“Until I die”: Nigel Marsh’s plans for Five Of My Life

The Five Of My Life (5ML) is a podcast with a twist on the standard celebrity interview. The show is hosted by Nigel Marsh who asks his guests to talk about their favourite film, book, song, place and possession.

Podcast Week’s Trent Thomas caught up with Marsh to talk about how the podcast has evolved over the last few years and what to expect from the show’s future.

Marsh has interviewed a broad range of guests on his show from former Prime Ministers to artists and said it boils down to who he is interested in talking too.

“Julia Gillard fascinates me, as does the bloke who set up Sculptures by the Sea. It’s people who I am genuinely interested in. At the moment I am walking a tightrope. In 30 years time when it’s world famous, and people are begging to come on, I’ll be able to interview people who I just find interesting, who have absolutely no profile. And that won’t matter. But at the moment I have to do a judicious balance of the Kevin Rudd‘s, the Julia Gillards, the Will Anderson‘s and the Charlie Teo‘s. All of them are fabulous but I want to get it to a stage where it’s the format that’s famous and it will enable me to get on the brave firefighter from Wollongong who has got an interesting story and you haven’t had to have heard of her.”

The show launched in late 2018, and when asked about who the show has evolved in that time, Marsh said that it has developed in two key ways.

“The first thing that has evolved is that I am a less shit interviewer and on my day I can be quite good. The second thing is that it is still small but it’s found a place. People are starting to ask if they can come on rather than the other way round. People when they are asked to come on are saying yes more often. We had our two highest download months in a row and it’s going in a nice way. And I’m even more convinced in the beauty, power and uniqueness of the format. Five Of My Life is different and unique. There are lots of interview podcasts, which are great, and it’s people talking to each other. The format is what makes this different.”

When asked about the future Marsh said that protecting the format is the key.

“My humble aspiration is to release one episode every three weeks until I die, and then hand it over to my son for him to do the same. That’s the simple thing. The second thing is not to let anyone fuck it up. If I could get Oprah Winfrey, but she wanted to do six things not five, the answer is no. If I could get Tom Cruise and if he wanted to choose a TV series, not a film, the answer is no, it’s about polishing the diamond. And the diamond is the format.”

Marsh also said that it is also important to grow the show in the right way and to not be impatient.

“If Five Of my Life was on the front page of The Guardian or on The Australian every single day then people will have heard of it a lot. It’s about building its profile without spoiling it and without being too impatient. And as much as I want the David Attenborough’s and the Barrack Obama‘s or the Elon Musk‘s, that isn’t the point of the show. But I’d like to have your next-door neighbour, as well as Michelle Obama. I don’t want to chase, downloads and fame for the sake of it. I’m passionate about the beauty of the format.”

[Listen to The Five Of My Life here]

Shots fired as Abbie Chatfield takes her podcast to LiSTNR

Abbie Chatfield has signed with SCA to bring her candid podcast, It’s A Lot to LiSTNR, after the show initially launched on Nova.

Chatfield describes herself as the “anti-influencer influencer” and uses her platforms to talk about subjects such as mental health, body image, sex, vaccination, and bullying. On It’s A Lot, Abbie and her guests tackle topics that are often considered taboo.

New Zealand Podcast Ranker dominated by ZB and ZM hosts

Triton Digital released the first edition of Podcast Ranker for New Zealand last week. The top 10 of the podcasts ranked by monthly listens featured series from NZME/iHeartRadio, Audioboom, LiSTNR and Stitcher Media.

The podcast of the breakfast show from NewsTalk ZB host Mike Hosking topped the chart. That series was one of six NZME/iHeartRadio programs in the top 10. Australian chart-toppers that also featured near the top of the NZ ranker included Audioboom’s Casefile True Crime and LiSTNR’s Hamish & Andy.

In the ranking of the top networks, NZME/iHeartRadio easily topped the chart with 717,960 monthly listens and 3.2m downloads. Audioboom, Stitcher Media, MediaWorks Radio and Kast Media rounded out the top five.

Chris Jagger and Jerry Hall star on Hot Pie network

Austin based podcast network Hot Pie Media officially launched this week with an impressive array of programming. One of the three founders of the company is Chris Jagger (brother of Mick) who co-hosts one of the series with his former sister-in-law Jerry Hall. Their podcast together is called Jerry’s Hall of Fame and features Jerry paying tribute to some of the great music to come out of Texas that was connected to her years growing up in the Lone Star State.

Hot Pie Media produces, manages, distributes, promotes and monetises content. Its broad range of podcast topics include the arts, business/finance, comedy, crime, curiosity, and entertainment, to food, health, history, inspiration/spirituality, kids/family, Latino, lifestyle, music, news/politics, science/technology, society/culture, and TV/film.

Hot Pie Media’s podcasts include:

• Award-winning actor Chris Noth, “Mr. Big” from Sex and the City, joins Hot Pie Media to host new podcast, Old Man Take a Look at My Life.
• Emmy Award-winning actor Judge Reinhold hosts his new comedy podcast, Judge Reinhold’s Legal Briefs.
• From Rockstar to Wildlife Advocate, hosted by John Kay, founder and lead singer of the band Steppenwolf.
• Chris Jagger and his son, UK celebrity chef Arthur Potts Dawson (Mick Jagger’s nephew) co-host a foodie podcast Whatcha Got Cookin’.

Hot Pie Media’s music shows and specials are helped by having Shery Daly as a partner. Daly worked with The Rolling Stones for nearly 40 years, running their London management office and was personal manager to Charlie Watts for more than 30 years.

The Rolling Stones exclusive music specials include On the Covers of The Rolling Stones, Blues Licks and Paint it Blue. Hear the stories behind the rare Stones cuts and out-takes culled from their archived recordings.

Acast and BBC renew deal for podcast sales

BBC podcast aired outside of the UK are allowed to carry advertising and in the past that has been sold as part of an arrangement the British media group has with Acast. Just last week Acast revealed it had renewed the partnership and will continue to monetise BBC podcasts through advertising across international markets including Australia.

Acast and the BBC first started working together in 2018, when the BBC first opened up advertising space in its podcasts internationally. Since then, Acast and the BBC have worked to increase the number of listeners as well as the revenue for the BBC’s podcast portfolio, which covers news, drama, factual and entertainment. During this period, the BBC has launched over 300 new shows.

PodSpot Studios adds two new locations in Sydney and Gold Coast

PodSpot Studios, the first network of purpose-built studios founded by content creator and former breakfast radio host Dave Matthews, has launched in two new locations as it gears up for further national expansion amid Australia’s podcasting boom.

PodSpot Studios is a collaboration between Matthews’ podcast production company PodSpot and the ASX-listed WOTSO Property (ASX:WOT), which owns and operates a portfolio of coworking spaces Australia wide.

The new PodSpot Studios, located in WOTSO Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast and WOTSO Neutral Bay in Sydney, are available to WOTSO members, content creators, thought-leaders, entrepreneurs, and small business owners to hire from October 25.

Nova Podcasts launch Home Hacks with founders of ‘Mums Who’

Do you love to organise your home?  Do you get a kick out of finding simple shortcuts and hacks? Desperate for expert tips to help you simplify your life? Nova’s new original podcast Home Hacks, which launched on Saturday 23 October, is the podcast for you.

Join the founders of ‘Mums Who’, Karlie Suttie and Rachael Hallett, to learn their best shortcuts, tips, tricks, and hacks to help manage your home and create spaces you feel relaxed in. Each weekly episode will focus on a different small space in your home. The bite sized episodes aim to keep things nice and simple and ensure listeners won’t get overwhelmed.

Home Hacks will provide practical tips on everything from organising your makeup storage to easy changes you can make to your laundry and broom closet to increase its functionality. The series will also feature seasonal tips, for instance, how to pack away your Christmas decorations so you avoid having thousands of tangled fairy lights next year. 

Guardian Australia launches new climate podcast, Australia v The Climate

Former PMs, high-ranking politicians and climate experts blow the whistle on how Australia became an international climate change pariah in the new Guardian Australia podcast series, Australia v The Climate.

Guardian Australia will release a special investigative podcast series ahead of the Cop26 global climate summit, scrutinising Australia’s role in the climate crisis over more than two decades.

The five-episode special series will launch in the week leading up to the summit, taking listeners inside the special deals, bullying, and brief moments of hope that have marked Australia’s role in international efforts to address global heating.

Australian Podcast Awards has record entrants

This year’s Australian Podcast Awards (APAs) powered by Acast, has seen a record number of entries in 2021 with thousands of individual entries recorded across the country.

A state-based analysis of entries reveals Tasmania and The Australian Capital Territory more than doubled their entries whilst New South Wales saw a 40% increase, making them the fastest-growing podcast regions.

Matt Deegan, director at the Australian Podcast Awards, said: 

“It’s incredible to see Australian podcasting go from strength-to-strength, year-on-year. What started as a niche medium has now grown at scale, with many Australian podcasts leading the way when it comes to both content and audience reach.”

“We’re thrilled that we have once again recorded a record year of entries to the Australian Podcast Awards – a true testament to the great breadth of podcasting talent and content here locally.”

Foxtel has announced a line-up of premium entertainment over the next 12 months, featuring a slate of Foxtel Originals alongside dramas, movies, and docuseries. 

Foxtel Showcase 2022: New Shows

Headlining Foxtel’s local LifeStyle offering is new Australian original series Selling in the City, with interior designer Rosie Morley and landscape expert Paddy Milne announced as hosts of the original format.  A spin-off from Selling Houses Australia, Selling In The City is a millennial skewed brand that will feature amazing design, clever solutions for small spaces and the best ways to get the absolute most out of a small, urban property. 

Also new to Foxtel in 2022 is The Repair Shop Australia, based on the hugely popular UK format. Host Dean Ipaviz leads a team of passionate and highly skilled craftspeople who come to the rescue of treasured possessions which are broken or damaged, revealing the remarkable stories behind these family heirlooms.

Also coming is The Twelve, a gripping courtroom drama that tells the story of 12 ordinary Australians who are selected for jury duty in a murder trial as traumatising as it is controversial, in which a woman stands accused of killing a child. The writing team for The Twelve features a stellar line-up including Wentworth’s Leah Purcell.  

New international dramas coming to Foxtel over the coming months include arctic thriller The North Water with Jack O’Connell and Colin Farrell; and Ragdoll, a serial killer drama from the makers of Killing Eve. Both series premiere On Demand next month.

2022 will bring the long-awaited Game of Thrones prequel, House of Dragon, based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood”, and starring Upright’s Milly Alcock.  Other exclusive dramas coming next year include The Cleaning Lady, created by Miranda Kwok; new DC superhero series The Peacemaker with John Cena; and dystopian miniseries DMZ. Also coming in 2022, Shining Vale starring Courtney Cox; and Somebody Somewhere, a new comedy series starring and executive produced by comedian and singer Bridget Everett.

Foxtel Showcase 2022: Returning Shows

Returning Foxtel Originals include one of the country’s most iconic cooking shows, The Great Australian Bake Off which sees judges Maggie Beer and Matt Moran and hosts Claire Hooper and Mel Buttle return to the shed with 12 new and passionate bakers.  

LifeStyle’s most loved franchise Selling Houses Australia returns for a refreshed 14th season with award-winning host and real estate expert Andrew Winter joined by new presenters, interior design expert Wendy Moore and landscape designer Dennis Scott. 

Also coming in 2022 – a new season of Grand Designs Australia with Peter Maddison, Deborah Hutton’s Find Your Dream Home and Gogglebox Australia returns for its 15th season accompanied for the first time with Celebrity Gogglebox Australia.

The global smash-hit drama series Succession, has been renewed for a fourth season.

Hailed as “the most exciting drama on TV” by The Daily Telegraph, “the most thrilling and beautifully obscene TV there is” by The Guardian and “a smouldering saga of betrayal and bloodlines” by The Sydney Morning Herald, the series has attracted a passionate worldwide audience and widespread critical acclaim since it first launched in 2018

After a hugely successful first season, award-winning comedy drama series Upright will return for a second season with actor, musician and comedian Tim Minchin and rising global star Milly Alcock reprising their roles as misfit duo Lucky and Meg.  The pair will trade the Nullabor Desert for the steamy tropics of Far North Queensland as they hit the road – and the river – on a mission.  

Returning international favourites include second seasons of Ridley Scott’s sci-fi drama Raised by Wolves starring Aussie Travis Fimmel; and teen drama Euphoria with Emmy Award-winner Zendaya; as well as new seasons of Righteous Gemstones, Young Rock, A Discovery of Witches, and Outlander.

Unscripted

The next 12 months will see a huge breadth of unscripted content airing on Foxtel’s Fox Docos. The destination for premium documentaries has delivered viewing growth of more than 130% on its predecessor, Foxtel Arts, and more than 300% in the key 25-39 viewing demographic.  Key titles coming up on fox docos include Music Box: Jagged, a detailed look at Alanis Morrisette’s pivotal album; What Happened Brittany Murphy, an expose on the death of the Hollywood starlet; and 100 Foot Wave, following surfing pioneer Garrett McNamara. 

Sport

In sport, after another challenging and unpredictable year, 2022 will see the return of big crowds and electric atmosphere across all codes. The action kicks off with Fox Cricket’s coverage of the Ashes with every ball to be shown live and ad-free during play in 4K Ultra High Definition for a premium viewing experience. As a key broadcast partner of ESPN in Australia, Foxtel will be bringing all NBL games and select NBA games to fans across the summer along with every match of the WNBL for the first time ever. March will see the return of NRL and AFL with every game of both regular seasons to be broadcast live and ad break free during play. 

In addition, Foxtel will showcase every match of the newly acquired Super Netball Season along with Australian International Tests and Quad Series. There will also be must-watch Supercars and Formula 1 events along with Main Event Boxing, Golf, AFLW, NFL, Surfing and more as part of Foxtel’s sport offering.

Foxtel Media has announced the launch of FoxTest, a new initiative to help brands explore the future frontiers of advertising. Representing an investment of $3 million, FoxTest will see Foxtel Media partner with brands to run experiments across advertising content, experience, and data.  

FoxTest is born from ongoing campaign innovations with brands such as Hyundai, who are testing new approaches in video buying, and a large retailer who has begun data integration testing. 

From October 27, Foxtel Media will open the FoxTest experimentation platform to ten new brands and their agencies, with innovations beginning to be trialled in 2022.  

Brands will be able to innovate across key areas such as:  

• Content (impact of context, assessing inventory on engagement, re-evaluating standard media metrics)
• Ad experience (impact of lower ad loads on advertising performance, the co-creation of new ad formats or tactics to enhance to command more attention)
• Data (third party data ingestion and segmentation, deeper consumer insight, sales attribution)  

Instead of a set testing regime, Foxtel Media will be working collaboratively with brands and their innovation budget allocations to create robust, custom testing programs for their advertising.  

Mark Frain, CEO at Foxtel Media said, “FoxTest is a new philosophy when it comes to innovation, and it’s all about putting the client first. Rather than dictate what brands and agencies should be doing, we’re inviting them into the tent and working together to solve the big challenges that we face as advertising transforms and intelligent video becomes the new reality.”

“Whether you’re using data integration to close the loop between ad exposure and sales, or like Hyundai, unlocking 20% incremental reach with an aligned approach to better video buying, there is no cookie cutter formula for innovation. FoxTest will offer a sandbox for marketers to test and learn, ensuring that advertising dollars are delivering the maximum return on investment. We’re making a $3 million commitment to evolve alongside our brand and agency partners, and to transform Australia’s advertising market.”

One new brand that has already signed up to partner with Foxtel Media using FoxTest is Westpac. The bank will trial a project plan to test for direct links between the cost of advertising and the effectiveness of a campaign.

Westpac group head of brand, advertising and media, Jenny Melhuish said: “Brands are facing disruption on many fronts and need to be open to change so they can find the most effective way to communicate with their audiences. We want partners who share a mindset of being innovative and willing to challenge the status quo, based on an understanding of the metrics of our business. By co-investing and working side-by-side with Foxtel Media as we trial this new trading model, we are creating the opportunity to try new approaches to optimise campaign effectiveness and further prove the power of advertising in our business”.

Supercars sale: Barclay Nettlefold and his backers have crossed the finish line first to take control of one of Australia’s biggest sports.

On the eve of the return to racing after a three-month hiatus, Archer Capital has confirmed that it has reached an agreement to sell its majority shareholding in Supercars to Racing Australia Consolidated Enterprises Ltd (RACE).

RACE is a consortium led by Melbourne entrepreneur and CEO of QMS Sport, Barclay Nettlefold, together with the Australian Racing Group and Henslow.

Archer Capital said the new ownership group has operational experience and brings significant marketing clout to Supercars and is excited about aligning the major circuit racing categories in Australia.

Transition of the shareholding will be completed by the end of the year, with RACE starting to engage in planning for 2022 with Archer and management.

The 2021 Repco Supercars Championship will continue at this weekend’s Bunnings Trade Sydney SuperNight. The return to racing will see competition across four successive weekends with 11 races in that time.

All sessions this weekend will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and streamed via Kayo. The Seven Network will broadcast live from 3:30pm AEDT on Saturday and 12:30pm AEDT on Sunday.

Commenting on the sale, Peter Wiggs, chairman of both Supercars and Archer Capital said: “We set out to find a new majority shareholder that would be able to build on the work that Archer and the management team have done over the past five years.

“The expertise that RACE has in sport, media, marketing and digital will enable just that.”

Barclay Nettlefold said: “Supercars, with the support of Archer, has done an amazing job navigating the past two years.

“The RACE Board and I look forward to combining our collective resources, heralding an exciting new era in the growth of a sport that all Australians love.”

The 2021 season of 32 races across 12 events, with Mount Panorama to hold two championship race meetings for the first time since 1996, has been impacted by lockdowns, but racing is returning across November with four successive weekends in Sydney. The interrupted year will climax in early December with the Repco Bathurst 1000 the final event of 2021.

During 2021 Nettlefold has been focusing on running TGI Sport as its chief executive officer. Earlier this year QMS Media completed a strategic partnership with Bruin Capital where Bruin and Quadrant Private Equity become co-owners of global sports technology company TGI Sport which includes TLA Worldwide (Aust) Pty Ltd and TLA – ESP Limited (UK).

See also: Supercars returns to Seven – Seven races live every year from 2021

Nine and the ACE Radio Network have confirmed they have signed an option for ACE Radio to operate Nine Radio’s music stations 2UE, 4BH, and Magic1278.

Assuming the option is exercised, ACE Radio will take up a lease which will see them operate the music stations from early 2022, aligning them with their existing network of 18 radio stations across regional Victoria and NSW.

Nine’s managing director – radio, Tom Malone, welcomed the deal as a win/win for both Nine Radio and ACE Radio.

“It’s almost two years since Nine acquired these stations as part of the Macquarie Media transaction,” said Malone. “In that time we have moved them from an unprofitable sports radio network to a clearly defined music offering which has seen audiences grow by 173 per cent.

“This agreement with ACE Radio gives them the option to lease these music stations, opening a footprint in the metro radio market while at the same time freeing up Nine Radio to focus on our core strategy of talk radio.”

ACE Radio is expected to spend the coming months putting together the logistical and sales infrastructure to allow them to exercise the option in early 2022.

ACE CEO, Mark Taylor, said: “Stations like 2UE don’t become available every day. It was a particularly important part of our plans. The brand has a significant heritage in Sydney. And while we want to build on that, we also want to deliver something new and exciting to its audience.”

Should the deal complete, Sydney’s 2UE, Brisbane’s 4BH and Magic 1278 in Melbourne would join ACE Radio’s existing metro station 3MP in Melbourne, for the term of the multi-year lease.

ACM has confirmed the launch of its new Insurance brand View Insurance, which brings together some of Australia’s leading Insurance offerings under the one brand.

ACM executive chairman Antony Catalano said that “View Insurance is a natural extension of the View brand as we look to further build the penetration into the ACM markets and beyond.”

“Everyone needs to insure the things they love but we wanted to do things a bit differently. View Insurance and its direct association with ACM’s network of 142 mastheads will not only help to keep quality local journalism strong but we are committing an amount equal to 2% of each individual policy (calculated on the base premium amount) to the Kindness Factory to help them bring their Kind Schools Network to schools across the ACM network. We call it Policies with heart.”

The Kindness Factory was established by Kath Koschel following a number of life tragedies. Her desire to give back to the people that helped her through her troubled times helped shape the Kindness Factory. What started with a website that collated random acts of kindness has evolved into the Kindness Schools Network that helps schools embed Kath’s 12 Attributes of Kindness into the school curriculum giving kids some tools to help with their own challenges in life.

“We think the work that Kath and the team do is fantastic and we couldn’t think of a better cause to support. Protecting our most valuable assets is important to all of us and now with View Insurance, simply by insuring your home you will also be helping our kids learn about the importance of kindness in all of our lives and the role it can play in managing our own mental health.” Catalano said.

View Insurance will launch across ACM’s 14 Dailies from today including the Canberra Times, the Newcastle Herald, and the Ballarat Courier and will feature Home, Car, Pet, Landlord and Business insurance.

Michael Carollo from View Insurance said he was “excited to be working with ACM in launching the View Insurance brand. The regions are growing quicker than ever before and through our partnership with ACM we can reach an audience of 6.4 million each month. We plan to help as many of them as we can with market leading insurance products and help them protect the things they love. We’re hoping to change their view on insurance.”

“View Insurance is powered by a passionate and experienced team focused on making a difference. We leverage our insurance experience and industry relationships to bring our clients an easy way to access insurance products with great coverage in the way that suits our clients. You can get an online quote with one of our carefully selected insurance partners or pick up the phone if you would like an insurance specialist to find a product that works for you.” Carollo said.

SBS and production partner Blink TV have announced the first three acts to compete in Eurovision – Australia Decides on the Gold Coast in February.

The first three acts to be revealed are a diverse mix of high-profile artists from across the musical spectrum: powerhouse entertainer PAULINI, multi-media artist Jaguar Jonze, and Australia’s 2017 Eurovision Song Contest representative, Isaiah Firebrace who will be singing a duet with a soon to be revealed Australian artist.

More than 700 songs were submitted to the Eurovision – Australia Decides song portal during the four-week entry period. Shortlisted songs are in the process of being matched with artists and all will be revealed soon.

SBS has also introduced Toowoomba based musician, Jude York; a singer-songwriter whose ballad arrangement has been selected from the hundreds of compositions submitted to the 2022 Eurovision – Australia Decides song portal. SBS will reveal the lucky artist set to sing his song in coming months.

Jude York said “To think of my song being shared on such a monumental platform is truly mind-blowing. I wrote it with the amazing Billy Stonecipher about staying hopeful that dreams can come true. And now to have this opportunity as a queer artist in regional Queensland, I’ve never had a better reason to believe in that message! I can’t wait for everybody to hear this!”

In association with the Queensland Government via Tourism and Events Queensland, Major Events Gold Coast, Screen Queensland, APRA AMCOS, and official artist accommodation partner Dorsett Gold Coast, Eurovision – Australia Decides will be presented at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 February.

Hosted by comedian Joel Creasey and music buff Myf Warhurst, Eurovision – Australia Decides will showcase the best of Australian music and talent. Australians are encouraged to vote for their favourite artist and song to represent the nation on the world’s biggest stage. The winner will be revealed during the Live TV Final which will be broadcast exclusively on SBS and SBS On Demand on Saturday 26 February.

Seven West Media has announced the appointment of Alex Tansley as head of convergence audience trading, effective immediately.

Tansley’s appointment follows Seven’s recent announcement of its Australia-first project with Salesforce, the global leaders in CRM, to transform and enhance its media trading platform as a key component in the launch of CODE 7+.

In the newly created position, Tansley will be responsible for developing and delivering Seven’s strategy across dynamic and converged audience trading solutions through CODE 7+, CRM and developing new operating models and products. 

Tansley has extensive industry experience in commercial strategy roles, having previously held senior positions at MCN, Foxtel Media and, most recently, at Seven West Media as revenue strategy manager, where he was responsible for driving a range of advanced advertising projects as part of Seven’s Enhanced Advertiser and Viewer Experience [E.A.V.E.] initiative.

Tansley reports to Seven West Media network director of sales, Natalie Harvey, and network digital sales director, Nicole Bence.

Seven West Media chief revenue officer, Kurt Burnette, said: “Alex comes to this role with a deep knowledge, brilliant strategic thinking and the capability to help drive Seven’s future capabilities in dynamic, converged television buying through CODE 7+.

“This new, innovative role will support Seven’s transformation and our ambition to enable customers to engage and execute with ease and speed across Seven, 7plus and other audience platforms. Seven is the most watched free-to-air broadcaster across all screens, which means we have the biggest audience to gain insights from and connect our partners with, which we do in a multitude of ways using best-in-market technology, processes and people.”

Natalie Harvey said: “There is no more strategic or passionate media professional in the industry than Alex Tansley. His appointment to this crucial role is further proof of Seven’s commitment to being audience-led and platform agnostic in our pursuit of delivering more effective and better outcomes for our client and agency partners. The future of television is here and Seven is leading the way.”

Alex Tansley said: “Having spent over eight years working across commercial strategy in the television industry, I’m passionate about delivering the best experience for advertisers, partners and viewers, and look forward to taking Seven’s successful converged audience buying solution to the next level.”

Triple M is set to rock every ball of the men’s Vodafone Ashes live across Australia in this year’s summer of cricket as the network unveils its commentary team.

Test captain Mark Taylor AO and Lord Ian Botham, arguably English cricket’s greatest wicket-taker, will preside over Triple M’s ‘Summer of Cricket’ when the first Ashes test commences in Brisbane at the Gabba on Wednesday 8 December.

Triple M’s commentary team will be led by James Brayshaw and Australia’s #1 sports podcaster, Mark ‘Howie’ Howard, alongside former Ashes greats Greg Blewett, Brad Haddin, and Merv Hughes. Triple M also introduces former international cricketer Isabelle Westbury to the commentary team, bringing her formidable credentials as the former captain of Middlesex and a highly respected cricket journalist.

Cricket makes its return to Triple M after the network signed a long-term partnership with Cricket Australia, including covering the 2021-22 men’s Vodafone Ashes and Dettol One-Day International matches – heard via its FM stations Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

In an Australian first, LiSTNR will also be streaming the matches Australia wide. Along with the FM broadcast in the capital cities, cricket fans will be able to download the LiSTNR app and hear the call wherever they play, work and holiday right across Australia.

Mark Taylor AO said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be part of the Triple M team for the upcoming Ashes series. Working alongside the likes of Ian Botham, Big Merv, Hadds, Blewy and JB will be great fun and calling what will be a great series is the ideal way to enjoy Summer.”

James Brayshaw said: “One of Australia’s greatest ever test captains and one of cricket’s greatest ever match winners together on Triple M cricket for an Ashes series. Literally cricket royalty… how good!”

Head of Triple M and LiSTNR Sport, Mike Fitzpatrick, said: “Triple M’s summer line-up is now complete with the return of cricket. We’re so excited that cricket fans and Triple M listeners can download the LiSTNR app and literally drive across the country and not miss a minute of the Ashes action.”

There will be further commentary team announcements as the Gabba test gets closer.

TV ratings: Wednesday Week 43 2021

The Block was the top non-news program in the total TV ratings with 1.436m, an increase of 25%. The episode saw work on the garage, study and basements continued ahead of the final week focus on front gardens and facades.

Gruen was the top show for the ABC with 1.198m after improving its overnight ratings by 23%. The program saw a Primo Scrambles ad analysis get airtime that money can’t buy. Russel Howcroft was the odd one out again who wants to try the product. 

Home and Away was the top program on Seven after increasing its audience by 20% to 1.137m viewers.

The Bachelorette had a big rise in the total TV ratings after its premiere episode featuring Brooke Blurton increased its overnight ratings by 51% to 754,000 viewers. The show kicked off with its signature red carpet arrivals before fellow Bachelor alum Jamie-Lee got the first kiss, and Darvid got the white rose.

The biggest riser though in the total TV ratings continue to be Love Island Australia which was up 99%, bringing its viewers to 593,000.

Total TV Ratings for October 13, 2021

Primetime News
Seven News 903,000/918,000
Nine News 845,000/834,000
ABC News 607,000
10 News First 253,000 (5:00pm)/ 159,000 (6:00pm)
SBS World News 141,000 (6:30pm) 129,000 (7:00pm)

Daily current affairs
A Current Affair 697,000
7.30 516,000
The Project 207,000 (6:30pm)/340,000 (7pm)
The Drum 147,000

Breakfast TV
Today 236,000
Sunrise 228,000
News Breakfast 206,000

Late News
The Latest 144,000
Nine News Late 80,000
ABC Late News 42,000
SBS World News Late 46,000

Nine

The Today show capped off the momentum that it had been building in recent months by having a rare win over Sunrise in the breakfast slot. The show had an audience of 236,000.

Nine has also continued to feast on the success of The Block which has been on a huge winning streak in the 7:30pm slot. The broadcaster was once again the #1 primary channel with a 21.5% share and also the top network with 31.9%.

The Block was the top non-news program of the night with 861,000. The episode saw the teams reunite with their family and reminisce about their journeys on the show. During the renovations, Josh and Luke‘s concrete steps were hit with another blow over a material shortage, while Mitch and Mark‘s pavers needed to be ripped up when they fell shy of regulation.

Love Island Australia then followed with 252,000. The episode saw tension rise between Tina Provis and Ronni Krongold after Ronni told Tina about his plan to stay in the villa by making a play for Emily Ward even though he was not interested in her.

Botched was up next with a special episode on its most memorable celebrity patients. The episode had 107,000 viewers.

Seven

Home and Away was the top non-news program on Seven last night as the soap brought in a crowd of 583,000.

A double episode of Highway Patrol then aired that brought in 415,000 and 387,000 viewers. America’s Got Talent then aired its fifth episode of its audition phase.

10

The Project had 207,000 (6:30pm) and 340,000 (7:00pm) as the show spoke to the world’s first openly gay footballer, Adelaide United’s Josh Cavallo.

The Bachelorette then had 253,000 viewers for its third episode which saw 10 participants selected for a group date around compatibility, Holly and Brooke going salsa dancing on a romantic single date and 25-year-old Victorian filmmaker Ritu being sent home. This episode was down on its premiere last Wednesday of 397,000 viewers.

Two episodes of Bull then aired which had 178,000 and 155,000 viewers.

ABC

Hard Quiz got the ABC’s comedy lineup off to a strong start with 549,000 viewers as the show continues to be a consistent performer for the public broadcaster.

Gruen then aired its third episode with 647,000 tuning in as the show discussed online gambling advertisements.

Frayed followed with 220,000 viewers.

SBS

The top program on SBS was Australia’s Health Revolution with 216,000 viewers.