Tuesday June 9, 2020
ViacomCBS unveils new sales business for portfolio of brands
The full-service business is purpose-built to help marketers create innovative brand partnerships and activations across the ViacomCBS portfolio of brands, including 10, 10 Bold, 10 Peach, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr, 10 Play, 10 Speaks, 10 All Access, CBS Interactive, Comedy Central and their related digital and event properties.
The launch of Effect follows the merger of the Network 10 and ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand sales teams on 1 May.
ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand chief sales officer Rod Prosser said: “The joining together of ViacomCBS and Network 10 has created a content powerhouse spanning the best local and global brands, shows, event sports, digital media and events.
“Right now, marketers are searching for new ways to create authentic and effective connections with consumers, increase their share of voice and build sales.
“ViacomCBS now gives clients phenomenal reach across every age and every stage in the under 50s market,” he said.
“Over the past 18 months, we have executed over 60 sponsorships across the Network 10 assets alone. With the arrival of Effect, that offering is supercharged by our expanded playground, including all 10 brands and tentpole shows, news, event sports, Nickelodeon, Nick Jnr, MTV, digital and social media, and live branded events.
“Effect is a team of high-performance partnership and sponsorship specialists who will enable brands to play a role in our engaging and culturally relevant brands and platforms. The effect of Effect will be second to none,” Prosser said.
As part of today’s announcement, the role of Network 10 national sales director Lisa Squillace has been expanded to include Effect. Nisar Malik and Tamar Hovagimian (pictured) have been appointed sales director and partnerships director, respectively, of Effect. Both report to Squillace.
Squillace said: “The combination of the 10 and ViacomCBS brands means that through Effect, we can offer a unique, integrated sales solution that is powered by market-leading specialists, expertise, service and technology.
“Effect is more than a new sales department. It represents a new way of harnessing the power of the ViacomCBS brands, which reach 17 million Australians every month, to create bespoke and highly effective ideas for our clients and execute them across our premium platforms.
“It will also offer clients solutions that are relevant in our market and can be leveraged globally through the ViacomCBS network,” she said.
“Nisar has done a brilliant job as Network 10’s national sport sales director and is perfectly placed to take on this new role at Effect. Working side-by-side with our marketers and agencies, he will create new opportunities and take access to our audiences to a new level – any time and on any platform.
“Tamar will work with our producers and production partners to create, develop and activate brand partnerships with razor-like precision. Tamar has led a phenomenal team at Network 10 for many years, delivering countless campaigns and hundreds of very happy clients. I am so excited to see how much further she and the team can take our new, expanded offering,” Squillace said.
The announcement of Effect comes hard on the heels of last week’s launch of the new ViacomCBS independent agencies and direct sales division.
ViacomCBS is home to MasterChef Australia, Have You Been Paying Attention?, The Project, Australian Survivor, The Bachelor Australia, The Bachelorette Australia, Bachelor In Paradise, Gogglebox, The Masked Singer, I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!, Junior MasterChef, The Living Room, Melbourne Cup Carnival, Supercars, Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, Rugby, SpongeBob SquarePants, Henry Danger, PAW Patrol, Ridiculousness, Geordie Shore, Teen Mom and The Veronicas: Blood Is For Life, plus branded live events.
Live entertainment industry unites after COVID-19 shutdown
LEIF’s mission is to support the COVIDSafe reactivation of events with live audiences across Australia as restrictions are eased from July. LEIF will put in place a comprehensive, flexible, all-of-industry re-opening and risk management strategy that meets the needs of the public, Governments, sporting bodies, venues performers and industry, with safety at its core.
LEIF has been formed by Australia’s biggest promoters of entertainment and sport, venue managers, and key peak bodies. LEIF’s executive committee includes the bosses of TEG, Live Nation, Frontier Touring, Chugg Entertainment, AEG, WME, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Sydney Cricket Ground, Marvel Stadium, Melbourne Olympic Parks, Adelaide Oval, ASM Global, Venues West, Venues Live, Michael Cassel Group, Live Performance Australia, Venue Management Association and the Australian Festivals Association.
The executive committee has appointed veteran sports administrator and former Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland to lead the development of LEIF’s strategy as chair. The Forum will work in conjunction with governments, sporting bodies, venues and audiences to build confidence in the industry’s preparedness to operate safely, flexibly and sustainably and explore how industry can be supported by Governments during its gradual return.
LEIF will develop industry-wide measures regarding cleaning and sanitisation, crowd management, physical distancing plans, health monitoring and contact tracing. The objective is to safely restart an industry which supports over 175,000 Australian jobs and feeds other sectors hit hard by COVID-19 such as tourism, transport and hospitality.
Releasing this statement on behalf of LEIF, James Sutherland said: “This pandemic has brought our industry to a complete standstill. The thousands of cancelled sporting events, concerts, festivals, theatre, family and comedy shows, and all the associated revenues related to them, can never be replaced.
“Our industry was the first to close during COVID-19 and it will be one of the last to fully re-open. The cultural, creative and sports industries supports the livelihoods of around 175,000 Australians, many of whom are casual or part time. The industry also contributes an estimated $150 billion to the Australian economy*. Our live events have a huge economic flow on effect: we support jobs in airlines and other transport companies, hotels, pubs, restaurants and retail establishments of all sizes all over Australia.
“We need a clear roadmap to get our industry back to work, while playing a bigger role in the post COVID-19 economic recovery of our nation. We are committed to working with all States and Territories, especially with their Chief Medical and Health Officers. We will develop COVIDSafe best practices and a world-leading response to revive our industry, get people back to work and bring fans back together throughout Australia through the unbeatable power of live events.”
Geoff Jones (pictured), CEO of TEG, said: “Our industry has to work together at this challenging time. We must put aside our natural competitive instincts so we can all bring large-scale live events back to the Australian people safely. We want to work closely with the Federal, State and Territory Governments to create solutions that get our industry up and running again and help get the many thousands of people who support our industry back to work. We want to bring fans back and jobs back, safely.
“Live entertainment and sport at scale is the beating heart of Australian culture. From footy Grand Finals to outdoor festivals and from The Ashes series to stadium concerts like FIRE FIGHT AUSTRALIA, the live experience unites us with our fellow Australians and lifts spirits as no other experience can. We are all committed to bringing back live in a COVIDSafe manner.”
Roger Field, CEO of Live Nation Australasia said: “Live events and mass gatherings are not solely for recreational purposes – they play a crucial part in the fabric of Australian life.
“Just as sport plays an important role in promoting healthy behaviours, so too do music and the performing arts. The positive impact culture brings to society is not only seen both psychologically and in social well-being, but in the fact that the live events industry contributes hundreds of thousands of jobs, which flows on and effects the whole economy. I am proud that we stand united to work together to make the return to events a reality and for the people of Australia to enjoy the power of live once again.”
Leif Executive Committee Members:
Andrew Daniels, CEO, Adelaide Oval SMA
Daryl Kerry, CEO, ANZ Stadium, Venues Live
David Etherton, CEO, Venues West
Dion Brant, COO, Frontier Touring/Chugg Entertainment/AEG Presents
Evelyn Richardson, CEO, Live Performance Australia
Geoff Jones, CEO, TEG / TEG Dainty / Ticketek
Harvey Lister, Chairman and Chief Executive, ASM Global
John Harnden, Chief Executive, Melbourne & Olympic Parks Trust
Julia Robinson, CEO, Australian Festival Association
Kerrie Mather, CEO, SCG Trust
Michael Cassel, CEO/Producer, Michael Cassel Group
Roger Field, CEO, Live Nation Australasia
Steve Harper, Chair, Venue Management Association
Stuart Fox, CEO, Melbourne Cricket Club/Melbourne Cricket Ground
Travis Auld, Chief Financial Officer and General Manager of Clubs and Broadcasting, AFL
Week 23 TV: Nine wins six nights with The Voice, NRL again key
The Voice was again key to Nine’s win this week with the channel ranking #1 all people in primary and network share on six nights across the week. The NRL gave Nine stations in Sydney and Brisbane a lift on Thursday and Friday.
Seven Week 23
Seven News continued to rank #1 in its timeslot at 6pm across seven nights of the week. Similarly Sunrise was again the leader albeit with its average weekday audience down to 281,000. The gap between Seven’s breakfast product and Nine’s is still substantial, although the gap narrowed week-on-week from 87,000 to 58,000.
In primetime it is hard to find any other timeslot winners. Seven’s best result at 7.30pm was the penultimate Sunday of House Rules: High Stakes with audiences of 605,000 and 597,000 watching a double episode. Will we be able to summarise three nights of improved 7.30pm audiences next week as Big Brother takes over the key timeslot?
Primary all people 17.3% (Last week 17.2%)
Network all people 25.8% (25.7%)
Multichannels 7TWO 3.4% (3.2%) 7mate 3.1% (3.3%) 7flix 2.0% (2.0%)
Nine Week 23
The Voice again managed to claim victory at 7.30pm although it was close all people on Tuesday with revised numbers showing the gap just 1,000 between the singers on Nine and the cooks on 10. The singing show didn’t lead in the key demos though.
A Current Affair just snuck into the top 20 for the week with 735,000, down from 767,000 the previous week.
The only other primetime programs over half a million were 60 Minutes on 716,000 and Paramedics on 530,000.
Primary all people 20.2% (Last week 20.7%)
Network all people 28.6% (28.8%)
Multichannels GO! 2.7% (2.4%), Gem 2.7% (2.7%), 9Life 1.9% (2.1%), 9Rush 1.2% (1.0%)
10 Week 23
Another good week of performances in key demographics with the ViacomCBS broadcaster reporting Channel 10 was #2 in under 50s and 25 to 54s, and #1 in 16 to 39s and 18 to 49s while Network 10 was #2 in under 50s, 25 to 54s and 18 to 49s, and #1 in 16 to 39s.
The five MasterChef episodes were there most-watched five programs under 50 and the all people audiences ranged from 1.028m on Wednesday to 926,000 on Tuesday.
Have You Been Paying Attention? continues to hold above 800,000 and last week recorded its biggest ever episode five audience, easily won its timeslot and continues to smash its 2019 average.
Also well up on its 2019 average was The Project with a weekly average of 559,000 at 7pm, steady from the same number in week 22.
10 Bold maintained its weekly winning streak at the #1 multichannel.
Primary all people 14.2% (Last week 14.3%)
Network all people 20.5% (20.3%)
Multichannels 10 Bold 4.0% (3.7%), 10 Peach 2.2% (2.2%)
ABC Week 23
It was only news and current affairs show which made it over 600,000 this week:
ABC News 775,000, ABC News Sunday 752,000, ABC News Saturday 730,000, Australian Story 717,000 and Four Corners 611,000.
7.30 was on 597,000.
Next best was the final episode of Miriam Margolyes Almost Australian on 571,000.
Operation Buffalo debuted strongly on 555,000.
Primary all people 12.4% (Last week 12.2%)
Network all people 17.3% (16.8%)
Multichannels Kids/Comedy 2.7% (2.5%), News 1.8% (1.6%), ME 0.5% (0.5%)
SBS Week 23
The Cameron Daddo episode of Who Do You Think You Are? recorded the series’ smallest audience yet, but the 320,000 watching easily keeps it the broadcaster’s #1.
Next best was the final episode of The World’s Most Beautiful Railway on 256,000.
Primary all people 4.4% (Last week 4.6%)
Network all people 7.8% (8.4%)
Multichannels Viceland 1.2% (1.4%), Food 1.1% (1.0%), NITV 0.1% (0.2%), World Movies 1.0% (1.1%)
TV Ratings Monday June 8 Week 24 2030
Seven News 1,200,000/1,101,000
Nine News 1,098,000/1,041,000
A Current Affair 818,000
ABC News 761,000
The Project 376,000/620,000
7.30 576,000
10 News 565,000/290,000
The Latest 226,000
The Drum 222,000
Sunrise 204,000
SBS World News 185,000
Today 170,000
News Breakfast 167,000
Seven: The Big Brother launch episode eviction segment audience of 930,000 was ahead of its 7.30pm competition The Voice and MasterChef. Seven split the debut episode of Big Brother into three parts:
Big Brother Arrival 853,000
Big Brother 866,000
Big Brother Eviction 930,000
Seven wanted the show to bring the age of its audience down and in that the program excelled. All three segments ranked the top three programs 16-39, 18-49 and 25-54 last night. The program listed Seven’s Monday primary channel share from 17.6% to 20.9% week-on-week.
Angus Ross, Seven’s network programming director commented this morning:
“We’re thrilled with last night’s launch of Big Brother. Big Brother, and our whole content led growth strategy, is about attracting those 25-54s which are key for our partners. Last night, that’s exactly what Big Brother did, as the #1 show for 25-54s as well as being the #1 non-news show for all viewers. On top of that, it was also the #1 show in the younger demographic of P16-39 as well as other key advertising demos. It was also the most-watched live entertainment program on BVOD ever. Big Brother is just getting started and we look forward to continuing to engage viewers as the show progresses.”
Laura Coriakula from Melbourne only lasted one episode of Big Brother, being the first to be eliminated. “I’m very shocked. I did not see that coming,” she said after the show. “I honestly thought the way that Kieran was carrying on I didn’t have to fight. It would have been nice to stay longer but every moment I was being myself. I wasn’t here to fake anything. I like being first at everything so there you go, first evicted.”
See also: Big Brother Ep 1 Recap: In and out as 12 enter and Laura goes home
Elsewhere on Seven last night Home and Away started its week on 669,000 while later in the night 9-1-1 was on 385,000.
Nine: A Current Affair started its week on 818,000 after an average of 731,000 last week. Despite the good audience at 7pm, Nine went on to record its lowest survey primary share this year.
The Voice had a second night under 900,000 with 874,000 on Sunday and now 849,000 on Monday.
The doco Queen: Days of Our Lives got another run later in the night with part one doing 376,000.
10: The MasterChef top 10 went into battle for the first time against each other in a twins challenge. Four people emerged unsuccessful – Sarah, Reece, Poh and Brendan – and will face off in a pressure test tonight which will leave nine contestants. The audience of 855,000 saw MasterChef narrowly outrate The Voice and it was neck and neck with the start of Big Brother.
Have You Been Paying Attention? managed to win its timeslot, although it was with its smallest audience this year and its first time under 800,000.
ABC: The Monday night line-up saw Back Roads taking over from Australian Story at 8pm. The start of season six featured the first part of a trip across the Nullarbor with 655,000 watching.
Four Corners then did 461,000 with Media Watch on 464,000.
Q+A was then on 301,000.
SBS: Secrets of the Royal Wardrobe was the #1 ranked program with 190,000, narrowly ahead of SBS World News on 185,000 and Michael Mosley: Coronavirus Special on 182,000.
Week 23-24 TV: Friday-Monday
| FRIDAY METRO | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Seven | Nine | 10 | SBS | |||||
| ABC | 13.0% | 7 | 18.2% | 9 | 19.0% | 10 | 7.8% | SBS One | 3.7% |
| ABC KIDS/ ABC COMEDY | 3.2% | 7TWO | 3.6% | GO! | 4.1% | 10 Bold | 3.9% | VICELAND | 0.8% |
| ABC ME | 0.8% | 7mate | 3.0% | GEM | 3.2% | 10 Peach | 3.0% | Food Net | 1.4% |
| ABC NEWS | 2.1% | 7flix | 3.5% | 9Life | 2.3% | NITV | 0.2% | ||
| 9Rush | 1.6% | SBS World Movies | 1.3% | ||||||
| TOTAL | 19.1% | 28.3% | 30.2% | 14.8% | 7.5% | ||||
| SATURDAY METRO | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Seven | Nine | 10 | SBS | |||||
| ABC | 13.7% | 7 | 15.5% | 9 | 16.8% | 10 | 8.7% | SBS One | 3.9% |
| ABC KIDS/ ABC COMEDY | 4.3% | 7TWO | 4.2% | GO! | 4.4% | 10 Bold | 4.6% | VICELAND | 1.2% |
| ABC ME | 0.5% | 7mate | 4.1% | GEM | 4.5% | 10 Peach | 2.1% | Food Net | 1.1% |
| ABC NEWS | 2.9% | 7flix | 2.7% | 9Life | 2.1% | NITV | 0.1% | ||
| 9Rush | 1.5% | SBS World Movies | 1.1% | ||||||
| TOTAL | 21.3% | 26.5% | 29.4% | 15.4% | 7.4% | ||||
| SUNDAY METRO | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Seven | Nine | 10 | SBS | |||||
| ABC | 11.5% | 7 | 18.3% | 9 | 23.4% | 10 | 14.6% | SBS One | 4.2% |
| ABC KIDS/ ABC COMEDY | 2.2% | 7TWO | 2.4% | GO! | 3.8% | 10 Bold | 3.4% | VICELAND | 1.4% |
| ABC ME | 0.5% | 7mate | 3.0% | GEM | 2.0% | 10 Peach | 2.0% | Food Net | 0.8% |
| ABC NEWS | 1.4% | 7flix | 1.2% | 9Life | 1.6% | NITV | 0.1% | ||
| 9Rush | 1.1% | SBS World Movies | 1.0% | ||||||
| TOTAL | 15.5% | 24.9% | 32.0% | 20.0% | 7.6% | ||||
| MONDAY METRO | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Seven | Nine | 10 | SBS | |||||
| ABC | 12.4% | 7 | 20.9% | 9 | 19.5% | 10 | 15.2% | SBS One | 4.8% |
| ABC KIDS/ ABC COMEDY | 2.3% | 7TWO | 3.4% | GO! | 1.7% | 10 Bold | 3.9% | VICELAND | 1.1% |
| ABC ME | 0.4% | 7mate | 3.0% | GEM | 2.5% | 10 Peach | 2.0% | Food Net | 1.0% |
| ABC NEWS | 0.9% | 7flix | 1.3% | 9Life | 1.7% | NITV | 0.2% | ||
| 9Rush | 1.3% | SBS World Movies | 0.6% | ||||||
| TOTAL | 16.0% | 28.6% | 26.7% | 21.1% | 7.6% | ||||
| MONDAY REGIONAL | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Seven Affiliates | Nine Affiliates | 10 Affiliates | SBS | |||||
| ABC | 13.3% | 7 | 20.4% | 9 | 16.8% | WIN | 12.0% | SBS One | 4.4% |
| ABC KIDS/ ABC COMEDY | 2.4% | 7TWO | 4.2% | GO! | 1.6% | WIN Bold | 4.9% | VICELAND | 1.4% |
| ABC ME | 0.4% | 7mate | 4.5% | GEM | 4.2% | WIN Peach | 2.0% | Food Net | 0.8% |
| ABC NEWS | 1.1% | 7flix (Excl. Tas/WA) | 1.2% | 9Life | 2.0% | Sky News on WIN | 2.2% | NITV | 0.1% |
| SBS Movies | 0.5% | ||||||||
| TOTAL | 17.3% | 30.3% | 24.6% | 21.2% | 7.2% | ||||
| MONDAY METRO ALL TV | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTA | STV | ||||||||
| 89.4% | 10.6% | ||||||||
All People Ratings
Friday Top 10
- Seven News Seven 1,024,000
- Seven News At 6.30 Seven 952,000
- Nine News Nine 941,000
- Nine News 6:30 Nine 854,000
- ABC News ABC 692,000
- The Chase Australia Seven 602,000
- A Current Affair Nine 592,000
- Better Homes And Gardens Seven 568,000
- Hot Seat Nine 526,000
- Gardening Australia ABC 515,000
Saturday Top 10
- Seven News Seven 878,000
- Nine News Saturday Nine 838,000
- ABC News ABC 730,000
- Shakespeare And Hathaway ABC 495,000
- A Current Affair Nine 492,000
- Call The Midwife ABC 394,000
- Getaway Nine 390,000
- The Latest: Seven News Seven 348,000
- Border Security – Australia’s Front Line (R) Seven 338,000
- The Dog House 10 334,000
Sunday Top 10
- Seven News Seven 1,028,000
- Nine News Sunday Nine 996,000
- The Voice Nine 874,000
- MasterChef Australia 10 803,000
- ABC News Sunday ABC 694,000
- 60 Minutes Nine 639,000
- House Rules: High Stakes Seven 585,000
- Grand Designs ABC 476,000
- Operation Buffalo ABC 476,000
- The Sunday Project 7pm 10 420,000
Monday FTA
- Seven News Seven 1,200,000
- Seven News At 6.30 Seven 1,101,000
- Nine News Nine 1,098,000
- Nine News 6:30 Nine 1,041,000
- Big Brother – Eviction Seven 930,000
- Big Brother Seven 866,000
- MasterChef Australia 10 855,000
- Big Brother – Arrival Seven 853,000
- The Voice Nine 849,000
- A Current Affair Nine 818,000
- Have You Been Paying Attention? 10 769,000
- ABC News ABC 761,000
- The Chase Australia Seven 714,000
- Home And Away Seven 669,000
- Back Roads S6 ABC 655,000
- The Project 7pm 10 620,000
- Hot Seat Nine 585,000
- 7.30 ABC 576,000
- The Chase Australia-5pm Seven 465,000
- 10 News First 10 465,000
Monday Multichannel
- NCIS Ep 2 (R) 10 Bold 174,000
- Bluey AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 165,000
- Bluey ABCKIDS/COMEDY 164,000
- NCIS (R) 10 Bold 161,000
- Hey Duggee ABCKIDS/COMEDY 158,000
- Ben And Holly’s Little Kingdom ABCKIDS/COMEDY 158,000
- Doc Martin PM 7TWO 156,000
- Luo Bao Bei ABCKIDS/COMEDY 146,000
- Go Jetters AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 142,000
- Dog Loves Books ABCKIDS/COMEDY 135,000
- Neighbours 10 Peach 133,000
- Shaun The Sheep AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 130,000
- Rita And Crocodile PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 129,000
- Rusty Rivets PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 123,000
- Dot. AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 122,000
- Bananas In Pyjamas AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 120,000
- Nella The Princess Knight PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 120,000
- Andy’s Wild Adventures ABCKIDS/COMEDY 119,000
- Thomas And Friends: Big World! Big Adventures! PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 118,000
- Catie’s Amazing Machines ABCKIDS/COMEDY 117,000
Monday STV
- Live: NRL: Bulldogs V Dragons FOX LEAGUE 226,000
- Paul Murray Live Sky News Live 73,000
- The Bolt Report Sky News Live 66,000
- Live: NRL Pre Game FOX LEAGUE 62,000
- Live: NRL 360 FOX LEAGUE 59,000
- Credlin Sky News Live 55,000
- PML Later Sky News Live 50,000
- Kenny On Media Sky News Live 45,000
- Jeopardy! FOX Classics 39,000
- Last Week Tonight With John Oliver COMEDY CHANNEL 37,000
- Ready Set Dance Nick Jr. 35,000
- Escape To The Country Lifestyle Channel 35,000
- Blue’s Clues & You Nick Jr. 34,000
- Selling Houses Australia Lifestyle Channel 34,000
- Border Security: Australia’s Front Line FOX8 34,000
- Paw Patrol Nick Jr. 34,000
- The Big Bang Theory FOX Funny 34,000
- Agatha Christie’s Marple FOX Sleuth 32,000
- Best Of Matty Johns FOX LEAGUE 32,000
- Top Wing Nick Jr. 32,000
Shares all people, 6pm-midnight, Overnight (Live and AsLive), Audience numbers FTA metro, Sub TV national
Source: OzTAM and Regional TAM 2018. The Data may not be reproduced, published or communicated (electronically or in hard copy) without the prior written consent of OzTAM
Media News Roundup
Business of Media
Tech giant payments should be based on investment in journalism: Nine
Marks said the size of the fund, how it would be split, and who could get a share of the pie would be the key issues in drawing up a code of conduct, a draft of which is to be completed by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission by the end of July.
“We say that there should be a split based on respective organisations’ investment in journalism,” Marks said. “If the public policy outcome we’re seeking to protect is an investment in journalism, then that’s the basis on which a split could be determined.”
Film bonanza bound for South Australia in wake of pandemic
The Department of Home Affairs has not ruled out exemptions for the film industry after the Adelaide Sunday Mail reported a huge spike in demand from overseas filmmakers wanting to film in Australia and South Australia as COVID safe destinations. Australian Border Force commissioner Michael Outram will consider requests “on a case-by-case basis,” a Home Affairs spokesman said.
“Decisions by the ABF Commissioner to grant exemptions for travel to Australia must be balanced against the Government’s intent for imposing travel restrictions to protect the Australian community from the health risks posed by international travellers,” he said.
Anyone granted an exemption would have to quarantine.
Ausfilm boss Kate Marks said there had been more than $900 million worth of new inquiries to film in Australia in just four weeks.
“The level of opportunity that is presenting itself to us, if we can capitalise on it, would be great for the industry,” she said.
South Australia is in the box seat to score a wave of new film and television projects as international studios hunt for safe locations to film amid the coronavirus crisis.
It’s a “huge opportunity” which could bring in new jobs for the hard-hit film sector and inject cash into local businesses.
“We have had a huge increase in the number of inquiries of people looking to shoot in South Australia from international locations,” SA Film Corporation chief executive Kate Croser told The Sunday Mail.
News Brands
Mark Di Stefano back at work in new role after FT departure
Di Stefano is an advocate for the social media platform and he had been uncharacteristically absent from it following his Tweet of May 2 which read:
Hi, letting everyone know today was my last day at the FT. This afternoon I offered my resignation. Thank you everyone who has given support. I’m now going to take some time away and log off x
His time away is coming to an end now that he has accepted a position at the online subscription news brand The Information. Di Stefano will be reporting from London for the San Francisco-based publishing business covering Amazon in Europe and Big Tech’s European battles.
The founder and CEO of The Information, Jessica Lessin, announced the appointment overnight.
Di Stefano was involved in a controversy earlier this year while at The FT when he was accused by The Independent of listening in on sensitive Zoom meetings held by its senior managers telling staff about salary cuts and furloughs. The FT subsequently suspended Di Stefano before he resigned soon after.
See also: Mark Di Stefano’s media journey from ABC copy boy to The FT
ABC staff in redundancy talks with management
ABC staff across the organisation, including journalists in news and current affairs, have begun discussions with management about the prospect of redundancies as they await the final outcome of a large-scale review into staffing at the ABC.
The Australian has previously reported that up to 200 jobs could go as part of the five-year blueprint that was expected to be handed down in March but has since been pushed back to July as a result of COVID-19.
News Corp Australia sets out shared digital strategy
Following News Corp’s announcement that more than 100 regional and community papers will move to digital-only mastheads, Blunden has declared the “silo model” of journalism over as the company moves to adapt to a streamlined digital model.
In his new role as national executive editor, Blunden – who is also chairman of News Corp’s editorial board, a former editor-in-chief of the Herald Sun and managing director in Victoria – will direct specialist network teams in national news and sport to break and share quality content across mastheads in a bid to grow digital subscriptions.
Journalist fears decline in regional coverage
Dorney covered PNG and the Pacific for the ABC for nearly 40 years and is a recipient of the Order of Australia (AO) in this year’s Queen’s birthday honours for “distinguished service to Australia-Papua New Guinea relations, to the broadcast media as a journalist, and as an author”.
Dorney, who in 2018 received the Walkley Award for outstanding contribution to journalism, told The Australian he was concerned with the lack of attention and resources Australian media was paying to its closest neighbours.
A recipient of the AM this year was former editor-in-chief of The Age and founder of The Conversation, Andrew Jaspan.
Jaspan tells of being recruited in London by former Fairfax executive and later ABC managing director Mark Scott.
“I got a call out of the blue from him in 2004. They were interviewing a bunch of editors in London and could I meet him. I didn’t know who he was, but went to London and met him and ended up being offered the job.”
Tom Krause: Mark Day remembers a man of passion
He had it in spades. It drove him to excellence in his journalism for newspapers and television; it drove him in his love and commitment to family; it drove him near to obsession in his support of his football heroes, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Sydney Swans, and it occasionally spilled over to become the stuff of newsroom legends.
It was passion that brought Tom to Australia in 1971. He was so radically opposed to the policies of Richard Nixon in Vietnam that he left his job at United Press International and sought exemption from the draft by enlisting as a teacher in New York’s troubled Harlem. He said at the time: “I would rather teach disadvantaged kids in Harlem than shoot Vietnamese kids in a war I hated.”
After hitching a ride on an Israeli freighter, he arrived in Sydney and soon landed a teaching job in western Sydney. But not for long. His fellow American dissenter and migrant James McCausland coaxed him back to journalism at The Australian, where he wrote for the literary section and as a television critic.
He became The Australian’s foreign editor in 1974 – a post he held for a decade. I worked with Tom in this period and saw his prodigious worth ethic; first in each morning to sift the daily cables and often last to leave, ensuring his pages were as up to the minute as possible.
AFR amends, defends, apologises for criticised cartoon
Both Rowe and the Financial Review apologised for unintended hurt and offence caused by the cartoon published in last weekend’s AFR Weekend.
At the same time, the Financial Review and Rowe maintained that the cartoon contained no Jewish references, even though they understood why some readers had interpreted the imagery differently.
Frydenberg said on Sky news Monday night that Rowe was a brilliant cartoonist, that he accepted the cartoonist’s explanation and that “we all move on”.
Controversy surrounds Mike Carlton’s honour in Queen’s Birthday list
Carlton, who supports Australia becoming a republic, received an AM in the Queen’s Birthday 2020 honours list yesterday for significant services to print and broadcast media and naval history.
He resigned from his longstanding role as a columnist at The Sydney Morning Herald in 2014 after Fairfax asked him to apologise for sending abusive emails and tweets to Jewish readers where he called them ‘Jewish bigot’, ‘pissant’ and ‘Likudnik’.
But his abuse continued in his retirement where he has used sexualised and violent language in tweets about women.
Despite Carlton’s well-publicised history of abuse towards Jews and women, ABC breakfast host Michael Rowland and Chair of Australian Republic Movement Peter FitzSimons both publicly commended Carlton for his honour.
Television
Boy George, Kelly Rowland filming The Voice remotely due to COVID-19
International pop stars Boy George and Kelly Rowland have been forced to film new episodes of the series remotely due to COVID-19 travel restrictions preventing them from entering Australia.
The pair have started mentoring artists via Facetime and a real-time satellite feed from studios in London and Los Angeles respectively will be used for judging upcoming live performances.
The Voice‘s executive producer, Leigh Aramberri, said the show’s set had also been completely rebuilt to adhere to government guidelines. Initial episodes of The Voice were shot in Sydney earlier this year prior to widespread stay-at-home orders but production had been suspended by March due to the global health crisis.
“Big Brother is as mischievous as ever!” exec producer tells TV Tonight
“I feel like we’ve taken the best parts and put it into a jam-packed, entertaining 90 minutes of television.
“Every episode there are outcomes and pace. It’s got everything that we love about Big Brother which is hilarious house tasks and soap opera that comes from living within a bunch of strangers. But then there’s a new injection of game where they have to vote themselves out.”
Big Brother 2020 has shaken up a 20 year format under Fisk, whose work on Australian Survivor has been a hit with fans and Network 10.
Now Seven is hoping a rebooted version of the Dutch-created show will spruce up its schedule. Fisk, who worked on two seasons of the UK and one of the Australian series, has looked to more recent versions for inspiration.
This sees fundamental changes including a highly-produced series, no live eviction shows with audience voting (the grand final will return both), and housemates who vote to evict their own. Like Survivor, each episode entails a challenge and nominations ceremony including the first.