The family-owned business has thrived with its media services and still does good business in print. Associate publisher Emma Perera, who is also the daughter of chairman and CEO Prema Perera, spoke to Mediaweek about the increasingly popular “wellness” market, some recent brand highlights, and exciting plans for the coming decade. 

With Pacific about to be merged with German-owned Bauer Media, and NextMedia owned by Germany’s Forum Media, Universal will now be the biggest privately-owned Australian magazine publisher.

The media company used to be called Universal Magazines, but the name changed around four years ago and it was really a move to reflect all the different products they deliver now. “It’s so much more than magazines,” said Perera. “We do website advertising, emails, social, e-commerce, custom; we do all those products, but they are still linked to our core media brands.

“For instance, we are not a social media marketing agency, even though we offer social media. What we do offer is access to our social audiences which is a lot more valuable than just doing social media. Social is actually a really big growth area for us – we’re up 700% year on year, and it’s something we’re not seeing slow down. Overall, we’re magazine heavy, but we’ve diversified to all those sorts of advertising and marketing channels.”

Perera told Mediaweek that Universal Media is a dedicated niche media company and so that’s really served them well with the downturn in mass media. “We’re not alone though. Lots of niche media companies are saying that they’ve been able to retain audiences and retain sales and revenues.”

As a niche media company, they speak to people’s passion and hobbies. “We are still playing in that game and that is definitely a part of the identity of who we are. We’ve also become more of a heavily data-centric company. Our greatest asset is not just our audience but what we know about our audience, and that’s the data and tracking component that we can offer our clients to target.”

There are about 80 people at Universal Media, and they also own a company called Westwick-Farrow Media, which is their B2B publishing arm and they have about 50 staff. “Combined, we are quite a big team. Our management team is quite small though – we’ve only got about five people and we all play such a big role across the whole company.”

Perera’s key role is unique. She looks at the specific metrics of their audience groups and comes up with diversification strategies for all of their media brands. “In a year we’ll look at each of our different markets that we’re in – so we might be in the bike market, the home market, the wellness market – and then we’ll deep dive into the metrics of those audiences to see how big it is, the engagement numbers and what channels they’re active in. From that, we’ll look at what other businesses out there in our markets are doing and come up with how we can diversify to compete above and beyond our players in the market.” 

With the company being over three decades old, Perera said they feel as if it’s been such an accomplishment to run this privately-owned family business for so many years now in such a shifting industry – not just in Australia, but globally. “In that market, we actually haven’t had any significant changes, like restructuring or having to close magazines. We’ve definitely closed one or two titles here and there, like Dog’s Life magazine 10 years ago, but it’s because we just don’t want to play in the dog market as it’s not key to us. We’ve launched all these new magazines and we’ve been able to retain our size and our market share.”

Wellness is one of Universal Media’s largest markets. WellBeing magazine is around 35 years old and they bought it when it was just two years old. “In the last five to eight years, we have just seen the largest move in wellness in every channel and industry. We run long-form journalism and content in WellBeing, and what our readers like from us is the trust and integrity. It’s all peer reviewed and science reviewed. When WellBeing recommends something, it’s taken quite credibly.”

By the end of this year, Universal Media will have launched three new print titles in the wellness space. “We could not have done that without the great support from the supermarket channels. We’re ranged in every single Woolworths and Coles and they’re increasing numbers every different ranging cycle.”

In regards to plans for 2020, Perera said they will be focusing more on brand extensions as a whole. “We’re also looking into the events space a lot as well. Another thing we’re looking at is product development and looking into creating bespoke products under each brand. A lot of it will be delivered digitally since e-commerce is really big for us, so we’ll be investing more into that too. We’re also quite interested in the B2B marketing side of things, and so we’re launching more B2B media brands as well.”

There has been speculation this morning that as many as 15 people have been let go. Nova Entertainment was not able to specify any of the people or roles impacted, but it is thought they include a content director and program producers.

A Nova Entertainment spokesperson released this statement this morning:

We are operating in a tough economic environment and media companies, like many others, have been impacted. As part of the ongoing review of its operations and after careful consideration, Nova Entertainment has made some changes to staff structures for 2020 and this has led to some redundancies across the business. We continue to believe in the strength of radio and its future in a digital world and our plans in 2020 will reflect that with continued investments in digital and audio.

The moves at Nova come after recent restructuring at SCA, Macquarie Media and ARN.

The new business has been launched by Hallie McKeig after more than a decade at the helm of Filmbites Talent Agency.

“Creative Soul Management feels like the natural next step as we work more closely with actors on building rewarding international careers and lives in the film and television industry. We have a long term, comprehensive view towards working with great people, characters and stories,” said McKeig.

Creative Soul Management will build on Hallie’s background in supporting emerging talent, her eye for scouting and identifying potential, her national and international industry contacts and the combined credits of her clients, with a slew of artists breaking out and now working in lead roles on both American and Australian productions.

Phoenix Raei was declared a 2019 Rising Star at the Australian Casting Guild Awards last week. He is currently filming Tony Ayres’ Netflix Original series Clickbait alongside Adrian Grenier, Zoe Kazan and Betty Gabriel, as well as the second season of The Heights, as series regular Ash. He will also be seen on screens in 2020 in ABC’s upcoming drama series Stateless, alongside Cate Blanchett, Yvonne Strahovski, Jai Courtney, Clarence Ryan and Dominic West.

Shannon Berry was a series regular in sci-fi series Hunters for Syfy, before scoring the role of pregnant runaway Brody Jordan in the final two seasons of hit series Offspring, for Network 10. Berry is currently in New Zealand filming The Wilds, a new series picked up by Amazon Studios.

Cooper Van Grootel stars in the new Australian feature Go! and has appeared in ABC dramas Mystery Road and The Heights. LA-based Van Grootel has recently been cast in the anticipated new series One of Us Is Lying for NBC Universal in the US, an adaptation of the New York Times bestseller.

Kate Lister appeared as a series regular this year in Nine Network’s revival of cult series SeaChange, as police officer Lillian Liano alongside Dan Wyllie and Wayne Blair. Lister has also featured in multiple episodes of Bad Mothers for the Nine Network and appeared in The Warriors on the ABC.

Daisy Axon can currently be seen in Mirrah Foulkes’ feature directorial debut, Judy and Punch following her starring role in John Sheedy’s H is for Happiness, alongside Emma Booth, Richard Roxburgh, Miriam Margolyes and Deborah Mailman, which won CinefestOZ’s 2019 $100,000 film prize earlier this year.

“We work incredibly hard and feel so lucky to be surrounded by really good people. I’m passionate about helping actors build rewarding careers and lives in this industry.” said McKeig.

McKeig will continue to run Filmbites Talent Agency alongside Creative Soul Management, with Filmbites continuing its strong youth focus and Creative Soul Management specialising in national and international opportunities for breakout emerging and established talent.

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Top Photo: Creative Soul Management talent [L-R]: Phoenix Raei, Shannon Berry, Cooper Van Grootel, Kate Lister and Daisy Axon

ARN acquired The Roar along with its parent company Conversant Media in 2016. 

ARN’s COO Michael Harvey said: “ARN is focusing on Defining Audio in Australia and as part of a recent strategic review, the opportunity arose to align The Roar, an iconic, trusted and vibrant brand in Australia with AthletesVoice, which has fast become the most valued, trusted and awarded source of athlete content. Together they represent the most unique, engaging and trusted sports content proposition in Australia. We look forward to the ongoing success of The Roar as it becomes part of AthletesVoice.”

AthletesVoice CEO Kerry McCabe (pictured) said: “Over the past two-years we’ve built a platform that successfully brings athletes and brands together to win ‘off the pitch’. We are proud of the voice we have given to athletes, helping them to realise their individual potential as a powerful media and marketing channel. It now makes sense to add Australia’s unique fan platform to our commercial offering in order to fully represent and serve both athletes and sports lovers – the two most valuable assets in sport.”

In March last year, Mediaweek reported ARN had completed the integration of Conversant Media into its network, following its acquisition in 2016 for a cash payment of $11.6 million and performance-based earn-outs.

At the time, ARN CEO Ciaran Davis said: “It was always our intention to better integrate the content offering of ARN and Conversant Media and by the end of Q1 2018, the final phase of ARN’s integration of Conversant Media’s assets into its business will be complete.

“As part of the integration, there will be a greater focus on The Roar, Australia’s leading sports opinion website, lifting our ability to engage with sports fans and leverage this content across our broader network of assets.

“We have made the decision to cease publication of the Lost At E Minor and Techly websites and will roll in their unique content position across the broader ARN digital publishing and social offering, which currently attracts an unique Australian monthly audience of over 2.4 million.”

Bernadine Lim, Screen Australia’s head of documentary said, “We are thrilled to support these documentaries from around the country, with stories that celebrate iconic Australians including retailer Franco Cozzo, designers Jenny Kee and Linda Jackson, and tennis champion Jelena Dokic.”

“This slate is set to shine a light on crucial and timely issues of family violence and the environment, and explore art and science through innovative storytelling technology.”

The new projects come from production houses including Wildbear Entertainment, Blackfella Films and In Films.

THE DOCUMENTARY PRODUCER PROJECTS INCLUDE

• Art of Australia and the Pacific (working title): A three-part series from Wildbear Entertainment and Frame Up Films about Indigenous art from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific – from its deep origins and tumultuous histories, to its rise to global prominence today. This series will be presented by actor and dancer Aaron Pedersen and art historian Ngahuia Te Awekotuku, who will embark on a global journey together to explore the power of contemporary Indigenous artists and the traditions on which they draw. The creative team features writer/director Larissa Behrendt (After the Apology) along with writer/producers Dena Curtis (Ella) and Owen Hughes (The Pacific: In the Wake of Captain Cook with Sam Neill), producer Alan Erson (There Goes Our Neighbourhood) and executive producer Michael Tear (Waltzing the Dragon). This project is financed with support from NZ On Air.

• Audrey & Me: A feature documentary that tells the story of Miriam, a Warlpiri woman in Alice Springs, and her adoptive mother and Aboriginal matriarch Audrey. Miriam has been released from prison and is determined to end a cycle of violence and incarceration, while Audrey searches for answers about the sons she lost 40 years ago. The two women return to their traditional homeland to help navigate a new beginning. This documentary will be written, directed and produced by Penelope McDonald (Buckskin). McDonald will team up with cinematographer Dylan River and producers Trisha Morton-Thomas and Rachel Clements who previously worked together on Finke: There & Back. This project is financed with support from NITV.

• Dark Water: Battle on the Franklin: A feature documentary about one of the most significant environmental campaigns in Australian history, the saving of Tasmania’s Franklin River in the 1970s. The story will be told by young Tasmanian Oliver Cassidy, who follows in the activists’ footsteps and embarks on a solo rafting pilgrimage down the Franklin. This documentary will be directed and co-written by Kasimir Burgess (The Leunig Fragments) and co-written by Claire Smith (Catalyst series 14-16). It will be produced by Chris Kamen (Small is Beautiful), line produced by Annie Venables (Bespoke) and co-produced by Oliver Cassidy. This project is developed with the assistance of Screen Tasmania.

• Jenny & Linda(working title): A feature documentary from Blackfella Films about designers Jenny Kee and Linda Jackson, two women who sparked a revolution in Australian fashion and took on the world. Celebrating the women’s friendship of over 45 years, this documentary will be directed by Amanda Blue (Deep Water – The Real Story) and written by Jacob Hickey (Filthy Rich & Homeless). It will be produced by Darren Dale (The Tall Man) and Fran Moore (Peter Allen: The Boy from Oz). This project is financed with support from the National Gallery of Australia. (Photo: Fran Moore)

• Palazzo di Cozzo: The first feature documentary from writer/director Madeleine Martiniello (The Unmissables) that presents a portrait of beloved Melbourne furniture store owner, Franco Cozzo. Cozzo, a post-war Sicilian migrant and aspiring entertainer who arrived in the 1950s and soon became a household name through his iconic television ads, now strives to secure his legacy as Australia and his clientele change around him. This project will be produced by Film Camp’s Philippa Campey and Samantha Dinning whose credits include No Time for Quietand The Leunig Fragments. It is developed with assistance from Film Victoria and financed with support from Sharmill Films, The Post Lounge and Film Victoria.

Franco Cozzo

• Star Dreaming: A 45-minute documentary which explores Indigenous sky stories as seen through the eyes of Yamaji Artists from the mid-west region of Western Australia, and explains the science behind them with the assistance of the world’s largest radio telescope. Told from the perspective of two children, this project fuses live action with CGI animation to create a cinematic experience for 180-degree dome cinemas. Star Dreamingwill be made in collaboration with the Yamaji Art Centre and will be directed by Perun Bonser (Blight). Bonser is joined by producer Julia Redwood and executive producers Ed Punchard, Jules Fortune and Ian Booth of Prospero Productions, whose credits include Whale Super Highwayand Martin Clunes: Islands of Australia. This project is produced with support from Screenwest and the Western Australian Regional Film Fund, and financed with support from Curtin University.

• The Fun of Fear VR: An immersive VR documentary that explores the history and science of fear as entertainment, delving into why people are so willing to spend money on being scared witless by horror films, games and books. The creative team includes writer/director Lester Francois, and producers Erinn Stevenson and Anna Brady who previously teamed up on award-winning VR documentary RONE.This project is developed with assistance from Film Victoria.

• Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story: A feature documentary from In Films about tennis star Jelena Dokic, who overcame extraordinary odds of poverty, bullying and the brutality of her father to become a champion. This project will be written and directed by acclaimed director Wayne Blair (Top End Wedding). Blair is joined by writer/producer Ivan O’Mahoney (Hitting Home) and writer Jessica Halloran who co-authored Dokic’s 2018 memoir Unbreakable. Roadshow Films are on board as the Australian/New Zealand distributor with worldwide rights.

• Worlds: An eight-part online series and short immersive film that will explore the forces of nature including light, waves and gravity, and how they work together. Artist and writer/director Josef Gatti will experiment with these forces through audio visual art pieces, showcasing the patterns present in the natural world. Worldswill be produced by Rob Innes (Housemates) and composer/music producer Joseph Nizeti (Mountain), and executive produced by Michael Lynch.

THE DOCUMENTARY COMMISSIONED PROJECT

• See What You Made Me Do: A three-part series from Northern Pictures for SBS which follows investigative journalist Jess Hill as she delves into what makes domestic abuse so difficult to identify, often impossible to escape, and slippery to fix. This series puts faces to the names associated with domestic homicide – the men who choose to be violent, the women who have died, families who are fighting to protect themselves, and the people at the coal face determined to rewrite this story. It will also show the ways this national emergency can be overhauled, saving lives and futures now, not just for generations to come. The series is directed by Tosca Looby (Magical Land of Oz) and executive produced by Karina Holden (Love on the Spectrum). This project is financed with support from SBS and Screen NSW.

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Top Photo: Jenny Kee and Linda Jackson (Photo: Fran Moore)

The November 2019 digital news rankings released today by Nielsen revealed that nearly all top 10 entities saw a month-on-month increase in audience.

With paywalls dropping so that Australians could access the latest reports on the bushfires and advice on what to do in the event of a bushfire, audiences increased.

November 11th saw a spike in audiences with hundreds of school closures, catastrophic weather warnings and total fire bans in place.

news.com.au was the top news entity and is the first ever to reach a unique audience of 11.2 million. This was followed by nine.com.au (9.7 million) who jumped into second place – a position they haven’t held since February 2019. In third place was ABC News Websites (9.5 million).

Next was smh.com.au (8.4 million), followed by 7NEWS (8.3 million) in fifth position. Daily Mail Australia (7.7million) was in sixth place.

In seventh position was The Guardian (5.3 million), followed by Australian Community Media Network (4.6 million). Next was The Age (4.2 million) and Yahoo! (3.4 million) in tenth place. Yahoo! is under-reported due to a tagging issue.

Meanwhile mobile device usage is growing in anticipation for the Christmas period, reports Nielsen.

In anticipation for the holiday promotional shopping period Australians are using their mobile devices to research the products and price points they want to snap-up in sales such as Black Friday, Singles Day and pre-Christmas.

Nielsen Digital Content Ratings Monthly Total October 2019 reported that 70% of total time spent on apparel and beauty sites was on a mobile device. In comparison to last year, October 2018 reported a 52% mobile usage. The portability and growing range of apps available is particularly driving shopping behaviour away from desktops.

THE ICONIC, Priceline.com.au, ASOS.com fared well in unique audiences, online offerings with over 1.6 million, 1.3 million and 1.1 million Australians visiting their sites respectively.

For the seven days ending December 1, The Mandalorian was 31.9 times more in-demand than the average title on a global basis. In comparison, The Crown achieved 15.0 times the average, Stranger Things registered 18.9x, The Flash 21.6x and Game of Thrones managed 28.3 times.

As the year-end draws near, The Mandalorian is now in the running for the Most In-Demand Series Debut in the World at the upcoming Global TV Demand Awards. Other contenders in this awards category include Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys, HBO’s Chernobyl, Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy and Apple TV+’s See.

While Disney+ has focused on quality over quantity with only one (widely successful ) show on the TV Demand charts Apple TV+ has continued to add more shows to the charts over the last few weeks. The latest shows from Apple TV+ to join the charts are For All Mankind and Servant. 

For All Mankind is set in an alternate timeline which explores what would have happened if the global space race had never ended and if the Soviet Union succeeded in the first manned moon landing. The series was created and written by Ronald D. Moore and the series was renewed for a second season several weeks before the first episode was released.

Servant is created and written by Tony Basgallop who also executive produced alongside M. Night Shyamalan with the series first season being released on November 28. The series revolves around a young couple who hire a suspicious nanny to care for their reborn doll after the death of their daughter. Servant was also renewed for a second season before airing an episode.

Apple TV+ has now had four shows feature on the TV Demand charts since its launch on November 1 including See and Morning Wars.

The final episode of the four-part ABC series Love on the Spectrum ranked #1 non-news show in primetime with 461,000.

The only other primetime programs over 400,000 last night were Seven’s Better Homes and Gardens: Countdown to Christmas and a Highway Patrol special on our worst drivers.

Young Sheldon also made it to 400,000 on Nine as did ABC’s Dream Gardens.

In the late afternoon the game shows The Chase and Hot Seat also did in the 400,000s.

10’s best was The Project just under 400,000, while the last episode of One Born Every Minute Australia was on 292,000.