The 7.30pm Friday timeslot has long been a magnet for lifestyle TV. Burke’s Backyard dominated for many years before Seven moved Better Homes and Gardens there some time ago, as did the ABC more recently with Gardening Australia.

Network 10 started playing in that space with The Living Room in 2012. The program proved popular with audiences with 40 episodes a year and it has attracted many TV Week Logie Awards, winning four over consecutive years from 2015.

But after more than 300 episodes the program was benched late in 2019 as 10 split with the production house WTFN.

Sarah Thornton

As it’s shortly due to resume, Network 10’s head of popular factual Sarah Thornton (pictured) told Mediaweek: “We had a great run working with WTFN and there are countless happy memories. But we Aussies love home improvement and, like most homes, The Living Room was in need of a refurbishment. So, with Australia’s most loved hosts – Amanda, Chris, Barry and Miguel – at the helm we’ve had a crack team busy getting it revamped, re-energised and relocated. And we can’t wait for viewers to see it!”

Viewers will have to wait a little longer as 10 has yet to reveal when in the coming months that the program will re-launch.

The new executive producer of The Living Room is Caroline Swift, former director of development at Fremantle Australia. Swift told Mediaweek the thing that drew her to move to the program was the chance to work with the talent.

“Amanda is a national icon, Miguel impressed Australia with his win on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, Chris has proven how versatile he is and Barry is just so charming and they all have great relationships with each other.

“I was also attracted to the brief from Sarah and Bev McGarvey who wanted to do something completely different, in a sense reinventing the show.”

For regular Living Room viewers, Thornton said: “It will be an entirely new show. But we think people will see it like a renovation. After the initial surprise it will feel like it’s always been like that. We wanted to give the talent more to do and create a show around them that played to their strengths in a way the show now does. Although it has been reinvented, if viewers loved the show before they will love it now.”

Former regulars like Cherie Barber and Peter Walsh won’t feature as much in the new format. “It’s now all about the core cast,” said Thornton. “We feel the cast have such diverse talents that it isn’t necessary to have additional talent. The hosts are more than willing to roll up their sleeves, get stuck in. They are such a powerhouse, we don’t think they are going to need help.”

While 10 had the show on hiatus planning its return, there was never any thought about changing the Friday 7.30pm timeslot. Thornton: “The discussion was only ever about what we could deliver viewers differently in the slot.”

Swift started planning the format changes earlier in the year before COVID-19 slowed down production. “We have since managed to work through that period making compromises for safety,” Swift explained. “The material we have so far has looked great during the edit and people are excited about what we will have when the series relaunches. The central idea for the show is that the home is where the heart is. I wanted to make a show where there was a real connection with the hosts and we will deliver on that.”

Thornton added: “To create not only a new format, but to do so during a pandemic has been one of the most extraordinary things I have witnessed as a network EP. Caroline has done it with passion and has led a team of very talented creatives through what has been an extraordinary time. She has been making a show about our lives and our lives have fundamentally changed. Caroline and the team must be exhausted and what she has delivered has been brilliant.”

While Thornton and Swift had met a few times, they have never worked together previously. Swift called the partnership, “one of the most joyful working partnerships that I’ve had in my career.” Thornton: “I have also adored working with someone that has the energy and creativity that Caroline has.”

Swift said a big factor in the revised format was the willingness of host Amanda and co-presenters Miguel, Chris and Barry to “lean in and trust us”.

Swift has promised regular viewers that all the usual topics will be covered. “They key change is that in each episode we have cast contributors who have a story that inspires what we do around it. Because we wanted to explore the relationships the four hosts have with each other we have them out in the field together. They will now be part of a story instead of each working on their own stories.”

Thornton added: “Two key things we wanted from the storytelling – we wanted the show to inspire. If people want to know how to seal a window, you can go to YouTube and look at a video to work out how to do it very quickly. If you want to learn about why to do certain things or why to make changes to enhance your life is why you come to The Living Room.”

—

Top Photo: The Living Room’s Miguel, Amanda, Barry and Chris

Even though there was anticipation of the cuts announced to News Corp Australia titles across many markets, it still shook the industry when confirmed on Thursday. The company’s executive chairman Michael Miller told Mediaweek, “It’s not a great day when you see a colleague depart the business. Staff impacted come from all parts of the company, but mainly from the regional and suburban areas where those mastheads will now be published digitally instead of in print.”

News Corp transition to digital

110 titles impacted
96 now going digital only
14 titles closing

See also:
News Corp closes titles, changes metro strategy, sheds staff in shake-up day

Part of the upheaval announced at News Corp Australia this week involves changes to the editorial make-up of its cap city metro dailies.

“Regional Australia has changed,” said Miller. “Due to various factors including transport, employment changes and the media, people are far more connected to their major cities. In response to that we will be publishing more regional editions of the state-based titles that will see them carry more area specific news.

“For example in Queensland you will see the Sunshine Coast and Gympie get a separate edition of The Courier-Mail, and there will also be a Central Queensland edition.” Miller said The Daily Telegraph will also launch separate regional editions for different parts of NSW.

There has been a loss of journalism roles in the overall staff cuts, but Miller explained: “We will have 375 journalists through regional and suburban Australia who will not just continue to write for their [print or digital] local masthead which will continue to live and thrive, but they will also contribute to their state-based mastheads, The Daily Telegraph and The Courier-Mail in particular.

“When people work for News Corp they don’t work for any particular masthead. Part of being a journalist with us now is that your stories can be read widely and that includes the team that will be working on our newswire.”

Miller added the company recognises there are still people who prefer a print product whether it be read over the breakfast table or as part of a ritual with their coffee or morning tea.

“While the local advertising in regional titles has over time declined, we see the metro dailies or The Australian being able to meet the print needs of many.”

The expansion of regional coverage in all metro dailies will come under the brief for each of the editors, in the case of The Daily Telegraph that is Ben English, while in Queensland it is Chris Jones.

The company has taken some learnings from the past few months when COVID-19 led to print suspension at some titles. “We have realised just how well our different editorial teams can work together. They are now one team.” Miller pointed to the COVID-19 special section Hibernation and how well it was put together so quickly and with localised issues.

While the impact of COVID-19 has sped up the transition to digital, Miller noted many of the titles were challenged before it appeared. “Since COVID all businesses have had to look at how they operate and we have had to do that as well. When we look at long term viability, they were still looking challenged.”

Miller noted that one of the roles of Peter Blunden’s expanded brief as national executive editor across the newswire, sport, the News360 division and the premium news division “is to ensure our great journalism is shared to as many people as possible.”

News Corp is optimistic about readers making the transition from print to digital. “The audience response has never been bigger,” said Miller. “This move to digital hasn’t been only a recent experiment we have made just because of COVID-19. For three years now we have been offering digital subscriptions to all of our regional and community mastheads. In regional Queensland alone we have 80,000 digital subscribers, that has grown 40% in the past year. Nationally as a group News Corp has 640,000 subscribers.” Customers who subscribe to one masthead can get access to any title in the group digitally, except for The Australian.

While Miller noted one of the perceptions about the business is that it is a newspaper company, he pointed to the investment in News Xtend, now Australia’s largest digital services agency. “It provides multiple solutions for small and medium businesses across the country with a range of digital options. We are already meeting the need of clients digitally, which is one of the reasons many local businesses no longer advertise in print.”

Broadcaster Alan Jones signed off on his radio career this morning after 35 years hosting breakfast – many of those years at #1. Love him or loathe him, and there’s plenty who do both, he ends with a record that will be hard to beat. Ironically he ends at a time where radio ratings have been suspended, but before that happened earlier this year the stats show he has 226 winning surveys.

While much of his final week was made up of tributes from regular contributors to his show over the year, not all the praise has been glowing.

Colleagues elsewhere at Nine Entertainment Co have largely been quiet or in some cases damning. An editorial in The Sydney Morning Herald detailed his shortcomings and star columnist Peter FitzSimons is no fan and noted it was time. And on the eve of his departure, Nine’s flagship current affairs program 60 Minutes chose to profile another breakfast radio team – Kyle and Jackie O.

His harshest critics have been celebrating hard. This from the lobby group Mad Fucking Witches which encouraged the ad boycott:

“This morning is Alan Jones’ last day broadcasting on 2GB. We’d like to sincerely thank every single witch who’s worked so fucking hard to get to this. We’ve collectively made the world a slightly better place today. You are all sheroes and heroes.” The social media post came with the hashtag WeSackedAlanJones.

The final program started with a news bulletin led by Jones’ departure in a report by Clinton Maynard. The final bulletin ended with Maynard again recapping today’s show. The first ad break carried a promo for 2GB breakfast – hosted by Ben Fordham.

Alan Jones on the day he signed at 2UE with then station manager Mark Collier

The 2GB news noted Jones “held politicians to account and fought for struggle street.”

The departing host has been reminding people all week he is continuing on Sky News and giving them his social media contact points. His new email is [email protected].

Jones noted more than 8,000 people had left him messages on Facebook so far this week.

The biggest revelation this morning was that when planning his entry to radio in 1985 with John Brennan, the station management at 2UE initially offered him the job of co-hosting with a woman. He declined the offer. Soon after at a lunch at a Chinese restaurant they offered Jones the role solo. He accepted and they signed a contract on a napkin. When talk came to radio, novice media man Jones asked “What are ratings”. It was soon explained, and management added an incentive to his initial fee. “If you can get to 10% in your first year we will give you another $100,000.” A check arrived for Jones after the final survey result of 1985.

Callers on the final program included many regular listeners, but also the famous and powerful who had guested over the years. From Sir Cliff Richard, Police Commissioner Michael Fuller, reporter Ian Leslie (who noted there had not been many other tributes from other journalists), John Barilaro, his UK and US correspondents Adam Gilchrist and Harley Carnes.

Former radio bosses John Brennan and Mark Collier got plenty of mentions, and Jones thanked former 2UE and 2GB station management. He thanked the legal team (“I must have driven them nuts”) and sales (singling out Peters of Kensington for its support).

There were also calls today from PM Scott Morrison, his Sky News co-host Peta Credlin, Bob Katter, Mark Bosnich, Bob Rogers, Matt Hayden and Peter Switzer.

Just before 9am Jones had two surprise guests to his south coast property – Tony Abbott and Mark Latham. They didn’t get to air – Jones said they were had brought grog.

Jones saved his biggest tribute to his team – producer Paul Christenson plus Ross Geddes, Briony Bowman, Dan Mullens, Tim Barton, James Willis, Jacob Pittlolo, Tonya Taylor and Jacquie Murray.

The last word on the show belonged to longtime listener and longtime caller Stephanie.

This extends the deal an additional five years after the expiry of the current deal in 2022 providing long term certainty amidst one of the most turbulent times in the sports histroy.

Australian Rugby League Commission Chairman Peter V’landys said: “I want to thank Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany and Nine CEO Hugh Marks for reaching an outcome that puts the fans and the game’s future first.

“I am delighted to have worked with our long-standing partners Foxtel and Nine to reshape and resume the 2020 NRL Telstra Premiership. It is significant that on one of the most important days in our game’s history, we have finalised the deals to ensure its future.

“Our negotiations were tough but always in a spirit of goodwill and shared ambitions for the betterment of rugby league. We could not have reached our May 28 restart ambitions without the teamwork and collaboration of our partners.”

“These deals provide certainty to ensure our 16 clubs remain strong and that we can continue to invest in grassroots rugby league across our communities.”

For the resumed 2020 season:

• Foxtel will continue to show all eight games every round – including five exclusive telecasts each weekend
• Nine will continue to televise three weekly NRL matches – Thursday and Friday nights, plus Sunday afternoon – as well as the Grand Final and the three State of Origin matches

Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany said: “Foxtel is incredibly pleased to support the NRL through this difficult period and to have footy back on Foxtel this weekend, every round, every game, live and ad free during play.

“This is a great outcome for footy, for fans and for players. It’s also a hugely important signal to everyone in Australia, and around the world, that we will get through these times, and we can keep players and coaching staff safe while we all enjoy the game.

“The agreement between Foxtel and the NRL extends our existing broadcast rights for a further 5 years and cements our position as the Home of NRL until 2027. It provides the NRL with the certainty to continue to develop the status of the game and gives fans the go-to destination for the best of NRL, all in one place.

“Being back on the field and back on air tonight doesn’t happen without leadership. I want to acknowledge Peter V’landys and everyone at the NRL and the clubs for their passion to get the game back. It’s been outstanding.

“We have also had incredible support from the New South Wales and Queensland Governments and from Prime Minister Morrison. It really has been a team Australia effort and it shows us all what can be accomplished through co-operation, even in the most difficult of times.”

Channel Nine has also come to terms to continue its deal till 2022 under the revised contract Nine expects a benefit from changes in rights fee and production and services costs of approximately $27.5m each year in FY21 and FY22, with a greater benefit in FY20 with the modified season.

Nine’s CEO Hugh Marks said: “This is an excellent long-term outcome for both Nine and the game of Rugby League. Completion of Season 2020 will enable the continuity of the Code from a game, supporters’ and sponsors’ perspective. We are also delighted to have reached a revised agreement with the NRL for seasons 2021 and 2022, and at a level of rights costs that enables us to sustainably invest in Rugby League for the future. Nine is pleased to be continuing its partnership with Rugby League.”

James Taylor, SBS managing director, said: “I’d like to congratulate Hass, on behalf of the board and the organisation, on reaching the remarkable milestone of a decade of service on the SBS board and thank him for the significant contribution he has made to the evolution of the organisation.

“Hass has a deep understanding and appreciation of multicultural Australia, and extensive experience and genuine passion for driving social cohesion in this country. His endless energy and commitment to the reason SBS exists has inspired all those who have worked with him over the ten years, and particularly during the last few as Chair. He will be missed in the boardroom and around the corridors of SBS, but his legacy will be lasting.”

Hass Dellal, SBS Chair, said: “It has truly been an honour to have been the Chair and to have served on the board of SBS during such a transformative period for the media sector, and a time of tremendous change and growth for the organisation.

“No other media organisation provides the nuanced reflection and exploration of what it means to be Australian today, like SBS. Its ability to do so is built on 45 years of fostering relationships and authentic connections with Australia’s diverse communities, telling their stories and creating greater understanding and celebration of our differences as a nation.

“I have had so many proud moments, in particular, during these unprecedented times as SBS has responded to the coronavirus pandemic. The content and services that SBS has been providing to keep so many Australians informed and safe exemplify its vital role and value to our society. 

“I want to thank everyone at SBS – the board, the executive team, and all of the incredible staff throughout the organisation – for their ongoing support. It has been a privilege to work with people so passionate about the work that they do, and who have such an unrelenting belief in the purpose and Charter of SBS.  I may no longer be on the board, but I will continue to be an avid audience member and ambassador for SBS.” 

The coastline of Western Australia has never been on TV that much, but now it’s the hottest destination on the box. It kicked off last year with previous Slow TV event The Kimberley Cruise (repeat Sunday on SBS from 1.25am) and last week, Mystery Road (iview) wrapped its latest series there. Now director Warwick Thornton is back on country, isolated in an oceanside shack.

He stares at a guitar in the corner. He cooks elaborate dishes but explains nothing. He tells stories to his chickens. And every moment is mesmerising, exquisitely shot by his cinematographer son Dylan River, of Robbie Hood fame (SBS On Demand). What a family – thank you.

Slow TV isn’t for everyone though, and new Aussie drama Operation Buffalo (Sunday on ABC) may not be either. It takes a shocking real-life event – nuclear testing in the South Australian outback during the 1950s – and turns it into a rollicking romp with sexy hookers, horny soldiers and a mystery rapist stalking nurses.

Companion documentary Maralinga Tjarutju (iview), which screened last week, was the true story of what happened there. Operation Buffalo is a “partly true story”. Like The Great (Stan) and Hollywood (Netflix), it plays very loosely with history and dials up the craziness. And who better to do that than the creator of Rake, screenwriter Peter Duncan.

Modern audiences apparently want history to be spiced up so it’s more watchable, but facts are important too, especially in crazy 2020. What happened at Maralinga was a crime against our Indigenous people and hopefully Operation Buffalo will acknowledge that tragedy.

Elsewhere, Kyle Sandilands turned out to be not dying, but 60 Minutes (Sunday on Nine) does have a death wish. Legendary producer Jock Blair actually did die and it reminded me how lucky I was to have worked with him on two shows.

Jock told me that the movie Breaker Morant had copied a key scene of his from The Sullivans so he was going to do it again and reclaim the moment. I was dispatched to find a suitable location for a sunset execution by a Chinese firing squad … in teen soap Paradise Beach. Hilarious, I can still see him smiling about it. RIP Jock Blair, one of the good guys.

Listen to Andrew Mercado on the new Mercado & Manning podcast here.

Seven News 1,102,000/1,029,000
Nine News 1,063,000/1,011,000
ABC News 801,000
A Current Affair 735,000
7.30 572,000
The Project 366,000/559,000
10 News 392,000/242,000
Sunrise 286,000
The Drum 250,000
News Breakfast 205,000
Today 203,000
SBS World News 193,000

Seven: Home and Away ended the week on 524,000 with another three episodes after three nights over 650,000.
The 2011 movie Crazy, Stupid, Love then did 202,000.

Nine: A Current Affair stayed above 700,000 with 735,000.
Nine can thank Peter V’landys for pushing hard for the return of NRL as the reduced rights deal was only revealed moments before the first returning match. The match did 535,000 in Sydney and Brisbane. Add in Gem and the number climbs to 619,000, but there seems to have been a modest hunger only for the returning sport in non-NRL markets.

10: Even though he has had a few “off” cooks recently, when he is at his best it is hard to imagine Reynold not winning MasterChef 2020. He really blitzed the other four fighting for immunity last night and the minute his dish was shown near its completion on his bench it looked like a winner. The next elimination will be tough as there is only real quality left in the show. The Thursday episode did 960,000 after 985,000 a week ago.