Nine Radio has been the ratings champ with its network AM talk stations for many years. In Sydney, it is a long-time breakfast radio champ first with Alan Jones and more recently Ben Fordham. However, that radio ratings dominance is under threat. Kyle and Jackie O have owned the #1 FM spot in the market for a long time, but now they are regularly pushing for the overall crown too.

As the radio ratings year edges toward a close, ARN FM stations in Sydney, and Melbourne, are sitting on the sidelines where just a small boost to share in the final survey of 2023 could push them over the top of the long-time AM market leaders.

In Sydney, the battle is between 2GB’s Fordham and KIIS 106.5’s Kyle and Jackie O. In Melbourne, no one is close to 3AW’s Ross and Russ, however in the station shares, ARN’s Gold 104.3 has closed the gap as it sits just 1.1 behind 3AW.

Just one survey win, and we are not there yet, won’t upset the buying plans of advertisers wishing to reach the respective audiences for each of the stations. But it will provide some juicy headlines in a market where major ratings upsets are rare.

When analysing the radio ratings for Nine Radio, head of content Greg Byrnes told Mediaweek it should be pointed out Survey 6, 2023 for 3AW was a record result.

Nine Radio content director Greg Byrnes with Ben Fordham

“The station has come down, but it’s come down from what were pretty remarkable numbers. Ratings results with a bigger move from what is normally a very consistent station tend to iron themselves out over a few surveys.”

The biggest fall at 3AW was in the evening share with the result dropping 5.0. Byrnes noted it’s a volatile time of day and Nine Radio saw a similar move in the evening at 2GB two surveys ago. “It’s always very hard to make [programming] calls on single survey results. We always look for trends and we don’t expect to see one coming from this. Nothing has changed at that time of day at 3AW – it is not doing anything different. Dennis Walter does a very good evening show.”

Nine Radio v ARN Sydney breakfast battle

One ratings move Mediaweek is happy to highlight survey-by-survey is the battle for bragging rights to be Sydney’s #1 radio show. If cume audience was the sole guide it would be game over with Kyle and Jackie O on 1,339,000 to Ben Fordham’s 737,000 at 2GB. However, the statistic used is share which measures the total audience and the time they spend listening.

On that measure, it is a very close contest with Kyle and Jackie O on 16.3% to Ben Fordham’s 16.2%.

Can Kyle and Jackie O finish the year #1 overall in Sydney breakfast?

“It is very pleasing this survey that Ben has gone up 2.0,” said Byrnes. “That is where we feel he deserves to be. With Kyle and Jackie also posting a rise it is certainly shaping up for an exciting end to the year. It is a fair recognition of how the year has played out with KIIS winning some and 2GB also taking some surveys.”

While Fordham and morning host Ray Hadley have been recording strong shares across the year, Byrnes noted they have both posted the best cume audience numbers for the year. “Those results flowed through the rest of the station with all dayparts in Sydney improving.”

Elsewhere around Nine Radio

4BC also posted good growth in breakfast which Byrnes noted came off the back of hard work to improve the local content being broadcast across Brisbane on the station.

“When Nine Radio took over 4BC there was only one hour of local programming broadcast. It was a local real estate program broadcast on a Saturday morning. The rest of it was all from 2GB.”

TSL growth

Fordham explained “time spent listening (TSL) growth has been our focus at 2GB and 4BC this year. The cumes have been very good and we just needed to work out how we could keep those people listening longer. That figure is up over an hour at each station this week.”

Part of that plan was to give audiences the best possible quality broadcasts by converting them to digital radio. We say the future of talk radio is digital.”

Nine Radio streaming leader

Nine Radio is #1 in live audio streaming and #1 streaming in breakfast across the country.

3AW and 2GB are #1 in overall commercial streaming, with a 31.4% and 24.0% share respectively, as well as across all main standard sessions.

Ross and Russ recorded a 52.1% commercial streaming share in breakfast at 3AW, and Ben Fordham was also #1 in breakfast at 2GB with a commercial streaming share of 34.0%.

Byrnes: “Since inception, the Radio360 data has proven talk’s absolute dominance in streaming. Survey 7 shows we remain the clear #1 with connected devices. Our live and local content is the future of audio streaming, with the ease of access ensuring you’re always up to date.”

Nine podcast champ too

The Nine Podcast Network is reaching more listeners with a 15% YOY audience growth in October.

Byrnes noted Ben Fordham Live podcast jumped seven places in the Australian Podcast Ranker, to #25, reaching 178,000 listeners in October (+69% YOY). Nine Radio continues to climb the ranker with several catch up podcasts in the Top 150, including Ben Fordham Live, Mornings with Neil Mitchell, The Ray Hadley Morning Show, 3AW Breakfast with Ross and Russ, Wide World of Sports, 3AW Drive with Tom Elliott and 2GB Drive with Chris O’Keefe.

ARN chief content officer Duncan Campbell has labelled Seven West Media’s recent share acquisition an endorsement of the good health of the radio industry. 

Speaking to Mediaweek following an eventful few weeks in Australian radio, Campell said “Everyone’s talking about radio, which I think is a real positive. It makes sense for Seven to take a stake in ARN and they obviously see radio as having a future – which some people don’t.

“I’ve always believed it has a future and to see people investing in it, and buying a stake in audio companies in Australia is, I think, a very positive thing.”

News broke earlier this week that Seven West Media had become the largest shareholder of ARN Media. Having thus far not made a major investment in radio or digital audio, Seven has now acquired a 19.9% stake in ARN via an off-market transaction.

See Also: Radio wars: Seven enters battle for control of audio brands Triple M and KIIS

Seven’s investment in ARN comes after a big move from ARN themselves, rounding out October by joining a private equity bid for SCA and its Hit and Triple M radio networks, alongside Anchorage Capital.

In addition to selling commercial opportunities on 99 SCA licences, LiSTNR and 96 TV signals, SCA also provides national sales representation for 56 other radio stations and 39 TV stations.

Under the Indicative Proposal, SCA shareholders would receive 0.753 ARN shares and 29.6 cents cash per SCA share. 

For their part, SCA hasn’t outright rejected the proposal, with SCA Chair Rob Murray telling shareholders at the company’s AGM that “The proposal we have received from ARN and Anchorage is complex and highly conditional. Our Board and executive team are assessing it carefully to work out whether it could create additional value for our shareholders and whether the proposed terms are in our shareholders’ best interests.”

See Also: “Complex and highly conditional”: SCA address takeover bid at AGM

The Endemol Shine Australia-produced NCIS: Sydney debuted on CBS this week to strong ratings.

One of the headlines after the Tuesday night US series launch commented: ‘NCIS: Sydney Is Fall’s Most-Watched Debut, Fuels CBS’ Best Tuesday of the Season’.

Although it’s early days for the latest NCIS spin-off, if these numbers stick viewers could be in for a longer season.

NCIS: Sydney was launched at a flashy ceremony on the edge of Sydney Harbour last Friday night on the same day Australian viewers could watch series one, episode one on Paramount+.

All the cast for the new series from Australia and the US were on hand, with the exception of William McInnes who was unable to make the launch event.

CBS brass who made the trip to Sydney for the important new global property included President & CEO, CBS and Chief Content Officer, News & Sports, Paramount+, George Cheeks and President, Broadcast & Studios International Paramount, Maria Kyriacou.

Speaking at the launch event, President & CEO, CBS and Chief Content Officer, News & Sports, Paramount+, George Cheeks told guests: “We are here to celebrate the newest addition to the world’s most successful television franchise. The NCIS universe has been the cornerstone of the CBS schedule. The most incredible thing about NCIS is its ability to capture audiences of all ages – even in this fragmented media landscape.

“Each NCIS series is always a top performer on CBS where these days the audience is a little bit older. However, these shows also sit at the top of the charts for streaming whether on Paramount+ or Netflix where the audience on average is decades younger.

“In looking to expand the NCIS universe, Sydney was the perfect backdrop for our first international version. When you watch the show you will see this dynamic, vibrant, beautiful city is more than just a location – it’s a character in the series.

“The DNA of NCIS is heart, humour, and compelling storytelling. It’s a family dynamic both in front of and behind the camera.

“There are so many people that got us to this exciting moment tonight. Beverley, Paramount+ and Network 10 teams, your amazing collaboration from day one was instrumental in turning this dream into a reality. Vice Admiral Hammond and all our partners at the Royal Australian Navy we are eternally grateful for the access and council you gave this production. It brought scale and authenticity.

“And we are lucky to have Endemol Shine Australia as our producing partner – the best of the best.

“To Morgan, Sarah, Sue and the entire crew and creative teams, you have done such a phenomenal job bringing to life what makes NCIS so special while also making NCIS: Sydney unique and distinct in its own right.

“And to the amazing cast, who I had the pleasure to spend some time with yesterday. Fans love their NCIS characters and now you are part of this universe. Please enjoy the ride.”

Sydney Harbour sizzles for US viewers

Ratings commentary about the US debut included:

The Stateside premiere of NCIS: Sydney on CBS drew 5.6 million total viewers and a 0.3 demo rating on Tuesday night (per Nielsen finals), making it the most-watched series debut of the 2023-24 TV season thus far.
The NCIS franchise’s first international offering in turn led CBS to its most-watched Tuesday of the fall, with 3 million viewers — a surge of 34% week-to-week (when Big Brother opened the night) and +21% versus this season’s Tuesday average.
TVLine

Paramount did say that streaming for NCIS: Sydney on digital platforms (Paramount+ and the CBS app) was up 71% in average audience from the Season 2 premiere of NCIS: Hawaii last fall. This is a good indication that the series has attracted the attention of the NCIS audience, and possibly beyond.
The NCIS properties are hugely popular for CBS and generally provide solid audiences each week, even amid overall declining broadcast viewership.
Deadline

Also present at the launch event in Sydney was Endemol Shine Australia showrunner Morgan O’Neill. Speaking with New York-based Paramount director of content, marketing Nicole Bitette, O’Neill was asked about the Australian production’s international appeal:

“There’s a strong demand in the international TV marketplace for stories that tell local stories authentically, and we’ve worked hard to ensure that our portrayal is both enlightening and reflective of life down under. We also have the advantage that Australia seems to hold a special allure to the rest of the world. Whether it’s our geographic remoteness, our plethora of things that can kill you, our remarkable First Nations history of 65,000 years of uninterrupted existence, or our easy-going nature, people from all over the world seem fascinated by our country. NCIS: Sydney offers them a portal into our neck of the woods within a familiar framework that they know and love. Seems to me we have all the ingredients to deliver a show that resonates strongly with an international audience.”

Who’s who at the NCIS: Sydney global launch event

The NCIS: Sydney cast, Olivia Swann (NCIS Special Agent Michelle Mackey), Todd Lasance (Sergeant Jim “JD” Dempsey), Sean Sagar (NCIS Special Agent, DeShawn Jackson), Tuuli Narkle (AFP Liaison Officer, Constable Evie Cooper), and Mavournee Hazel (AFP Forensic Scientist, Bluebird ‘Blue’ Gleeson), arrived at the launch event in style on board a luxury superyacht. Joining the cast were Executive Vice President, Chief Content Officer & Head of Paramount+ Paramount ANZ, Beverley McGarvey; EVP, Chief Operating & Commercial Officer & Regional Lead Paramount ANZ, Jarrod Villani; President & CEO, CBS and Chief Content Officer, News & Sports, Paramount+, George Cheeks; President, CBS Studios, David Stapf; and President, Broadcast & Studios International Paramount, Maria Kyriacou, Head of Drama and Executive Production at Paramount ANZ, Rick Maier.

Celebrating with cast and Paramount executives were the Endemol Shine Australia Executive Producers of NCIS: Sydney, Sara Richardson, Sue Seeary and Michele Bennett, including creator Morgan O’Neill.

Other distinguished guests on the night included representatives from the real NCIS, Australian Federal Police, and Royal Australian Navy.

10’s Angela Bishop

Network 10’s Angela Bishop hosted the night, interviewing Paramount Global executives George Cheeks and David Stapf; Chief of the Royal Australian Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AO, NCIS: Sydney Executive Producer/Creator Endemol Shine Australia Morgan O’Neill and cast Olivia Swann and Todd Lasance, in front of media, network personalities, social media influencers and industry guests.

See also: Behind NCIS: Sydney – “The goal wasn’t to recreate the show in Australia”

It’s easy to assume that training and development are part of the package of being a permanent employee, a guaranteed perk of the job. But in agency life this is rarely the case.

Right now, as budgets contract and agencies battle to balance the books, it’s no surprise that training budgets are falling off completely. But with burnout on the rise, a talent shortage, and cost of living impacting how far someone’s salary stretches, agencies need to work harder to keep their strategy and planning teams happy, or risk them leaving the company, or worse the industry, altogether.

In tight economic times, middle managers with experience are likely to face redundancies leaving younger employees without proper guidance, and that’s a tough place to be.

Whatsmore, people often get promoted too quickly, or too young, and are not being trained properly. They’re expected to fulfil a post they were never trained to do. Also, people rarely receive management training and don’t know how to manage teams. This can lead to toxicity and unhappy workplaces with vague leadership expectations.

Why is training so important?  

Learning and development is an easy win. It makes people feel valued at times when salaries are rarely rising with inflation, while also ensuring they’re better skilled. It supports people to scale new professional heights and reach their potential.

Strategists and planners want to feel like they’re progressing at all rungs of the professional ladder. Being offered the training they need to feel like they are growing, developing and can confidently do their jobs is a sure fire way to instil confidence, sending the message that, yes, we the company believes in you.

Learning is rarely just about learning. Training shows people that they matter and allows for time and space to connect and share ideas, while  getting to know their colleagues better on deeper, less superficial levels.

It helps to combat impostor syndrome. More people than not feel like professional frauds, and this comes down to not having the skills and experience to feel they can adequately do their job.

Training dares strategists and planners to take themselves further, and validates their value.

And it brings people and teams together. 

Better skilled people lead to creating better work which is, afterall, why agencies exist – to create the best creative work that they can for clients, underpinned by onpoint strategy. Many agencies continue to deliver mediocre work that isn’t meeting the brand’s objectives, and they aren’t questioning why enough. Could learning and development help people do better work? Why, of course.

Training is a nice carrot to get people into the office. It signals the positive sides of office life, and collaboration.

Training means people are working together. And having people do stuff together means they recognise the value of actually sitting at their desks banging out ideas, working through strategic and creative processes, which can foster the best creative ideas.

But our recent Sweathead report What Strategists Want From Work found that many strategists and planners don’t feel they’re learning and growing in their role, or being given the support in order to progress.

So why is training undervalued and under-resourced?

Alongside shrinking budgets there are other reasons.

When somebody puts their hand up for training, it can be a sign that they’re frustrated, ambitious, or seeking change. Essentially that they might be ready to leave. This can make managers suspicious. 

People then feel reluctant to ask for training in case it signals that they’re  ready to move on.

How to tailor training to today’s teams

Hybrid working requires different ways to work but people aren’t receiving support in order to manage the balance of office and home-working life like how to brainstorm and work collaboratively with those they don’t see physically day-to-day. So this is a great place to start.

For someone wanting to learn, they need to believe the training is personally significant to them. It needs to connect with their own sense of personal purpose, so leaders can ask people to define this before they decide on a training programme for them.

Ideally, training is a mix of in person and online. Research into teaching suggests that presence is one of the top elements that makes education effective, and true presence is difficult to deliver online. And there’s much to be gained from in person interactions. Training is a great opportunity for meaningful IRL experiences.

Most professionals don’t practise what they do outside of work, whether it’s pitching to a client or coming up with new ideas. So bringing people together for training is a great space to let them practise together. Deliberately practising a skill, or task has been shown to help people improve at a faster rate.

So really training may cost a company, but the outcomes will pay dividends. In the end an agency’s talent is its greatest asset, people are worth investing in.

–

Mark Pollard is the founder and CEO of Sweathead, a global strategy training company with a community of over 18,000 strategists worldwide and a podcast with over 1.3 million listens.

Pollard’s media career has seen him go from hip-hop journalist to radio host and now, a strategist. His career in strategy started in his native Australia before moving stateside, working for companies including Leo Burnett, Big Spaceship, and McCann. Pollard’s work with the global strategy training company has seen him consult for and train companies like Wall Street Journal, Twitter, The Economist, and agencies around the globe.

–

Top image: Mark Pollard

Radio Ratings

Sydney

• Brekky giants battle – K&J edge out Ben, smoothfm climbs

See Also: Sydney Radio Ratings 2023 Survey 7: Kyle and Jackie pip Ben Fordham by the thinnest margin

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Melbourne

• Nova keeps lead in four-way tussle, 4BC and 4BH AM stars

See Also: Melbourne Radio Ratings 2023 Survey 7: 3AW slips, brighter outlook at SCA with Fox & Triple M up

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Brisbane

• Nova keeps lead in four-way tussle, 4BC and 4BH AM stars

See Also: Brisbane Radio Ratings 2023, Survey 7: Nova tops a tight survey

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Adelaide 

• Triple M hammers the field; Roo, Ditts & Loz only game in town

See Also: Adelaide Radio Ratings 2023, Survey 7: Triple M keeps a safe #1

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Perth

• Gap shrinks on Nova lead, 96FM and Triple M climb in breakfast

See Also: Perth Radio Ratings 2023, Survey 7: Mix 94.5 takes #1 from Nova 93.7

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Whether it’s a childhood jingle that you can still sing word for word, or a campaign that influences the way you work today, everyone has an ad that has really stuck with them.

Mediaweek has been asking the industry to take a trip down memory lane, to find out all about the ads that made us. 

Nikki Clarkson – Chief Marketing Officer, SCA

Relaunch of Triple M with Slash

“This campaign came at a time when we needed to reinvigorate Triple M whilst also celebrating its history. We had a 40 year old radio station but back then, it’d been a decade since we’d re-established its relevancy. And what better way to do this than to get one of the world’s most iconic rock legends to work with Slash to re-record Triple M’s iconic brand track, fondly known as ‘Dr Dan’.

“Fortuitously, Slash (from Guns N’ Roses fame) was coming to Australia and confirmed he’d be happy to work with Triple M. We got the go ahead on this concept and shoot on Good Friday and the rest is history. A week later we were playing the Dr Dan track to Slash in his trailer on the shoot, and 20 minutes later he came out and played his version. The ad and stills were shot in just a few hours at Carriageworks in Sydney.

“Hearing Triple M’s iconic brand track reinvigorated in this way was thrilling. The multichannel campaign went live nationally, coinciding with Slash’s Aussie concert tour and ratings went up and perceptions realigned! It was an out of this world experience that reinvigorated Triple M, drove results whilst also being lucky enough to have an experience that was unforgettable.”

Paddy Cain – Partner, Nature

Schmackos, 2001’s “Things That Go Bump”

“The distinctive cartoon style immediately stood out to me at the time and 25 years later, it still does! The humour in this series of ads combined with the humour ear-worm jingle of “Dogs go WACKO for SCHMACKOS” at the end, it has all the ingredients of a memorable ad, one that as a youngster made it feel like it WAS the pet food treat category.

“The fact the campaign platform is still being used today is a testament to its genius, and the discipline of the brand owners over time.”

Jade Paolone – Sales Coordinator, ARN

Snappy Tom

“The cats of Australia had made their choice, and they were communicating it in a very modern way. The boy asking his cat at the end what he thought about girls always made me giggle.”

See Also: The Ads That Made Us: Moving house, Mechanics, and Making the most of Bali

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Top Image: Nikki Clarkson, Paddy Cain, Jade Paolone

The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) unveiled a range of new initiatives set for 2024 at its end-of-year celebration at The Calyx on Thursday.

AANA’s CEO, Josh Faulks, celebrated the organisation’s achievements and unveiled its plans for the upcoming year in an address to members and media last night.

The organisation began the year with a new three-year strategy and purpose to work with its members to build a better industry across three core areas, including being a vocal advocate for its members and what matters to them, being a trustworthy custodian of the self-regulatory system, and helping members connect and grow with the best industry events.
 
Faulks reported that AANA has successfully delivered on all three key promises in 2023, with detailed accomplishments outlined in the AANA 2023 Year in Review document that will be released next week.

Martin Brown, AANA chair and general manager, Coffee and Dairy, Nestlé Oceania, said that the AANA has been a powerful advocate for the industry.

“We have continued to lift the standards in the industry through our custodianship of our world-class self-regulatory system, and we have brought the industry closer together across multiple formats to be inspired and challenged by the latest thinking.”

The AANA also celebrated turning 95 and welcomed 13 new members joining their community, marking one of its biggest growth spurts in its history. New members include Cashrewards, CUB, Denstu, Endeavour Group, Goodman Fielder, Ikea, Mecca, Murmur, Primo Foods, Qantas, Sanitarium, Seven Network, and Volvo.

Looking to the year ahead, AANA said it will intensify its advocacy on behalf of its members, especially in response to growing regulatory pressures across various sectors.

Key initiatives include the released of an Exposure Draft of the Environmental Claims Code next month while continuing to work closely with the government and industry to ensure they can restore consumer faith in environmental claims and create clear standards.

The AANA is also working with the rest of the industry to engage with governments around the country on proposals to ban advertising across multiple segments. The organisation will also continue to continuing to advocate for marketers when it comes to privacy reforms to ensure there is a balance between the right to advertise responsibly with the protection of privacy.

The AANA is also set to enhance opportunities for members to connect and grow in 2024 with an ambitious event calendar including its flagship event RESET at the new venue at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Circular Quay on May 9, 2024. The theme is RESET for Growth, and will showcase an impressive lineup of international marketing superstars, including Richard Oppy, VP of Global Brands at ABInBev.
 
The year ahead will see more marketing masterclasses, more CMO dinners and industry conferences in collaboration with Ad Week, Cannes in Cairns, and SXSW.

AANA also announced a new online on demand Code Training early in 2024, available free to members that will help lift standards across the industry. The industry body also announced it has partnered with Deakin University to offer micro-credentials for critical marketing skills in 2024 that can be applied as credits towards post-graduate marketing qualifications and further support the professional development of AANA’s members.

Faulks said: “AANA is poised for an exciting and dynamic year in 2024, focused on delivering value to members. We’ve listened to what our members need and have responded with more opportunities to connect and grow.

“I am incredibly proud of the team’s achievements, our ambitious plans, and more than anything, our unwavering commitment to work with you to build a better industry.”

SCA chief commercial officer, Seb Rennie, has announced the appointment of Sam Keogh as the head of agency sales – Sydney. Formerly the group business director at JCDecaux, Keogh brings over 11 years of experience in advertising and media sales and management roles to his new position at SCA.

In his role, Keogh will assume the responsibility of providing strategic direction and leadership to the Sydney agency sales team. His focus will be on maximising revenue across all SCA metro radio and regional radio stations, as well as LiSTNR digital assets.

See Also: Podcast Week: That’s How We Grow, BlakCast, Brent Draper on Jock Zonfrillo

The appointment of Amanda Unwin as the head of sales for the Perth market has also been announced. Unwin, currently serving as SCA’s head of radio sales – Sydney, views this as an opportunity that aligns with her career goals.

Rennie commented on these developments, describing Keogh as, “an exceptional sales leader with a proven track record of delivering revenue growth.

“I look forward to seeing our Sydney agency sales team grow from strength to strength.”

He continued, “I know that under Amanda’s leadership, the Perth market will continue to thrive and grow.”

Expressing his enthusiasm for the appointment, Keogh mentioned, “The expansive suite of content under the SCA umbrella, coupled with the growth across digital audio, and access to unique audience insights presents an unparalleled opportunity for advertisers.”

The appointment of Sam Keogh follows the resignation of Maryanne O’Sullivan, who has SCA Appoints Sam Keogh as Head of Agency Sales – Sydneycontributed many successful years to SCA. 

See Also: Zooper Dooper blasts into space with Starcom Australia and SCA

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Top Image: Sam Keogh

Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) has announced it will be renaming its ready-to-drink alcohol lemon beverage, Hard Solo, to Hard Rated. This move follows the recent ruling by the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code Scheme (ABAC) in response to complaints regarding Hard Solo.

ABAC, despite initially deeming the name as an appropriate product in line with the Code’s requirements during pre-vetting, concluded in its final determination that the name Hard Solo violates the Code standard s3(b)(i) “on strong or evident appeal to minors”.

Expressing their views on the verdict, CUB, announced, “While we are disappointed by the outcome, we accept ABAC’s decision.” The company emphasised their respect for ABAC’s crucial role in ensuring responsible alcohol marketing and, in particular, its admiration for chief adjudicator, former Australian Attorney-General, Professor the Hon. Michael Lavarch AO.

While the name and packaging are set to change, the Hard Rated liquid will remain identical to Hard Solo.

A CUB spokesperson commented, “As we comply with the ABAC decision and the Hard Solo brand exits the market, we’d like to assure the many Australian adults who have loved Hard Solo that the taste won’t change when the name changes to Hard Rated.

“Consistent with ABAC rules, CUB will ensure the last Hard Solo can packaging will exit our supply network by no later than 9 February 2024… Additionally, Hard Solo tap decals in pubs and clubs will also have transitioned to Hard Rated by that date.”

The company has stated that preparations for this transition have already commenced to minimise potential disruption to retail and on-premise customers of the Alcoholic Lemon drink.

News Corp Australia and Today The Brave have announced a collaboration with luxury adventure tourism company True North, marking the launch of its first major media campaign.

True North and Today The Brave engaged News Corp Australia’s client strategy and solutions division, Newsamp, to design and execute a nine-month integrated campaign. The objective is to identify and target True North’s audience of high net-worth individuals seeking adventure.

See Also: Today the Brave welcomes Hannah Lawson and Kate Idle

The Newsamp campaign solution, spanning the entire sales funnel, is crafted to assist consumers in “finding their True North” and distinguishing the brand within the adventure tourism sector, despite competition from well-funded players.

The multi-platform campaign reexamines the adventure tourism category, featuring custom content, adaptive video, interactive shoppable video, and impactful media across the News Prestige Network brands, including The Australian and Travel + Luxury.

Chad Avenell, director of True North, expressed his enthusiasm to launch the company’s first media campaign, highlighting its curated, activity-based itineraries designed for discerning travellers,”Today The Brave and Newsamp’s support in telling our story through this highly visual campaign to our target audience is a game-changer for us.”

Today The Brave’s founding partner, Jaimes Leggett, said, “We believe that this campaign will showcase the power of brave and meaningful decisions in driving growth, not just for our agency but also for our valued client, True North.”

Nathan Livingston, head of client strategy and solutions for Newsamp NSW independent agencies, added, “We viewed True North’s distinct offering as an opportunity to stand out, as they have an engaging story that can be told authentically to their hard-to-reach audience.

“Targeting highly qualified individuals in a saturated market required innovative solutions. Our True North campaign strategy goes beyond highlighting destinations to focus on the consumer experience, emphasising personal growth and transformation as the true value of a holiday.”

See Also: Meeting of the Minds: News Corp Australia’s Ryan Hedditch and William Ryan

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has circulated a media release listing Prime Television (Victoria) Pty Limited, a licensee of the Seven Network, in breach of the industry watchdog’s local content rules.

According to the ACMA, “Seven has not broadcast any local content in Mildura during the 16-month period since it has had a regulatory obligation to do so.”

See Also: ACMA warns brands to “get it right” as it cracks down on spam this festive season

Seven has released a statement in response to the communication, claiming “The breach now identified by ACMA arose out of a miscommunication, compounded by having two different types of broadcast licence in Mildura, one of which is exempt from local programming requirements.

“There was previously no requirement for local content in the Mildura/Sunraysia licence area, whereas all other ‘trigger events’ (that is, following Seven’s acquisition of Prime in 2022) impacted markets that had existing local programming obligations. All other Prime licence areas met the increased local programming obligations.”

The ACMA’s release noted that under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, regional commercial TV licensees must broadcast a minimum amount of local news or other material of local significance, specifying that under the Act, Seven is obliged to provide 100 minutes of local content or 50 minutes of local news per week conditional to its TV broadcast license in the Mildura area.

ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin has stressed the importance of content for regional audiences, “Regional television audiences are entitled to content that is meaningful to their local area and, in the case of Mildura and its surrounding areas, Seven has let its viewers down.

“This is especially disappointing given a network of Seven’s size and sophistication should have been on top of and meeting its regulatory obligations.”

“The period of non-compliance has remained unresolved for more than a year, to the detriment of local residents in and around Mildura.”

Following the ruling from ACMA, Seven has accepted a court enforceable undertaking from the licensee, which requires Seven to take actionable steps towards compliance with the local content rules by the 4 February 2024.

Seven has confirmed they are recruiting a journalist to produce news for Mildura/Sunraysia.

See Also: “Linear TV numbers don’t tell the full story”: Big Brother lifts 41% through BVOD audience

A survey has found Pinterest is the platform where consumers who care about luxury brands spend most of their time.

The multi-market survey conducted by PA Consulting reported that 482 million monthly users use Pinterest to plan their next projects; consumer brands enhance a positive experience rather than collide with toxic content found on so many other sites. 

The data revealed that three of every five luxury shoppers use Pinterest to research and be inspired when shopping for luxury brands and products. PA Consulting’s survey found a third of luxury shoppers on Pinterest also have annual incomes exceeding USD $100,000 and are 35% more likely to crack the six-figure mark than luxury shoppers on other platforms.
 
Those affluent luxury shoppers also spend 87% more on luxury goods and, according to the Global Web Index, are 27% more likely to buy premium products.
 
The research also found that while the global economic environment remains unstable, the luxury goods market is surging and is likely to double in size by 2030 on the strength of Gen Z spending, which is another Pinterest advantage.

Looking at demographics, 70 % of the Pinterest luxury audience, defined as global users who have searched or saved one of 60 luxury brands, is under 35 years old, with four out of five being women, according to the research.

The PA Consulting study revealed actionable data for brands, including how Pinterest drives luxury consumers from ‘discovery to decision to do’—in other words, shoppers can find a large selection of luxury items, decide which ones to purchase and buy them, all on the platform.

Pinterest’s audience of engaged luxury shoppers is uniquely valuable to brands in many ways, according to the survey of monthly Pinterest users (and weekly users in the US), as well as the platform’s internal data.

Kelly Emanuelli, head of luxury at Pinterest, said: “Luxury brands around the world have been connecting with their ideal audience on Pinterest: one that is coming to the platform with intent, looking for inspiration to curate ideas and refine their taste for which luxury brands to invest in.

“With three in five luxury shoppers saying they use Pinterest to research luxury brands and products, these brands have the opportunity to reach this highly engaged audience the moment they form an opinion and make a purchase decision.”

On Melbourne Cup day, News Corp Australia’s sites Racenet.com.au and Punters.com.au saw a jump in users of 10 per cent year-on-year.

Racenet generated 4.1 million page views, up 28.1 per cent on last year and Punters delivered 1.96 million page views, up 5.9 per cent year-on-year. Across both sites, average engagement also grew led by Racenet up 25.2 per cent year-on-year, reaching a more active participant in the Melbourne Cup.

News Corp Australia’s director news perform Adam Brett said: “These results indicate a shift in the way Australians are engaging with iconic sporting events like the Melbourne Cup. For example, Channel 10’s live broadcast of the Cup drew 1.11 million metro viewers, and Racenet and Punters had their highest ever numbers on Cup day with 1.138 million users across the sites. This is building on the growing prevalence of specialist sites acting as second screens for consumers.

“We’re seeing audiences watching live sport turning to sites like ours more and more to get key information, tips and latest news. Racenet and Punters are a strong companion to live racing broadcasts and we expect it to be a growing trend in audience engagement.”

News Corp Australia’s editorial director for racing and wagering, Daniel Sankey, said Racenet and Punters’ reinvigorated live coverage across the Spring Carnival was a major drawcard for readers.

“With the latest news, betting trends, tips and results not just from Flemington, but also from the Big Dance meeting at Randwick, our live blogs were the perfect tool for punters as they strove to find a winner on Melbourne Cup Day,” Sankey said.

“We delivered big audiences not just for Melbourne Cup Day, but right across the main Spring carnival race days, proving yet again that our websites are the go-to second screen experience for Australian horse racing enthusiasts.”

Brett said the sites had also increased video and podcast content, doubling their output over the past two years.

“Across our largely mobile and app audience we had 900,000 video views over Melbourne Cup week, up 180 per cent from last year, and our special Melbourne Cup edition of the Hold All Tickets podcast had 60,000* listens,” said Brett. 

–

Top Image: Adam Brett

Scrublands (Stan) is a compelling new Aussie drama that starts with a viewer warning for what is about to happen. A Catholic priest, Byron Swift (Jay Ryan), opens fire on his congregation and one year later, journalist Martin Scarsden (Luke Arnold) visits to see how the locals are coping. Before long, the truth about the shock shooting begins to emerge.

Directed by Wolf Creek’s Greg McLean, Scrublands has a great cast including Bella Heathcote, Victoria Thaine, Adam Zwar, and Scott Major.

Stan commissions more local drama than any other streamer, and most of it is excellent. So given there is now controversy about which apps should appear first on smart TVs, how about giving prominence to those networks and streamers with the most Aussie content?

Jay Ryan in Scrublands
Top: Luke Arnold

Scrublands is just four hours long, but back in the day, Aussie drama screened all year round on every network. One of the most enduring was A Country Practice (1981-1994, Seven) and in sad news this week, creator James Davern passed away. Thankfully, he leaves behind 1,008 hours of Wandin Valley that will live on forever.

James Davern cut his teeth on Bellbird (1967-1977, ABC), another rural soap that was hugely popular. Terrified that this made them too commercial, Aunty fiddled with its format and timeslot in an effort to kill it off. It worked, and in its absence, Davern cleverly reworked the format with a focus on medical and social issues.

His pilot script, then called In General Practice, was deemed not artistic enough and only came third in a Writer’s Guild contest. It went to Ten who sat on it and then turned it down. Davern talked Seven into it, but they weren’t expecting big things from it and screened it during the non-ratings period in summer.

A Country Practice turned into a huge hit because it was a show all the family could watch. There was comedy, drama, cute animals and important issues that needed to be canvassed. So wide was its appeal, Bob Hawke even appeared as himself, with the PM popping into Wandin Valley to assure them that it would always stay nuclear-free. 

A Country Practice

During the pandemic, A Country Practice found a whole new audience on 7plus, but none of this would have happened without the talent and determination of James Davern. Vale.

Also leaving us soon is Studio 10, axed just after it celebrated 10 years on air. The network said it was due to “changing audience habits” but let’s get real – its demise was entirely avoidable.

When it began, Studio 10 provided a lively alternative to Seven and Nine’s morning shows. With a revolving panel of five hosts and a studio audience, it was fun and unpredictable. But with all that income from the infomercials, 10 got greedy.

Originally airing from 8.30am to 11am, 10 stretched it out from 8am to 12 noon. Now known as the “telethon”, ego and exhaustion kicked in and by the time it was reduced to a two-hour show from 10am, nobody was watching anymore.

What a shame Studio 10 wasn’t moved to a midday slot where it would have been the only live show at that time. It could have provided an alternative to Seven and Nine’s midday offerings, which are usually terrible telemovies or reality repeats.

Studio 10 will no doubt be replaced by more repeats or some American filler, not to mention yet another news bulletin, this time at 3.30pm. Seriously, could TV be any more unimaginative?

Read more Mercado on TV here.

Welcome to TV Gold: Mediaweek’s weekly TV podcast

Listen now on your favourite podcast platform for 30 minutes of TV reviews and recommendations every week from Mediaweek’s Mercado on TV columnist Andrew Mercado and editor-in-chief James Manning.
We want your comments, feedback and questions – [email protected].

This week: Scrublands, The Killer, Robbie Williams, 007: Road to a Million

Stan has another Australian Original hit on its hands with Scrublands based on the novel by Chris Hammer. Also this week The Killer (Netflix, movie), 007: Road to a Million (Prime) and Robbie Williams (Netflix). A couple of quick mentions too for the movie NYAD with Jodie Foster and Annette Benning (Netflix) and the documentary The Lost City of Melbourne (SBS).

Listen online here, or on your favourite podcast platform.

Scrublands director Greg McLean and cast Luke Arnold, Bella Heathcote and Jay Ryan

Overnight TV Ratings, November 16

Primetime News
Seven News 738,000 (6:00pm) / 748,000 (6:30pm)
Nine News 623,000 (6:00pm) / 637,000 (6:30pm)
ABC News 465,000
10 News First 164,000 (5:00pm)/ 108,000 (6:00pm)
SBS World News 103,000 (6:30pm)/ 84,000 (7:00pm)

Daily Current Affairs
7.30 338,000
The Project 132,000 6:30pm / 244,000 7pm

Breakfast TV
Sunrise 189,000
Today 178,000
News Breakfast 148,000

Share summary

Nine won Thursday night with a primary share of 31.3% and a network share of 40.1%.

9Gem has won multi channels with a 3.5% share.

Seven received a primary share of 15% and a network share of 22.7%.

10 took an 8% primary share and a network share of 14.7%.

Nine

223,000 viewers began their evening with a spot of cricket, catching Nine’s ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Pre-Game, before 592,000 watched session one and 551,000 the first Innings of the second Semi-Final between Australia and South Africa.

During the match, our home side edged past South Africa by three wickets, moving into an eighth Cricket World Cup final where they will go up against host nation India. In exciting scenes, Travis Head bowled out Heinrich Klassen, breaking a 95-run partnership with the South African and batting partner, David Miller.

290,000 stayed on until the weary hours of the morning to watch Session Two.

Seven

420,000 caught up on the drama with Seven’s Home and Away. Felicity fumed over Tane and Harper and Justin’s foul mood was felt across the Bay. Meanwhile, Roo took on a new role.

Then, 226,000 stayed on for a repeat of ABBA vs Queen which featured interviews from band members, producers and others comparing two iconic bands – ABBA and Queen.

117,000 also sat down for a repeat viewing of the iconic comedy flick, Bridesmaids. 

ABC

338,000 watched ABC’s 7.30 put the spotlight on financial counsellors who say some providers are misusing Centrepay to exploit vulnerable Australians. Plus, the program looked at how it hasn’t been easy for Australians who have returned from Gaza to adjust to normal life.

320,000 then watched Bill Bailey’s Wild West Australia where Bill Bailey embarked on a legendary once-in-a-lifetime Aussie Adventure.

234,000 also caught a repeat of Grand Designs.

10

On 10, The Project’s (132,000 6:30pm / 244,000 7pm) looked at new research that has found that Aussies are overusing and misusing antibiotics, which has experts worried about the increase in antibiotic-resistant superbugs plus how Qantas has been found guilty of illegally standing down a worker who raised concerns about COVID-19 risks to staff cleaning the aircraft during the early stages of the pandemic.

The Socceroos then took on Bangladesh in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. 171,000 tuned in to see the Subway Socceroos open their qualifying campaign with a brilliant 7-0 win. Jamie Maclaren scored a hat-trick and Mitch Duke scored two goals while Harry Souttar and Brandon Borrello each scored one a-piece. 

SBS

87,000 saw The Secret World Of Snacks on SBS where Jo Brand narrated a behind-the-scenes look at the battles between our favourite ice-creams. 

55,000 also watched Adam & Poh’s Great Australian Bites as Adam Liaw and Poh Ling Yeow’s culinary and cultural adventure began at the top of one of the most fascinating countries on the planet.

Total TV Ratings, November 9

908,000 viewed Seven’s Home and Away where Harper lent an ear to Tane, up 29%.

833,000 tuned into the Grand Finale of 10’s The Amazing Race: Celebrity Edition — The Finish Line Unbeatable race leaders Darren McMullen and nephew Tristan were first to the mat, sharing their prize money with two other teams, up 32%. The Grand Finale saw 763,000 tune in, up 41%.

658,000 sat down for a repeat of Nine’s RBT, up 7%.