The changing media landscape has also offered opportunities for smaller publishers to launch titles. One of them is the boutique NSW publisher King Media Regional which has most recently launched the Southern Highlands Express weekly newspaper.

The business was started by Cristian King (pictured) who was looking after the free suburban title Latte Life in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. In 2014 later King added a Southern Highlands edition which is now the flagship publication. That move came a year after King’s mother and sister moved to the region in 2013. King faced a major health challenge soon after and he too moved to the region. “When I was in recovery I started to realise they needed a really strong local paper covering the area. With an investment in editorial including investigations into the local council and its operations, I was convinced Latte Life would work well there too and it has been a fantastic success.

“The business started just with myself and our sales manager on a trestle table and a couple of milk crates has grown substantially.”

The new publications were the same format as the eastern suburbs edition – A3 stitched and trimmed, printed heat set on gloss paper.

“A major expansion for us is the recent launch of the paid newspaper Southern Highlands Express, which runs on a different business model for us.” The competitor in this space is Australian Community’s Media’s Southern Highland News. “A vacuum was created when they ceased paused printing which presented both a threat and an opportunity,” said King. (That three times a week newspaper returned this week.)

 “I decided to take the opportunity. With my existing infrastructure in place, in terms of editorial, sales, design and administration, as well as six years of on-the-ground experience, it was a matter of upscaling the operations and establishing a network of retailers to sell the new title.

“Despite the impact of the Covid economy, we employed four new locals who are based in the Mittagong office. Two are journalists and one a photographer.”

King said the attraction for advertisers was getting a return on their investment, which his titles have been able to provide. “In most cases we have been able to exceed the expectations advertisers had for their advertising investment.

“The first step though is to create the compelling editorial for people to pick up the paper. Having that editorial attracts the audience and then the ads. Since Southern Highlands Express commenced late in May we have seen increasing sales each week. We have also just signed vendor agreements with Woolworths and Coles to supply their stores across the three biggest towns – Mittagong, Bowral and Moss Vale.”

In November 2019, King Media Regional was a recipient of round 2 grant under the Regional and Small Publishers Innovation Fund. The approved grant amount was for $347,000 to increase editorial output and was approved by an independent selection panel, convened by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

Committee members included the CFO of the NSW Independent Pricing & Regulatory Tribunal (IPART), a board member from the Australian Press Council, and a Partner from Deloitte’s.

The Express is using the same paper stock and format as the Latte Life titles, but while they are free, the Express is $2. “The Express looks significantly different too. We wanted it to be distinctly different from Latte Life to make them look like very different products.”

King has been able to make his titles work without any real estate listings. “What we focus on is community news. That includes covering the achievements of many community groups and also what is happening in the local council. That gets people engaged much more so than real estate listings.”

Getting local ad support from Wingecarribee Shire Council, which covers the Southern Highlands, will take longer. “They do not advertise at present. They have a selection process done annually by tender. Until we see those requirements, we are not sure if we will apply for that or not.”

I am aware of the charges laid by police against my former manager Titus Day. As has been reported, I have had an ongoing dispute with Titus for a number of years, and today I am absolutely devastated to learn the nature and detail of these charges. After over a decade of partnership, I parted ways with Titus’ management company in November 2017.

All my income was controlled via Titus into a Trust account and after noticing some disparities in payments, I requested important financial information that I was rightfully entitled to, and upon doing so our relationship began deteriorating.

Over these last years, my integrity and reputation have been questioned, and many untruths have been publicly stated. For me, this has been deeply personal and this period has been the toughest of my life. These charges are a sad vindication of my position.

No one in my industry deserves this to happen and I hope my case can serve as an example to all artists about the importance of transparency and trust between a manager and an artist.

I will not be making any further comment as the matter is now with the police.

“Viscount Brooky” has been contributing regularly to the masthead in the last two years, writing a media column for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, contributing to Traveller as well as writing for Crikey, marie claire and The Weekend Australian Magazine.

He has previously worked at both The Australian and The Guardian newspapers in Australia and Britain.

Brook wrote The Australian’s media diary column and was previously the paper’s media editor, features editor and science writer, working in Canberra, Perth and Sydney.

At The Australian he created and hosted the Behind the Media podcast, in which he interviewed more than 40 prominent journalists. The audio series was a finalist at the Australian Podcast Awards.

In Britain from 2004 to 2011 he worked for The Times and The Guardian, where he was press and publishing correspondent and deputy editor of MediaGuardian.co.uk.

During more than six years, he wrote more than 3,100 stories for The Guardian and reported from Russia and South Africa. He also wrote for Monocle and Reader’s Digest magazines

The popular The Odds Couple with Simon O’Donnell and David Taggart kicks off the weekend’s racing on Saturday morning from 8am with their take on the form for the big race day ahead. 

SENTrack’s flagship show Saturday Trackside from 11.30am with Jack Heverin, Simon O’Donnell and David Taggart promises punters the latest mail on race day.

A new show on Sunday mornings at 11am, Tricks of the Trade, offers a look at racing and sport from the punter’s perspective.

During the week, harness racing fans can get ahead of the game with Talking Trots on Track (Monday-Friday, 11am-1pm) presented by Harness Racing Victoria’s Blake Redden and Jason Bonnington.

On weeknights (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, 5-6pm) Thrill of the Chase gives greyhound racing fans and casual punters alike, the inside form on the fastest sport on four legs. 

Thursday nights (6-10pm) are also dedicated to greyhound racing with The Lids Fly, presented by Sam Hargreaves and Molly Haines.

Across the week, Trackside (Monday-Friday, 1-5pm) with Campbell Brown, David Taggart, Sam Hargreaves, Jack Heverin and Cam Luke offers sharp analysis and a lot of laughs, from around the traps.

Catch all the action on SENTrack – now on 1593 AM in Melbourne, as well as in Gosford 801 AM, Wollongong 1575AM, Perth 657 AM, Ingham 96.9 FM, Atherton 99.1 FM or on the SEN app.

The comedy series chronicles the genre-bending, anti-historical ride through 18th Century Russia and follows the wildly comedic rise of ‘Catherine the Nothing’ to ‘Catherine the Great’ – as depicted by Hollywood heavyweight Fanning.

A sensational supporting cast includes Phoebe Fox, Adam Godley, Gwilym Lee, Charity Wakefield, Douglas Hodge, Sacha Dhawan, Sebastian de Souza, Bayo Gbadamosi and Australia’s own Belinda Bromilow (Doctor Doctor, Packed to the Rafters).

The first season of The Great was created, written and executive produced by Tony McNamara and executive produced by Marian Macgowan, Thruline’s Josh Kesselman and Ron West, Echo Lake’s Brittany Kahan Ward, Doug Mankoff and Andrew Spaulding, Elle Fanning, Mark Winemaker and Matt Shakman.

Set in the early 1960s, in an unexpected new world – the glamorous “Golden Age” of advertising – where everyone is selling something and nothing is ever what you expect it to be, this enthralling drama unfolds around Don Draper (two-time Golden Globe winner Jon Hamm), the biggest ad man in the business. As he calls the shots in the boardroom and the bedroom, he struggles to stay a step ahead of the rapidly changing times and the young executives nipping at his heels.

Created by Emmy and Golden Globe-winning executive producer Matthew Weiner (The Sopranos), this provocative series features an outstanding ensemble cast, including Emmy Award-winner Elisabeth Moss (Top of the Lake), Christina Hendricks (Good Girls), January Jones (The Last Man on Earth), Vincent Kartheiser (Das Boot), John Slattery (Spotlight), Jessica Paré (Hot Tub Time Machine), Rich Sommer (In the Dark), Aaron Staton (Narcos: Mexico), Emmy Award-winner Robert Morse (American Crime Story), Kiernan Shipka (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Jay Ferguson (Twin Peaks: The Return), and Christopher Stanley (Waco).

Following the lives and careers of the ruthless ad men and women of the ego-driven world of Sterling Cooper & Partners, Mad Men explores a time where the ad agency was revered, while shining a light on the sexism, homophobia, dubious family values and misogyny of the era, when smokers were enjoying the last guilt free years of the cigarette – and when America was undergoing tumultuous cultural change.

Making history as the first basic cable series to win the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series in four consecutive years and winner of five Golden Globe Awards, in addition to countless other accolades, Mad Men is an iconic series not to be missed.

Mad Men by numbers
7 seasons
92 episodes
Binge it all in 3 days, 20 hours
Watch an hour a day in 92 days
942 cigarettes smokes
369 drinks
18 joints
Don Draper had 9 secretaries and 18 mistresses

At Home Alone Together finished with an insanely funny episode where everyone went for broke, including Ray Martin – it is required viewing (now on iview). Now we have another COVID comedy in Retrograde (Wednesday on ABC), as a group of thirtysomethings hang out in a virtual bar during lockdown.

Retrograde will screen as part of a double comedy block with Rosehaven (Wednesday on ABC). Now in its fourth season, the Tassie sitcom is still sweet and wacky, as best friends Daniel (Luke McGregor) and Emma (Celia Pacquola) move in together.

Rosehaven Emma: (Celia Pacquola) and Daniel (Luke McGregor)

The Living Room (Friday on 10) has also moved, ditching the studio audience for a new terrace house location. There’s cameo pop-ins, poolside fashion parades and Miguel sports some fancy new footwear.

Life Drawing Live (Saturday on SBS) is hosted by Rove and will feature naked models to sketch. Don’t get too excited, because if it’s like the BBC series it’s based on (which will continue over the next few Saturdays), the nudity is discreet. Tip – if you’re going to play along at home, get some charcoal.

Eva (Jessica De Gouw) and Leo (Ewen Leslie) in Operation Buffalo

Operation Buffalo (Sunday on ABC) wraps up after six episodes, and what do you say? Is it believable that government ministers in the 1950’s were spineless alcoholic womanizers? Absolutely. Does it sometimes stray into silliness with double crossing communist ASIO killers? It does, but this strange confection is still devastating in its closing moments.

In My Blood It Runs (Sunday on ABC) is an eye-opening doco about Dujuan, a young Indigenous boy with an old soul. Set in Alice Springs, it follows his struggle as he straddles traditional school and the desire to learn more about his own culture.

Megan Hoosan and Dujuan Hoosan (Photo: Maya Newell)

With The Daily Edition now just a memory, Seven has replaced it with another hour of The Chase UK. Throw in The Chase Australia and that’s three hours of the same show every day. Seems pretty unadventurous.

It may also be the perfect metaphor for where TV is heading. There’s going to be less money and more fear about trying something new. The viewers keep getting older and the kids aren’t interested in endless news and quiz shows.

Or are they? Despite screening on Fox Classics, Jeopardy will now also be seen on free to air TV (7pm weeknights). If the hip kids at SBS Viceland think this quiz mainstay is cool, who are we to argue with them?

—

Top Image: Retrograde

Seven News 1,111,000/1,063,000
Nine News 1,060,000/958,000
ABC News 763,000
A Current Affair 727,000
7.30 542,000
The Project 320,000/467,000
10 News 401,000/260,000
Sunrise 291,000
Today 211,000
News Breakfast 207,000
The Drum 195,000
The Latest 187,000
SBS World News 159,000

Seven: Home and Away closed off its week with 590,000 after three nights around 650,000.
The AFL match between St Kilda and Carlton then did 512,000 with 349,000 in Melbourne. The match kept Seven #1 across southern metro capitals.
The 7.30pm movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire did 255,000 screening on Seven in some markets, 7mate in others.

Nine: A Current Affair dropped below 750,000 for the first time this week with 727,000
The NRL match that saw the Storm snatch victory from the Roosters who were leading in the 79th minute. The metro audience was 377,000 with 226,000 in Sydney and 113,000 in Brisbane.

10: Rove is trying his hand again at Saturday night live TV, but this time on SBS. That didn’t stop a promo appearance on The Project with 467,000 watching.
Celebrity Gogglebox USA then did 352,000 after 282,000 last week.
Law & Order: SVU did 216,000 after 8.30pm.

ABC: The Heights had 228,000 watching, followed by Escape from the City with 308,000 getting a real estate tour of NSW’s Macleay Valley.

SBS: Part three of The World’s Busiest Station had 213,000 learning about Zürich Hauptbahnhof.
A repeat of When Buildings Collapse was on 150,000.
The final episode of the Italian crime drama ZeroZeroZero then did 61,000.