Friday March 27, 2020

News Corp food brands deliver for Australians at home

News Corp Australia’s leading food brands have launched Together@Home to meet the demand for in-home food content.

News Corp Australia’s director of Food Corp Fiona Nilsson said: “While Australians are physically distancing, social connection and virtual communities are more important than ever before. Our food brands have deep engagement with their audiences and we have an obligation as the market leader to step up and support consumers – not just practically, but emotionally and mentally as well.

“This week Australia’s Best Recipes, delicious. and taste.com.au have all launched new brand-led offerings to help audiences come Together@Home. Each offering has been designed to provide information, inspiration and light entertainment with a focus on connecting people.

“Following trends we’re seeing via social and search, and conversations with our consumers about what they want from us, we’ve completely revolutionised how we create recipes based on demand.”

delicious. Out of Office, taste.com.au Keep Calm Kitchen and Australia’s Best Recipes Pantry Heroes all have dedicated website sections and modules with content and tools; and social activity including virtual, live streaming video series scheduled both daily and across the week.

This month taste.com.au is breaking seven-day performance records with a slow cooker bread recipe, a homemade hand sanitiser article and easy dinners from pantry staples which generated 1.7 million page views.

Consumers are also wanting advice and easy ways to use the staples they have purchased. For delicious., baking and bread are popular with page views to a ‘No-knead Bread’ recipe up more than 10,000% month-on-month. On Australia’s Best Recipes a ‘Cooking with Nothing, Tricks to Learn from Nan’ gallery of recipes was a top performer with 350,000 page views in a single weekend. (Audience source: Adobe Analytics)

What Food Corp has on offer

delicious. OUT OF OFFICE is for those working from home and self–isolating. Using every platform available and all content formats to bring latest news and light relief to audiences craving entertainment, advice and inspiration as they undertake physical distancing.

Daily video programming from the homes of the delicious. team and talent network includes: Virtual Cocktail Hour, a cocktail or signature drink every Friday to get you through self-isolation; Out of Office, familiar faces whip up inspirational dishes using pantry staples; and Use It Up, easy ways to use up your pantry staples with food director and zero waste queen Phoebe Wood.

delicious. editor-in-chief Kerrie McCallum said: “We have seen huge traffic growth over the last week, our best five days on record with more than 100,000 mark on average for unique audience and 600,000 page views.

“Our socially led series of new programming has been created to help consumers deal with their changing situation – isolation, working from home, uncertainty – and what to do with all those pantry staples. It’s also bringing you breaking news, not just recipes. To do this we are relying on iPhones to film, and stream live or via virtual hooks ups or social stories.

“People are desperate for this connection and have the time and desire to watch us – the quality and style of filming is different to adapt to the changing circumstances and a little less formal and polished than normal.”

taste.com.au KEEP CALM KITCHEN is a resource delivering solutions and recipe ideas to help consumers prepare themselves in this new era of uncertainty around ingredients, health and budget. A programming shift with a constant flow of ideas and information from supermarket updates and pantry-based recipes to daily live #DinnerTogether videos and Q&A’s with taste.com.au’s food experts.

Keep Calm Kitchen includes simpler recipes, recipes to make the most of what’s in the pantry, clever ingredient swaps, and creative fun things to help people stay positive and socially connected.

Australia’s Best Recipes PANTRY HEROES provides everything needed to open the pantry door and win the day; meal plans, shopping tips, super-simple recipes, DIY cooking guides and daily updates. Value and savings are also key and there are smart-dollar savers to use every day.

Editorial director of taste.com.au and Australia’s Best Recipes Brodee Myers-Cooke said: “As shutdown measures come into force across the country, we’re all spending lots more time at home. Our mass food brands taste.com.au and Australia’s Best Recipes are here to help and have already seen big surges in traffic.

“Taking learnings daily from these traffic spikes and applying them straight away, the teams are producing content on the fly which is now our most popular content. We’re pulling down our production walls and going from idea to upload in 48 hours, everyone is a content maker right now.”

Kerrie McCallum: How delicious. moved from Month Out to Month In

What a difference a month makes. Just four weeks ago News Corp Australia food brand delicious. was launching its American Express delicious. Month Out initiative at an event taking over the venues inside Sydney’s Barangaroo House.

Prior to the launch delicious. editor-in-chief Kerri McCallum told Mediaweek about the initial impact coronavirus was having on the dining sector, but no one had any idea it would lead to a shutdown for both the sector (except for takeaway) and the Month Out initiative.

This week McCallum has spoken about the traffic growth at delicious. but not for reasons they could foresee just a few weeks ago.

We have seen huge traffic growth over the last week, our best five days on record with more than 100,000 mark on average for unique audience and 600,000 page views,” said McCallum.

“We had to pivot quickly off the back of our Month Out campaign with the restaurant industry being severely impacted over a very short period. We needed to find new ways to continue to support them, to bring news and information and also move to respond to consumer’s changing needs.

“So we launched the delicious. Out of Office series or #ooowithdelicious. It’s a socially led series of new programming to help consumers deal with their changing situation – isolation, working from home, uncertainty – and what to do with all those pantry staples. It’s also bringing you breaking news, not just recipes.”

The News Corp Australia food brand has long been an innovator when it comes to content production, but this month it took that a step further: “Because we are all socially distancing, we are relying on iPhones to film, and stream live or via virtual hooks ups or social stories.

“People are desperate for this connection and have the time and desire to watch us – the quality and style of filming is different to adapt to the changing circumstances and a little less formal and polished than normal.”

People at home are taking advantage of new content delicious. has been developing for its new captive audience: “The team are doing things like Masterclass, because it’s the perfect time to master that technique you’ve never had the time to; Use It Up, how to not waste pantry ingredients you’ve stashed; Tried & Tested, product trials at home; and Lunch Break, which is simply lunch inspiration for all those now working at home and unsure what to make.

“We’ve also asked our contributors to submit their own handheld videos at home that will be posted under the delicious. OOO banner.”

The food brand has also reacted to what people might have in bulk at home, said McCallum: “We are seeing a massive lift in recipe searches using products people have stockpiled. Tinned tomatoes, chickpeas, rice, pasta and more, and then also searches for food they are finding it harder to get such as bread, our three-ingredient loaf went gangbusters.”

There is also a new sub-brand coming next month: “We have plans to launch delicious. Drinks in April too, with a flip cover on the magazine and a new digital vertical.”

Top Photo: Guests at the delicious. launch four weeks ago before the food sector to a big hit: Matt Moran, Bettina Brown, Guillaume Brahimi and Sunday Telegraph editor Mick Carroll

Brendon Cook not going anywhere as oOh!media restructures

oOh!media has announced a number of proactive initiatives to improve the company’s financial flexibility and liquidity in light of recent global macroeconomic conditions. These initiatives include:

• The launch of a $167m fully underwritten equity raising, with proceeds to be applied to repay debt and fund transaction costs
• Material cost control measures with identified savings of $20m – $30m in Operating Expenditure and Fixed Rent expense reduction to be realised over financial year 2020 (FY20) depending upon how market conditions evolve
• Reduction of Capital Expenditure program by $25m – $35m below the previous guidance range of $60 – $70m
• Amendment of the Company’s debt arrangements (Debt facility) to increase the gearing covenant to 4.0x Net Debt / EBITDA for calendar year 2020 (CY20 and Covenant Extension), reflecting strong support from the Company’s banking syndicate

The combination of the announced initiatives strengthens oOh!media’s balance sheet and provides the company with improved financial flexibility and liquidity, with pro forma gearing reducing from 2.6×4 to 1.4x net debt / FY19 EBITDA. The company believes it is prudent to pursue measures that improve balance sheet flexibility given the uncertain economic outlook.

With the full support of the board, Brendon Cook has committed to remain chief executive officer until at least the end of CY20.

FY20 year to date (YTD) revenue remains in line with the prior corresponding period. As noted in the company announcement provided on 16 March 2020, the company’s performance in the first quarter was consistent with delivering the original FY20 EBITDA guidance of $140m to $155m provided on 24 February 2020.

However, as the company has over 9 months remaining in FY20 and due to the evolving macroeconomic conditions and the resulting market uncertainty caused by COVID-19, forecasting of full year revenue in the current environment is difficult. In accordance with oOh!media’s continuous disclosure obligations, the company decided to withdraw its FY20 earnings guidance on 16 March 2020.

Cost control measures include:

• Savings across a range of readily actionable categories: marketing, travel, entertainment and replacement hires
• Rent abatements built into some of the company’s leases and targeted non-renewal of specific sites

oOh!media is pleased to announce that it has received significant support for the Entitlement Offer and Placement from its largest shareholder, HMI Capital LLC (HMI). HMI is an investment management firm and long-time supporter of oOh!media, having first joined the register in March 2017.

oOh!media will appoint Mick Hellman, founder and managing partner of HMI, to the oOh! board of directors following completion of the institutional component of the Entitlement Offer. Mick Hellman will join the board as a non-executive director and will join the board’s nomination and remuneration committee.

oOh!media’s chief executive officer Brendon Cook commented: “Despite a challenging macroeconomic backdrop, trading for CY20 to date remains flat compared to the previous corresponding period in FY19 which was in line with expectations.

“With the impact of the economic outlook remaining uncertain at this time, we see risk around trading for FY20 and as such have taken the prudent and cautious measure of raising equity to repay debt, and implementing cost control measures and CAPEX reductions. Despite this challenging market environment, management believes the fundamentals for the out of home industry remain positive. The initiatives we announced provide the company with significant liquidity to trade through uncertain times ahead, and will position oOh!media to continue leading the out of home industry which we believe is a long-term structural growth sector.”

Online audiences turn to ABC, news.com.au & 7NEWS

• Seven of the top 10 news sites have a weekly audience of more than 5 million people
• All of the top 10 have a weekly audience of more than 2 million
• Average weekly audience growth of the top 10 news sites versus prior 4 weeks is 54%

Seven of the top ten online news sites attracted more than 5 million people each last week (16-22 March), according to data released by Nielsen.

Nielsen’s industry-endorsed weekly Digital Content Ratings data shows enormous growth in audiences and engagement to online news publishers’ content, with average audience growth of the top 10 news sites in this latest week up 54% versus the prior four weeks.

Nielsen’s managing director of media and sports Monique Perry said that now more than ever, Australians want to know the latest information on COVID-19. “They want to know what it means for them, their family and their livelihood. Australians are choosing and trusting digital across an array of devices to access breaking information. Our digital news publishers are providing up-to-date and relevant information to consumers and the engagement and audience metrics validate this strong and active connection,” confirmed Perry.

IAB’s CEO Gai Le Roy said this is not just about competitive rankings anymore. “Our digital publishing industry continues to invest and deliver much needed trusted information to Australians. Over the last few weeks we have seen media owners develop rich new content offerings that not only include text journalism but podcasts, live streams and many other offerings to keep people up to date. The growth in audience numbers testifies that this content is highly valued.

“As consumers turn to these sites, we congratulate the people working so hard to deliver compelling content and we congratulate the brands and advertisers who continue to support the Australian advertising industry,” added Le Roy.

SBS launches multilingual Coronavirus news and information portal

SBS has launched the SBS Multilingual Coronavirus Portal, a dedicated online information hub for multicultural communities to easily access accurate and trusted news and information about COVID-19, in their language.

The portal provides one place where the many Australians who speak a language other than English can come to for the latest news and resources across more than 60 languages, produced by SBS Radio and SBS News.

Director of SBS’s Audio and Language Content, Mandi Wicks, said: “Reaching those who speak a language other than English with vital public health information is essential to saving lives, and SBS plays a unique and critical role in keeping communities informed during challenging and uncertain times. It has never been more important to ensure Australians are getting the information they need to protect themselves and their communities as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

“The SBS Coronavirus Multilingual Portal provides a central hub and go-to source for people to access accurate news and information they can trust, and stay informed with the latest must-know updates about COVID-19 in their language. It also provides easy access to unique coverage of the impacts and issues being faced by different communities, as well as positive stories of resilience in communities that are important at a time like this. 

“As events have unfolded, SBS has been providing comprehensive coverage in more than 60 languages across our radio services, in addition to news in English from Australia and around the world. We’re seeing more Australians turn to SBS as they seek information they can trust about issues affecting their communities.”


Daily visitors to SBS Radio language websites have increased 70 percent the last month, and installations of the SBS Radio app have more than doubled. The SBS Mandarin service has experienced an 89 percent increase in daily visitors to its website, and the SBS Korean service is up 209 percent compared to its daily average.

The SBS Multilingual Coronavirus Portal can be accessed at sbs.com.au/coronavirus. The portal highlights key information and updates about COVID-19, including the latest news in English, and visitors can then select one of more than 60 languages to browse coverage produced by SBS in that language.   

Covid-19 reporting leads to Guardian Australia's highest ever traffic

In the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Guardian Australia’s national reach has more than doubled this month with 2.2 million daily readers, according to Nielsen data.

Guardian Australia’s COVID-19 reporting has included a daily liveblog, data tracker, dedicated Full Story podcasts, a series of explainers, plus Q and As, travel updates, political bulletins and analysis, and stories of how other countries are dealing with the crisis.

Dan Stinton, managing director of Guardian Australia, said:

“The reporters at Guardian Australia have been working overtime to cover one of the biggest and most important stories of our time.

“The team’s rigorous journalistic standards and commitment to fact-based reporting and expert analysis has clearly resonated deeply with Australians, as evidenced by our exponential traffic growth.

“Our local journalism team works in partnership with our international offices to produce a constant stream of world-class breaking news, covering the pandemic and its many global and local impacts.” 

Sunday March 22 saw an overnight increase of more than 50% in traffic, as Guardian Australia reported on the various political messages and new restrictions around COVID-19. Mobile traffic accounted for 83% of the audience. 

Readers are also consuming more content, with daily pageviews growing from 2.7 million to 6.9 million in the same time period. 

This follows Guardian Australia reaching a record 6.5 million Australians in January, in the wake of the country’s bushfires, flooding and climate crisis. 

APRA Music Awards goes virtual for 2020 amid COVID-19

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the APRA Music Awards will change its format for 2020 and will be streamed online for the first time to music fans around the world as a virtual event on Tuesday 26 May. The event was due to take place on Tuesday 28 April at the International Convention Centre in Sydney.

Streaming details will be announced in the coming weeks. The format will feature presenters, winners and special performances by the Song of the Year finalists.

Chair of the APRA Board, Jenny Morris said: “This is an unprecedented time in all our lives, it’s not easy to make any sort of decision right now about the near future. But everyone involved with the APRA Music Awards decided that going ahead with the awards was something we could and should do – albeit in a very different way, but one that brings the awards to music fans far and wide for the first time. It’s important to celebrate and acknowledge the success and artistry of our songwriters whose work enrichens our lives. They will be the ones who help us get through this time.”

In an expansion of the APRA Music Awards, APRA AMCOS has introduced the category of Most Performed Alternative Work to its list of awards based on statistical analysis. The award has been created to acknowledge the significant commercial and cultural impact of the alternative genre.

The category of Overseas Recognition Award has found a new home within the Global APRA Music Awards, recently held in Los Angeles, Nashville and London. These awards recognise artistic excellence and outstanding success of APRA members in international markets. The inaugural Global APRA Music Awards series saw producer/songwriter Joel Little, screen music composer Jed Kurzel and singer/songwriter and record producer Rick Price take out the Overseas Recognition Award in L.A, London and Nashville respectively.

Curating the event’s music performances is award-winning singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke, who will return for her second year as the Awards Musical Director. 

The nominees for the reimagined 2020 APRA Music Awards will be announced on Tuesday 7 April.

2020 APRA MUSIC AWARDS CATEGORIES

Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year
Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music
Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year
Songwriter of the Year
Most Performed Australian Work
Most Performed Alternative Work
Most Performed Australian Work Overseas
Most Performed Country Work
Most Performed Blues & Roots Work
Most Performed Dance Work
Most Performed Rock Work
Most Performed Pop Work
Most Performed Urban Work
Most Performed International Work
Licensee of the Year

Bauer's NW continues to spill the tea on our favourite celebs

By Claudia Siron

Bauer Media entertainment magazine, NW, has celebrated the world of Hollywood and media celebrities for almost three decades.

Editor Sebastian van der Zwan (pictured) spoke to Mediaweek about their reader’s insatiable appetite for reality TV content, their most engaging celebrity stories, and their most recent business partnerships.

van der Zwan said NW is all about the OMG, the LOL and the WTF of the celeb world, and that their stories are anything but boring. “NW is different from other mags because we don’t take the celebrity world – or ourselves – too seriously. If I had to sum the vibe up in one word, it would be ‘cheeky’. 

I see NW as a reader’s outrageous best mate – full of great yarns, always telling it like it is and probably a shocker on the dance floor after a few vinos!

van der Zwan revealed that NW readers are hard-working professionals juggling work, family and domestic commitments. “As well as entertainment, they’re turning to us for some relief and distraction from the daily grind. Our average reader is aged 44, with 81% of them female, 77% the main grocery shopper and 35% with children under 18 at home.”

The brand’s cross-platform audience, including print and digital, is 504,000 (Roy Morgan Single Source, December 2019), which is up 10% year-on-year and 7% period-on-period. “Add in our social media numbers (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) and this goes up to 837,100.

“Our research shows 74% of these readers are passionate about skincare and make-up, with NW readers 2.7 times more likely than the average Aussie to advise their friends on the latest trends and products. When it comes to fashion, one in three describe themselves as “born to shop” and they’re 2.6 times more likely to jump on the newest styles.”

van der Zwan also said NW readers are 3.8 times more likely than your average Aussie to buy health products. “They’re much more likely to be into diets and weight-loss programs.”

Married At First Sight is always an exciting time for magazines and online platforms, and it’s no different for NW. “It’s always fun with a new cast of reality stars wannabes to interview, analyse and expose. But for us, the biggest news has been Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston’s reunion.

It’s been 15 years since Brad shocked the showbiz world by ditching America’s Sweetheart for saucy minx Angelina Jolie and we were #TeamJen all the way. So you can imagine our delight when, three years after Brad’s marriage to Ange spectacularly imploded, he was one of the last guests to leave Jen’s annual Christmas party. And of course when the pair shared a moment and confirmed they were back on good terms at the Screen Actors Guild Awards… Too cute!”

van der Zwan said their readers have been following this Hollywood soap opera ever since Pitt and Aniston first got together in 1998. “They’re heavily invested in this fairytale happy ending. Our sales have spiked with our past four Brad and Jen covers, with record sales for our Christmas double issue.

“Similar to the Brad, Jen and Ange love triangle, the stars who excite our readers are the ones they’ve been following and investing in for decades. Think long-time newsmakers like Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Britney Spears, Julia Roberts and the Beckhams, rather than the new crop of Hollywood brats.”

When we turn back to reality TV content, it’s safe to say Nine’s Married At First Sight is an all-time favourite show for readers. “With nasty splits, fiery feuds and scandalous couple swaps, it’s got to be MAFS – it brings the drama with a capital D. But Survivor, The Bachelor and even The Masked Singer have given us some strong cover lines. Our readers are obsessed with reality TV. They can’t get enough!

Like all celebrity-focused magazines, NW relies on a tonne of visuals and solid snaps of celebs. “We need the most shocking and hilarious pics in NW, so exclusive images are a big expense for us. Keeping the cost down is one of the biggest challenges for our legendary picture editors.”

van der Zwan said last year they worked with Amazon Prime on the launch of their original TV series Carnival Row. “The fantasy show stars Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne, who are both big names for NW readers, so it was an easy fit for the mag and not at all a stretch to create editorial content to complement the advertising.

“Ditto HAYU with their campaigns for Keeping Up With The Kardashians, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Vanderpump Rules etc. Their viewers are our readers.”

NW’s trend-driven audience is also consistently kept up to date thanks to their lifestyle team that works closely with beauty, fashion, health, food and diet brands. “They ensure our readers stay ahead of all trends, and they’re very open to collaborations. Recently we’re worked with Optislim, Underline lingerie, Clearskincare Clinics and Everlast activewear.

“We’re also really proud of working with the rest of the Bauer Media team on the Rebuild Our Towns campaign, which is giving readers practical advice on how they can help communities affected by the recent bushfires.”

In regards to plans for 2020 for the brand, van der Zwan confirmed he wants to push further on their editorial content that already resonates so well with their audience.I want to up the OMG, the LOL and the WOW factors. Turn it up to 11 – more laughs and more bizarre yarns about our readers’ favourite stars and shows – while continuing to be one of Australia’s most loved forms of entertainment and escapism. I’m also working on more competitions, special issues and advertising opportunities.”

Lockdown TV: Andrew Mercado’s plea – Stay home and watch, guilt free

By Andrew Mercado

For the sake of the nation, please stay at home and watch as much TV as you like, guilt-free! Here is your ultimate and underrated lockdown list:

10 Play (Free)

The Secret Life Of Us and Love My WayClaudia Karvan might or might not win Dancing With The Stars’ hastily convened Grand Final (Sunday on 10), but viewers are definitely winners getting two of her best Aussie dramas. How about her TV version of Puberty Blues next, please?

BREAKING NEWS: Series two of How To Stay Married has just dropped here too, ahead of broadcast. Nice one Pete Helliar!

SBS On Demand (Free)

Australia In Colour, Robbie Hood and The Family Law – Three Aussie beauties here, starting with our colourised history, before moving into two must-see comedy. Afterwards, check out NZ comedy flick The Breaker Upperers.

7plus (Free)

A Country Practice and Spirited – Has there ever been a better time to go back to Wandin Valley? And how many of you saw The Ghost and Mrs Muir-inspired drama comedy Claudia Karvan made for Foxtel?

9Now (Free)

McLeod’s Daughters and Metro Sexual – There are several Nine classics to re-watch, but the newest is online only and about a sexual health clinic … fingers crossed.

ABC iview (Free)

Frayed and Black Comedy – More Aussie comedy, and when you can take something darker, don’t miss Stateless and Revelation (where its second episode, pre-empted last week, will now air Tuesday on ABC).

Amazon Prime

The Marvellous Mrs Maisel and Fleabag – These two are my absolute must-sees, but horror and daytime soap fans will also love the original Dark Shadows (1966 – 1971). And sports fans, ABC Breakfast sports guy Paul Kennedy has given a huge thumbs up to Aussie cricket doco The Test.

Apple TV+

Morning Wars and Visible – Two looks at American TV, with the first about a fictional breakfast show, and the second being LGBT history as seen through the lens of television.

Disney+

Plenty for the kids, but also some great nostalgia for parents who remember Disneyland on Sunday nights – there’s old school movies like Swiss Family Robinson, The Ugly Dachshund and The Parent Trap (the original with Hayley Mills, before Lindsay Lohan).

Foxtel

Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Outsider Larry David has just wound up his 10th season and it was fantastically funny. Then check out the creepy Stephen King HBO thriller with Ben Mendelsohn.

Stan

Mother and Son and Frontline – The two greatest Aussie sitcoms of all time. Don’t miss Bloom, the superb Aussie mini-series given there are new episodes coming for Easter. And The L Word: Generation Q, is one of the best (and sexiest) reboots of recent times.

Netflix

Where do we begin … OK, right now everyone is watching the insane true crime doco Tiger King, but for a laugh I reckon Sex Education, Derry Girls, Friends From College and After Life (new episodes in April). And it would appear that a whole new generation has just discovered Kath and Kim. Noice! So, self-isolate now, and stay safe everyone x

TV Ratings Thursday Week 13 March 26, 2020

By James Manning

• Audiences indicate they want both information and entertainment
• News & current affairs still big, posting record Thursday numbers
• Ambos & Gogglebox give 10 biggest share since mid-January

Seven News 6pm
Monday 1,234,000/1,211,000
Tuesday 1,275,000/1,232,000
Wednesday 1,277/1,260,000
Thursday 1,245,000/1,188,000
Audience up 17% week-on-week nationally

The Latest Seven News
Monday 649,000
Tuesday 630,000
Wednesday 603,000
Thursday 636,000

Nine News 6pm
Monday 1,193,000/1,171,000
Tuesday 1,196,000/1,141,000
Wednesday 1,260,000/1,215,000
Thursday 1,133,000/1,114,000
Highest rating Thursday for 2020.

A Current Affair
Monday 890,000
Tuesday 886,000
Wednesday 940,000
Thursday 786,000
Highest rating Thursday for 2020.

Nine News Special COVID-19
Monday 570,000
Tuesday 1,071,000
Wednesday 803,000
Thursday 559,000

10 News First 5pm
Monday 571,000
Tuesday 525,000
Wednesday 541,000
Thursday 527,000
10 News First 6pm
Monday 380,000
Tuesday 337,000
Wednesday 299,000
Thursday 315,000
The Project 6.30/7pm
Monday 423,000/623,000
Tuesday 426,000/614,000
Wednesday 384,000/602,000
Thursday 399,000/636,000

ABC News 7pm
Monday 955,000
Tuesday 997,000
Wednesday 1,000,000
Thursday 937,000

7.30
Monday 911,000
Tuesday 873,000
Wednesday 888,000
Thursday 789,000

SBS World News 6.30pm
Monday 192,000
Tuesday 189,000
Wednesday 193,000
Thursday 189,000

Breakfast TV
Monday
Sunrise 379,000
Today 314,000
News Breakfast 301,000
Tuesday
Sunrise 347,000
Today 261,000
News Breakfast 271,000
Wednesday
Sunrise 351,000
Today 276,000
News Breakfast 280,000
Thursday
Sunrise 360,000
Today 267,000
News Breakfast 277,000

Nine: Without any NRL in the schedule, Nine managed to keep its week 13 winning streak intact. Only Hot Seat (536,000 and 339,000) and RBT (545,000) interrupted the flow of news and current affairs from 4pm until after 9pm.

Seven: After a single week of AFL, the channel focussed on news and current affairs until about 8pm when Pooch Perfect did 359,000. Another news bulletin then followed with 282,000 watching until just after 10pm.

10: With no live sport in the schedule, 10 made the most of the opportunity and posted its best share on any night since mid-January. The Project recorded its best 7pm audience this week which then helped drive the Ambulance Australia audience to 646,000 – just short of 200,000 more than a week ago and the biggest audience since December 18. Gogglebox too performed well with 736,000 watching the families talk about everything from coronavirus (‘Should we be social distancing’ the Daltons asked at the start while bunched on the couch) through to grisly murders and an erection (!) on Neighbours. The audience was up over 100,000 on last week.

ABC: After big crowds until 8pm the numbers then dropped for The Heights (253,000) but then lifted for Grand Designs Australia (343,000)

Week 12 TV: Thursday
THURSDAY METRO
ABCSevenNine10SBS
ABC11.3%716.5%918.2%10 15.8%SBS One5.3%
ABC KIDS/ ABC COMEDY2.3%7TWO3.2%GO!2.2%10 Bold3.7%VICELAND1.4%
ABC ME0.8%7mate2.2%GEM4.7%10 Peach2.4%Food Net0.8%
ABC NEWS4.0%7flix1.5%9Life2.1%  NITV0.1%
        SBS World Movies1.5%
TOTAL18.5% 23.4% 27.1% 21.8% 9.2%

 

THURSDAY REGIONAL
ABCSeven AffiliatesNine Affiliates10 AffiliatesSBS
ABC9.3%717.6%915.4%WIN14.1%SBS One4.6%
ABC KIDS/ ABC COMEDY3.0%7TWO5.2%GO!2.3%WIN Bold4.3%VICELAND1.2%
ABC ME1.0%7mate2.4%GEM6.2%WIN Peach2.1%Food Net0.8%
ABC NEWS3.7%7flix (Excl. Tas/WA)1.3%9Life2.4%Sky News  on WIN2.8%NITV0.1%
        SBS Movies1.4%
TOTAL17.0% 26.6% 26.4% 23.3% 8.1%

 

THURSDAY METRO ALL TV
FTASTV
87.9%12.1%
THURSDAY FTA
  1. Seven News Seven 1,245,000
  2. Seven News At 6.30 Seven 1,188,000
  3. Nine News Nine 1,133,000
  4. Nine News 6:30 Nine 1,114,000
  5. ABC News ABC 937,000
  6. 7.30 ABC 789,000
  7. A Current Affair Nine 786,000
  8. Gogglebox 10 736,000
  9. Ambulance Australia 10 646,000
  10. The Latest: Seven News Seven 636,000
  11. The Project 7pm 10 636,000
  12. The Chase Australia Seven 626,000
  13. Nine News Special: COVID 19 Nine 559,000
  14. RBT Nine 545,000
  15. Hot Seat Nine 536,000
  16. 10 News First 10 527,000
  17. Sammy J ABC 443,000
  18. The Chase Australia 5pm Seven 399,000
  19. The Project 6.30pm 10 399,000
  20. Sunrise Seven 360,000
Demo Top 5

16 – 39

  1. Gogglebox 10 204,000
  2. Nine News 6:30 Nine 183,000
  3. Ambulance Australia 10 170,000
  4. The Project 7pm 10 166,000
  5. Nine News Nine 159,000

 

18 – 49

  1. Gogglebox 10 364,000
  2. Nine News 6:30 Nine 322,000
  3. Nine News Nine 303,000
  4. The Project 7pm 10 297,000
  5. Ambulance Australia 10 289,000

 

25 – 54

  1. Gogglebox 10 398,000
  2. Nine News 6:30 Nine 385,000
  3. Nine News Nine 367,000
  4. Seven News Seven 349,000
  5. Seven News At 6.30 Seven 343,000
THURSDAY Multichannel
  1. NCIS (R) 10Bold 202,000
  2. For Your Eyes Only 9Gem 192,000
  3. Bluey AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 191,000
  4. Peppa Pig AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 159,000
  5. Ben And Holly’s Little Kingdom AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 152,000
  6. Shaun The Sheep AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 149,000
  7. Bluey ABCKIDS/COMEDY 145,000
  8. Father Brown PM 7TWO 145,000
  9. Death In Paradise 9Gem 144,000
  10. ABC News At Noon PM ABC NEWS 141,000
  11. Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 140,000
  12. Bananas In Pyjamas AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 138,000
  13. Play School AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 136,000
  14. QI ABCKIDS/COMEDY 136,000
  15. 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown (R) SBS VICELAND 131,000
  16. The World ABC NEWS 130,000
  17. Hawaii Five O (R) 10 Bold 130,000
  18. Bing AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 126,000
  19. Neighbours 10 Peach 126,000
  20. ABC News Mornings AM ABC NEWS 125,000
THURSDAY STV
  1. Paul Murray Live Sky News Live 99,000
  2. The Bolt Report Sky News Live 76,000
  3. Credlin Sky News Live 71,000
  4. PML Later Sky News Live 67,000
  5. Selling Houses Australia Lifestyle Channel 60,000
  6. Outback Opal Hunters Discovery Channel 60,000
  7. Chris Smith Tonight Sky News Live 58,000
  8. Deadwater Fell BBC First 47,000
  9. Afternoon Agenda Sky News Live 46,000
  10. Afternoon Agenda Sky News Live 45,000
  11. The Kenny Report Sky News Live 43,000
  12. Selling Houses Australia Lifestyle Channel 43,000
  13. AM Agenda Sky News Live 43,000
  14. Afternoon Agenda Sky News Live 42,000
  15. AM Agenda Sky News Live 42,000
  16. Jeopardy! FOX Classics 38,000
  17. AM Agenda Sky News Live 35,000
  18. Highway Patrol FOX8 34,000
  19. Chicago Fire FOX One 34,000
  20. Newsday Sky News Live 33,000

Shares all people, 6pm-midnight, Overnight (Live and AsLive), Audience numbers FTA metro, Sub TV national
Source: OzTAM and Regional TAM 2018. The Data may not be reproduced, published or communicated (electronically or in hard copy) without the prior written consent of OzTAM

Media News Roundup

Business of Media

oOh!media book covered, Macquarie tells clients

The institutional portion of oOh!media’s equity raising was “covered” heading into the close, stockbroker Macquarie told clients on Thursday afternoon, reports The AFR’s Streetalk.

The message went to fund at about 3.30pm, while the deal’s institutional portion was due to close at 4.30pm. oO!media was seeking to raise $167 million including $39 million in a placement and another $128 million in a one-for-one rights issue. The institutional portion of the deal was expected to be more than $100 million.

The deal was at 53¢ a share which was a 37 per cent discount to the last close and a 20 per cent discount to the theoretical ex-rights price.

[Read more]

HMI Capital emerges as kingmaker in oOh!media $167m raising

HMI Capital could emerge with a quarter of oOh!media, putting the San Francisco-based private equity firm in the position of kingmaker in the future of the outdoor advertising business following a $167 million emergency capital raising amid the coronavirus pandemic, reports The AFR’s Max Mason.

HMI Capital committed to sub-underwriting up to $17.7 million in oOh!media’s $167 million emergency capital raising.

HMI Capital was founded by Mick Hellman, the son of Hellman & Friedman founder Warren Hellman. Hellman will join oOh!media’s board as a non-executive director following the institutional component of the entitlement offer.

HMI Capital has committed to its entitlement in the capital raising and will sub-underwrite up to $17.7 million the deal, being run by Macquarie Capital. Depending on the volume taken up, it could raise its stake from 19 per cent to 25 per cent of oOh!media, which would be subject to Foreign Investment Review Board approval.

[Read more]

OMA: “Outdoor advertising remains relevant in the ‘stay at home’ world”

Below is a message from OMA CEO Charmaine Moldrich:

Having dedicated the last 10 years of my life to the business of Out of Home advertising, it seems somewhat counterproductive to recommend that people stay home. Yet this is the firm advice of our government and medical professionals worldwide. We are in uncharted territory.

COVID-19 has disrupted all of our lives in ways that we could not even begin to imagine. While our team at the OMA is yearning for a crystal ball, the best we can do is collate the data, process the information, and work to provide relevant advice to our members and the advertising industry.

In the short-term, we are feeling the impact of marketing budgets put on hold, and we know that short-term performance goals will not be reached. But there is hope. By now you would have read the articles proclaiming that China’s ad market is rebounding and no doubt you are looking for tips on how to get there faster—as in right now!

[Read more]

News Brands

Daily Tele's misguided Prince Charles hit job

Overnight news the Prince of Wales has – along with another 1500 of his fellow Britons – contracted COVID-19 was a particularly awkward twist of fate for The Daily Telegraph. And not the Barclay brothers’ esteemed London broadsheet; Rupert Murdoch’s cretinous Sydney tabloid, reports The AFR’s Joe Aston.

Only on March 5, it had savaged the Prince for, it alleged, withdrawing Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons’ invitation to a Buckingham Palace party “because Prince Charles is scared of the coronavirus. Seriously”.

Yep, The Tele’s splash that Thursday screamed “CHICKEN CHARLES”, the insulting headline set beneath an image of the heir’s son, the Duke of Cambridge, grasping a dignitary’s hand in Dublin the previous day. “Will carries on as Dad snubs our fire hero,” went the subhead (right above the bogan masthead’s tagline “We’re for youse”).

[Read more]

Radio

Radio boss tests positive to coronavirus

The news director of Sydney’s biggest radio station 2GB has tested positive to coronavirus describing her symptoms as starting when she began “feeling really cold”, reports news.com.au’s Candace Sutton.

Journalist and newsreader Natalie Peters has been in self-isolation, away from her 2GB colleagues including Ray Hadley and Erin Molan, since arriving back from overseas earlier this month.

Speaking to Hadley from her home this morning, Peters said she landed back at Sydney airport on March 15, before the ban forcing overseas travellers into 14-day isolation kicked in at midnight.

She was surprised by the airline’s almost complete lack of medical precautions or travel advice until one hour before landing at Sydney International Airport.

At the time, Peters said she was choosing to self-isolate despite not being required to.

[Read more]

Television

Filming of Ten’s The Bachelor is suspended

Network Ten’s popular reality show The Bachelor is the latest local television show to be halted over fears about the spread of the coronavirus, just hours after Nine Entertainment stopped filming The Block, reports The Australian’s Lilly Vitorovich.

Ten and the producers of The Bachelor, Warner Bros., said it is “no longer practical” to continue filming the eighth season, which involves 20 women vying for the affections of bachelor Locky Gilbert, even though it has been taking “extra precautions on set for some time”.

“The health and safety of our participants and crew members is our number one priority. These are extremely difficult times for all Australians and for our industry, and the full extent of those difficulties will not be known for some time to come,” Ten and Warner Bros. said in a joint statement Thursday evening.

The companies said their decision to halt production was made after considering all available options, and will resume when it is safe.

[Read more]

'We feel secure': Foxtel CEO confident amid global sports shutdown

Foxtel chief executive Patrick Delany says he is confident about the company’s future despite the worldwide shutdown of live sport as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and will offer sweeteners to customers in an aggressive attempt to keep subscribers, reports The SMH and The Age’s Michael Lallo and Broede Carmody.

“You’d have to be living in la-la land if you thought there wouldn’t be some effect [on subscriptions] given the lack of live sport but we feel secure because we’re very strong in other genres like movies, drama and lifestyle,” Mr Delany said. “We’re known for sport but the number of customers that take only a sports package are a minority compared to those that take sport plus things like entertainment and drama.”

The pay TV company has invested heavily in local and international sports – including NRL, AFL, cricket, basketball and Formula One – to drive subscriptions. These sports are also available on Kayo, a streaming platform with no lock-in contracts. But as major codes suspend or scrap their 2020 seasons in response to the pandemic, Foxtel and Kayo face a potential exodus of customers.

[Read more]

MAFS: Bad boy Michael makes horrible date rape joke on radio

Married At First Sight’s Michael Goonan stooped to a new low on radio this morning when he cracked a joke about a date rape drug, reports news.com.au’s Andrew Bucklow.

Michael was being interviewed on Hit FM’s Mid North Coast breakfast show Krysti & Bodge when he was asked whether there’s any truth to the rumour he’s currently dating fellow MAFS contestant KC.

“Are you at least bone buddies with your old mate KC?” radio host Bodge asked.

“Look, she’s a good girl, she’s a very good girl,” Michael said coyly.

The radio hosts told Michael that his TV wife Stacey did an Instagram Q&A yesterday in which she revealed to fans that KC and Michael are now in a relationship.

Michael replied: “I know, but Stacey’s not really in my life. To be honest with you, if I had a shot with KC, I’d take it. But I think she’s out of my league. I don’t know how many roofies (a slang term for the date rape drug Rohypnol) I’d need to give her to get a shot. I just don’t know whether I’d be able to get in there.”

[Read more]

Ally Langdon’s frustration over people flouting tough new restrictions

Today host Allison Langdon has delivered a stinging rebuke to Australians recklessly disobeying strict new laws aimed at stopping the spread of coronavirus, suggesting that they should all simply be “locked up”, reports news.com.au’s Bronte Coy.

Strict social distancing measures were upgraded again on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison announcing a raft of new restrictions on everyday life in a bid to slow down the infection rate of coronavirus.

Speaking to New South Wales police commissioner Mick Fuller on the show this morning, Langdon and co-host Karl Stefanovic asked about the penalties for those who breached the new rules. “There are restrictions in terms of outdoors and numbers and that’s $500, indoors it is $100,” he said.

“But say an individual decided he was going to have a house party in his or her unit, if there was more people than the allocated in terms of one person per four square metres then individuals could get a $1000 fine and the owner of the house could get a $5000 fine.”

[Read more]

Sport

Channel Nine tells NRL it won't make its next payment

Channel Nine won’t be making its quarterly broadcast payment to the NRL on April 1, but has outlined a desire to renegotiate its current rights deal to extend beyond 2022, reports The SMH’s Michael Chammas.

The Herald has been told by a source close to discussions that Nine’s preference is to renegotiate its current deal and extend its broadcast partnership with the NRL in a revised organisational structure that would see the clubs play a major part in the running of the sport.

Nine, the publisher of this masthead, hopes the current predicament will allow the game the opportunity to think outside the square, and potentially allow clubs a greater say in operations.

The news comes on the same day as the NRL was forced to delayed a crisis meeting with clubs on Friday, which was meant to provide them with an update of its plans for a postponed competition.

[Read more]

Richardson savages former ARLC chair Grant over NRL finances

• Don’t do it, John. The game cannot afford it.

This was the warning several members of the NRL executive told former ARL Commission chairman John Grant before a critical meeting with the 16 club bosses on December 3, 2015, reports The SHM’s Andrew Webster.

They pleaded with Grant to refuse a demand to increase the clubs’ annual grant to 130 per cent of the salary cap.

Grant’s decision temporarily won him support from the clubs, who did not move to sack him in 2015. The financial cost to the game, however, would be heavy. That cost has been exposed in the current crisis.

“Instead, he capitulated,” recalled Shane Richardson, who was the NRL’s head of game development at the time having been charged by then chief executive Dave Smith to streamline the entire code. “Greed set in.”

[Read more]

Rugby Australia brace for $90m coronavirus hit

Rugby Australia will fall into a financial black hole worth up to $90 million by the end of the year in worst-case scenario projections facing administrators, reports The SHM’Georgina Robinson.

As the broadcasting tap gets turned off, the prospect of hosting home Test matches fades and sponsorship arrangements come under scrutiny amid the worsening coronavirus pandemic, RA chief executive Raelene Castle, her players’ union counterpart Justin Harrison and the Super Rugby clubs are working through tough decisions on rugby’s cost base.

In a doomsday scenario, which imagines a cancelled Test season and no opportunity to play the mooted domestic competition later this year, RA would forego broadcast rights payments for the next three quarters, totalling $42.75m, gate revenue from seven home Test matches and a $1m fee for a potential Test against Wales in November.

[Read more]

AFL, players moving closer to agreement on pay deal for 2020

A breakthrough pay deal between the AFL and the game’s 850 players will revolve around the prospect of multiple scenarios playing out in the coronavirus crisis, reports Herald Sun’s Michael Warner.

The deal, which could be signed off on Friday, will be flexible and see players earn varied amounts in 2020 depending on whether there are no games, some games or a full 17 rounds, plus finals.

Matches being played with or without crowds and the financial viability of key AFL sponsors and partners will also determine the size of the stop gap arrangement to be struck between the AFL and the players’ union.

Precise details will be finalised in the coming weeks and months, but both parties were determined to agree in principle to multiple models and allow the AFL to accelerate plans to secure a sizeable bank loan to secure the game.

[Read more]

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