News Corp Australia’s The Daily Telegraph is about to hold its second Bush Summit after the first was held in Dubbo a year ago, helping secure a number of changes impacting on rural life.

“It was a big event with guests including Scott Morrison, Anthony Albanese, and Michael McCormack attending,” Daily Telegraph editor Ben English told Mediaweek. “Out of it we got some significant wins for the bush. The event attracted stakeholders from across the board including graziers, people who run cattle, dairy farmers plus service providers in rural and regional areas.

“At the time we were still in drought, but luckily rain has been falling enough to ease the problems in some areas. The response to us going to Dubbo was overwhelming. An intangible result, but no less meaningful, was that it was a demonstration that they hadn’t been forgotten.”

Out of that summit a communique was drawn up with 13 recommendations, four of which have so far been achieved.

English listed the achievements:

1. A commitment to prioritise new water infrastructure projects. “We now have a road map for new dam construction in NSW.”

2. Legislation for a right to farm and to keep activists off farms. “At the time there was a number of farms being invaded by activists. The Morrison government legislated to outlaw those sort of actions by activists.”

3. An establishment of a rural advisory board which is empowered to report to Parliament.

4. A dedicated ‘visit the bush’ tourism campaign. “That got up and running. Unfortunately is was later suspended due to Covid. Now that Covid means international borders will be closed for some time, that need is more relevant than ever.”

English said there was consideration of having the second summit as a virtual event. “At present it will be in person and is being held in Cooma in the last week of August. At this stage both the prime minister, deputy prime minister and opposition leader will again be there.

“One of the issues we will be discussing is how to address our energy needs in a way that delivers energy in an affordable and reliable manner to rural and regional Australia.”

The Daily Telegraph is expecting even stronger corporate support for the 2020 event after a range of companies got involved last year.

Metro daily goes regional

The Bush Summit ties in with the appearance of new regional editions of the Sydney daily newspaper.

English explained: “With the closure of the print editions of our regional stablemates we recognised that there was an opportunity for The Daily Telegraph to fill a gap for print coverage of local news.”

So far there are two regional editions of the newspaper covering the Northern Rivers and the Mid-North Coast. “They were previously served by the Tweed Daily News, Northern Star, Grafton Examiner and Coffs Coast Advocate.

“We have been doing it now for about four weeks and the take up has been tremendous. It has been double what he budgeted for and it shows the appetite for relevant local news in a print product remains.

“From an advertising perspective the economies were not there to justify those regional print products because of the onslaught from the tech titans which has devastated regional newspaper revenues.

“But the consumer appetite for local news is as strong as ever.”

The editions carry local news from journalists on the ground who are continuing to file for their websites. “We have subsequently seen a significant uptake in digital subscriptions over the past month.”

This toe in the water with regional print coverage mixed into the metro daily could be expanded soon, said English. “There has also been a significant project underway in Queensland which has been running a similar editorial coverage right up the coast from the Sunshine Coast all the way up towards Townsville.

“For The Daily Telegraph, we are already planning an expansion of this concept. I’m not about to give away competitive secrets, but we will be expanding elsewhere in the very near future.”

Corona coverage defended

The Daily Telegraph has been running a strong campaign about mismanagement in Victoria which has ultimately led to the closure of the border between the state and NSW.

English was adamant that his newspaper was not knocking Victorians, but its Government. “We are all Australians. However there has been anger here in NSW where people are infuriated about the calamity and how it has been mismanaged south of the border. As a result, that has had a very direct and negative impact on our lives here. All we have done is to reflect that ire.

“We have directed it to the Government, not the people whom we have great sympathy for. They are unwitting victims of the bungling approach from their government. That’s why we had a front page the other day labelled ‘Danmade disaster’ and called it a ‘dandemic’.

“The NSW Premier may have made some missteps, the Ruby Princess is an example of that. But the critical thing is that she has learned from that. The best example of that is the administration of the hotel quarantine system.

“We feel Victorians have a fool for a Premier and he hasn’t been properly held to account.”

But is this the time to play politics? “Is it absolutely the time for it. The analogy you could draw there is China saying this is no time for an enquiry into the origin of the virus.

“Sure we have done some robust headlines and been very pointed in our coverage. At the heart of it is actually an inquisitive and curious approach as to how it all went wrong in Victoria. That is 100% what the role of newspapers should be. It is not to whitewash things so everyone can feel good and sing Kumbaya. It is to fearlessly lift the lid on how these things happen.”

The thirst for news about Covid-19 has seen continued growth at the Sydney daily, with English explaining they are already way ahead of FY20/21 subscription targets. “It indicates our suite of content is hitting the mark. We have been focussing on how Covid is impacting people on a local level.”

English also noted some encouraging signs of recovery in the ad market. “NSW is roaring back, but Victoria is casting a shadow over national performance. Confidence is returning to retail and hospitality, but it remains a really precarious time.”

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Top Photo: Scott Morrison with Ben English at the first Bush Summit (Source: News Corp Australia)

• The latest in our series profiling members of the new Independent Media Agencies Australia [IMAA]

Perth agency Mentor Marketing is celebrating its fifth birthday at the end of 2020.

Founder Amanda Reid used to dream about opening her own agency while working in larger Perth agencies and she eventually turned that ambition into a reality.

“There were a number of frustrations working in a large network, in addition to a number of benefits. Those discussions I used to have across lunchroom tables turned into Mentor Marketing. We were able to grow at first by reputation and experience. Clients thankfully sort us out, which was fortunate, as they knew the sort of operators we were.

“The majority of our team has over 20 years of agency experience, something that not all agencies can claim. Some clients notice the experience of the staff and are appreciating the model that we offer.

“Being part of the IMAA was a natural fit for us because everything it stands for reinforced our core values. We discuss our independence with clients and it is something we are very proud of and wear as a badge of honour. In a world where clients want transparency, appreciate independence and honesty, we are able to meet the demand for it.

“The reception we have had in Perth has reinforced that we have the right model.”

Mentor Marketing has Perth-based local clients, but has worked in the past on national business too. “That is somewhat of a challenge because of our location where the opportunity for national or global is somewhat limited.

“However the dialogue has opened up more recently about working on national clients. It is tough going up against the networks, but the beauty of the IMAA is that it shows having a footprint on a national and global level doesn’t compromise our service.”

Mentor has retained its original clients, with Reid noting they have worked hard to nurture long-standing relationships.

“That is sometimes lost when people focus on new business. One of the core things that we wanted to address was nurturing and maintaining our existing client base. We tell clients we are here for a long-term relationship and we will invest in it. We are not a churn model. Our very first client we had was a building company Ben Trager Homes and then we eventually took on the whole group, parent company SSB, which was being run out of Starcom Adelaide.

“That is an example of how the business has grown. We work with a lot of creative agencies in the market through existing relationships. We might then get a referral, and more would follow. Despite the current climate, in just the last month we have had four referrals from four different creative agencies.”

Mentor Marketing is affiliated with Carat which is where Reid previously worked, originally leaving to start a family. “We access all Carat’s research and proprietary tools as a third party affiliation. But we are not tied to anyone which is where the independence comes in. If we pick up a client and they have an existing relationship with Initiative, we will work collaboratively with them.”

Perth’s careful management of Covid-19 has helped confidence amongst WA businesses, said Reid. “If there is a second wave I can appreciate the lack of confidence clients would have about getting back into the market for a third time. Our billings and workload indicates we have been very fortunate. That could be heavily impacted if infections started to rise.”

All bar one of Mentor’s small team are ex-agency with one coming from the media. “A point of difference for us has been having a team that is very experienced. It is also critical, especially at present, to be nimble and flexible and having local directors understanding the local market.”

Reid said there have been discussions within IMAA about east coast agencies using a Perth specialist to look after the WA market. “We were the first IMAA member from Perth. It has always been acknowledged here that buying and implementing media in this local market is a massive strength. We have done that in the past and seen the direct benefits in doing so. It can include understanding where are the prominent out of home sites, and knowing the audience and viewership of certain channels. You can’t underestimate the value of local relationships when negotiating values and placements for premium opportunities.”

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Top Photo: Amanda Reid

Five Australians are among the nominees this year – Hannah Gadsby, Hugh Jackman, Cate Blanchett, Sarah Snook and Toni Collette.

The live nominations ceremony, reimagined as a virtual event due to production restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, was hosted by Supermarket Sweep star and Saturday Night Live alumnus Leslie Jones with presenters Laverne Cox (Inventing Anna), Josh Gad (Central Park), Tatiana Maslany (Perry Mason) and Television Academy Chairman and CEO Frank Scherma.

HBO‘s Watchmen took the top spot for program nominations with 26 followed by The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (20), Ozark (18), Succession (18), The Mandalorian (15), Schitt’s Creek (15), Saturday Night Live (15) and The Crown (13).

Netflix lead the nominations in totals by platform with 160, setting a record previously held by HBO with 137 nominations in 2019. HBO had the second-most nominations with 107, and rounding out the top five were NBC with 47, ABC with 36 and FX with 33.

Half of this year’s nominees for Outstanding Comedy Series are new to the category, including Dead to Me, Insecure, The Kominsky Method and What We Do in the Shadows. Returning favourites include Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Good Place, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Schitt’s Creek.

The Mandalorian is a newcomer in the Outstanding Drama Series category joining returning nominees Better Call Saul, The Crown, The Handmaid’s Tale, Killing Eve, Ozark, Stranger Things and Succession.

The categories where Australian actors have been nominated are:

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

• Laura Dern as Renata Klein– Big Little Lies • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Blossom Films, Hello Sunshine, David E. Kelley Productions and crazyrose Productions
• Meryl Streep as Mary Louise Wright– Big Little Lies • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Blossom Films, Hello Sunshine, David E. Kelley Productions and crazyrose Productions
• Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret– The Crown • Netflix • Left Bank Pictures in association with Sony Pictures Television
• Samira Wiley as Moira- The Handmaid’s Tale • Hulu • MGM, Daniel Wilson Productions, The Littlefield Company, White Oak Pictures
• Fiona Shaw as Carolyn Martens- Killing Eve • BBC America • Sid Gentle Films Ltd.
• Julia Garner as Ruth Langmore- Ozark • Netflix • Media Rights Capital
• Sarah Snook as Shiv Roy- Succession • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Project Zeus, Hyperobject Industries and Gary Sanchez Productions
• Thandie Newton as Maeve- Westworld • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Kilter Films, Bad Robot and Warner Bros. Television

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited Series Or Movie

• Holland Taylor as Miss Kincaid– Hollywood • Netflix • Netflix
• Uzo Aduba as Shirley Chisholm– Mrs. America • FX Networks • FX Productions
• Margo Martindale as Bella Abzug– Mrs. America • FX Networks • FX Productions
• Tracey Ullman as Betty Friedan– Mrs. America • FX Networks • FX Productions
• Toni Collette as Detective Grace Rasmussen– Unbelievable • Netflix • CBS Television Studios
• Jean Smart as Agent Laurie Blake– Watchmen • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with White Rabbit, Paramount Television, Warner Bros. Television & DC Comics

Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special

• Dave Chappelle- Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones • Netflix • Lathan TV | Pilot Boy
• Hannah Gadsby– Hannah Gadsby: Douglas • Netflix • Irwin Entertainment
• John Mulaney & Marika Sawyer.- John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch • Netflix • 3 Arts Entertainment
• Patton Oswalt– Patton Oswalt: I Love Everything • Netflix • Jax Media
• Seth Meyers– Seth Meyers: Lobby Baby • Netflix • Irwin Entertainment

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Series Or Movie

• Hugh Jackman as Frank Tassone- Bad Education, HBO, HBO Films in association with Automatik, Sight Unseen and Slater Hall Productions
•  Jeremy Pope as Archie Coleman- Hollywood, Netflix 
• Mark Ruffalo as Dominick Birdsey/Thomas Birdsey– I Know This Much Is True, HBO, HBO Entertainment in association with Willi Hill Productions and FilmNation Entertainment
• Paul Mescal as Connell– Normal People, Hulu, Hulu Originals in association
• Jeremy Irons as Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias- Watchmen, HBO, HBO Entertainment in association with White Rabbit, Paramount Television, Warner Bros. Television & DC Comics 

A complete list of 2020 Emmy nominations is available here.

Although Elly and Becky have the same family tree, their taste in men could not be more different.

Having captivated Australia’s hearts on Matt Agnew‘s season of The Bachelor Australia, 25-year-old country nurse Elly, is taking the reins and seizing her chance at finding Mr. Right.

To capture Elly’s heart, the Bachelor’s will need to be adventurous, positive, kind-natured, and always up for a laugh.

Joining Elly on the romantic journey of a lifetime is her 30-year-old sister Becky. Having recently had her heart broken, Becky is ready to risk it all for love again. She is hoping to find a respectful, kind and devoted Bachelor, who is willing to put her first. 

Born and raised in Parkes, NSW, Elly and Becky have always supported and empowered each other to take on new experiences and adventures. But something tells us this will be their biggest adventure yet.

On becoming The Bachelorette, Elly, said: “I crave a life filled with happiness, adventure and good times. I’m looking for my best mate to share those memories with.

“I feel extremely blessed to be on this unique ride with Becky. Having her love, support and guidance throughout this journey is so important to me and I can’t wait to be there for her, on her journey to find love as well.” 

Sister and fellow Bachelorette, Becky, said: “I’m on this journey to find someone who will go that extra mile, to have fun with, and be my best friend.  

“I’m so blessed to share this journey with my sister, and I am hopeful that we find our people together.”

From breath-taking dates to romantic rose ceremonies, season six of The Bachelorette Australia, will follow Elly and Becky as they date the nation’s most eligible Bachelors, hoping to find someone to bring home to the Miles’ family gatherings.

The series launches in August on 10 and WIN Network.

After licensing the first season, AMC Networks’ Acorn TV returns to commission the second season of Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries with Acorn Media Enterprises from Every Cloud Productions in association with all3media international. The first series was commissioned and screened in Australia by the Seven Network.

From the creators of the global hit series Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Fiona Eagger and Deb Cox, this 1960s-set spinoff features the fearless, fun, and charmingly down-to-earth Peregrine Fisher (Logie-nominated Geraldine Hakewill, Wanted) in the lead role as Phryne Fisher’s niece who inherited a windfall from her famous aunt and sets out to become a world-class private detective in her own right. Called a “vivacious crime series (standing) alone and above any comparisons to the original series” by IndieWire and “clever crime fare” by The New York Times, Season 1 exclusively premiered on Acorn TV as four feature-length mysteries in the US and Canada in April 2019.

Season 2 will feature eight one-hour mysteries. The Acorn TV Original Series will begin production this October and exclusively premiere on Acorn TV in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and in its home country on Acorn TV Australia in 2021 and thereafter on the Seven Network in Australia. Leading independent international distributor all3media international will manage distribution in the rest of the world.

Season 1 took place in 1964 Melbourne – after Phryne went missing over the highlands of Papua New Guinea in her light plane – and her long-lost niece, the fearless Peregrine Fisher, took up her famous aunt’s mantle. In Season 2, as crimes continue to unfold around her in the streets of 1960’s Melbourne, our never-say-never sleuth tackles her biggest mysteries yet while juggling romance, a career, and the life of an Adventuress all at the same time. Just as Peregrine prepares to settle into her no-questions-asked courtship with noble policeman James, his desire for marriage brings the crime-fighters to a crossroad on possibly divergent paths.

After their combined, valiant efforts solving cases in department stores, TV studios, and cooking schools in Season 1, Peregrine, James and the rest of the team continue their journeys of self-discovery and romance, tackling some very tough questions about the role of men and women in changing times and facing a fun mix of mysteries involving sexual liberation, flight attendants, family prejudices, dog shows, teen gang wars, bowling alleys, pigeon-racing, and ending the season with a murder at a New Year’s Eve party.

Every Cloud Production’s Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger said: “We are thrilled to be returning to the delightful world of Miss Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries with our fabulous cast and our incredible partners, including Acorn TV and all3media who have championed both the original Miss Fisher series and feature film as well as the first series of Miss Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries. They have ensured that our legion of fans around the world get to enjoy Miss Fisher in all her incarnations.”

The second season will feature returning co-stars Joel Jackson (Peter Allen: Not The Boy Next Door, Deadline Gallipoli) as smart, ambitious cop Detective James Steed; Catherine McClements (Wentworth) as Birdie, an ex-member of WW2 Special Forces and head of The Adventuresses Club, a group of exceptional women of which Peregrine’s celebrated aunt was a member; and Birdie’s gadget-designing brother, Samuel (Toby Truslove).

AMC Networks’ Acorn TV is North America’s largest streaming service specialising in British and international television with over 1 million paid subscribers in the US and Canada as well as subscribers worldwide in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America.

Acorn TV adds exclusive new programs every week to a deep library of mysteries, dramas, and comedies with no commercials.

Production credit: An Every Cloud Production, with major production investment from Acorn TV and Screen Australia, in association with Film Victoria, Fulcrum Media Finance and the Seven Network. Financed with support from all3media International who is also the global partner on the series.

However, there were two major changes on top of the Overall TV chart in both Australia and New Zealand. 

My Hero Academia is now the #1 on the Overall TV chart in Australia, the show has been a regular on the chart for some time now but this is the first time that it has sat at the top. The story is set in a world where most of the population (80%) have superpowers called “Quirks”, where the hero All Might passes down his Quirk “One For All” to a youth named Izuku. The show can be seen in Australia on Anime Lab.

Paw Patrol is now on top of the Overall TV chart in NZ after holding a prominent spot for the last few weeks after a controversy being stirred about calls to cancel the show that were attached to the Black Lives Matter movement. The show premiered in August 2013 and revolves around a young boy who leads a crew of search and rescue dogs that work together on missions to protect the shoreside community of Adventure Bay.

The most notable new entry on the Digital Originals chart is the Netflix Original Warrior Nun which is based on the comic book character Warrior Nun Areala by Ben Dunn. Originally planned as a film adaption it was eventually altered to be a TV series after a Netflix series order. The series stars Portuguese actress Alba Baptista as Ava Silva, a tetraplegic orphan who has supernatural powers which force her to join an ancient order of warrior nuns.

A highlight of the night was a win for Seven off the back of a strong 832,000 audience for the penultimate episode of Big Brother Australia. It was the #1 non-news show last Tuesday and ranked #1 in key demos. It was the biggest audience for an episode of Big Brother on Seven since launch week when the first two episodes delivered audiences of 931,000 and 877,000 (launch episode and first eviction) and 841,000 (Tuesday eviction).

The launch episode of Shaun Micallef’s On the Sauce did 661,000.

10’s Bachelor in Paradise slipped just under 500,000 after episodes the previous week on 507,000 and 501,000. The Tuesday episode tied with Big Brother 16-39.

The Seven News special hosted by Michael Usher, In the Blink of an Eye, did 482,000.

Seven was the #1 network on 21.4%.

The finale of Big Brother Australia propelled Seven to a Wednesday win, but the format didn’t break any ratings records.

The final episode has been broken into two parts – the episode started on 769,000 and then climbed to 876,000 for the announcement of the winner. The announcement of the winner was the second-best audience for the franchise this year after 931,000 watched the launch episode eviction.

The best of the rest on Wednesday last week included Hard Quiz on 724,000 followed by The Weekly on 665,000.

Bachelor in Paradise was on 499,000, narrowly ranking #1 19-39, despite the Big Brother finale.

Big Brother was a clear leader in the older demos.