy by going to Subi oval every second weekend to watch the Dockers with dad.” Liking the Dockers also means one other thing. “I used to always hate the Eagles when I was younger. And I hated the derby because the Eagles would always win. Remarkably I love West Coast now and I really enjoy watching them play and win. Adam Simpson is a major part of that. He’s a very likeable coach, very talented, and he has done an amazing job with the Eagles. I really enjoyed them winning the 2018 premiership.
“However the Dockers are on the right track and Justin Longmuir has proven himself to be a good senior coach after a year in the job. I am very excited to see what they do this year.”
Main photo: Kath Loughnan (right) with Fox Footy colleagues [L-R] Jonathan Brown, Sarah Jones, Nick Riewoldt, Eddie Betts and Garry Lyon
See also: Fox Footy all set for 2021 – Ready to adapt and be agile if needed
Gravity Media has appointed former head of sport at Seven Network and Fox Sports Saul Shtein (pictured) as its new director, production and content in Australia.
Gravity Media is a new company with a 30-year pedigree, formed by the coming together of four broadcast and production houses – Gearhouse Broadcast, HyperActive Broadcast, Input Media and Chief Entertainment.
After a run of successful productions as head of sport for the Seven Network over the past 15 years and more recently as senior producer with Mushroom Group, Shtein will be responsible for broadening Gravity Media’s expansion across production and content for its Australia-based business.
As one of Australia’s most respected television producers, Shtein has been at the forefront of the broadcast industry for over 40 years. His track record at the Seven Network includes heading up the live coverage of three Summer Olympics and two Winter Olympics. He also steered the Seven Network’s award-winning AFL coverage, the Australian Open Tennis Championships and a raft of other major live events. In addition, Shtein spent almost eight years as head of sport at Fox Sports Australia, initially supervising the transformation from Premier Sports to Fox Sports Australia and then responsible for all production.
Previous to Fox Sports Shtein spent 16 years with the Nine Network. His productions included Test and ODI Cricket, Rugby League, Formula 1 Grand Prix, Wimbledon, NSW & Victorian Horse Racing, Boxing, Surfing, Wild Winter Weekend, as well as magazine and panel shows such Wide World of Sports, Sports Sunday and NRL Footy Show.
Shtein has also been intrinsically involved with live music events throughout his career. Not long after he started in television at the Nine Network, he produced the successful MTV program for two years. In 2020, for Mushroom Group, Shtein pioneered the Covid-19 era production of the acclaimed ABC-TV series The Sound along with an Anzac Day special, Music from the Home Front and Sounds Better Together both for Nine Network.
John Newton, CEO, Gravity Media, commented: “Having someone of Saul’s calibre come on board provides a great opportunity for Gravity Media to continue our global expansion. He has already stamped a significant footprint on the broadcasting industry in Australia, and we’re delighted to be able to enhance our team with his expertise.
“Saul will bring his vast experience and enthusiasm to support the exciting growth of Gravity Media both in Australia and globally. He is a perfect fit for our business, and we look forward working alongside him.”
Saul Shtein added: “The media landscape is changing dramatically, from a commercial, technological and viewer perspective. With the rise in OTT TV and the move into mainstream broadcasting of Facebook, Apple, Amazon and DAZN, now is the perfect time to be joining such an ambitious, dynamic and relevant organisation as Gravity Media.
“I have known and worked with John Newton on many major projects and I’m really excited to be working with Gravity Media’s Senior Leadership Team help develop and grow the business in all markets, from sport and media to news and entertainment.”
See also: The Sound – Michael Gudinski & Saul Shtein’s new primetime project
ABC has announced that premiering Wednesday 5th May on ABC TV Plus and ABC iview is Art Works, a weekly half-hour show, dedicated to exploring the full spectrum of the arts in Australia. Hosted by arts broadcaster Namila Benson, each week Art Works will aim to reset the national artistic conversation featuring a palette of ideas to include everyone.
Namila Benson is an Arts broadcaster, producer and educator who has worked across multiple public and media platforms for over two decades. She guides conversations exploring race, culture, gender, and decolonisation through a creative lens. Focusing on black body politics and diaspora/settler identity, she brings critical nuance to a wide range of conversations.
With in-studio segments, behind-the-scenes stories, interviews, explainers and deep-dive field reports from locations across Australia, Art Works puts the spotlight on creativity as an overlooked but inherent part of our everyday lives. Art Works will hear from emerging creatives to established professionals, from major arts companies to the avant garde and everything in between.
According to host Namila Benson “Art Works will deliver candid, surprising, unexpected and funny insights from a whole range of creatives. It’s a place where stories, experiences and ideas will be shared and exchanged; where we can engage, debate, critique or just observe. And that’s the beauty of art, it’s for everybody.”
ABC head of entertainment and specialist Michael Carrington says “We’re delighted to have Namila on board to host Art Works, her expertise and passion for the arts is palpable. Art Works will be engaging, accessible and inspiring, and will shine a spotlight on the arts from around Australia every week.”
Celebrating the diversity of Australian creatives and bringing previously unheard voices and ideas into the conversation, Art Works will aim to redefine how we tell the stories of Australia today and tomorrow; inviting audiences to look, debate, consider and reflect on what the arts bring to all our lives.
92.9 Triple M today announced that Xavier Ellis, Michael ‘Mickey’ Barlow and Britt Taylor will host the station’s Dead Set Legends weekend sports show, commencing Saturday 17 April.
This announcement rounds out the station’s format following Triple M Perth’s launch in December 2020.
Xavier Ellis is no stranger to Triple M; the former West Coast Eagle and Hawthorn Hawks Premiership player is co-host of the 92.9 Triple M Breakfast show and is a member of Triple M’s AFL call team in Perth. In addition to his podcast, It’s Time for a Beer, and broadcasting commitments with Channel 7 Perth, he now adds Dead Set Legends to his repertoire.
Joining the team is racing presenter, Britt Taylor, who brings her enthusiasm for women in sport to Dead Set Legends. Britt is a racehorse owner and was the first female jockey to provide post-race interviews over the Melbourne Cup carnival.
Rounding out the show is former Fremantle Football Club midfielder Michael ‘Mickey’ Barlow, who will give Xavier a run for his money to make sure both WA teams get a good amount of airtime.
Barlow said: “I can’t wait to give Xav a sledging. It’s been a while and I guess this time I’ll need to be careful with the delivery.”
Taylor said: “I’m excited to join the footy boys every Saturday morning to kickstart the weekend and try to find a winner for the day’s racing as well!”
92.9 Triple M Perth content director, Tim Arnold, said: “It’s exciting to have 92.9’s Triple M roster now complete! I know Xavier, Mickey and Britt will complement the Dead Set Legends brand that Triple M listeners already love across Australia – it’s going to be a lot of fun and great way to start the weekend!”
92.9 Triple M’s Dead Set Legends with Xavier, Mickey and Britt debuts on Saturday 17 April at 8am and will also be available via the LiSTNR app.
Disturbing allegations of racism, sexism and homophobia were levelled at Neighbours (10 Peach) this week by Indigenous cast members Shareena Clanton and Meyne Wyatt. It is a wake-up call for the industry and reveals, yet again, the lack of diversity on Australian commercial TV.
Neighbours currently has the most inclusive cast of any Aussie commercial drama with multicultural, gay, lesbian and bisexual characters. Hearing impaired teacher Curtis (Nathan Borg) and transgender student Mackenzie (Georgie Stone) were both cast after the actors personally approached Neighbours about being included. Neighbours is a show that wants to learn and do better.
Now Neighbours will go through the same reckoning that Hollyoaks (Channel 4) faced last year when several of its black actors (Rachel Adedeji, Trevor A Toussaint, Richard Blackwood and Talia Grant) spoke out about systematic racism at Lime Pictures and the TV industry in general. Hollyoaks is the most diverse soap in the UK, and they have introduced new training and recruitment measures behind the scenes. Expect Neighbours to do something similar.
Meyne Wyatt is right to point out the lack of Indigenous roles on commercial TV and streaming services. There have been over 50 continuing serials on Australian TV, but only one has ever featured an Indigenous family and their mob. That was The Heights (ABC) and it featured, amongst others, Shari Sebbens, Kelton Pell and Callan Tassone.
Home and Away (Seven) has only ever had one Blackfella in Summer Bay over the course of 7,500 episodes. In 2003, a brain tumour-induced dream sequence saw Alf (Ray Meagher) turn into an Aboriginal man (played by David Ngoombujarra). One episode and he wasn’t even real.
Home and Away does have an Indigenous family now, the Parata clan (Rob Kipa-Williams, Kawakawa Fox-Reo and Ethan Browne). They are Maori but behave just like all the Aussie surf gangs in the show, always on the edge of criminality. Compare that to Shortland Street (SBS Viceland) where a third of the core cast are of Maori or Polynesian descent, and when you add in guest roles, they make up 50% of the cast. Most play health professionals and some even drop in the occasional Maori expression. Oh New Zealand, we have so much to learn from you.
Also up for some learning is Law & Order: Organised Crime (Monday on Nine). It’s the seventh series in the franchise and the first not to screen on 10. That means we don’t get to see the proceeding crossover Law & Order: SVU episode that brings back Eliot Stabler (Chris Meloni), so pay attention to the plot-heavy introductory recap.
Stabler is a rule-breaker known for roughing up suspects. He also shot dead six people during his 12 seasons on SVU but now, in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, the so-called good cop is trying to control his more violent impulses. Let’s hope he does better, along with the Australian TV industry.
Primetime News
Seven News 863,000/851,000
Nine News 851,000/847,000
ABC News 662,000
10 News First 296,000 (5:00 pm)/ 197,000 (6:00 pm)
SBS World News 157,000 (6:30pm) 133,000 (7:00pm)
Daily current affairs
A Current Affair 630,000
7.30 521,000
The Project 253,000 (6:30 pm)/ 349,000 (7 pm)
The Drum 199,000
Breakfast TV
Sunrise 251,000
Today 206,000
News Breakfast 171,000
Late News
The Latest 151,000
ABC Late News 96,000
Nine
On A Current Affair, reporter Sam Cucchiara revisited the public housing towers in Melbourne that were forced into lockdown to stop the spread of Covid-19. The Thursday audience was 630,000.
The NRL clash between South Sydney and Brisbane saw the Broncos lose again with 379,000 watching in metro markets.
Seven
Home and Away ended its week on Seven with 403,000.
The AFL Thursday night match came from the SCG where Sydney took on Essendon. The match wasn’t decided until the final siren with 551,000 watching in metro markets.
10
The Project featured updates on AstraZeneca on a show co-hosted by Pete, Waleed, Lisa and ABC sports reporter Tony Armstrong. The episode started on 253,000, climbing to 349,000 after 7pm.
The 7.30pm ob doc hour saw Bondi Rescue on 281,000 followed by Territory Cops on 307,000.
Gogglebox’s episode eight of the 10 ep first season for 2021 featured lovable seniors and cute kids from Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds. The home critics were also shown an episode of The Project that featured an examination of how Kamahl was treated during his appearances on Hey Hey It’s Saturday. Gogglebox had 536,000 watching after 496,000 a week ago.
ABC
7.30 went to air as Scott Morrison was holding an evening press conference about the latest AstraZeneca advice. The show hastily got some clips of his comments to air and then had Dr Norman Swan commenting on the new advice and the impact it could have on the vaccination rollout. The current affairs show ended its week on 521,000.
On Back Roads, Heather Ewart was visiting Tenterfield in northern NSW for the audience of 418,000.
Q+A didn’t have any stars on the panel as 228,000 gathered to watch it.
SBS
World’s Busiest Train Station episode three was visiting Flinders Street Station, at least the cameras were. Chris Tarrant was probably voicing over from a sound booth back in the UK. The 126,000 viewers would have seen a repeat episode that ended with lengthy discussion of people pooing and spewing on trains. And jokes about a constipated woman in one of the toilets.
The impact of booze was featured in several items on the busy Michael Mosley series, Trust Me I’m A Doctor which was on 96,000.
THURSDAY METRO | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Seven | Nine | 10 | SBS | |||||
ABC | 11.3% | 7 | 20.8% | 9 | 18.5% | 10 | 12.0% | SBS One | 3.5% |
ABC KIDS/ ABC TV PLUS | 2.3% | 7TWO | 3.7% | GO! | 3.0% | 10 Bold | 4.2% | VICELAND | 1.0% |
ABC ME | 0.4% | 7mate | 5.0% | GEM | 1.8% | 10 Peach | 3.0% | Food Net | 1.3% |
ABC NEWS | 2.0% | 7flix | 1.9% | 9Life | 2.0% | 10 Shake | 0.8% | NITV | 0.2% |
9Rush | 0.8% | SBS World Movies | 0.6% | ||||||
TOTAL | 16.1% | 31.3% | 26.1% | 19.9% | 6.6% |
THURSDAY REGIONAL | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Seven Affiliates | Nine Affiliates | 10 Affiliates | SBS | |||||
ABC | 12.1% | 7 | 19.4% | 9 | 16.7% | WIN | 10.5% | SBS One | 3.5% |
ABC KIDS/ ABC TV PLUS | 2.9% | 7TWO | 5.6% | GO! | 3.1% | WIN Bold | 4.2% | VICELAND | 1.2% |
ABC ME | 1.1% | 7mate | 4.8% | GEM | 3.1% | WIN Peach | 2.3% | Food Net | 1.0% |
ABC NEWS | 1.7% | 7flix (Excl. Tas/WA) | 2.7% | 9Life | 2.1% | Sky News on WIN | 1.4% | NITV | 0.3% |
SBS Movies | 0.9% | ||||||||
TOTAL | 17.8% | 32.6% | 25.1% | 18.4% | 6.9% |
THURSDAY METRO ALL TV | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FTA | STV | ||||||||
84.3% | 15.7% |
16-39 Top Five
18-49 Top Five
25-54 Top Five
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
Whittaker has made no secret of his desire to move up News’ corporate ladder and into the role currently occupied by local head Michael Miller. His counter-intuitive shift from being editor-in-chief of Rupert Murdoch’s beloved The Australian to CEO of Sky News was widely read as a challenge given to the former journo to see if he could do it. Suppose Whittaker was filling Murdoch in on his progress.
Canva, co-founded by Melanie Perkins, Cameron Adams and Cliff Obrecht in 2012, hit the new mark on Wednesday after a fresh $US71 million fundraising, sending its co-founders skyrocketing up the Financial Review Rich List.
Canva has 1500 employees, 600 of whom are based at its Sydney headquarters, and says it has doubled monthly active users to 55 million in the past 12 months, and has 3 million paying customers. But chief marketing officer Zach Kitschke says the company is just 1 per cent through its journey.
ACMA’s announcement follows the company increasing its shareholding in PRT to 19.99%, pursuant to the substantial shareholder notice issued on 9 March 2021. The increased shareholding required ACMA approval because it lifted ACM’s interest above 15% and is deemed a controlling interest under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992.
ACM executive chairman Antony Catalano said: “We are pleased that ACMA has given the green light to our higher stake in PRT. We look forward to working collaboratively with the ACMA to ensure that ACM meets the requirements of the Act.”
However, Catalano signalled that ACM would be requesting the Federal Government to consider updating the Broadcasting Services Act of 1992, which was drafted before the existence of the internet, social media, smartphones and subscription television streaming.
Without the legislation being updated, ACM will be required to sell its daily newspapers in Bendigo and Wagga Wagga.
Catalano said the Bendigo Advertiser and The Daily Advertiser in Wagga were integral and much-valued parts of the ACM print and digital portfolio, which has more than 150 titles around Australia, including 14 daily publications.
ACM publishes regional newspapers and its approved purchase of an additional 5 per cent of Prime from WIN TV owner Bruce Gordon takes the company’s stake to 19.99 per cent.
The transaction needed approval from the regulator before it was allowed because it was above the 15 per cent threshold of a controlling interest of media under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992.
Steve Barrett, who formerly worked for 60 Minutes, the Seven Network and The Australian, has been accused of blackmailing Cranston, the adult son of former deputy Australian Taxation Office commissioner Michael Cranston, his co-accused Jason Onley and Cranston’s tax lawyer, Dev Menon.
On Thursday, crown prosecutor Patricia McDonald SC told the NSW Supreme Court that property developer Daniel Hausman paid Barrett up to $3000 during a meeting in January 2017 so that he would threaten the alleged syndicate’s ringleaders with exposure “through the media”.
Subsequent court action taken by Price against the public broadcaster has also been settled between the parties.
ABC Coffs Coast and ABC Alice Springs both aired radio segments on 11 September 2019 that included reactions to a speaking tour Price conducted in Coffs Harbour in NSW.
In the apology the public broadcaster included the damage caused by using information from a media release issued by the Coffs Harbour and District Local Aboriginal Land Council.
The larger of the two unions, with 65 employees, is at The Ringer, a sports and pop culture website with a podcasting network. The second union, at the podcast production company Gimlet Media, has just under 50 employees. The two groups were among the first in the podcasting industry to unionize, and both are represented by the Writers Guild of America, East.
Lowell Peterson, the guild’s executive director, said the contracts showed that the companies’ writers, producers and editors “bring enormous value to the major platforms for whom they create content.”