Zambrero has appointed indie shop Supermassive to its agency roster, after the Mexican restaurant chain held a competitive creative pitch, Mediaweek can reveal.

Laura Aldington, Simone Gupta, and Jon Austin’s agency takes over the account from fellow independent Today the Brave, which won the business a year ago, in April 2023.

Mediaweek understands that Today the Brave did not defend the account or take part in the pitch.

Supermassive and Today the Brave declined to comment. Zambrero said, “We work with a range of agencies, one of which is Supermassive,” and would not provide further comment.

Left to right: Laura Aldington, Simone Gupta and Jon Austin

Before Today the Brave’s tenure with the business, Lionize held the brand’s creative account, but its contract was terminated when the agency went into administration in October 2022. A few weeks later, the agency was revived with a New Zealand-based owner.

Zambrero has more than 265 restaurants globally, and was founded in 2005 by 21-year-old Sam Prince. Between 2012 and 2015, it expanded from 20 restaurants to over 100. 

Announcing the appointment of Today the Brave in 2023, general manager of marketing Samantha Parker said: “Our strong business performance has allowed us to work with ambitious creative partners such as Today the Brave that will help us accelerate our brand’s global growth, as well as support our extensive 200+ Australian restaurant network.”

Since its launch in June 2023, Supermassive has signed clients including P&O Cruises and Tourism Tropical North Queensland.

See also: P&O seeks to “elevate above a sea of sameness” in first brand platform in a decade

Nine has gone to market reporting its best-ever start to the year with all key demographics and Total People, but Seven told Mediaweek “Nine’s claims are all over the shop.”

“Its total TV and reach numbers for programs are national, but the audience shares it quotes are metro. Nine cannot have it both ways. Its inconsistent approach is confusing and undermines what story it is trying to tell.

“Seven, on the other hand, has a clear focus and consistent approach: we look at national audience shares, national audience growth and the national performance of our shows.”

Seven claimed that nationally, in the calendar year-to-date, Seven is the fastest-growing network with prime time total TV audience up 6%. 

As the end of Q1 looms at Nine, Michael Healy, director of television, reported Married at First Sight has grown the number of people watching by 3.1% year-on-year to record a Total TV audience of 2.074 million. On BVOD, 9Now stands at 714,000 viewers per episode, up 16.2% from last year. National cumulative reach stands at 12.14 million viewers. 

Other key shows for the network include A Current Affair (up 6.5%), Today (up 5.7%), and The Hundred with Andy Lee (up 13.8%). 

Healy added: “These results vindicate the commitment from the team at Nine and our partners to deliver content Australians want to watch in greater numbers.”

At Paramount, the broadcaster reported 10 Play as having its biggest start to the year ever, with viewing up 19%. Live stream viewing was up 46%, boosted by the addition of Live with Pluto TV FAST channels.

Paramount also said that February was 10 Play’s biggest viewing month ever, reaching 2.3 million Australians, up 20% on 2022.

Rod Prosser, chief sales officer at Paramount Australia told Mediaweek that the remaining content on the slate to round out the quarter is predicted to continue driving growth.  

“We’re now in pole position, ready to race with the F1 in Melbourne and then we’re heading to South Africa for the launch of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!. Our new co-host Robert Irwin joins Julia Morris, a pairing that’s had overwhelming market response, embraced by existing partners and attracting a swathe of new brands to the jungle.

“We’ve seen incredible sponsor uptake for both the F1 and I’m A Celebrity, in all categories, and we’re excited to deliver advertising excellence and market-leading brand integrations that drive results for our partners.

“And we’re just getting started. Our One Paramount strategy is about to go to the next level with the addition of Paramount+ ad tiers giving our partners even more utility to connect with younger audiences across our powerful content ecosystem.”

Paramount Global has announced that Beverley McGarvey has been appointed President of Network 10, head of streaming and regional lead for Australia and New Zealand. The news follows last month’s announcement that Paramount Australia EVP & chief operating and commercial officer, Jarrod Villani, had left the company. 

McGarvey’s new role is effective immediately, and will see her report to Pam Kaufman, President & CEO of international markets, global consumer products and experiences. She will also continue to lead Paramount+ in Australia, reporting to Marco Nobili, EVP and international general manager of Paramount+.

In her expanded role, McGarvey will have both commercial and creative leadership of Paramount’s business in Australia, with oversight of Network 10 and its portfolio of brands, including 10 Play. This is in addition to her current responsibilities.

Rod Prosser, chief sales officer, Paramount Australia and New Zealand will continue to work closely with McGarvey, with his portfolio now fully aligned with Paramount Advertising International. Prosser will report directly to Lee Sears, President international markets advertising sales.

Kaufman said: “Beverley is one of Australia’s leading media executives and has a proven track record of driving creative and commercial success in one of our most important, priority markets.

“With Beverley at the helm, we are well-positioned to maintain our strong position in Australia as the only global media company with a successful free-to-air network and powerful free and paid streaming platforms, powered by our global content pipeline and our range of originally produced Australian shows.”

McGarvey said: “I am excited to take on this expanded role at such a pivotal time for Paramount’s multi-platform business in Australia.

“I look forward to propelling the Australian business forward and working with the incredible local and international teams, under Pam’s leadership, as we continue to pursue our multi-platform growth strategy, investing in key commercial partnerships and contributing to our global pipeline of content.”

In February of last year, both Jarrod Villiani and McGarvey were promoted, with Villani adding regional lead for Australia to his resume, whilst McGarvey also became head of Paramount+ in Australia.

The pair had been working as co-leaders of the company, with Beverley McGarvey working as the company’s solo leader since the departure of Villani Paramount Global layoffs affected a reported 800 workers.

ARN’s chief content officer Duncan Campbell is “very comfortable” with Kyle & Jackie O‘s Melbourne start date of 29 April, and is confident the momentum will be sustained until launch.

While industry speculation about the launch date has been rife since January, Campbell tells Mediaweek: “To be honest, the plan was never to launch in January – we had to make sure the technology was right first, and we had to do a fair bit of upgrading of networking. We also moved out of Macquarie Park to North Sydney, so the combination of those meant that meant the delay.”

When asked what sort of feedback the ARN team has had in response to the upcoming launch, Campbell laughs. “One Melbourne journalist summed it up best – it’s trashy, but it’s fun, and it has universal appeal. It’s not designed for the media bubble of Sydney or Melbourne, it’s designed to work in Preston or Penrith.”

According to Campbell, the biggest hurdle ahead of the Kyle & Jackie O Show’s launch in Melbourne is changing the perception of Sandilands’ shock jock style – which he says “is not as prominent as it was.”

“The show has more dimension to it than it ever has, and Kyle is now more accessible than he ever has been. I think Melbourne will embrace it – it’s an exciting new show, which they haven’t had for quite a while.”

Campbell admits that he thinks it will take a while for the full impact of the show’s debut to become clear, and that it won’t be a “splash and straight to number one result in the first survey”, but that they’ll build up swiftly.

“It’s a gamble, but Christian O’Connell was a gamble as well. We’ll see whether we can get the trifecta – Kyle & Jackie O moving over from 2Day FM, signing Christian O’Connell, and Kyle & Jackie O networking into Melbourne.”

Last week, the duo’s Melbourne debut date was confirmed – which will come halfway through survey three. Byron Cooke has been holding down the breakfast show since Jase & Lauren were dumped from the KIIS 101.1 breakfast slot to make room for the Sydney radio juggernauts.

Around the network

Campbell describes the first survey to Mediaweek as “a bit of a mixed bag” for ARN, and a good indicator of how the network is going. He also makes the point that despite the hype around Kyle and Jackie O’s move into Melbourne, it’s crucial “not lose sight of the other networks.”

Having ended the year as Sydney’s top FM station, KIIS 106.5 has dipped a point for a 10.5% share, but kept the title of top cume with 1,456,000 – up by 25,000. WSFM dipped 1.5 points for a share of 7.5%, the biggest slide of the Sydney survey.

In Melbourne, Gold has climbed back into FM leadership with 2.4 point break over its rival in The Fox. The results in breakfast were also flipped with Christian O’Connell, Jack and Pats reclaiming the FM breakfast podium. On KIIS 101.1, Byron Cooke going solo in breakfast recorded a cume of nearly half a million.

Dipping 1.8 points, Brisbane’s KIIS 97.3 recorded a share of 8.2%. In breakfast,  Robin, Terry and Kip have dipped 1.3 points to record a 9.7% share.

“We’ve got some areas we need to work on, but some really strong results – particularly in Gold and KIIS 101.5, even though it came back a little bit, and Mix 102.3 was very strong in Adelaide. So no complaints from us.”

The biggest focus for Campbell’s team is Brisbane’s KIIS 97.3 – “We believe that Robin and Kip have loads of potential, we’ve just got to get that dynamic working properly.”

In Sydney, Campbell adds: “I’m not concerned about WSFM, smoothfm was marketing this survey, plus the school holidays ran for the first three weeks in New South Wales.”

Group programming director at Nova Entertainment Brendan Taylor speaks to Mediaweek about results from GfK radio ratings Survey 1, 2024.

smooth hits a bit of rough?

smoothfm 91.5 in Melbourne saw share slide close to 2.0 while cume dropped over 100,000. Taylor noted it remains a strong station in the market. The Sydney smooth station performed better where it was #1 FM.

“It’s just about the quality and the consistency of the smooth product. [Programmer] Pete Clay just continues to deliver for the brand. The Sydney results are just absolutely outstanding. Look at the 1.3 million cume – the leading FM station in market. The consistent performance of Simon Diaz and Byron Webb in their respective slots.”

It wasn’t such a smooth ride in Melbourne though. “Melbourne might just be the most talked about market this year from a radio perspective. The existing changes in breakfast, the impending changes in breakfast. The audience is trialling and flicking around the dial. “We will start to see where everyone will land in surveys two and three.”

Nova Sydney equals an all-time high

“It’s a really pleasing result, particularly for Tom Ivey and the whole Fitzy and Wippa with Kate breakfast team. It’s a record share for the show. A cume audience of 629,002 shows the audience is there. The content is constantly being refined and adjusted. It goes to our strategy this year of live and local.”

Nova strategy – live and local

As ARN plans more breakfast networking, the Nova message is loud and clear – “the power of a local connection with the audience”.

Taylor said there are learnings the team will take from Sydney Survey 1 and apply to the rest of the year. “We want to remain consistent and grow what we now have. I’m really happy for Kate, for Fitzy and for Wippa. They have worked very hard for this and today they have been able to hold their heads high.

“We’ve got a clear direction in where we want the show to be and what we want the show to present to the listeners. We’ve got our own benchmarks and we want to keep growing this show. It’s a heritage show in the market.”

Brisbane’s Ash, Susie and Luttsy

Brisbane stumbles

Nova 106.9 remains #1 in cume. But cume and share rankings for breakfast slipped.

“You’ve got to cop results like that when you get them from time to time. Brisbane is like Melbourne. It’s a very competitive market. And there are some very good shows in that market. Credit and respect to the competitors.

“Ash, Luttsy and Susie O’Neill are fiery competitors. They’re passionate competitors. We know the challenge ahead. For now we have to take the scorecard and improve on it.”

Jase and Lauren in their new Nova home

What could Jase and Lauren do?

Taylor wasn’t about to be lured into a forecast of where its third Melbourne breakfast show in just over 12 months might go.

“You’d be very brave to try and predict that. There’s a lot of talk about dynamics in the market. Jase and Lauren settling in well to [Nova 100 breakfast] and they are already part of the Nova family. It’s really early days. We heard the quality of their broadcasts at the back end of last year. We’re pleased that they now have a new home and we’re looking forward to the year ahead and to see where it’s at when it all settles down.”

Adelaide is Go

Both Nova 91.9 and Fiveaa lifted last week.

“There was a lot of change in the market. From a Nova perspective the cumes Jodie and Hayesy are doing are amazing for just their ninth metro survey. It’s been the most listened-to breakfast show for all those nine. It’s a competitive market, but they’re in double digits. They’re over 180,000. I couldn’t be happier with Emily and Jodie and Hayesy and Josh and the team. They do a great job and they’re setting themselves up for a great year.”

Perth’s Nathan, Nat and Shaun

Others still can’t catch Nova Perth breakfast

Mix made some big inroads this survey for SCA. But despite those gains, Mix still couldn’t nail the Nova breakfast champs.

“Nathan, Nat and Shaun have held a high average there for a number of years now. There are obviously some strong TSL results in that market [impacting the numbers]. We can’t be complacent regardless of the heritage nature of the shows. David McClung is leading the team over there and does a great job.

“Although breakfast remains strong, we will be working on that overall station result.”

What’s with a Late Drive slot?

Taylor is adamant Nova will find a receptive market for a late drive show. It’s the timeslot Ben, Liam and Belle are moving into – 6-8pm.

“We know there’s an audience there. It’s for the late commute. There’s an audience for a live show and it goes into our strategy about having live programming. We feel a live show at 6pm nationally will be received really well.”

See also:
Sydney Radio Ratings 2024 Survey 1: 2UE jumps to highest share in nearly a decade

Jase and Lauren Day 1 at Nova: First review – Lots of chat about KIIS sacking

While publishers have flagged concerns that if Meta pull news from its platforms, people will turn to influencers for updates that lack rigorous fact-checking processes, CEO of influencer agency Social Soup, Sharyn Smith, is less worried. 

“If they [influencers] dress it up by saying it’s fact, young people are quite savvy enough to check those facts. Let’s trust our youth to be savvy enough to work that one out,” Smith tells Mediaweek.

Young audiences are “educated on the perils of social media and where your opinions are coming from.” As a result, Smith believes they make the effort to look for multiple sources and triangulate information. “I think they’re actually trained to do that. To think more critically; they’ve grown up in that world.”

One consequence of Meta’s decision to not renew its news deals will be the return to trusted brands and mastheads, predicts Smith.
 
“AI is here to disrupt the world and content. I think people will start to look for what they can trust and where that source of information is coming from.”

Micro influencers driving ROI success

Micro-influencers with 10,000-100,000 followers are most effective at driving a return on investment (ROI) for brands, Smith notes. The fees for micro-influencers tend to range from $300 to $1,500.

“We have a massive community of micro-influencers that we work with on an ongoing basis. We don’t just put a handful of them in there; we put 80, we put hundreds into campaigns, and they send customised messages to their followers,” she says.

Smith adds that boosting micro-influencer work with paid media is a crucial element of a campaign’s success. “Micro-influencers are very cost-effective in terms of the fees that you need to pay them to create the content. The organic reach can be boosted to millions by putting paid behind their content.”

“You’re getting the best of both worlds. You’re getting amazing, authentic content, but then you can target that to specific audiences.”

For example, in Social Soup and PepsiCo’s Simply Chips campaign, which recently won the 2023 AiMCO Award for Most Effective Campaign for ROI, the team relied upon micro-influencers, and reported 10x ROI over the nine month campaign, resulting in close to 56,000 in-store trials, 4,350 networking occasions, and 600 reviews.

The campaign also drove 56,000 in-store trials thanks to nano influencers sharing the product with friends and family. The next layer up was 80 micro-influencers, who were sent packs of the chips as they launched, created content within their networks, and customised it for their followers.

“In that particular campaign, we focused on sales and conversions. So, we focused on the smaller influencers because that’s traditionally what we would call bottom-of-funnel influence. It’s about working with bottom-up influence and that top-down influence approach.”

@Zdenka_eats

Working with influencers can be rewarding. But it carries risks, including brand safety: “This channel can be more detrimental to a brand than beneficial when it goes wrong. It can put the brand at risk when proper advertising disclosures aren’t followed, and the influencers aren’t following the additional guidelines.”

“When we work within a regulated industry or something that carries risk, we always pre-vet content before it goes live. We will check if the brand has a legal team that needs to see it,” Smith adds.

“It goes through a number of checks and balances before the influencer is given the go-ahead to post that content and ensures compliance and the right disclosures.

“Once it’s posted, we have technology that picks it up and makes sure that it matches what was intended, and then again, checks, compliance, and disclosure. So, a lot of checks and balances go in place to ensure that it’s effective and that it isn’t cause any trouble for the brand.”

@stepheats_

‘Move on from vanity metrics’: What 2024 has in store

Looking ahead, Smith is most driven by the agency’s continued growth and work on culturally impactful campaigns, including in the commercial, government, not-for-profit, and behaviour change spaces.

“It’s a balance of commercial and behaviour change campaigns that I’m excited about doing more of.”

Smith also highlights that innovation and big ideas around elevating social influence, measurement, and ROI evaluation are on the cards for Social Soup in 2024.

“I still think the industry needs to move on from vanity metrics like getting a certain number of impressions and reach,” she adds, “I’m pushing forward to show the impact of our influence in the real world.”
 
–

See also: The Daily Aus on Meta, international expansion, and remedying ‘Fontgate’
 
Top image: Sharyn Smith

AAMI has unveiled its new long-term brand platform with Ogilvy as it shifts from its “AAMI Does” branding, which has been in market since 2020.

This new platform by the agency embraces Australia’s quirks and challenges while reinvigorating the insurance provider’s long-standing tagline, “Lucky you’re with AAMI.” 

Launching this week with a humorous milestone, the platform extends across TV, cinema, BVOD and online, plus OOH, audio and digital display. It uses Dorothea Mackellar’s iconic poem ‘My Country’, juxtaposed with the very unlucky – and very Australian – scenarios that our lucky country sometimes faces.

Ogilvy Melbourne ECD Hilary Badger said the AAMI brand promise has always been positive in the face of life’s big and little inconveniences, which she noted is the essence of “Lucky you’re with AAMI”.

“And given that Australia is a big place with its quirks and challenges, Australians need easy insurance. That’s why this latest campaign has used a fun and laconic Australian tone, Mackellar’s widely recognised reflections mixed with some visual humour to reinforce what makes the AAMI brand so special, and its effortless insurance unique,” Badger added.

Mim Haysom, Suncorp’s EGM brand and customer experience, said the campaign reflects the diversity of the unique Australian experience and reinforces the support they offer when their customers are unlucky.
 
“We’re incredibly excited by this new work, particularly the use of a beloved Australian poem to bring to life the uniqueness of our loved Australian brand,” she added.

Credits: 

Client: AAMI (Suncorp)
CMO/EGM Brand & Customer Experience: Mim Haysom
Head of Brand & Content: Rapthi Thanapalasingam
AAMI Brand & Marketing Manager: Toby Gill
AAMI Marketing Lead: Liza Friedman
AAMI Marketing Specialist: Lisa Marshall
AAMI Marketing Specialist: Sally Frank
AAMI Marketing Specialist: Amy Wagner

Strategy & Creative Agency: Ogilvy Australia
Production: Hogarth
Media: OMD
Production Company: Revolver
Director: The Glue Society
Post-Production: BlockheadVFX
Sound & Music: Otis
OOH Location shoot: Hart & Co
AAMI women studio shoot: Stefan Wellsmore 
End frame/motion shoot: O’rourke & Gates
Retouching: Studio ADFX

Nine national director of news and current affairs, Darren Wick, is leaving the network after 29 years at the company, 13 years in the position, and more than a month away from the office.

His lengthy absence sparked internal speculation as to his future at the media business.

Wick broke the news to Nine colleagues in an email he sent tonight at 6:36pm. “Some of you are aware that I have taken a few weeks off to think about my future,” he wrote in the email seen by Mediaweek. “And after many long beach walks and even longer conversations, I know in my heart that this is the right time for me to step down and leave Nine.

“I don’t want to use the word ‘retiring’ because I don’t know how to sit idle. But I am going to take a very long break from what has been four decades of working as a journalist. I’m tired and need a rest.”

At 6:43pm, director of television Michael Healy replied to the email thanking Wick, writing: “As always in news there are tremendous ups and downs, wins and challenges and Wickie has seen more than most.”

“There will be further announcements from the business about Wickie’s replacement and process going forward.

“For now I’ll continue to work closely with the news caff [current affairs] teams, and I look forward to continuing to build on the momentum of outstanding performance across the board.

“I personally want to thank Wickie for his commitment to the Nine News brand and wish him well.”

Wick held multiple roles over the course of his career at Nine, including executive producer of Today Show and A Current Affair.

“The drive and ability that you have to rally together and cover any major story better than anyone else is always humbling to watch,” Wick continued in his note to colleagues.

“And you do it time after time. Nine is so much more than a company. It’s a family. And it’s a terrific one.

“All of our news teams and programs are set up to have a hugely successful 2024. And I’m so excited to see what Wide World of Sports is going to do with Nine’s Paris Olympics and Paralympics coverage.

“I genuinely do LOVE YOUSE [sic] ALL.”

In 2021, Wick was charged with drink driving for being more than four times over the legal limit while driving home from a work event. He avoided jail.

See also: Boardroom lunch, attended by Darren Wick, to celebrate Peter Hitchener’s 50 years at Nine

BBC Studios Productions Australia has announced the acquisition of independent production company Werner Film Productions.

Werner Film Productions specialises in the development of original drama series including The Newsreader for ABC, which was also broadcast on the BBC, and Surviving Summer for Netflix. 

The deal will provide Werner Film Productions with the backing to grow its production of drama series for Australian and global audiences.

Werner Film Productions will continue to be led by company director Joanna Wener and managing director Stuart Menzies and will operate alongside BBC Studios’ local production arm as an independent label, with both companies producing their own projects. 

This model replicates the way that BBC Studios works with many of its other production labels and invested indies in the UK and globally. 

Werner Film Productions is currently in production on the third series of The Newsreader which has won multiple awards, including 10 AACTAs and two Logies. It ranked fourth in Vareity’s list of the best international TV shows of 2022 while teen surfing drama Surviving Summer’s second series spent two weeks in Netflix’s global top 10. 

Matt Forde, managing director, global entertainment at BBC Studios Productions said that Werner Film Production’s creativity has seen them carve out a place as one of the most talented and interesting scripted companies in the world. 

“The Newsreader has been a massive hit on the BBC in the UK with viewers and critics alike, as well as internationally,” he said. “I’m excited by the projects they have in development and the opportunity for BBC Studios to support the slate they are building.” 

Earlier this month, BBC Studios appointed independent marketing consultancy Mindbox to support the growth of its branded services and content across Asia.

The Sydney-based independent marketing consultancy will be tasked with analysing and leveraging key behavioural insights to drive customer acquisition, diversified viewership and retention across its Pay TV and OTT services starting next month.

See also: BBC Studios appoints marketing consultancy Mindbox to support growth across Asia

Publicis Groupe ANZ has launched its inaugural Disability Access and Inclusion Plan, developed in partnership with the Australian Disability Network, to eliminate barriers for employees living with disability and empower the business to be a more disability-confident organisation.

The Access and Inclusion Plan, developed in collaboration with Publicis’ EnABLE committee, will show the business’ progress to date and outline a framework to guide meaningful and authentic action in accessibility over the next three years.

Initiatives that will be implemented as part of the Groupe’s plan include scoping an ongoing program of disability inclusion training for employees and managers to support hiring and retention and a review of recruitment practices to remove unintended barriers for people with disability.

Publicis Groupe also said it will be designing initiatives and programs to support employees with disabilities in their career development and continuously improve the accessibility of all office locations in ANZ.

Michael Rebelo, Publicis Groupe CEO ANZ, said the Disability Access and Inclusion Plan reflects the Groupe’s commitment to being an accessible, inclusive and welcoming organisation that ensures it is creating a supportive workplace for all its people.

“The plan is being released alongside our first Gender Equity Action Plan, Reconciliation Action Plan and Environmental Sustainability Action Plan – demonstrating our dedication to positive change and increasing access more broadly for under-represented groups,” he added.

Pauly Grant, Publicis Groupe chief talent officer ANZ, said the Groupe’s focus on disability inclusion is a commitment to fostering an organisation “where diversity is celebrated and every employee, regardless of ability, feels valued, supported and empowered to excel.”

Grant also highlighted Publicis Groupe’s head of DE&I Jessica Farrell, the EnABLE employee resource group, and the team that helped in the development of the plan.

Corene Strauss, CEO of the Australian Disability Network, said the organisation is looking forward to collaborating with Publicis Groupe and the EnABLE employee resource group as they implement and deliver on this Access Inclusion Plan.

“Together, we will navigate the road toward a more equitable and inclusive workplace for people with disability and create our vision of disability confident Australia.”

The Disability Access and Inclusion Plan will be reviewed in 2026 to enable a new plan for the following three-year period (2027 – 2029).

There hasn’t been so much interest in ABC Radio and its ratings for some time.

Interest was awoken in the direction of ABC audio at the broadcaster started when Chris Oliver-Taylor arrived as chief content officer.

Soon after, Oliver-Taylor appointed former Nova programming executive Ben Latimer as head of audio.

Another former commercial radio executive, Triple M head of content Mike Fitzpatrick, then arrived as head of ABC capital city radio network and sport.

ABC Radio started the year with three new breakfast shows in the major metro markets – Perth, Adelaide and Sydney.

See also:  ABC head of audio content Ben Latimer ready for GfK report card on programming changes

Why does ABC Radio take part in radio ratings?

The ABC has a brief to make content that reaches a significant number of Australians. Getting an idea of just how many people engage with its content is possible via the GfK radio ratings surveys.

Commercial broadcasters like to know how much of their potential audience is tuning into other stations – commercial and public.

The ABC has five networks taking part in each metro market survey – Local Radio, RN, NewsRadio, Triple J and ABC Classic.

ABC Radio ratings GfK Radio Ratings Survey 1, 2024

ABC Sydney

ABC combined share in Sydney: 14.8%
ABC Sydney 5.4% (6.0%) Cume 572,000 (612,000)
ABC Sydney breakfast Craig Reucassel 7.9% (7.8%) Cume 318,000 (299,000)
Triple J 4.1% (3.6%)
Triple J breakfast Bruce & Concetta 3.8% (2.4%)
Others: 2RN 1.1% (1.0%), ABC NewsRadio 1.2% (2.2%), ABC Classic 3.0% (2.5%)

ABC Sydney’s Craig Reucassel

ABC Melbourne

ABC combined share in Melbourne: 15.2%
ABC Melbourne 6.5% (6.6%) Cume 538,000 (563,000)
ABC Sydney breakfast Sammy J 8.1% (8.2%) Cume 304,000 (332,000)
Triple J 4.3% (4.1%)
Triple J breakfast Bryce & Concetta 3.6% (3.9%)
Others: 3RN 2.2% (2.0%), ABC NewsRadio 1.1% (1.8%), ABC Classic 1.1% (2.1%)

Sammy J hosts local radio Melbourne breakfast

ABC Brisbane

ABC combined share in Brisbane: 14.1%
ABC Brisbane 4.3% (5.3%) Cume 228,000 (250,000)
ABC Brisbane breakfast Craig Zonca and Loretta Ryan 6.1% (7.8%) Cume 128,000 (146,000)
Triple J 5.6% (5.8%)
Triple J breakfast Bryce & Concetta 4.9% (5.4%)
Others: 4RN 1.2% (1.9%), ABC NewsRadio 1.2% (1.2%), ABC Classic 1.8% (1.2%)

Craig Zonca and Loretta Ryan host local radio Brisbane breakfast

ABC Adelaide

ABC combined share in Sydney: 17.4%
ABC Adelaide 6.6% (8.3%) Cume 150,000 (175,000)
ABC Adelaide breakfast Sonya Feldhoff and Jules Schiller 9.5% (11.8%) Cume 91,000 (111,000)
Triple J 5.2% (4.3%)
Triple J breakfast Bryce & Concetta 4.1% (4.7%)
Others: 5RN 1.4% (1.1%), ABC NewsRadio 1.5% (1.6%), ABC Classic 2.7% (2.4%)

ABC Radio Adelaide breakfast hosts Sonya and Jules

ABC Perth

ABC combined share in Perth: 18.0%
ABC Perth 5.6% (6.5%) Cume 201,000 (231,000)
ABC Perth breakfast Mark Gibson 6.6% (8.1%) Cume 106,000 (132,000)
Triple J 7.0% (5.3%)
Triple J breakfast Bryce & Concetta 6.2% (5.1%)
Others: 6RN 0.9% (1.0%), ABC NewsRadio 1.7% (1.2%), ABC Classic 2.8% (2.5%)

Mark Gibson hosts local radio breakfast at ABC Perth

ABC Audio in the Australian Podcast Ranker Top 50

Conversations 5 (-2)
ABC News Daily 9 (+32)
ABC Sport Daily 23 (new)
If You’re Listening 27 (+102)
Dr Karl Podcast 34 (+2)
Late Night Live 37 (-3)
All in the Mind 39 (-1)
What’s That Rash? 46 (-15)
The Party Room 47 (–)

See also: Podcast Ranker February 2024: Cheers to the Happy Hour debut

*Radio Ratings source: GfK Survey 1, 2024. Number in brackets Survey 8, 2023
*Podcast ranking source: Triton Digital Australian Podcast Ranker (Australian titles) February 2024 (Number in brackets – change from January 2024)

“I am a huge believer in growth,” Catherine Bowe, senior director of marketing APAC Salesforce, told The Growth Distillery‘s vodcast.

“I am a huge believer in being kind to yourself and allowing there to be this acceptance that you are forever changing and forever growing, and being quite generous with your treatment of yourself and others.”

The vodcast series – hosted by News Corp Australia’s director of the Growth Intelligence Centre and independent think tank The Growth Distillery, Dan Krigstein – explores what it means to be a good leader, with Bowe speaking about how her childhood and early career have influenced her current role.

In particular, she highlighted a technique called ‘generous assumptions’, which works to assume that people are doing something because that is the best option they have got at that point in time, rather than assuming that someone is acting with malice.

“If someone cuts you off in traffic, instead of responding with road rage and all the obscenities that you could go through your head, the idea of ‘generous assumptions’ is to ask, ‘what could that person be going through that has led to them acting in that way?’

“It’s quite a conscious perspective shift to how you approach people’s behaviour. But it also reminds you that we’re very full, complex people.” 

Dan Krigstein and Catherine Bowe

It’s a message Bowe expanded on with Mediaweek, saying that when it comes to leadership, it’s important to acknowledge that everybody has their own “secret sauce.” 

“It takes a growth mindset and humility to acknowledge that you don’t know everything, and that you never will know everything,” she said.

Another hallmark of leadership Bowe spoke of is “acknowledging and encouraging the full person” and recognising that “it’s perfectly acceptable for people to have varying levels of need for privacy.”

“Some people don’t want to come to work and talk about what’s going on in their families or in their marriages or with their children. But it’s important to acknowledge that other things are going on, which are impacting who you are in a small and big way,” Bowe said.

“Acknowledging authentically who someone is and giving someone the generous assumption that their workload is not the only thing they are juggling right now can support people and get the most out of them, and help them be happy and fulfilled within their career.”

Ultimately, for those tuning in to the vodcast, Bowe said she hopes the message people leave with is that “the foundation of humility is acknowledging that there is room for growth.”

“There are things you don’t know, no matter where you are in your career. I think the secret to success is ultimately acknowledging that your path to discovering new things is never over.”

–

Top Image: Catherine Bowe

Both the Journalist of the Year Award and the Sports Journalist of The Year Award were presented as part of the Quill Awards.

Graham Perkin 2023 Australian Journalist of the Year Award

Winner: Neil Chenoweth and Edmund Tadros, of The Australian Financial Review for coverage of the PwC Tax Leaks Scandal

Judges’ citation:
In a story that dominated the news cycle last year, Edmund Tadros and Neil
Chenoweth exposed how senior figures at PwC leaked confidential Treasury documents to drum up tax business for the firm. The revelations led to the break-up of the accounting giant, the departure of the CEO and the biggest crackdown on misconduct by tax advisors in Australian history. Tadros and Chenoweth displayed true courage and determination in pursuing various leads, including how governments had become far too reliant on the work of the big consulting firms. It is truly memorable and excellent journalism in the fine Graham Perkin tradition.

‘PwC partner leaked government tax plans to clients‘, Australian Financial Review, 23 January 2023

‘“For your eyes only”: How PwC leaks helped global clients dodge tax‘, Australian Financial Review, 3 May 2023

‘The inside story of PwC’s tax scandal‘, Australian Financial Review, 5 May 2023

‘Panic at PwC: How a tax scandal played out behind closed doors‘,  Australian Financial Review, 12 May 2023

‘“The dog that didn’t bark”: Where was the ATO in the PwC mess?‘,  Australian Financial Review, 2 June 2023

Neil Chenoweth
Top: Neil Chenoweth and Edmund Tadros

Shortlisted

 Stephanie March, ABC, for outstanding coverage of global affairs.

 Kate McClymont, The Sydney Morning Herald, for her extensive coverage of indecent assault claims against broadcaster Alan Jones.

 Nick McKenzie, of The Age, for his consistent agenda-setting reporting.

Harry Gordon Sports Journalist of The Year Award recipient Linda Pearce

The 2023 Harry Gordon Sports Journalist of The Year Award

Winner: Linda Pearce, of Code Sports, for her series on the demise of the Collingwood netball club

Judges’ citation:
Linda’s compelling series on the failure of the Collingwood netball club revealed the dysfunction at the heart of the famous football club’s foray into women’s netball.
Through a series of interviews with former coaches, players and administrators, Linda’s deep-dive exposed the personalities and issues besetting the club, foreshadowing its ultimate withdrawal from the league.
She used the digital format to great effect, to engage and build an audience, expertly crafting the long-form stories.
Her commitment to keeping a watching brief on the troubled leadership and division at Netball Australia also led her to write with clarity and authority about the challenges confronting the organisation after the tumultuous exit of its CEO.

Inside the dysfunctional birth of Collingwood netball, 16 May 2023

‘A disaster’: How powerful Pies fell to the brink of oblivion, 17 May 2023

‘We’re the big guys’: How footy hubris hobbled Pies, 20 May 2023

Shambles’: How SSN saga drained Shimona’s hope and motivation, 11 September 2023

WHY NA board should follow Ryan in full netball reset, 12 December 2023

Shortlisted

Michael Gleeson, of The Age, for an outstanding portfolio of news, features and

analysis.

Jake Niall, of The Age, for a range of stories demonstrating versatility and a capacity to tackle difficult topics.

Tom Decent, of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, for his coverage of

Wallaby coach Eddie Jones’ secret job interview with Japan before the World Cup.

See also: Melbourne Press Club reveals winners of 29th Quill Awards

The Quill Awards is the annual celebration of excellence in Victorian journalism. This year featured a record number of entries for work in 2023 across 31 categories.

We publish a full list of Quill Awards winners along with the judges’ comments about the journalists’ work.

A full list of the Quill Awards nominees is available here.

The Melbourne Press Club website has additional details on some of the Quill Awards winners here.

More photos from the Quill Awards are available here.

Class of 2023: All the winners of Quill Awards

The Gold Quill – John Ferguson, The Australian

A scoop about the tragic consequences of a mushroom lunch in regional Victoria has won the prestigious Gold Quill at the Melbourne Press Club’s 29^th Quill Awards for Excellence in Victorian Journalism.

John Ferguson’s exclusive story about the Leongatha lunch was first published on The Australian’s website on a Saturday, and he followed it up with other exclusives, including an interview with the now-charged woman who hosted the lunch.

The Australian’s John Ferguson (Photo: The Australian/Richard Dobson)

The Gold Quill judges praised Ferguson’s scoop that set the agenda for a story which engaged Australia and the world. “This was journalism which celebrates, and honours, everything the Gold Quill stands for,” the judges said.

Ferguson’s report of the lunch where three people died, won the Scoop of The Year Quill, which along with all other category winners, meant it qualified to be considered for the Gold Quill.

John Ferguson broke the most-talked about story of 2023. In journalism’s modern era of social media, high tech, iPhone videos and analytics, Ferguson’s story proves nothing counts more than a reporter’s competitive edge.

This was a good old-fashioned scoop in one of the most competitive beats in this town, where nothing stays secret for long.

Ferguson stood the story up and broke it online on a Saturday, all the time conscious the clock was ticking. But this was no one-hit wonder – he stayed ahead of the pack with two more exclusives online and in print – an interview with the now-charged woman and a story uncovering key details of her past.

These set the agenda for a story which has captivated Australia and the world.

This was journalism, which celebrates, and honours, everything the Gold Quill stands for.

The MPC Lifetime Achievement Award

Jennifer Keyte, Network 10, for a career of accomplished journalism, presenting news across networks and for being a powerful role model for a generation of female journalists.

Jennifer Keyte

Artwork

Winner: Matthew Absalom-Wong, The Age, “Hong Bao diplomacy”

Judges’ citation:
The judges were impressed by the quality of this year’s entries into the “artwork” category. Ultimately they selected Matthew Absalom-Wong’s “Hong Bao diplomacy” illustration as the 2023 winner. Matthew’s illustration is a sumptuous, saturated colour reference to vintage Chinese communist poster art, cleverly portraying Xi Jinping in a familiar, Mao-like pose, distributing funds within the Asia-Pacific through the metaphor of “hong bao”; small red envelopes laden with cash as gifts. The image clearly references the article it accompanies, but Matthew has drawn on his own Chinese heritage and personal experience to build a stronger, culturally relevant visual narrative.

Highly Commended:
Richard Giliberto, The Sunday Age, “Numbers Game”

Best Breaking News or Live Coverage, sponsored by The Lottery Corporation

Winner: ABC News Victoria, “Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews Resigns”

Judges’ citation:
When Dan Andrews surprised Victoria by quitting as Premier after nine years, Richard Willingham broke the news and the ABC quickly harnessed its considerable resources to cover this big story. The ABC News team delivered a comprehensive rolling package of reports. Their content had detail, authority and context and reached a large audience across the ABC’s multi platforms.

Best Coverage of an Issue

Winner: Aneeka Simonis, Herald Sun, “Family violence: The victims, the survivors and a justice system review”

Judges’ citation:
Aneeka Simonis’ investigation of violence against women was a fresh and well-researched look at an enduring issue our society faces.
Her primary piece, “She had no chance” is a shocking but compassionately told story of a family’s grief at losing a loved one and a plea for change.
It exposed a clear, but little known flaw, in the justice system which meant domestic violence victims were not informed on the release of their abusers.
It immediately sparked a government response and a promise of change and set the agenda for other media outlets to follow.

Highly Commended
Stephen Drill, Andrea Thiis-Evensen, Dan Box and Lil Saleh, Network News/Herald Sun, “Hillsong: Faith on Trial”
The Age Crime Team and Please Explain podcast, “Melbourne’s new underworld war”

Business News/Feature

Winner: Peter Ker and Brad Thompson, The Australian Financial Review, “Forrests and Fortescue”

Judges’ citation:
This story unravelled the power shift within the Forrest family empire and the journalists, Peter Ker and Brad Thompson, meticulously followed the money to put two and two together. This story has major implications for the future of one of Australia’s biggest miners in its efforts for a greener transition.

Highly Commended
Nick McKenzie, The Age, “Offshore Bribery”

Cartoon

Winner: Matt Golding, The Sunday Age, “The nation said no.”

Judges’ citation:
Matt Golding’s cartoon ‘The Nation Said No’, published in the aftermath of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum, brilliantly captures a pivotal moment in Australian history. With no need for words, the simple two-panel drawing speaks volumes about the referendum’s outcome. In the first frame an Indigenous hand, representing the Yes campaign, reaches to connect across the backdrop of the Aboriginal flag. A second hand in the frame grips a light cord, signifying voting Australians. The magic of this cartoon is the subsequent panel delivering a powerful blow, despite being entirely black and containing no text. The No vote has extinguished the light from the Indigenous flag, shrouding it in darkness, forcing the viewer to reflect on Australia’s final vote. Using only symbolism, Golding has conveyed Australia’s biggest 2023 story at a glance.

Highly Commended
Jim Pavlidis, The Age, “Vote Know”

Coverage of Women in Sport

Winner: Marnie Vinall and Greg Baum, The Age, “FIFA Women’s World Cup”

Judges’ citation:
The Age‘s coverage of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup was outstanding. The judges felt this entry went above just simply covering a global mega event because of its proximity, providing in-depth profiles, commentary and analysis that gave the athletes a voice and brought readers into the broader landscape of women’s football. The Age‘s reporting amplified the tournament, the athletes and the broader women’s sport movement through excellent, high quality journalism and feature writing represented in the work in this entry of Marnie Vinall and Greg Baum that drives the women in sport narrative forward.

Highly Commended
Elias Clure, ABC News, “First woman athlete to be diagnosed with CTE”

Excellence in Indigenous Affairs Reporting

Winner: Nino Bucci and Blake Sharp-Wiggins, Guardian Australia, “Aboriginal pedestrian deaths in the Northern Territory”

Judges’ citation:
In their article Lethal Highways, Nino Bucci and Blake Sharp-Wiggins bring to the reader’s attention the stark details of the overrepresentation of Aboriginal people in Northern Territory pedestrian deaths.
The balanced use of case studies, statistical evidence, research findings and interviews has resulted in a feature article that demonstrates clearly a commitment on the part of the pair to deliver a comprehensive narrative without injecting editorial bias.
Importantly for this particular category, Nino and Blake clearly seem to have addressed a sensitive and contentious topic with due respect to all parties involved.

Highly Commended
Joseph Dunstan and Lauren Day, ABC News, “‘A life without Veronica’ and ‘Victoria’s treaty journey’”

Excellence in Science, Medical and Health Reporting

Winner: Sherryn Groch, The Age, “Journey into the deep sea”

Judges’ citation:
Sherryn Groch takes a fascinating dive into the science of the deep and the potential threat to the world’s oceans from mining in these fragile and hitherto barely explored depths. Sherryn brings us a great science explainer, with a hard news edge as she explores the challenges of developing a code around deep sea exploration and development. Her research is rigorous and compelling – she paints a vibrant picture of the richness of the deep sea and skilfully portrays the tensions between mining for metals to support renewables and protection of a fragile and extraordinary environment. Her accompanying podcast brings infectious excitement to her journey into the science and politics of the ocean depths.

Highly Commended
Amy Bainbridge and Angus Whitley, Bloomberg, “Black Summer’s Toxic Legacy”
Jackson Graham, The Age, “Autopsies, strokes and sleep apnoea explained”
Izabella Staskowski, The Today Show, “Battling endometriosis”

Feature Writing

Winner: Michael Bachelard, Good Weekend magazine, “Talking trans”

Judges’ citation:
Michael Bachelard’s Good Weekend feature ‘Talking Trans’ is a superbly written and well-researched piece about a highly-charged, complex and highly-contemporary subject, handled with sensitivity and skill. It’s clear that Michael earned the trust of those in the feature who felt comfortable sharing their own often intimate and revealing stories from a range of different perspectives, a collection of perspectives not often seen in the mainstream media. The result is a compelling piece of journalism which allows readers to gain a deeper understanding of the topic through the power of storytelling and the bravery of those storytellers.

Highly Commended
Melissa Fyfe and Jacqueline Maley, Good Weekend magazine, “Rethinking rape”

Nine’s Nick McKenzie never leaves an award ceremony empty-handed

Grant Hattam Quill for Investigative Journalism

Winner: Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters, The Age, Ben Roberts-Smith Investigations

Judges’ citation:
This entry is the culmination of six years of fearless reporting by Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters. They overcame a code of silence to uncover war crimes, they were resolute in the face of threats and intimidation, and they put their reputations on the line in a high-stakes defamation trial in which they were ultimately vindicated. This is investigative journalism at its finest.

Highly Commended

Stephen Drill and Jason Edwards, Network News/Sunday Herald Sun, “Narcos: On the frontline”
Charlotte Grieve and Amelia Adams, The Age, “Sole Destroying”

Innovation in Journalism

Winner: Kai Feng, Jarrod Fankhauser, Olivia Ralph and Steven Viney, ABC News, “Instant credibility”

Judges’ citation:
In a year of strong entries, this is a story that stands out in showing courage to innovate through an investment of time and resources to tell a story that is off the beaten track in its subject matter and delivery. By disregarding the usual style and palette guides of their newsroom, the journalists and producers involved showed their understanding of the need to meet their audiences halfway when telling a story about a subculture. The use of the scrollytelling format and mixed media is polished and effective, and the publication of the story in three languages is a good addition since this is a story with local and global relevance.

Highly Commended
Visual Stories Team, The Age, “The offside trap”
Selling the Green Dream, ABC News, “Selling the Green Dream”

Keith Dunstan Quill for Commentary

Winner: Erik Jensen, The Saturday Paper, “The Voice editorials”

Judges’ citation:
In three editorials on the most covered issue of the year, Erik Jensen brings perspectives and arguments unseen elsewhere. With powerful, concise, and evocative analogies, he strips bare the political motivations behind the Voice defeat, unpicking the campaign’s language and players’ motivations to reveal uncomfortable truths for our nation.

Highly Commended
Peter Martin, The Conversation, “The most worrying thing about Robodebt was its attention to detail”
Jonathan Horn, Guardian Australia, “The Sporting Media Malaise”

Nine’s Alicia Loxley and Tom Steinfort hosted the awards on Friday evening

Multicultural Affairs and Media

Winner: Kassahun Negewo and Ruchika Talwar, SBS, “Detention to determination”

Judges’ citation:
This striking piece probes Australia’s punitive immigration detention policies. The subject matter is hard-hitting, yet through their vivid storytelling, journalists Kassahun Negewo and Ruchika Talwar also succeed in delivering a very human story. Notably, the central protagonist, an asylum seeker who arrived by boat, is never cast as helpless in a quite personalized narrative. The reader is drawn into a multi-layered story, which traces a challenging journey from detention in Nauru to a new life as a Metro train ticket inspector on a bridging visa. This is an elevated example of reporting in the multicultural domain that does not patronise or compromise.

Highly Commended
Suzan Delibasic, Herald Sun, “Lee Family Deportation Fight”
Casey Briggs and Ahmed Yussuf, ABC News, “African and Middle Eastern communities over-represented in COVID-19 fines in Victoria, data shows”

News Reporting in Writing 

Winner: Aneeka Simonis, Herald Sun, “Extreme violence: justice system reform for family violence survivors”

Judges’ citation:
Aneeka Simonis’ domestic violence campaign sparked a government review after she uncovered staggering flaws in Victoria’s Victims’ Register, which contributed to the death of a mother at the hands of her violent ex-partner just hours after his release from custody. The judges were impressed with Simonis’ commitment and tenacity to uncover this story, and the sensitive way in which she reported the harrowing details. The campaign’s impact was significant, from sparking important conversations to pressuring the state to improve justice outcomes for victims. This type of front-page journalism couldn’t be more important as women across Australia are regularly killed by current or former partners.

Highly Commended
Clay Lucas and Sophie Aubrey, The Age, “Flood fury: The Maribyrnong River disaster”

Podcasting

Winner: Stephen Drill, Andrea Thiis-Evensen and Dan Box, Network News/Herald Sun, “Hillsong: Faith on Trial”

Judges’ citation:
Hillsong: Faith on Trial’ is an immersive look into the world of the Hillsong megachurch. This captivating podcast navigates through riveting court cases to the intricate web of ownership disputes surrounding Melbourne’s Festival Hall.
It seamlessly blends breaking news with an engaging narrative, enticing listeners with each episode, leaving them wanting more.
Its production quality shines through with its assured use of audio craft, providing a polished listening experience.
Its ability to swiftly turn around episodes ensures it remains relevant in the fast-paced news cycle.
Overall, the podcast effectively covers a timely and intriguing topic while maintaining high production standards keeping listeners engaged.

Highly Commended
Anthony Dowsley, Jonty Burton and Andrea Thiis-Evensen, Herald Sun, “The Devil’s Apprentice”
7am, “Inside Robo-debt”

Radio Current Affairs

Winner: Shane McInnes, 3AW, “Victoria’s Meningococcal Vaccine Failure”

Judges’ citation:
Shane’s masterful interview with a concerned father, and follow up with an infectious diseases expert exposed a serious gap in public health information around the availability of vaccines for different strains of meningococcal. After much debate over this fiercely contested shortlist, the judges found Shane’s entry to be the most compelling, original material. It embodied the best qualities of a live radio interview that drew attention to a little known, but concerning issue.

Highly commended
Richard Willingham, ABC News, “Melbourne’s second safe injecting room set for the Salvation Army”

Radio News

Winner: Danny Tran, ABC News Melbourne, “The Melbourne hospital where radiation leaked through the floor”

Judges’ citation:
Danny’s story exposing a radiation leak at a major Melbourne hospital just edged in front of a strong field of entries this year. While it wasn’t under the pressure of breaking news, it took tenacity and persistence over several months for Danny to turn a tip into an exclusive that forced hospital management to act. Not only fronting their own staff for the first time, but publicly answering to the serious risk.

Highly Commended
Richard Willingham, ABC News, “Paul Denyer to die in jail: Labor backflips on special laws”

Regional and Rural Journalism

Winner: Rachel Clayton, Charlotte King and Andy Burns, ABC News, “Suspected unlicensed dams multiplying across stressed Moorabool River”

Judges’ citation:
These ABC regional investigators clearly spent months developing a story that revealed the extent of water theft and its local and national implications. They were tenacious and meticulous. Their extensive research uncovered hundreds of new private dams operating in the Moorabool River catchment that were pulling water from the river and damaging its natural flow. Great use of footage, contacts and FOI requests added fresh aspects to the story. The journalists probed into all parties involved in the issue and ultimately prompted action from the relevant authority. The story was read by more than 100,000 people and also ran nationally across television and radio. An outstanding example of compelling local investigative journalism.

Highly Commended
Emma D’Agostino, Danielle Bonica and Josie Taylor, ABC Central Victoria, “A Fine Balance”
Tim Lee, Landline, “Satellite Stock Squad”

Reporting on Disability Issues

Winner: Charlotte Grieve, The Age, “The disturbing treatment for mental health crises”

Judges’ citation:
Disability advocate Nicole Lee was met with applause when she gave a speech to the Northern Hospital. Three years later she was being restrained as an inpatient in that very same facility.
Charlotte Grieve’s considered and respectful telling of Nicole Lee’s experience exposed a public hospital’s willingness to use shackles on a patient undergoing a mental health crisis. The piece not only highlighted the trauma associated with the use of restraints in mental health settings but also unpacked the complexities involved in delivering on the promise made by the Victorian government to eliminate restraints in mental health facilities within 10 years.

Highly commended
Stephanie Convery, Guardian Australia, “‘Holding cell’: Melbourne family with disabled son stuck in ‘transitional’ housing for a decade”
Natassia Chrysanthos, The Age, “The NDIS has saved families. But in another world, they would not need it.” 

Scoop of the Year

Winner: John Ferguson, The Australian, “Police investigate mass poisoning in Leongatha”

Quill Awards Judges’ citation:
John Ferguson’s reporting was the spark that lit the fuse on the story that gripped Melbourne in 2023 – the mushroom deaths. John’s initial story was immediate, detailed, and intriguing. It blended old-fashioned journalism with the demands of a relentless news cycle.

Knowing it had secured a major scoop, The Australian rushed to publish John’s story online on a Saturday morning, prompting newsrooms around the country and across the globe to follow what was to be the most talked-about story of the year.
This report forced Victoria Police to reveal more details about its investigation, such was the level of interest. John followed his initial report with a series of exclusives, including a one-on-one interview with the woman at the centre of the story.

Highly Commended
Dan Oakes, ABC News, “The mushroom deaths”
Cameron Stewart, The Australian, “Red Sea Warship”

Sports Feature

Winner: Jeremy Story Carter, ABC News, “Kick in hope”

Quill Awards Judges’ citation:
The quality of entries for the “sports feature” category was of the highest standard.
“Kick in Hope” set itself apart from the rest by giving the reader a unique insight into the remote community of King Island and the role local football plays in the complicated social and economic landscape.
The reporter immersed himself in the community which made the reader feel like they were there on game day. It was clear the reporter had gained the trust of the locals, to get an honest assessment of the challenges Island life presents.
It was a well-written, well-researched and entertaining piece, sports feature writing at its very best.

Highly Commended
Konrad Marshall, Good Weekend magazine, “Who cares?”
Michael Gleeson, The Age, “Peter Bol the damage done.”

Sports News

Winner: Ben Schneiders, The Age, “The tax haven, the PO box, the tropical island: Who owns Australian soccer”

Quill Awards Judges’ citation:
Ben Schneiders’ extensive investigative reporting uncovered extraordinary details about the A-league’s secretive, convoluted ownership structure and tax status.  It required extensive digging, financial detective work, and the cultivation of contacts both in Australia and overseas. All of this was done in the face of uncooperative officials in the A-League as well as Football Australia. The judging panel says this is an important piece of investigative journalism, raising questions about transparency and accountability in the world game.

Highly Commended
Scott Gullan, Herald Sun, “Peter Bol drugs scandal”

TV Camera Work (Creative)

Winner: Andrew Altree-Williams, 7.30, “Andy Jackson’s poetry ‘gives us a new way to see’ disability”
Quill Awards Judges’ citation:
Andrew’s ability to draw the viewer into this story was a credit to him. He had a clear understanding of what pictures were required to tell this emotive story with perceptive attention to detail.
Subtle use of natural light and clever framing with multiple camera formats told a wonderful story, whilst maintaining the talent’s dignity.

Highly Commended
Simon Winter, Australian Story, “Changing Minds”

TV Camera Work (Shot of the Year)

Winner: Tim Furness, Nine News, “Fitzroy garden murder”

Quill Awards Judges’ citation:
The TV Camerawork (Shot of the year) Award recognises individuals who demonstrate exceptional skills in capturing critical moments that contribute to the understanding and awareness of breaking news events. The judges agreed Tim Furness’s submission, a video capturing an incident involving a stabbing and subsequent arrest, stood out among the entries for its compelling and impactful nature.
Using his instincts and experience Tim was able to cleverly get his shots, whilst maintaining a respectable distance away, allowing police to carry out their duties.
Tim’s shots showcased his ability to capture the intensity and urgency of the situation while maintaining a high level of professionalism.
Tim’s pictures ran exclusively that night on 9 News and was the lead story.

TV/Video Feature

Winner: Christine Ahern and Lisa Brown, 60 Minutes, “VBA exposed”

Judges’ statement:
“VBA exposed” shone a much needed light on the problems within Victoria’s building industry, and the horrifying human toll.
Crucial to this, was gaining the trust of key insiders within the industry.
Through perseverance, Ahern was able to convince crucial players in the industry, including a building inspector, to speak publically to expose the entrenched problems within the sector.
Perhaps most compelling was the interview with the widow of an inspector. The unreasonable and shameful demands placed on him lead him to take his own life.
This element made for an impactful story.
The piece had lasting impact, with the Premier at the time agreeing there were problems within the VBA.
Not long after this story aired, the CEO of Vic Building Authority resigned.

Highly Commended
Louise Milligan, Mary Fallon and Jessica Longbottom, Four Corners, “Hiding Behind Tombstones”

TV/Video News

Winner:  Sharnelle Vella, 7NEWS, “Porter Davis Crisis”

Quill Awards Judges’ citation:
Sharnelle’s story was a clear winner for its exclusivity and impact. A throwaway line in a Daniel Andrews press conference sparked an investigation that revealed hundreds of homebuyers had been left high and dry after collapsed builder Porter Davis failed to take out insurance on their projects. Sharnelle cultivated hundreds of contacts and alerted the Victorian government to their plight. As a rescue package was announced, she discovered a second group of victims, with uninsured ‘tender contracts,’ and her report prompted more funding, bringing the total commitment to $27 million dollars. Through journalistic heft and compassionate story-telling, Sharnelle’s reporting changed the lives of hundreds of Victorians.

Highly Commended
Neary Ty, Nine News, “Youth Justice”
Cassie Zervos, 7NEWS, “School Boy Abduction”

Young Journalist of the Year

Winner: Carla Jaeger, The Age, “Netball Australia”

Judges’ statement:
Carla Jaeger’s dogged reporting about the crisis crippling Netball Australia saw her uncover failures within the organisation which ultimately led to the resignation of the sport’s chief executive. An impressive exclusive which had real impact.

Highly Commended
Carly Douglas, Herald Sun, body of work

Features Photograph

Winner: Eddie Jim, The Age, “Fighting, Not Sinking”

Quill Awards Judges’ citation:
Beautifully lit by the early morning sun, Eddie Jim’s “Fighting not Sinking” illustrates the real anxieties and dangers those who live in low lying coastal areas of the Pacific confront as a result of global warming.

Highly Commended
Eddie Jim, The Age, “Kidney Transplant”
Justin McManus, The Sunday Age, “Leaving the Land of Plenty”
David Caird, Herald Sun, “No Bull I’ve Got Wings”

News Photograph

Winner: Christopher Hopkins, The Age, “Nazis on Our Doorstep”

Quill Awards Judges’ citation:
Chris Hopkins’ strong evocative photo showing the Nazi salute on the steps of Victoria’s Parliament House reminds us of Nazi imagery from Germany in the 1930’s and 40’s that we see in old documentary footage. Sadly, this was Melbourne 2023.

Highly Commended
Marta Pascual Juanola, The Age, “Portrait of alleged mushroom killer Erin Patterson”

Sports Photograph

Winner: Darrian Traynor, Getty Images, “It Takes One Day”

Quill Awards Judges’ citation:
An excellent series capturing the action and atmosphere of the ODI World Cup in India.
Who will ever forget Glenn Maxwell’s performance?

Highly Commended
Penny Stephens, The Age, “Fatima and Adiba”

Victorian Student Journalist of the Year, sponsored by NewsGuard

Winner: Sasha Gattermayr, University of Melbourne, “Little club of horrors”

Quill Awards Judges’ citation:
A charming feature, original and delightfully crafted – peeking into the world of carnivorous plant enthusiasts. A surprise piece, Sasha’s distinctive style impressed the judges with a fascinating blend of ecology and community – telling the story of a dedicated suburban group, obsessed with their love of plants such as the Venus fly trap.

See also: 28th Quill Awards for Excellence in Victorian Journalism 2022: All the winners

Despite an increasingly fragmented media landscape, 76% of podcast listeners listen to multiple podcasts every week, a new study from The Growth Distillery has found. 

The study, On-Demand Expertise: the Anatomy of Trusted Audio Advisors, looks into the world of Aussie podcast listeners, and the data that can help brands looking to harness the power of podcasts. 

For brands, the data shows that podcasts are a powerful medium for building loyal and engaged audiences due to the intimacy and authenticity that they create between a host and listeners. 

Listeners are actively taking in the information podcasts give them, with 92% of podcast listeners saying they are engaged while listening, and engagement extends beyond each episode – reading articles about the content or following the host on social media.  

The analysis also revealed 73% of podcast listeners feel a genuine connection to the host with podcast hosts seen as the most trustworthy source across all mediums. Over half of listeners – 53% –  say they trust brand and product recommendations from their favourite podcast hosts.

This stat places podcasts as more trusted than online news, YouTube, streaming services, FTA television, and social media. 

 The ability to listen to podcasts while doing something else also opens up listening experiences to places that other media can not play. 

Half of listeners are doing something else whilst they tune in, such as driving or doing chores. 72% listen to podcasts as a way to take a break from screen-based media or to reduce screen fatigue, and 82% are listening on the go using a smartphone.

There are four core motivations when it comes to why people are listening to podcasts:

• 73% of podcast listeners have listened to learn in the last year.
• 67% of podcast listeners have listened to entertain in the last year.
• 60% of podcast listeners have listened to escape in the last year.
• 46% of podcast listeners have listened to relax in the last year.

In addition to this, there are three major ways for brands to build relevance and align advertising on podcasts, according to the research: 

• Motivation: align with the listeners’ intent, offering products that provide similar benefits.
• Content: align with the topic or genre of the podcast to ensure relevance. 
• Host: align with the host’s personal preferences, leveraging their endorsements to persuade and connect with the audience.

Research director of The Growth Distillery Bethan Hockey said “With this Podcast Playbook we have delved into this unique landscape of what makes podcasts so compelling for consumers and impactful for brands. 

“Our research highlights the significant engagement and trust podcasts command. By focusing on what makes podcasts so compelling – their authenticity, informative content, and role as trusted advisors – we offer insights and strategies that can help brands get the most out of podcasts, making sure their ads hit the mark and truly speak to listeners.”  

See Also: Why Salesforce’s Catherine Bowe makes ‘generous assumptions’

Just last month Mediaweek reported how Stefanie Rezzara was the latest communications specialist employed by the Foxtel Group to make a major career move.

After more than a decade in the PR world, sports specialist Rezzara is launching Hot Shot PR.

Speaking to Mediaweek then about her new business venture, Rezzara said:

“Hot Shot PR is all about action and bringing people together in an authentic manner to achieve the very best results.

“I’ve been fortunate to make many close contacts during my time at Nike and Fox Sports. I can’t wait to continue to foster these relationships to work on new projects.

“I’ll be specialising in sport and entertainment with no brand or talent too big or too small.”

Dave Hughes with Nick Cody and Tommy Little.
Top: Marty Sheargold with Eddie McGuire.
All photos: Alex Coppel

Launching Hot Shot

Rezzara held a Hot Shot launch function recently. Her connections with Melbourne media attracted a who’s who of the sports and entertainment worlds.

The evening was hosted by Lehmo. The TV, radio and stand-up allrounder has just completed his Adelaide Fringe run. Lehmo will begin his Melbourne International Comedy Festival run soon with his new stand-up show Camper Van Go.

Billy Brownless, Dermott Brereton, Jason Dunstall and Daniel Harford

Over 150 guests included big names from television, print, radio and social media influencers.

The guest list included, Tommy Little, Dave Thornton, Sam Pang, Adam Rozenbachs, Marty Sheargold, Nick Cody, Brad Johnson, Michael Chamberlin, Andy Maher, Emma Race, Mark Howard, Will Ralston, Loren Barry, Georgie Parker, Chrissie Swan, Eddie McGuire, Dermott Brereton, Jason Dunstall, Billy Brownless, Daniel Harford, David King, Jonathan Brown, Jane Elliott, Nathan Buckley, Daniel Gorringe, Shepmates and Marmalade.

Dave Thornton with Chrissie Swan

Hot Shot PR is offering clients public relations & publicity, influencer engagement, social media strategy, issues management, event management, internal communications, partnerships & sponsorship and talent management.

Tayla Harris and friend

Nathan Buckley with Jonathan Brown

Loren Barry with Georgie Parker

Erica and Mark Howard

Dermott Brereton with Julie May

Andy Maher with Emma Race

Adam and Symon from Gogglebox with Shepmates

On the evening of Friday March 15, the Central Coast’s Star 104.5 celebrated its 20th anniversary. Two hundred and fifty guests partied in the ballroom of the Mercure Kooindah Waters Resort in Wyong.

DMG Radio chief executive Paul Thompson bought the licence for a new FM station on the Central Coast in 2002. The licence was acquired shortly after the initial Nova licences were purchased at auction.

The station launched in 2004 after missing an original deadline of June 2003. The price for the Central Coast licence which became Star 104.5 was $13.5m.

After DMG sold its stake in the Australian radio business the company’s name was changed to Nova Entertainment.

Nova Entertainment’s Donna Lalor, Peter Charlton, Lauren Montgomery and Peter Colosimo

Party night for Star 104.5

To mark the anniversary of the Gosford-based station, Nova Entertainment organised a celebration to thank Star 104.5 staff, clients and partners for their support.

Hosting the evening were Star 104.5 breakfast announcer Gina Jeffreys and program director Shayne Sinclair. New breakfast co-host Matt Baseley was a late withdrawal after a positive Covid test.

Gina Jeffreys

The evening also featured an acoustic performance by Samantha Jade and her band.

Speaking about the broadcast milestone at the function were Paul Moltzen and Peter Charlton. Moltzen is the station’s long-serving general manager who has worked on the Central Coast at Star for 17 years. Charlton is the chief executive of Nova Entertainment, one of several guests who made the trip from head office.

Kath and Paul Moltzen

Nova’s A-team send video messages

Nova Network evening host Smallzy started his radio career at Star 104.5. He was one of several Nova announcers who sent video messages to the station. Also sending birthday greetings were Sydney breakfast hosts Fitzy and Wippa and Kate plus the Nova national drive team Ricki Lee, Tim and Joel.

Star 104.5 operations manager and announcer Adam Price with Shayne Sinclair

Guests at the function included Star 104.5 creative director Matt Lygoe, client executive Donna Lalor and audience engagement manager Lauren Montgomery. Nova Entertainment COO Peter Colosimo, chief people officer Amanda Bollans, Nova Sydney workday announcer Adam Price and TV presenter Nathan Foley.

See also: Nova FM founder Paul Thompson on 20th anniversary of radio disruptor

TV Report March 17, 2024:

Nine TV Report

Married at First Sight

Nine’s evening began with a Commitment Ceremony on Married at First Sight. 

In Eden and Jayden’s apartment, the couple has reached an unexpected stalemate. After last night’s Dinner Party, Eden revealed information to Jayden that Sara and her ex mocked and insulted Tim behind his back when they caught up. Jayden wants to call Sara out on this, but Eden doesn’t want to cause any more friction with Sara and Tim. 

At the Commitment Ceremony, the first couple on the couch is Sara and Tim. Expert John reminds them at the previous Commitment Ceremony, Sara promised she would try to win Tim back, Tim says that he has seen a different side to Sara this week; she has been warm and affectionate. Both write stay.

Lucinda and Timothy are next up on the couch and Expert Alessandra jumps straight into Timothy’s emotional breakthrough, and the kiss makes him release that, at 51 years old, he’s wasted years not lowering his walls. and letting anyone in. They both write stay. 

Jonathan and Lauren, Eden and Jayden, Jade and Ridge, and Jack and Tori all write stay however Cassandra and Tristan both write leave and finish off their time in the experiment expressing how much they mean to each other.

The final couple on the couch is Richard and Andrea. After weeks at breaking point, the couple express how they have not been on the same page for a long time. Richard expresses that he’s had a sense that Andrea hasn’t been into him for a long time. They amicably decide to leave the experiment. 

60 Minutes

Over on 60 Minutes, the team investigated how ill-health and scandal is harming the Royal Family, Aussies who are trying to live forever and met with the deep-sea explorer willing to start a new search for MH370.

NRL Sunday Footy: Sea Eagles v Roosters

Sunday afternoon also saw the Sea Eagles take on the Roosters at 4 Pines Park as the Sea Eagles thrashed the Roosters 21-14.

Seven TV Report

Australian Idol

Over on Seven, no one went home on Australian Idol but the competition is heating up as only three Idols from the top 6 will make it to next week’s Grand Finale.

The theme for this week is Heroes and Tributes and each singer chose a song to dedicate to someone or something meaningful in their life. 

Kate Miller-Heidke also performed and last year’s winner Royston was back on the Idol stage performing. 

Lockerbie

With access to victims’ families, investigators and other figures who have not spoken until now, the series examined unanswered questions and explored the truth behind the Lockerbie air disaster.

10 TV Report

The Sunday Project

The Sunday Project saw the program look into the cost of Ex-Prime Ministers and spoke to Hollywood starts Mark Wahlberg and Jack Black.

Australian Survivor

On 10’s Australian Survivor, the dynamic duo of Kirby and Feras came to its dramatic conclusion as he finally landed his shot on his best frenemy. 

Feras had held onto his immunity idol for weeks and when he stood up to play it, he made the decision to end his biggest competition’s game, playing it for himself rather than for Kirby.

ABC

Death in Paradise

The team investigated the murder of a former children’s home resident while Marlon sat his sergeant exams, and Selwyn met his daughter for the first time. 

SBS

Emerald Isles

Ardal O’Hanlon took viewers on a journey unearthing the history of the islands off the coast of Ireland and began in Rathlin Island, famous for its countless seabirds and golden hares.