Sydney

• 2GB leads with Jones steady, but Hadley surges to 17.5%
• WSFM #1 FM as smoothfm and KIIS both slip, K&J #1
• 2Day FM biggest market mover as daytime numbers lift

UP: 2Day FM +1.2
DOWN: smoothfm 95.3 -1.2

Read more: Sydney Radio Ratings 2020: GfK Survey 1

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Melbourne

• 3AW holds at #1 despite summer slide except evenings
• Gold remains #1 FM, Fox recovers, Nova & smooth up too
• Ross & John and Christian O’Connell the breakfast champs

UP: Fox, Nova & smooth all +1.1
DOWN: 3AW -2.3

Read more: Melbourne Radio Ratings 2020: GfK Survey 1

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Brisbane

• Triple M rules in tight market with 0.5 separating FM players
• 97.3 tumbles as Triple M and Hit 105 share breakfast leadership

UP: Nova 106.9 +0.7
DOWN: 97.3FM -1.6

Read more: Brisbane Radio Ratings 2020: GfK Survey 1

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Adelaide 

• Mix #1 overall and breakfast, Fiveaa audience still on holidays
• Cruise only commercial station to lift share in survey 1

UP: Cruise 1323 +1.0
DOWN: Fiveaa -2.8

Read more: Adelaide Radio Ratings 2020: GfK Survey 1

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Perth

•Nova and 96FM battle it out in Wild West, as Mix share tumbles
•Nathan, Nat & Shaun breakfast champs, but here come Fred & Lisa

UP: 96FM + 1.6
DOWN: Mix 94.5 -3.5

Read more: Perth Radio Ratings 2020: GfK Survey 1

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With his nightly sports show making up a major part of Triple M’s sports coverage Mediaweek caught up with Geyer ahead of the new NRL season to talk about rugby league, The Rush Hour and working on TV.

Geyer says that in the new NRL season he expects the Parramatta Eels, his beloved Penrith Panthers and the North Queensland Cowboys to do well but says that the beauty of the game is he could be wrong on all accounts.

“Rugby League is our bread and butter; I love my cricket, but this summer was underwhelming with Pakistan and New Zealand not really offering up any opposition. The reason rugby league is so delectable is you don’t know what is going to happen each week.”

At 52 Geyer admits he is still learning every day, especially after the big career adjustment caused by moving from a breakfast radio team to having his own nightly program.

“At first I was really nervous and apprehensive, being a part of a four-wheel team was a lot easier on The Grill Team, but now I have a fantastic host in Liam Flanagan who has been around a long time, so having him as the anchor is fantastic.”

“I love having a show where I can have total autonomy on content with my team of producers and the message is to just have fun and don’t be monotonous.”

With over 10 years at Triple M Geyer has become a mainstay of their radio line up, and he says that is due to the fact that radio suites him so well.

“I found my medium with radio, because you can hear someone’s passion through a radio, with TV it’s a lot harder to exude passion without looking a bit silly. You have to be really structured with TV and there is an old saying hurry up and wait.”

This hasn’t stopped Geyer from experimenting with TV including stints with Channel Nine, and Fox Sports, but he admits that he wasn’t comfortable on TV.

“I get nervous when I do TV, with radio I don’t I just dive in and think I am talking to myself without realising there are thousands of cars on the drive home listening to me.”

Geyer says people didn’t necessarily take him seriously when he said that he wanted to go into media post-retirement, but he had a simple approach to just say yes.

“Everyone I spoke to about retirement asked me what I wanted to do and I said I wanted to do media and they said everyone wants to do that. But when I retired, I didn’t say no to anyone, so I was doing C91.3 in Campbelltown with Rob Duckworth and Malcolm Lees and did some calling for ABC, I have worked for every station in Sydney.”

With that strategy of not saying no Geyer has returned to TV with Channel Seven being a contributor on Monday nights, although he says that there is one thing that helps his nerves.

“I would rather do live TV, like radio you are in the moment like a footy game you can’t push pause and say can I do that again?”

Geyer is enjoying the lifestyle change of swapping breakfast radio for the 6 pm slot, after opening a new gym one kilometre from his house. He says that it is a frantic lifestyle but he has wanted to do it for a long time, although he now finds himself working the same hours as breakfast radio.

“I thought about doing this 10 years ago and the fact that I was doing breakfast radio eliminated that option, but now I am doing it with my son and he is a lot of help and its fantastic.”

Seven’s AFL team returns in 2020 with an even more star-studded commentary line-up after snaring recently retired superstars Luke Hodge and Jobe Watson in the off-season’s biggest recruiting coup, and welcomes back AFLW icon Daisy Pearce following a year away from the game.

The fan favourites who have long made Seven the Home of Footy all return in 2020, including commentators Bruce McAvaney, Brian Taylor, James Brayshaw, Hamish McLachlan, Luke Darcy and Basil Zempilas.

Expert commentators Wayne Carey, Leigh Matthews, Matthew Richardson, Tim Watson, Cameron Ling and Jimmy Bartel are also back, while Gilbert McAdam, Abbey Holmes, Jude Bolton, Xavier Ellis, Mark Soderstrom, Jason Bennett, Nigel Carmody and Campbell Brown round out Seven’s team.

Triple Hawthorn premiership skipper Hodge will share his insights on the modern game as an expert commentator on Seven’s Friday Night Football coverage, where he will be joined by Melbourne skipper Pearce, who returns as a field commentator following the birth of her twins Sylvie and Roy last year.

Long-time Essendon captain Watson will bring all the experience he gleaned over a 220-game career into an expert comments role, working principally in the game’s newest marquee timeslot, Thursday night.

For Australia’s pre-eminent sports broadcaster McAvaney, the upcoming season promises to be as fiercely contested as any he’s seen.

“March is a magic time. On the precipice of an AFL season. All those thrillers and upsets await us. I can’t remember a more even competition, with nearly every team having finals aspirations and more than a handful with legitimate premiership chances,” McAvaney said.

“And the prospects of the stars – the players – ranging from Shaun Burgoyne who plays his 377th game in round one to Marlion Pickett, who plays his second. Just who will win the battle between Martin, Fyfe and Dangerfield? Etcetera.”

Managing director Seven Melbourne and head of network sport Lewis Martin commented:

“A love of the game drives everything we do at Seven. From our incomparable admin, production and technical staff, to our commentary team led by the one and only Bruce McAvaney and Brian Taylor, we have one overriding goal – to make each and every viewer a part of the game. It’s what’s made Seven the Home of Footy for so long and it’s what will ensure Seven remains the only place to watch the football in 2020.”

Brendon Goddard is another big-name signing for Seven this season, with the former St Kilda and Essendon star joining a revamped Game Day line-up on Sunday mornings that includes host Hamish McLachlan, Leigh Matthews and Daisy Pearce.

Abbey Way has quickly become one of Seven’s most versatile hosts and this year she joins the footy team on The Kick, the pre-game show that kick-starts Saturday Night Footy.

Happy hour has also been extended at The Front Bar in 2020 with star funnyman and Carlton diehard Andy Lee joining Mick Molloy, Sam Pang and Andy Maher to share a laugh about the week in footy and catch up with stars of yesteryear and today.

Iconic AFL chat show Talking Footy will again be a fixture on Monday nights, when host Luke Darcy, Wayne Carey and Tim Watson debate all the game’s burning issues, while Tom Browne and Jacqui Felgate keep viewers up to date with the latest breaking news.

And Adam Cooney and Cam Luke will settle in on the sofa once more, offering viewers their unique take on the match of the round as Armchair Experts returns to 7plus.

Seven’s AFL coverage in 2020 will also feature:

AFLW – the remaining home and away rounds and all three weeks of the finals on Seven and 7plus
Thursday Night Football – nine games, up from eight in 2019
Live matches Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday
2020 AFL Grand Final exclusively

Fans in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia can again watch every game involving teams from their home states.

Seven’s guide to its Football Team

BRUCE McAVANEY
Host and Commentator

When it comes to sports broadcasting in Australia, Bruce has no equal. In recognition of his outstanding career, Bruce was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2002, and in the same year was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia, while in March 2020 he was honoured with the Melbourne Press Club Lifetime Achievement Award. His depth and breadth of sporting knowledge is boundless, while he brings his unbridled passion for AFL to Friday Night Football and other marquee matches.

BRIAN TAYLOR
Commentator

One of footy’s most respected and entertaining callers, Brian has formed a formidable partnership with Bruce McAvaney on Friday Night Football and other blockbuster matches since 2017, as well as leading Seven’s Sunday Football coverage. One of his generation’s best full-forwards, ‘BT’ kicked 527 goals over 140 games with Richmond and Collingwood, winning the Coleman Medal in 1986 with a season tally of 100 goals.

Social – Twitter: @BTBrianTaylor; Instagram: @bt_briantaylor

LUKE HODGE
Expert Comments

The long-time Hawthorn skipper established himself as one of great modern leaders in Australian sport over a highly decorated career that included 346 games (305 at the Hawks and 41 at Brisbane), four premierships, three All-Australian selections and two Norm Smith Medals.

After hanging up his boots at the end of the 2019 season, Luke joins Seven’s Friday Night Football team, where he will share his rare understanding of the modern game as an expert commentator.

Social – Twitter: @LHodge15; Instagram: @hodgey015

WAYNE CAREY
Expert Comments

Arguably the greatest player of all time, the two-time North Melbourne premiership captain will again deliver his keen insights and fearless opinions on Friday Night Football and Talking Footy. Over a glittering 272-game career that netted 727 goals, Wayne’s accolades included seven All-Australian selections, four best and fairests and two AFLPA MVP awards.

Social – Twitter: @waynecarey27

DAISY PEARCE
Expert Comments and Field Commentator

One of the foundation superstars of the AFLW, Daisy has returned to the field and the commentary box in 2020 after giving birth to twins Sylvie and Roy last February. The Melbourne captain is covering the AFLW season as an expert commentator, and once her 2020 playing commitments are over will join Seven’s AFL coverage on Friday nights as a field commentator.

Social – Twitter: @DaisyPearce6; Instagram: @daisypearce6

JOBE WATSON
Expert Comments

The former Essendon skipper enjoyed a stellar career as an inside midfielder, winning three best and fairest awards, the AFLPA’s best captain award in 2012 and two All-Australian selections. Jobe impressed in a guest commentary stint with Seven late last season and returns in a more permanent role in 2020, when he’ll be part of the Thursday Night Football team.

Social – Twitter: @JobeWatson; Instagram: @jobetwatson

MATTHEW RICHARDSON
Expert Comments

The Richmond great and crowd favourite will again be a key member of Seven’s AFL coverage and in 2020 will feature prominently in football’s newest marquee timeslot, Thursday nights, along with Saturday nights. He’ll also continue to part of all the Saturday pre-game fun on The Kick. One of Tasmania’s favourite sons, ‘Richo’ amassed 800 goals in an acclaimed playing career, and remains the all-time leading goalkicker at the MCG with 464.

Social – Twitter and Instagram: @mattricho0

LUKE DARCY
Commentator

The highly respected former Bulldogs star is regarded as one of the best ruck-forwards of the modern era. A winner of the Leigh Matthews Trophy as the AFL Player’s Association’s MVP, the father of four has carved out a burgeoning career as a radio and TV personality, and will again call Saturday Night Footy on Seven in 2020, and host Talking Footy.

GILBERT McADAM
Field Commentator

Gilbert became the first Indigenous player to win the SANFL’s coveted Magarey Medal in 1989 before bringing his sublime talents to the AFL, where he played 111 games with St Kilda and Brisbane. A breath of fresh air since joining Seven as a field commentator, viewers have quickly warmed to Gilbert’s down-to-earth manner and engaging delivery.

CAMERON LING
Expert Comments

Cameron was one of the AFL’s elite taggers over a decorated 12-season career with Geelong that included the 2007, 2009 and 2011 flags – the latter as skipper – the Cats’ 2004 best and fairest award and All-Australian selection in 2007. Since 2012 ‘Lingy’ has been an integral member of Seven’s AFL coverage, delivering sharp insights on expert comments and as a boundary rider.

Social – Twitter: @CameronLing

TIM WATSON
Expert Comments

Tim is truly one of the game’s greats. Inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2000, he played in three premierships with Essendon and was one of the League’s most skillful and explosive midfielders during the 1980s. An articulate and insightful observer of the game, Tim also presents sport for 7NEWS Melbourne each weeknight, and is a panellist on Talking Footy.

Social – Twitter: @timwatson32; Instagram: @timwatson7

LEIGH MATTHEWS
Expert Comments

One of the Australian Football Hall of Fame’s select group of Legends, Leigh won a combined eight premierships as a player and coach, captained Hawthorn and Victoria, and won a record eight best and fairest awards with the Hawks. When Leigh speaks, in his forthright and pragmatic manner, he sets the footy agenda.

Social – Twitter: @LeighRMatthews

HAMISH McLACHLAN
Host and Commentator

Hamish is one of Seven’s most versatile broadcasters, having hosted and commentated on a wide range of sports including the AFL, horse racing, the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games. He has hosted Game Day since 2008 and this season will again host Friday Night Countdown, while his half-time interviews with the NAB AFL Auskicker of the Week have become viewer favourites. An accurate and entertaining play-by-play commentator, Hamish will call for Seven on Thursday nights and Sundays.

JAMES BRAYSHAW
Commentator

Following a distinguished first-class cricket career that saw him average 42.53 runs across 75 matches as a top-order batsman, James has become one of the most respected hosts and commentators in Australian sport. He will again bring his upbeat style to the AFL commentary team on Thursday nights and Saturday Night Football.

Social – Instagram: @jamesbrayshaw

ABBEY HOLMES
Field Commentator

A late convert to football after a promising netball career, Abbey led the Northern Territory Football League’s goalkicking table and won a premiership in each of her first four seasons, memorably becoming the first woman to kick 100 goals in a season in 2013-14. A premiership player with Adelaide in the AFLW’s inaugural 2017 season, Abbey has been a great addition to Seven’s AFLW and AFL coverage in recent years, both as an expert and field commentator.

Social – Twitter and Instagram: @abbeycholmes

ABBEY WAY
Host – The Kick

Abbey has presented across Seven’s cricket, racing and Brownlow Medal coverage with poise, grace and an infectious enthusiasm. As the granddaughter of Australian middle-distance great Herb Elliott, sport is in Abbey’s blood. She hosted the opening match of Seven’s 2020 AFLW coverage, and will step into the host’s chair for The Kick this season.

Social – Twitter: @abbey_gelmi; Instagram: abbey_way

JIMMY BARTEL
Field Commentator

The 2007 Brownlow medallist continues on Seven as a field commentator, where his knowledge and keen understanding of the modern game shines through. One of the biggest stars of the Geelong golden era that netted the 2007, 2009 and 2011 flags, Bartel won the 2011 Norm Smith Medal and invariably rose to the occasion in finals and other big games.

Social – Instagram: @jrb03

BRENDON GODDARD
Game Day – Panellist

Brendon enjoyed an outstanding 334-game career with St Kilda and Essendon, playing an instrumental role in the Saints’ Grand Final teams of 2009-10 and as a senior player in inexperienced Bomber sides. The dual All-Australian joins Game Day this season as a regular panellist, where viewers can look forward to him voicing forthright opinions regardless of whose feathers he ruffles.

Social – Twitter: @BrendonGoddard9; Instagram: @ brendon_goddard

BASIL ZEMPILAS
Commentator

Basil is an acclaimed TV host, reporter and commentator, having covered AFL in Perth for more than 20 years, as well as calling at six Olympic Games. Basil will again be a valued member of Seven’s commentary team in 2020 as a caller who strikes the perfect balance between accuracy, passion and fun.

Social – Twitter: @BasilZempilas; Instagram: @basil_zempilas

JUDE BOLTON
Field Commentator

The dual Swans premiership hero takes on a field commentary role again on Seven’s AFL team, primarily at games in Sydney. Known for his undying determination and brutal attack on the football over a 325-game career, Jude still shares the AFL record for the most tackles ever in a single game with 19, and is a member of the Sydney Swans Hall of Fame.

Social – Twitter: @Jude_Bolton; Instagram: jude_bolton

XAVIER ELLIS
Field Commentator

A premiership player with Hawthorn in 2008 and a member of West Coast’s 2015 Grand Final team, Xavier will again report for Seven from the boundary at AFL matches in Perth. The No.3 pick in the 2005 NAB AFL Draft, Xavier played 120 games from 2007-2016.

Social – Twitter: @XaviEllis18; Instagram: xavierellis18

MARK SODERSTROM
Field Commentator

Mark played 121 SANFL games for North Adelaide, Glenelg and Sturt. A 7NEWS sports presenter in Adelaide, Mark returns as a field commentator in Seven’s 2020 AFL coverage.

Social – Twitter: @Mark_Soda

JASON BENNETT
Commentator

The award-winning sports broadcaster was an AFL commentator from 2002-2006 before embarking on an international posting with ESPN and its popular program Aussies Abroad. Jason has been back calling footy on Seven since 2015, covering a mix of AFL, AFLW and VFL matches.

Social – Twitter: @JasonBennettTV; Instagram: jasonbennetttv

NIGEL CARMODY
Commentator

After a decorated VFL career that spanned 12 seasons with Casey Scorpions and Collingwood, Nigel has been part of Seven’s commentary team since 2015, working on AFL, AFLW and VFL matches.

Social – Twitter: @NigelCarmody; Instagram: @nigelcarmody

CAMPBELL BROWN
Field Commentator

An All-Australian in 2007 and Hawthorn premiership player in 2008, Campbell was a ferocious competitor who attacked the contest fearlessly. His love of the game and engaging personality shines through in his field commentary on Seven’s VFL coverage, while he regularly explores the lighter side of the game on The Kick.  

Social – Twitter: @Browndogg_30x; Instagram: @browndog_30x

JACQUI FELGATE
Footy Central and Talking Footy

An accomplished presenter and reporter, Jacqui will deliver the latest breaking news for fans in Footy Central and Talking Footy. Jacqui also presents 7NEWS Melbourne’s weekend sports bulletins.

Social – Twitter: @Jacquifelgate; Instagram: @jacquifelgate7

TOM BROWNE
Talking Footy

An award-winning news-breaker, Tom will work across 7NEWS, Seven’s AFL broadcast and 7NEWS.com.au, while breaking the big stories and discussing the game’s burning issues on Talking Footy.

Social – Twitter: @TomBrowne7; Instagram: @tbrowne01

ADAM COONEY
Armchair Experts

The 2008 Brownlow medallist has always been one of the game’s great characters and he’s given free rein to let his personality shine and have a laugh at the lighter side of the game on Armchair Experts.

Social – Twitter: @Adamcooney17; Instagram: @adamcooney17

CAM LUKE
Armchair Experts

Cam is a long-time sports presenter who will again take his spot on the Armchair Experts sofa alongside regular sparring partner Adam Cooney to chat about all the hot topics that come out of the match of the round.

Social – Twitter: @camluke; Instagram: @camjluke

—

Top Photo: Seven’s Luke Hodge, Bruce McAvaney, Brian Taylor and Daisy Pearce

Headlining Nine’s enhanced coverage of AFL in 2020 is Footy Classified, returning for its 14th season on Monday, March 16, at 9pm.

Footy Classified will reunite Craig Hutchison, Caroline Wilson and Matthew Lloyd in the must-watch Monday night timeslot. Joining them this year will be the outspoken South Australian Kane Cornes, who played 300 games for Port Adelaide before retiring in 2015.

And it took a while to be confirmed, but Nine will launch a second, midweek edition of Footy Classified in 2020.

Premiering on March 18 at 10pm, the Wednesday edition of Footy Classified will bring Eddie McGuire back to Nine’s prime-time schedule, joining Caroline Wilson and Matthew Lloyd on the panel. Rounding out the team will be former St Kilda and Fremantle coach Ross Lyon, who joins the Nine family for the 2020 season.

See also:
Eddie McGuire: How host negotiated with Foxtel for Nine role he doesn’t have yet

Another big-name Nine recruit is highly respected journalist Sam McClure, who will play a role on both editions of Footy Classified as the program’s newsbreaker, as well as providing the latest unfolding news developments across The Age and 3AW. McClure will also be heard Monday to Friday at 6.00pm on 3AW’s Sportsday program, alongside Gerard Healy.

The Sunday Footy Show will be back for an incredible 28th season from 10.00am on Sunday, March 22.

This year’s lineup is unchanged: the winning combination of host Tony Jones alongside former AFL superstars Matthew Lloyd, Nathan Brown, Kane Cornes, Billy Brownless and Damian Barrett. Plus, Sam Newman will make special guest appearances throughout the year.

Oval Office also returns in 2020, featuring interviews with AFL players and hosted by Sam Edmund.

Free-to-air’s only dedicated AFLW program, Women’s Footy, brings viewers the latest news, opinion and analysis in and around the women’s AFL competition.

Complementing Nine’s broadcast television slate will be three digital programs available on 9Now and YouTube.

Full Time with Crawf, presented by AFL legend Shane Crawford and Nine News reporter Ayrton Woolley, will drop across digital channels at 8.30pm each Sunday, starting March 22. With a recap of the day’s footy action, Full Time with Crawf will also tackle the headlines and key talking points from the week, taking a look at post-match media conferences and bringing viewers up to date with the latest on injuries, reports and suspensions.

Our second new digital program is Talk of the Town, on Wednesday afternoons, starting March 18. Each week, Sam McClure, Warren Tredrea and Seb Costello will dissect the key issues in footy’s heartland. We’ll have agenda-setters across the country and Talk of the Town will be their platform to zero in on the big news in their respective markets that may not be making headlines elsewhere.

Rounding out Nine’s new digital lineup is the third program, Home Ground. Hosted by Shane Crawford, Home Ground will document the life of AFL players away from the game. It will feature retired players in their natural environment as they recount fond memories of their careers, and provide an insight into the private lives of current players as we explore their hobbies, pets, partners and favourite haunts.

Nine’s AFL executive producer, Matt Conway, said: “Footy on Nine will make its mark in 2020. Nine’s award-winning team of commentators and journalists will come together across television, newspapers, radio and online to provide unique insight. The digital space provides an exciting new ground for us to share stories about the game we love.”

—

Top Photo: Nine’s Sunday Footy Show team with Tony Jones (centre)

McCann confirmed the appointment of Jake Millar as editor of GQ Australia and Christopher Riley as deputy editor.

Millar was promoted to acting editor of GQ Australia in December 2019. He began his career with the brand in 2011 as an editorial assistant, and has worked as the magazine’s features writer, features editor and he became deputy editor in November 2017.

Riley joined GQ Australia in July 2017, as senior sub editor, he then became senior editor and was promoted to acting deputy editor in December 2019.

Grant Pearce, the original publication director of GQ Australia, re-joins the business in a strategic consultancy role as commercial editor to drive commercial content across the brand’s experiential, digital and print offerings. Pearce returns to Australia from China where he has been editorial director GQ – Conde Nast Asia Pacific since 2008. He continues to hold an advisory role with GQ in the greater APAC region.

Grant Pearce

Pearce will work closely with McCann and Millar, and strengthen the brand’s ties with the broader GQ international family.

McCann said: “GQ Australia is going through a really exciting evolution. I’m delighted to confirm Jake and Chris’ appointments, under their direction the brand has been refocused and we’re already seeing growth, particularly in digital where the young male audience is.

“We are very lucky to have Grant returning to the business. The international experience, knowledge and creativity that he brings to GQ Australia in this new role expands our capacity to create more commercially lead digital and print content opportunities for our partners to reach the highly engaged GQ Australia audience.”

The March/April 2020 issue of GQ Australia, on sale on 19 March, also marks a redesign of the magazine with streamlined art direction featuring a cleaner, modern design.

—

Top Photo: Jake Millar

Directors Warwick Thornton (Sweet Country) and Wayne Blair (Top End Wedding) teamed up to film Mystery Road in Western Australia Dampier Peninsular and Broome regions.

 The six-part series stars Aaron Pedersen alongside new cast member Sofia Helin (The Bridge) alongside Jada Alberts, Callan Mulvey, Tasma Walton, Rob Collins, Ngaire Pigram, Mark Mitchinson, Ursula Yovich, Rhimi Johnson, Gary Sweet, Fletcher Humphrys, Joel Jackson, John Brumpton, Eve Morey, Stan Yarramunua and Tasia Zalar (who was nominated for the TV Week Logie Graham Kennedy Award for her performance in season one).

Season two was produced by Bunya Productions for the ABC, with funding support from Screen Australia’s Indigenous Department, Screenwest, the Western Australian Regional Film Fund supported by Royalties for Regions and Screen NSW. all3media International will handle the international sales.

ABC described the new season as:

Detective Jay Swan (Pedersen) take on a grisly case in a new town in order to be closer to his family, but has he left it too late? Set in a small coastal community where the desert meets the ocean, secrets past and present run deep and dark. Jay must reconcile the law and deep lore and confront a dangerous enemy in a world where deception is king.

Mystery Road season one will also be available on ABC iview from 19 April.

Wentworth Con is the official fan convention dedicated to the Australian drama. The event will allow Australian fans to meet and interact with the stars of Wentworth with panels, audience Q&A, photo ops, autograph signing sessions, and more in Melbourne on June 13-14.

The season 8 cast includes Leah Purcell (Rita Connors), Pamela Rabe (Joan ‘The Freak’ Ferguson), Kate Atkinson (Vera Bennett), Katrina Milosevic (Sue ‘Boomer’ Jenkins), Robbie Magasiva (Will Jackson), Kate Jenkinson (Allie Novak), Bernard Curry (Jake Stewart), Rarriwuy Hick (Ruby Mitchell), Susie Porter (Marie Winter).

It was reported last October that season 8 will feature heritage characters from the original series Prisoner. These new characters include Kate Box (Upright, Les Norton, Rake) as former top dog of Wentworth, Lou Kelly with a reputation for impulsive brutality; Zoe Terakes (Janet King, The End) as Rebel ‘Reb’ Keane a man trapped inside a woman’s skin and Jane Hall (Neighbours, House Husbands) as the new General Manager, Ann Reynolds who charms her colleagues but treats her prisoners with hard line prejudice.

Wentworth is a Fremantle production for Foxtel with Fremantle Director of Scripted, Jo Porter and Foxtel’s Senior Drama Consultant, Penny Win as executive producers. Pino Amenta is series producer for season eight. The directors are Kevin Carlin, Beck Cole, Fiona Banks, Corrie Chen, Roger Hodgman and Mat King. The writers are John Ridley, Kim Wilson, Pete McTighe, Max Conroy and Marcia Gardner, who is both script producer and writer. Season 8 is supported by funding from Film Victoria.

Not only were there no new entries to the top five but they stayed in the same order as no film was able to shake up the charts.

The Invisible Man was once again #1 making $2.19m which is more than a quarter of the total box office generated this weekend.

#1 The Invisible Man $2.19m

Directed by Australian Leigh Whannell and filmed in Australia the remake of the classic horror film had a fantastic second week after only losing 13% of its revenue from its opening weekend. It was shown on 322 screens which were the same amount as last week as the film averaged $6,828.

#2 Sonic the Hedgehog $1.35m

After four weeks Sonic the Hedgehog has managed to stay in the top two with its total now sitting at $10.88m after averaging $4,685 on 290 screens.

#3 Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears $638,649

The Aussie flick has spent a second week in the top five and is currently the highest grossing local film of the year with a total of $2.34m. This weekend it averaged $2,047 on 312 screens.

#4 Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) $412,867

After five weeks the film starring Australian Margot Robbie now has a total of $10.58m after averaging $1,651 on 250 screens this past weekend.

#5 The Call of the Wild $365,122

After three weeks of release, the film based on the novel of the same name has brought its total to $2.17m. This past weekend the film averaged $1,404 on 260 screens.

This will mark the 25^th year of Formula 1 racing in Melbourne as the drivers line up for the season opener at Albert Park.

Fox Sports will air the F1 as part of the Festival of Fast, a week-long celebration of motorsport including every qualifying session and race live in HD and ad-break free. The Festival of Fast will also feature Supercars in the Beaurepaires Melbourne 400 and the NTT Indycar Series live from St. Petersburg, Florida, with up to 33 hours of live action.

From Monday to Wednesday, Foxtel will gear up for Grand Prix week with classic F1 races including drives such as Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Alan Jones on the greatest circuits from Monaco to Melbourne and Adelaide.

Head of Fox Sports, Peter Campbell said: “In 2020 we’ll deliver the best coverage for motorsport fans, all in one place on Foxtel, from F1, Supercars and Indycar to MotoGP and World Superbikes.

“We simply have the best coverage of F1 and after the season opener in Melbourne, Fox Sports will be the only place to watch every race from practice through to the main race live.”

A blockbuster week of motorsport will feature the best drivers in the world when Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Valtteri Bottas try to halt Lewis Hamilton in his pursuit for a record equaling seventh drivers’ title.

Daniel Ricciardo will undoubtedly be looking for a better performance after a disappointing 2019 on his home track and will be looking to start the season with a podium finish which he was unable to achieve last year in his first year with Renault.

Fox Sports will bring Sky Sports Formula 1 coverage to Australian viewers. In Melbourne, ex-drivers, Martin Brundle, 2009 World Champion Jenson Button, Johnny Herbert and commentators Ted Kravitz and David Croft will form the line-up, plus give fans all the news and analysis from on the ground at every race.

Trackside for Fox Sports coverage of the Australian Grand Prix and Supercars will be Mark Skaife, Craig Lowndes and host Jess Yates, alongside Supercars experts Neil Crompton and Greg Murphy, and technical analyst Mark Larkham.

Chris Stubbs and Riana Crehan will keep fans up to date with the latest and breaking news from pit lane.

10’s team will feature Aussie F1 legend Mark Webber and motorsport caller and presenter Matt White alongside host Roz Kelly, F1 expert Tom Clarkson, F1 great Alan Jones and reporters Scott Mackinnon and Kate Peck for all the wheel-to-wheel action and trackside colour.

2020 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix on 10: 
Friday, 13 March. 10.30am – 6.00pm AEDT on 10 Bold – Formula One Practice
Saturday, 14 March. 11.00am – 6.30pm AEDT on 10 – Formula One Qualifying
Sunday, 15 March. 11.00am – 6.00pm AEDT on 10 – Formula One Race

2020 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix on Fox Sports:

Thu, Mar 12
Supercars Practice 1 11.55am
Supercars Practice 2 1.35pm
Supercars Qualifying 4.10pm
Supercars Trackside 4.45pm

Fri, Mar 13
Supercars Qualifying 10.10am
F1 Practice 1 12.00pm
Supercars Race 1 1.50pm
F1 Practice 2 3.45pm

Sat, Mar 14 Coverage begins 11.15am
F1 Qualifying & Supercars Live with no ad-breaks during racing
Supercars Race 2 12.00pm
F1 Practice 3 1.45pm
Supercars Race 3 3.20pm
F1 Qualifying 4.00pm

Sun, Mar 15 Coverage begins 11.00am
F1 & Supercars Live with No ad-breaks during racing
Supercars Race 4 1.00pm
F1 – Rolex Australian Grand Prix (58 laps) 4.10pm

Homestays time on MAFS with the grooms taking their wives to inspect their residences. With no major sporting event up against it the Monday episode pushed back above 1m to 1.030m. The series continues to hold the top 16 spots on OzTAM’s VPM report with three of those episodes now over 400,000.

Earlier in the night A Current Affair Monday featured two things most people hate – a public transport cougher and bad neighbours. The episode did 805,000, another season high breaking the record set last week, after an average of 696,000 last week.

Episodes of Botched followed instead of a Monday movie with audiences of 404,000 and 237,000.

House Colin was doing its best in a fine dining takeover with some mixed results on My Kitchen Rules: The Rivals. Monday was on 483,000 after 451,000 a week ago.

Home and Away Monday was on 602,000 after a week 10 average of 572,000.

9-1-1 then did 387,000 followed by the new Monday hour of The Latest with Michael Usher on 189,000.

A bright spot for Seven is the continued leadership of Sunrise, with 259,000 it was over 100,000 ahead of Today which set a new low on 155,000.

Night 33 of life on Australian Survivor: All Stars and episode 16 threw up a number of surprises. The episode started with a mud basketball battle for a BBQ reward. Lee had terrible news from home about his mum having a stroke and the whole camp was in shock. There were tears and a round of applause as he departed the series to return home. The mood was sombre at the immunity challenge, but the game continued. At Tribal Council Jonathan dropped a bombshell: “Tonight things are going to be a little different. The three people with the most votes are going to Exile Beach.” Those three going were Brooke, AK and Moana– the latter not looking very happy about it. Monday delivered the biggest audience of the season – 701,000 after 611,000 a week ago.

The Project 7pm did a healthier 518,000 after an average of 403,000 last week. Spice Girl Melanie C and comedian Stephen K Amos were among the guests.

Peter Helliar and Em Rusciano were among the guests on Hughesy, We Have a Problem with 351,000 watching after 335,000 a week ago.

The ABC’s Monday featured Chinese journalist Vicky Xu in Australia on Australian Story with 662,000 watching after 600,000 a week ago.

Four Corners featured an investigation from the BBC’s Panorama into Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein. The audience was 645,000 after 482,000 last week.

Media Watch started with looking at how the media whipped up some of the hysteria associated with coronavirus-linked panic buying. Attention then turned to the demise of AAP. The episode did 644,000.

Q&A featured an episode on education, asking if we are failing. The episode was on 412,000 after 389,000 last week.