For SCA’s chief content officer Dave Cameron, January 18 was a big day with new breakfast shows in Sydney and Melbourne. “We probably haven’t had this much change at the one time in a least 10 years,” Cameron told Mediaweek.

SCA also had new a breakfast show at Triple M Perth, and altered breakfast line-ups at Perth’s MIX and Brisbane’s Triple M.

“We took the opportunity last year to look at all of our shows and our brands. We subsequently made some significant changes and 2021 is now very exciting for us. There is a real buzz in all of our markets with new products on the air.”

The single most critical new show to the business is Dave Hughes in Sydney where getting 2Day FM back on the radar will have ramifications for advertisers buying the Hit Network. SCA is again bringing in someone from another market on 2Day, but Cameron said this time it is different.

“Hughesy has a national profile regardless of where he has been living with family in the past few years. He has successful national TV shows and he’s been on two successful national drive radio shows that were #1 in Sydney. He has a huge following from the Sydney comedy circuit. He’s a national treasure, we also have Erin Molan for a local spin on things for us and Ed Kavalee has previously lived in Sydney for 14 years. He also got a good national profile from Have You Been Paying Attention?”

Cameron said the new 2Day breakfast show production team will all be based in Sydney.

Cameron said the company will be backing the new show for as long as it takes to crack the market. He is not expecting to steal away listeners from a previous 2Day breakfast team either.

“There is no assumption from us that any Kyle and Jackie O listener will be leaving that show for us. We are interested in the ones who don’t listen to Kyle and Jackie O. We are interested in offering a product that is nothing like The Kyle and Jackie O Show. We are offering comedy, something that has been lacking for a little while except for Triple M’s Moonman.”

Hit Network’s target market and music

There should be no longer confusion about who the former Today Network is now targeting. “We took the opportunity last year to redefine Hit,” said Cameron. “We have moved it away from being something of a disposable Top 40 brand. It is now more of a pop-centred slightly older female format and that is now consistent across the network.”

Cameron notes the network might have lost its way a little in recent years with various states developing differently. The new target market is part of returning the heritage brands SAFM and B105 to Adelaide and Perth respectively and moving across MIX in Perth.

While there will be some contemporary hits, Cameron noted: “I don’t believe a pure Top 40 format is a successful radio format of the future. The landscape has changed with music streaming players offering Top 40 playlists among everything else they can offer. We think our new format is more sustainable than what we had five or maybe 10 years ago.”

Cameron said the playlist will be a mix of nostalgia and Top 40 hits, with little unfamiliar new music.

Triple M Marty

“Marty Sheargold has a vision, as I think all great radio talent has,” Cameron said about the new Triple M Melbourne breakfast host. “He knows what he wants his show to be and we have worked closely with him building that.”

Cameron said the decision to hire Sheargold was pretty instant when he approached them. But Sheargold didn’t just speak with SCA. “Marty was very clear with everyone, his own company at the time [Nova Entertainment], and competitors, about what he would like to do. There were companies that didn’t listen to Marty, and there was us that embraced what Marty was saying.”

After several days of pilot programs in the week before launch, Cameron said Sheargold already had a good product.

Ratings expectations

Cameron is hosing down any talk of quick results from any of the changes around his networks. “There are no outrageous expectations from us that all of our changes are going to automatically land us at the top of the stack in the next couple of months. We are rebuilding our shows in our key metro markets for the next 5+ years.”

As Sheargold explained it to Mediaweek this week, existing listeners could notice significantly less sport on the show.

Cameron added: “The difference between this show and The Hot Breakfast will be footy won’t be as central. It won’t be footy centric, but like any show has, it will have an AFL flavour to it.”

SCA is hoping that both Marty and Hughesy will find an audience by delivering something that market is not getting a lot of. “I have a really strong view we are delivering shows that won’t sound like anything in their markets. Hughesy has his own style and comedy and we don’t think it will get in the way of what Moonman is doing. And it certainly won’t sound anything like Kyle and Jackie, Fitzy and Wippa or Jonesy and Amanda.

“People in radio can get straight away what a new show is offering, but audiences need time to wrap their heads around the changes.”

The education initiative, which kicked off in 2020, is designed to provide media professionals with a better understanding of the regional media landscape along with tools to help plan and buy regional advertising.

This year’s program will include online masterclasses, run in partnership with the Media Federation of Australia and NGEN, along with face-to-face sessions nationwide.

Marketing expert, Gaye Steel, will again facilitate the online courses, sharing her extensive knowledge with participants.

“This is an opportunity for media professionals at all stages of their career to hear from regional experts about the powerful reasons to add regional media to their 2021 planning,” she said.

“Both sessions are designed to offer focused insights and the latest data on the regional landscape and audiences, along with industry tips that participants can use when planning and booking regional media. We had an outstanding response to our 2020 online courses, with 13 agencies participating and an overall event satisfaction score of 9.1 so we’d encourage people to register early for this year’s program so they don’t miss out.”

Boomtown Chairman and SCA chief sales officer, Brian Gallagher, said the classes aimed to pair knowledge-building with interactive learning to give participants a sound understanding of regional media.

“The Boomtown collective is dedicated to furthering education among media agencies and marketers; it’s not just about understanding the potential of regional advertising but providing agencies with the necessary tools to actually get in and buy regional media. Last year’s inaugural education program was extremely successful, with fantastic feedback on the syllabus and facilitators. With more hands-on learning this year, the Boomtown Masterclasses will deliver real-world insights into regional media audiences that will help build brands and drive business.”

NGEN Head, Melanie Aslanidis, said: “Boomtown is a great initiative, and its inclusion in our 2020 calendar gave our NGENers access to insights and experts who highlighted the opportunities and benefits that exist in regional Australia for brands. We are excited to give a broader NGEN audience access to Boomtown content in 2021 after it received such positive feedback last year.” 

The online courses (available to all NGEN members) will run on February 18 and April 27.

Face-to-face courses will run nationwide with separate offerings for junior media buyers, planners, marketers (less than five years’ experience) and senior media professionals (5+ years’ experience) in Sydney and Melbourne.

Dates for the face-to-face courses* are:

• Sydney – 21 April (junior staff) and 22 April (senior staff)
• Melbourne – 4 May (junior staff) and 5 May (senior staff)
• Brisbane – 19 May
• Perth – 26 May
• Adelaide – June 2

Panel members will be announced shortly.

To register for classes, visit https://boomtown.media/education/
Private masterclasses are also available by request via [email protected]

Free TV chairman Greg Hywood (pictured) said “There has rarely been a more important time for Australians to be able to access credible, reliable information and verified facts.

“Parliament now has the opportunity to pass the news media bargaining Code which will ensure that Google and Facebook pay a fair price for the quality news content that all Australians rely on,” Hywood said.

The Free TV submission supports the Code and outlines key changes to ensure that:

• all digital platform services that Australians rely on to access news are covered by the Code, including Facebook News Feed, Instagram, Google Search, Google Discover and Google News
• the protections for news media companies against punitive responses by Google and Facebook are strengthened and expanded to cover all forms of content
• Final Offer Arbitration is retained, but further guidance is given to the arbitration panel on how to take into account the “public good” and indirect benefit to the platforms of news content
• the “primary purpose” test for news content be amended so that media companies, like TV broadcasters, that create news content from a variety of news sources, are covered by the Code
• the digital platforms are required to openly and transparently disclose the types of data they collect from the users of news content, as this is one of the key drivers of the value that news content creates for both Google and Facebook.

Free TV Chief Executive Officer Bridget Fair added: “Last week we saw a breathtaking display of Google’s market power in deliberately withholding news content from Australians.

“We urge the Parliament to progress this legislation quickly so that negotiations on fair payment for news content can begin without any further delay.”

Seven West Media managing director and chief executive officer James Warburton said: “Now is the moment for Parliament to pass into law the News Media Bargaining Code. A strong and viable Australian news media sector is fundamental to our democracy, and the Code is a key step in ensuring its ongoing success in the face of foreign digital giants.

“Google has always been at the forefront of helping small publishers establish their brand,” said CarExpert.com.au co-founder and managing editor, Paul Maric. “Our audience is finding us, and growing, thanks to the support of Google and Facebook.

“As a small publisher delivering high quality, independent car review content that outdoes traditional media in passion, enthusiasm and engagement, CarExpert.com.au is wholly reliant on Google and Facebook to reach the Australian audience,” Maric said.

Co-founder and publisher Alborz Fallah said that when the group’s original company, CarAdvice was founded in 2006 (and purchased by Nine/Fairfax in 2018), it owed much of its success to Google, as the market dominance of the traditional publishers would have crushed them.

“We know the power of Google in building brands. We hope the Australian government also considers the thousands of small and medium digital publishers that will be unfairly punished by requirements that clearly only benefit big media,” Fallah said.

Paul Maric added that the constant attack on Google highlights how little the big publishers actually understand about search algorithms and the way average consumers search for content.

“Our automotive media website, CarExpert.com.au could not exist today and employ around 20 staff without the search engine’s fairness in how it treats all publishers.

“Our content strategy has also helped us become one of Australia’s most watched automotive channels on YouTube. This has all come about thanks to strong content strategy and search optimisation.”

Fallah added: “Google and Facebook are welcome to CarExpert.com.au content – because that’s what our audience wants. If Google and Facebook have free access to our content, it means that this content is easier for our readers to find – which in turn means they’re better informed and able to make smarter decisions – which is what we are all about.

“Forcing Google and Facebook to pay for access to professional content is not in the interests of Australian audiences because it’s the audience that suffers from losing its connection to content it can trust – and the audience relies on search engines and social networks to access that content.”

Hosted by Andy Lee the show challenges everyday Aussies to complete a few simple games while confined to a Perspex cube, with limited time and a whopping $250,000 up for grabs.

The format comes from the British series The Million Pound Cube (known as The Cube from 2009–2015), which has run for 10 seasons and 85 episodes.

The premise is simple – players are placed in a small, enclosed 4m x 4m x 4m Perspex cube, to take on deceivingly simple tasks.

From throwing to catching, estimating to balancing, memorising to reacting, contestants have nowhere to go and nowhere to hide once inside The Cube.

The show was announced in December last year, with Lee commenting “Things get tense with me and my mates when we play skill games to determine who’s going to get the next round of beers at the pub, imagine doing it for a quarter of million dollars. I can’t wait!”

The sneak peek of the series shows an ordinary man in his office trying to throw a ball of paper in the bin, until he is surprised by Andy Lee who asks if he could do that for $250,000. The video then cuts to an elaborate set where a contestant is trying to throw a big cube into another cube (any guess what the show is called?).

The Cube Australia is an ITV Studios production for Network 10. Andy Lee will also serve as an executive producer.  Lee and ITV Australia previously worked together on Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation.

The Cube was originally produced by Objective Media Group, an all3mediacompany, for ITV in the UK.

Look below for the first glimpse inside The Cube, with Andy Lee.

Breakfast host, Stevie Jacobs, is taking us through it all. With the countdown celebrations lasting a whole week, he’ll be giving music lovers plenty of time to debate what should come in at number one.

Excited to take on the countdown, Jacobs said: “What makes a great song? Is it the melody, chart position, or the record sales? Or is it the energy, lyrics, and passion? Nothing spurs a more heated discussion than the question of what are the best ever songs. We can’t wait to unveil this year’s countdown of the 500 greatest songs of all time, with our listeners ultimately determining the playlist.”

The countdown will be decided by a public vote, but it’s safe to assume we’ll be hearing a roll call of the world’s greatest artists including The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Neil Diamond, John Farnham, ABBA, The Beach Boys, Queen, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, and Aretha Franklin.

Rolling Stone magazine published its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time in 2004, with Bob Dylan taking out the top spot with his timeless rock classic, Like A Rolling Stone. In 2003, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age published their own list of the 100 best songs of all time and determined that (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay by Otis Redding was worthy of the number one position.

As for what song will find itself on top this year, listeners will have to wait until February 1st to find out.

To vote for your favourite, message the Nine Radio music station in your city via the app.

BBC Studios has announced details for its first digital Showcase which takes place from 22-24 February 2021. Now its 45th year, the exclusive, invitation-only event has been reimagined for 2021 as the world continues to battle against Covid-19.

Showcase 2020 was impacted a little by the start of Covid with some countries unable to attend, but this year the BBC has a workaround that will work for all.

Technology will provide each visitor with a personalised experience, with the aim of bringing them closer to BBC Studios content, talent and catalogue than ever before.

The 2021 agenda includes masterclasses with three-time BAFTA winner and renowned documentary maker Louis Theroux, and writer, historian and broadcaster, David Olusoga.

Bringing authentic stories to a younger generation will be examined in a panel comprising of BBC Three controller Fiona Campbell, new creative talent Nicole Lecky will discuss her first television project Superhoe alongside the series executive producer and CEO of Bonafide Films, Margery Bone, producer Lisa Walters, and director Dawn Shadforth, and Clerkenwell Films Executive producer Petra Fried will introduce two of the latest dramas on the BBC Studios slate, Cheaters and The Birth of Daniel F Harris.

Paul Dempsey, president global distribution for BBC Studios, commented: “In a time when we are unable to connect with others through physical events, BBC Studios has pulled out all the stops to deliver a digital Showcase for customers that will bring them closer to our content than ever before. This highly personalised and curated experience will allow for a deeper exploration of our premium catalogue and the chance to hear exclusively from the world’s leading British creatives about their latest projects.”

Shows making their debut at BBC Studios Showcase include:

Time: From BAFTA award-winning writer Jimmy McGovern this is a visceral and high-stakes portrayal of life in the modern British penal system. Starring Sean Bean (Broken, Game of Thrones) and Stephen Graham (Line Of Duty, The Irishman) it is a story of guilt and forgiveness, punishment and penitence and the impact that prison has on all those who pass through it. A BBC Studios production.

Superhoe: An original six-part musical drama based on Nicôle Lecky’s one-woman Royal Court show. An aspiring singer and rapper finds herself ensnared by the glamourous world of social media influencing and the opportunity to make money the easy way through cam and sex work. Superhoe is produced by Bonafide Films.

This is Going to Hurt: Adam Kay’s adaptation of the international best-selling memoir of the same name starring Ben Whishaw (A Very English Scandal, Skyfall, London Spy) about the truth of life as a junior doctor. This is Going to Hurt is produced by global content company Sister (Girl/Haji, Chernobyl, Gangs of London) in association with Terrible Productions for BBC One and AMC.

The Offenders: Created by multi-award-winning writer and director Stephen Merchant and Elgin James (co-creator of US series Mayans M.C.), The Offenders follows seven strangers from different walks of life forced together to complete a Community Payback sentence in Bristol. Academy Award winning actor Christopher Walken (Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter) stars in his first lead British television role, alongside writer and director Stephen Merchant, with Rhianne Barreto (Honour), Gamba Cole (Soon Gone: A Windrush Chronicle), Darren Boyd (Killing Eve), Clare Perkins (EastEnders) and Eleanor Tomlinson (Poldark). A Big Talk and Four Eyes production for BBC in the UK and Amazon Prime Video in the United States, Canada and Australia.

Earthshot: How to Save Our Planet: A major five-part television series from Silverback Films in conjunction with Prince William’s global environmental prize. With contributions from the world’s most eminent scientists, foremost wildlife experts and environmentalists, the series will focus on five ‘Earthshots’ – simple but ambitious goals to fix our climate, restore nature, build a waste free world, clean our air, and revive our oceans.

The Green Planet: The first immersive portrayal of an unseen, inter-connected world, full of remarkable new behaviour, emotional stories and surprising heroes, this new natural history landmark from BBC Studios Natural History Unit has been described as Planet Earth from the perspective of plants. A BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced by ZDF, bilibili and The Open University for BBC One and PBS.

Top Gear Series 30: In their fourth series at the wheel of Top Gear, Freddie Flintoff, Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness, hit the road again in a series of challenges designed to push them and their cars to the limit. Series highlights see the trio tackling the thorny issue of ‘mid-life crisis’ cars, heading to the Scottish Highlands on a punishing off-road adventure, celebrating and driving some of the most iconic cars from the James Bond films, and a nostalgic trip down memory lane as they drive their Dads old cars. Plus reviews of the new ToyotaYarisGR, the Ferrari Roma and more. Top Gear is back and it’s utter carnage! A BBC Studios production.

Boosted by the release of its second season The Mandalorian spent 10 weeks at the top, but lost its position last week. The series has been a stand out since it was first released in November 2019. With a third season currently in pre-production though, The Mandalorian will almost certainly be back on top before too long.

Cobra Kai is a show that’s been steadily rising, helped along by the release of its third season on January 1. The sequel series to the much-loved The Karate Kid is currently enjoying its second week at number one. 

The Flight Attendant flew onto the charts on the week of December 27th, 2020 – January 2nd, 2021. Based on the book by Chris Bohjalian, it follows a flight attendant who wakes up in a Bangkok hotel with a hangover and the dead body of a man who was on her last flight. The show is available on Foxtel and Binge, and is one of the major success stories we’ve seen from Binge since it launched in May last year.

Despite reviews (including one from Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios) calling the series weird, WandaVision is enjoying a surge up the charts, moving from 7th to 4th this week. It’s the first Marvel show on Disney+, but certainly not the last. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will be released on March 19, Loki will be released in May, and Ms. Marvel is scheduled for release in late 2021. 

Bridgerton joined the Australian charts this week after debuting on the New Zealand charts last week. Set in Regency-era London and following a group of royalty and aristocrats, the show has kicked off a lot of discussion about race in media by casting Regé-Jean Page, a black Zimbabwean and English actor, as the show’s main love interest. 

Australians turned to Seven late on Tuesday afternoon as India turned an unlikely Fourth Test win into a victory. Seven got a second successive fifth day fight to the death Test climax as India plugged away and eventually scored the 328 runs needed to win the match and the series.

Seven’s audience for the final session was 735,000 (1.12m national) with the game delaying the Seven News in some east coast markets by about half an hour.

The cricket crowd early combined with Seven News and the Big Bash League to give Seven a win as the #1 primary channel and the #1 network. Sadly it’s the final Test of the domestic summer, but the schedule still offers many Big Bash League clashes.

10’s I’m A Celebrity was again #1 entertainment and #1 under 50 in key demos. The metro audience was just over 700,000 and the national audience pushed close to 1m.

Nine offered viewers a night of royalty with Fergie and Andrew, Meghan and Harry and Hamish and Andy.

10 Peach had a big night, ranking #1 multichannel. Driving its numbers were the iconic US sitcoms Friends, The Big Bang Theory and Seinfeld.

Subscription TV

Fox Cricket had another big day with a final session audience of 368,000 tuning in for the climax that saw India record an already famous Fourth Test win, with 289,000 watching the regular last session time of 4-6pm. The first two final day sessions had Fox Cricket audiences of 171,000 and 199,000.