Friday September 11, 2020

Adam Lang’s new audio adventure: Partners spreading Fear and Greed

By James Manning

Fear and Greed is a partnership between Adam Lang, Sean Aylmer and Michael Thompson. It is also the name of one of the first two podcasts the trio are publishing. Lang and Thompson are both ex-Macquarie Media where Lang was CEO and Thompson head of content. Aylmer is a former Fairfax Media editor and editorial director.

When asked if there was any in-joke about the title being a metaphor for the media business, Lang told Mediaweek: “It came about after Sean and I got together in February this year. He has a content company called Aylmer Anderson [a partnership with former news executive Simon Anderson] and they work with a number of businesses on corporate communications. He had a presentation about successful news articles that indicated the most popular were pieces they would to run on the front pages of newspapers during his media career and many were something to do with fear and greed. I replied that would be a great name for a podcast.”

The trio then decided it would be a good business name too because it speaks well to the company as an independent. “It also speaks to the primary drivers that motivate people when it comes to investing. There is a lot of fear and greed.

“Our first target was to build a podcast that would be successful,” said Lang. “We started looking for something that we wanted to hear and we couldn’t find it. We wanted a really, short, sharp summary of all the business news we need to know each morning.

That launch podcast became Fear and Greed. “It was designed for the morning commute – but the morning commute this year has been a little different. However we have found an audience despite fewer people making a morning commute.”

Lang said the aim was to expand the portfolio after they prove they have been able to get one away. “There will be two strands to what we do – free podcasts carrying advertising and then also custom made podcasts where we work with companies telling a story.

“The first custom podcast we have worked on is with KordaMentha, a series called Behind Business.”

See also:
Podcast Week: New Sarah Grynberg series and book, SpokenLayer arrives
• Rachel Corbett’s insights, What’s next for Adam Lang and Russell Tate

The Fear and Greed podcast has involved all three partners making sure the project is successful. Aylmer presents, Thompson is producer and Lang runs the operations. “It runs like any small business at the moment. When you are a team of three you all do a bit of everything. At the same time is has been harder than we perhaps originally thought, but it’s also been more enjoyable than I thought it could be.

“Some of the tasks involved play to our skills we have from our backgrounds, but some of the tasks are newly acquired and we work them out between us.”

The podcast Fear and Greed has been so successful that in August it became the only indie podcast on the Podcast Ranker chart. It entered the overall chart at #98 and was #62 with a bullet on the Australian chart.

The partners promise to have their Fear and Greed podcast published daily by 6.30am. “All three of us get up around 4am after having already done some preparation for the new episode the previous day. We then record, edit and publish by 6.30am. We all find a quiet area at our homes so we don’t ruin the morning for our families. It can be pretty hectic, but it’s also a lot of fun.

In addition to his role at Fear and Greed, Lang is also working as a freelance consultant and is undertaking the Australian Institute Company Director’s course. “I have been on various boards for some time including chairing the board of Commercial Radio Australia, but I have never done this course. While it is not absolutely necessary, I have found it great to go back to prescribed learning.”

Lang’s consultancy skills come from 12 years in the music industry and then another 12 years working in TV and radio. “Over the past 25 years I feel I’ve learnt a lot about disruption, something that many companies have been dealing with, particularly during 2020.”

Despite some challenging times during his radio career, Lang still loves the industry and hasn’t ruled out returning if the right opportunity presented itself. During his time at Austereo Lang was running 2Day FM when Kyle Sandilands was suspended at least once. He was also involved navigating 2GB through the advertiser boycott after Alan Jones’ comments about Julia Gillard’s father.

Despite those bumps in the road, Lang still enjoys the media. “What I have discovered over the years is that it is not so much the category you are in, but the people you are in business with that determines how enjoyable and how successful it can be.”

Top photo: Adam Lang

We Bare Bears
We Bare Bears creator Daniel Chong reflects on series conclusion

By Trent Thomas

One of Cartoon Networks’ most popular staples, We Bare Bears will be coming to an end this weekend with the release of its first movie which will also serve as the end to the series. We Bare Bears The Movie will air on September 12 on Cartoon Network and Boomerang at 8:45 AM with encores throughout the day.

After launching in 2015 We Bare Bears is the highest-rated kids series on Cartoon Network. The show has also featured guest stars such as Charles Barkley, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, Paul George, T-Pain and K-pop group Monsta X.

Mediaweek spoke with We Bare Bears creator Daniel Chong about the series four season run, it’s first movie, and series conclusion.

After producing over 100 episodes, Chong said that the end of the show was unexpected, but he was ultimately happy with the way it ended.

“We had such a routine making the show we just kind of assumed that the show would keep going. We didn’t think it was going to end but then halfway through production, the studio decided that we were going to pivot into a spin-off, with the movie being the bookend of the show.

“I look back and I think it was a fine decision. The movie really closes out all the ideas and themes for the Bears story perfectly and I couldn’t ask for a better way to finish things off. It wasn’t the plan, but I am totally fine with it.”

The show was based on sitcoms like Seinfeld and Broad City, but Chong said that it was a road trip movie at heart and also pulled a lot from real life.

“We looked at a lot of journey stories that had epic aspects to it. We also were just looking at what was happening in the world and there was a lot of political things happening in America and forest fires in America as well. There is also a lot more internet stuff in the movie than the show, with as many internet animals from YouTube that we could find.”

Evan Jackson (The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) joins the cast as the villain Agent Trout. Chong said that Jackson was the perfect fit for the role.

“It is one of those weird things where we always talked about him as a character type that we based the villain on, but we never talked about actually getting him. Maybe because we didn’t think we could, and then when we started casting someone asked ‘why don’t we just ask him to do it’.”

With the decision to conclude the We Bare Bears series and move to a prequel series mid-production, the change took some time to sink in. Chong said that he is only now able to reflect on how the film turned out.

“It’s a lot to process when you are making a movie, especially a TV movie. You are making such a big project without the ability to finesse it the way you want to. At a certain point, you lose the sense of what you are making, and you are trusting everyone around you to figure out if its working or not. Only now can I look back and think of it as a movie and I feel like it is the perfect summation of what we have wanted to say with the show.”

Chong started his career at Cartoon Network as an intern on The Powerpuff Girls before returning to create We Bare Bears. He said that he was glad he could return to where he made his start to create something that developed over time with the help of his team.

“A TV Show has to evolve, and it can’t all be about me. When I look at the first season, I see everything that I thought the show was going to be. Once you get past a certain point you really need to rely on the crew to help flesh out that world. Where the show ended up was a construct of collaboration and impossible without the input of a talented crew.”

Major sponsor more enthusiastic about Big Bash than James Warburton

• BBL & WBBL: KFC and Cricket Australia extend and expand partnership

Against a backdrop of a major falling out between Cricket Australia (CA) and its major FTA sponsor the Seven Network, CA has today announced a continued partnership with KFC which involves an extension as Big Bash League naming rights partner and new commitments with the rebel Women’s Big Bash League and the Australian Women’s National Team.

KFC is one of CA’s longest standing and most loyal partners, now entering its 17th season supporting cricket. The brand is synonymous with the BBL, serving as naming rights partner since the League’s inception in the 2011-12 season.

CA’s broadcast partner Seven, and also Fox Sports to a degree, are less enthusiastic about the summer ahead, particularly the Big Bash League.

In an exclusive interview with News Corp last month, Seven boss James Warburton said his network would not support the summer, while roasting CA as a “train wreck” and its administration “stumbling, bumbling” and “incompetent”.

See also:
Growing broadcast war with Seven

From the 2020-21 season, KFC is also strengthening its commitment to cricket which will see the brand involved at rebel WBBL|06 and Australian Women’s National Team matches.

Anthony Everard, CA executive general manager fan engagement, said KFC’s contribution to the BBL’s success over the past ten seasons had been enormous.

“When the KFC BBL was launched into the market a decade ago, few could have imagined the instant and profound impact it would have on the summer of cricket,” Everard said.

“Throughout that time, we’ve been exceptionally grateful to have the support of KFC, an iconic global brand whose energetic strategy perfectly aligns with the BBL and was a key component in the League’s success.

“We’re delighted that KFC have not only extended their naming rights partnership with the BBL, but also extended their support across the rebel WBBL and Women’s National Team, demonstrating the strength of cricket’s position in the Australian summer.”

Alistair Dobson, CA head of Big Bash Leagues, highlighted the strong connection between KFC and the BBL.

“The partnership between KFC and the BBL has been built on shared objectives of bringing fun to families across Australia, and together we’ve formed a winning combination over the past decade,” Dobson said.

“Whether it be collecting a colourful Buckethead or attempting to catch a Bucketball free hit in the crowd, the fan-first initiatives developed alongside KFC form a crucial part of the BBL’s identity.

“We look forward to another strong KFC BBL season and thank them for their ongoing support of the League.”

Kristi Woolrych, KFC chief marketing officer, shared KFC’s delight at extending its partnership with CA.

“We’re excited to broaden KFC’s support for Aussie cricket which includes the women’s national team as well as the rebel WBBL. We’re also thrilled to be extending our partnership as the naming rights sponsor of the KFC BBL in what is our tenth successful year together. The KFC BBL has come a long way in the past decade and given the fun, and free-spirited nature of the game, KFC and the BBL are the perfect match,” Woolrych said.

“Like all cricket fans, we’re excited that KFC Bucketheads are back on heads for another year and we can’t wait to see them this summer.”

Hardball
ABC series Hardball scores an International Emmy Kids Award nomination

Globally lauded ABC series Hardball has scored an International Emmy Kids Award nomination, celebrating the best children’s content from around the world.

The ABC Kids’ story of fish-out-of-water Mikey and his dream to become the sweetest-bestest-acest handball champ in Western Sydney is the only Australian finalist for the global awards.

Hardball’s nomination for the Kids: Live Action Emmy follows its win in June of the prestigious Prix Jeunesse International Award for the world’s best fiction program for 7-10-year-olds. In the same month, the comedy series, produced by Northern Pictures for the ABC, in conjunction with the ACTF, Screen Australia and Create NSW, also won the Rockie Award for the Best Children & Youth Fiction Series at the Banff World Media Festival in Canada.

Libbie Doherty, ABC head of children’s production, said Hardball’s Emmy Award reaffirmed the world-class standard of the ABC’s children’s content. “Hardball represents Australian storytelling at its best – with a diverse cast, cracking story and local cast and crew who aced every element of the production,” she said.

“The ABC is proud to bring such outstanding homegrown programs to audiences, alongside the creative and innovative team at Northern Pictures. This Emmy Award shows that Australian stories, with Australian faces, voices and settings stand proudly alongside the best children’s content in the world.”  

This is the second time this year that the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has presented Kids Emmys, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In March, ABC Kids’ Bluey, Australia’s most popular children’s television show, was awarded the Kids: Preschool Emmy Award.

Programs nominated for the latest International Emmy Kids Awards span 10 countries: Australia, Brazil, Finland, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden and the United Kingdom. 

Bruce Paisner, president & CEO of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, said: “The geographic spread and variety of themes addressed in these nominated programs demonstrate the buoyancy and quality of children’s television throughout the world.

“We congratulate the nominees for their outstanding talent and for setting the standard of excellence we expect for young viewers worldwide.”  

The awards will be announced during an online ceremony on 14 October.

Optus Sport launches new women’s football show

Optus Sport has announced it will produce a dedicated program to the Barclays FA Women’s Super League, making it one of the only female sport focused programs on Australian TV.

Exclusive to Optus Sport in Australia, Women’s Football Oz Style will be hosted by former Matilda Alicia Ferguson, who will be joined every matchweek by current players and coaches along with some of the all-time greats of women’s football.

Women’s Football Oz Style will discuss the latest news in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League along with a behind-the-scenes look at the life and journey of the Aussie women who play in what is considered the best women’s football league in the world.

“We’ve got eleven players and two coaches featuring in this year’s competition, which means we have a terrific opportunity to showcase some of our homegrown stars to an audience that is truly passionate about topflight football,” Ferguson said. 

“The WSL is not only the best women’s football league in the world but also one of the fastest growing, to be able to provide a dedicated program to a football mad audience, is something both the league and Optus Sport should be extremely proud of.”

“I’m looking forward to chatting to the likes of Sam Kerr, Hayley Raso and Caitlin Foord to discuss all things football and share their journey in the WSL with our Optus Sport subscribers.”

“The a girls have already made a mark in week one of the competition, so there will be plenty to talk about in this week’s episode,” Ferguson added.

Optus’ Head of TV & Content Corin Dimopoulos, said that considering the growth of the competition and women’s football in Australia, it was inevitable that we’d see a dedicated program for the Women’s Super League on Optus Sport. “You’ve got some of the best footballers in the world turning out for the Women’s Super League, so it made sense to continue to extend our coverage for our Optus Sport subscribers,” Dimopoulos said.

“Optus Sport subscribers love their football, so we saw this as a great opportunity to provide greater awareness and interest in the competition and share the amazing journey and lifestyle that our Aussie footballers and coaches lead overseas.” 

Women’s Football Oz Style will feature on the Optus platform on Thursday night’s at 8pm (AEST) during every WSL matchweek, with the first episode going to air on Thursday the 10th of September.

Top photo: Alicia Ferguson

2020 iHeartRadio Music Awards winners revealed

Across the weekend, iHeartRadio celebrated the biggest stars in music for 2020 with an online and social media special that saw an unveiling of award announcements and acceptance speeches every hour, on the hour.

While the winning artists couldn’t take to the stage, fans from all over Australia and the world still tuned in to the iHeartRadio YouTube channel to watch their favourite music stars – including Taylor Swift, Elton John, Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Jonas Brothers and more accept their awards virtually from their homes.

The radio network listeners had the opportunity to decide winners in several new and established categories. Fan voting determined this year’s Best Fan Army, Best Lyrics, Best Cover Song, Best Music Video, Best Remix, the Social Star Award, Favorite Tour Photographer and the first-ever Favorite Music Video Choreography Award.

The full event is set to return to in 2021.

The full list of winners:

Song of the Year
“Truth Hurts” – Lizzo

Female Artist of the Year 
Billie Eilish

Male Artist of the Year
Post Malone

Best Duo/Group of the Year
Jonas Brothers

Best Collaboration
“Señorita” – Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello

Pop Album of the Year:
Lover – Taylor Swift

Best New Pop Artist:
Lizzo

Alternative Rock Song of the Year
“bad guy” – Billie Eilish

Alternative Rock Artist of the Year
Billie Eilish

Alternative Rock Album of the Year
when we all fall asleep, where do we go? – Billie Eilish

Best New Rock/Alternative Rock Artist
SHAED

Rock Song of the Year
“Ghost” – Badflower

Rock Artist of the Year
Disturbed

Rock Album of the Year
Fear Inoculum – Tool

Country Song of the Year
“Beautiful Crazy” – Luke Combs

Country Artist of the Year
Luke Combs

Country Album of the Year
What You See Is What You Get – Luke Combs

Best New Country Artist
Morgan Wallen

Dance Song of the Year
“Close To Me” – Ellie Goulding, Diplo featuring Swae Lee 

Dance Artist of the Year
Marshmello 

Dance Album of the Year
World War Joy – The Chainsmokers

Hip-Hop Song of the Year
“Suge” – DaBaby

Hip-Hop Artist of the Year
Drake

Hip-Hop Album of the Year
Death Race for Love – Juice WRLD

Best New Hip-Hop Artist
DaBaby

R&B Song of the Year
“No Guidance” – Chris Brown featuring Drake

R&B Artist of the Year
H.E.R.

R&B Album of the Year
Free Spirit– Khalid

Best New R&B Artist
Summer Walker

Latin Pop/Reggaeton Song of the Year:  
“Con Calma” – Daddy Yankee & Katy Perry featuring Snow

Latin Pop/Reggaeton Artist of the Year: 
Ozuna

Best New Latin Pop/Reggaeton Artist: 
Rosalía

Regional Mexican Song of the Year
“A Través Del Vaso” – Banda Los Sebastianes

Regional Mexican Artist of the Year
Christian Nodal

Latin Album of the Year
X 100PRE – Bad Bunny

Best New Regional Mexican Artist
Banda Los Sebastianes

Label of the Year
Republic Records

Most Thumbed Up Artist of the Year
Post Malone

Most Thumbed Up Song of the Year
“Sunflower” by Post Malone & Swae Lee

Producer of the Year
Finneas

Songwriter of the Year
Louis Bell

Tour of the Year
Elton John

Best Lyrics: *Socially Voted Category
“10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber

Best Cover Song: *Socially Voted Category
Sam Smith & Normani – “Dancing With A Stranger” – 5SOS cover 

Best Fan Army: *Socially Voted Category
BTSArmy – BTS  

Best Music Video: *Socially Voted Category
“Boy With Luv” – BTS featuring Halsey

Social Star Award: *Socially Voted Category
Asher Angel

Best Remix: *Socially Voted Category
“Trampoline” – SHAED featuring Zayn

Favorite Tour Photographer: *Socially Voted Category           
Zack Caspary (Why Don’t We)

Favorite Music Video Choreography: (New Category) *Socially Voted Category
“Kill This Love” (BLACKPINK) – Kyle Hanagami & Kiel Tutin

Mercado on TV: Must see moment of the week is ABC’s Freeman

By Andrew Mercado

• Plus Todd Sampson, The Split, and getting drunk and getting nude

This week’s must-see show is Freeman (Sunday on ABC), the one-hour documentary about iconic athlete Cathy Freeman and her road to the Sydney Olympics 20 years ago.

Freeman is inspiring and it’s good to be reminded of a moment when all of Australia was united, even though it meant so much more to Indigenous Australians. For a good take on that, check out what Grandstand’s Tony Armstrong has to say about it on the ABC News website.

See also:
What Cathy Freeman’s 400m gold at the Sydney Olympics meant to me as a young Aboriginal boy

Australia might not be very united at the moment, but at least most will still agree that anything can be solved by having a drink or getting nude. Drunk History Australia (Monday on 10) and The All New Monty: Guys and Gals (Sunday on Seven) are both back next week, but how much will you remember about them the morning after?

Todd Sampson’s Body Hack (Tuesday on 10) is the type of show that you don’t forget quickly. For me, I will never get over seeing an Indian cannibal using a human skull to drink water from the Ganges River. And that was before he ate rotting flesh for dinner.

It’s tough to top that, but when in doubt, head to America, the land of “God and guns”. Todd Sampson investigates trailer trash demolition derby racing where he is introduced to the crowd as being from the “great state of Australia”.

Let’s now head to the great state of England who aired the second series of The Split (Saturday on ABC) back in February. It’s finally down under and this time, the family of lawyers are working together again, but the marriage of Hannah (Nicola Walker) and Nathan (Stephen Mangan) is still shaky.

The Split

British family dramas are so well written, you can jump into one mid-stream, pick it up and warm to the characters immediately. It’s hard to think of any BBC drama in recent years that has failed to find an enthusiastic audience.

There wasn’t much enthusiasm for Between Two Worlds (7plus) and the Aussie drama quietly ended here last Sunday at midnight. Several cliff-hangers were left unresolved, meaning it joins recent dramas like Hannibal and Santa Clarita Diet in never getting a proper ending. 

Some shows, like Gilligan’s Island and Deadwood, return as telemovies that tie everything up. Others, like Dallas, Twin Peaks and Melrose Place, got full season reboots, only to end yet again on a cliff-hanger! Between Two Worlds may not be so lucky.

Top photo: Cathy Freeman (Photo: Daniel Boud)

TV Ratings: Thursday September 10

By Trent Thomas

• AFL and Seven win Thursday night 
• Gogglebox was #1 non-news show with 631,000
• The Bachelor continues to trend upwards on Thursdays
• NRL #1 in Sydney

Primetime News

Seven News 997,000/904,000
Nine News 978,000/931,000
ABC News 718,000
10 News First 344,000/201,000
SBS World News 181,000

Daily current affairs

A Current Affair 630,000
7.30 480,000
The Project 316,000/505,000
The Drum 184,000

Breakfast TV

Sunrise 255,000
Today 217,000
News Breakfast 186,000

Late night news

Nine News Late 152,000
The Latest 270,000
ABC Late News 111,000

Seven: The AFL had 497,000 and was followed by The Front Bar with 361,000 helping Seven to a primary share of 18.7% and a network share of 29.7% which were both number one for the night. The other top performers were Home and Away (445,000) and The Chase Australia (563,000).

Nine: The NRL was #1 in non-news in Sydney and #2 in Brisbane as the South Sydney Rabbitohs held off the Wests Tigers’ comeback for a tight win. Nine had a primary share of 17.1% and a network share of 24.2%.

10: The Bachelor had 570,000 after everyone returned from lockdown before Roxi decided to leave again – this time for good. This was up on last Thursday’s episode which had 561,000 viewers, the second week in a row that The Bachelor has improved in the Thursday time slot. The Bachelor was followed by Gogglebox Australia which was the #1 non-news show last night with 631,000. The one-two punch of The Bachelor and Gogglebox Australia gave 10 a primary share of 14.7% and a network share of 21.1%.

ABC: ABC had a primary share of 9.4% and a network share of 13.6% with the public broadcaster’s best performer programs being 7:30 (480,000), Sammy J (313,000) and Escape from the City (272,000).

SBS: SBS’s Thursday night train journeys have continued with The World’s Most Scenic Railway Journeys which had 344,000 viewers. This was followed by Secrets of the Tower of London with 211,000 and the Tour De France which had 155,00. SBS had a 7.7% primary share and an 11.5% network share.

Week 38 TV: Thursday
THURSDAY METRO
ABCSevenNine10SBS
ABC9.4%718.7%917.1%10 14.7%SBS One7.7%
ABC KIDS/ ABC COMEDY2.1%7TWO4.4%GO!2.4%10 Bold4.3%VICELAND1.5%
ABC ME0.5%7mate4.7%GEM1.5%10 Peach2.1%Food Net0.9%
ABC NEWS1.5%7flix1.9%9Life2.1%  NITV0.1%
    9Rush1.1%  SBS World Movies1.3%
TOTAL13.6% 29.7% 24.2% 21.1% 11.5%

 

THURSDAY REGIONAL
ABCSeven AffiliatesNine Affiliates10 AffiliatesSBS
ABC9.1%717.1%916.6%WIN10.5%SBS One6.2%
ABC KIDS/ ABC COMEDY2.6%7TWO8.0%GO!2.7%WIN Bold5.4%VICELAND2.5%
ABC ME1.2%7mate3.4%GEM2.9%WIN Peach2.0%Food Net0.7%
ABC NEWS1.3%7flix (Excl. Tas/WA)2.3%9Life2.2%Sky News  on WIN2.7%NITV0.4%
        SBS Movies1.2%
TOTAL14.3% 30.8% 24.5% 20.6% 11.0%

 

THURSDAY METRO ALL TV
FTASTV
85.5%14.5%
Thursday FTA
  1. Seven News Seven 997,000
  2. Nine News Nine 978,000
  3. Nine News 6:30 Nine 931,000
  4. Seven News At 6.30 Seven 904,000
  5. ABC News ABC 718,000
  6. Gogglebox 10 631,000
  7. A Current Affair Nine 630,000
  8. Seven’s AFL: Thursday Night Football Post Match Seven 623,000
  9. The Bachelor Australia 10 570,000
  10. The Chase Australia Seven 563,000
  11. The Project 7pm 10 505,000
  12. Seven’s AFL: Thursday Night Football Seven 497,000
  13. Hot Seat Nine 493,000
  14. 7.30 ABC 480,000
  15. Home And Away Seven 445,000
  16. The Front Bar Seven 361,000
  17. The Chase Australia 5pm Seven 350,000
  18. 10 News First 10 344,000
  19. The World’s Most Scenic Railway Journeys SBS 344,000
  20. The Project 6.30pm 10 316,000
Demo Top 5

16 – 39

  1. The Bachelor Australia 10 198,000
  2. Gogglebox 10 191,000
  3. Seven’s AFL: Thursday Night Football Post Match Seven 166,000
  4. The Project 7pm 10 137,000
  5. Nine News Nine 127,000

 

18 – 49

  1. Gogglebox 10 330,000
  2. The Bachelor Australia 10 320,000
  3. The Project 7pm 10 249,000
  4. Seven’s AFL: Thursday Night Football Post Match Seven 248,000
  5. Nine News Nine 242,000

 

25 – 54

  1. Gogglebox 10 349,000
  2. The Bachelor Australia 10 327,000
  3. Nine News Nine 295,000
  4. Nine News 6:30 Nine 291,000
  5. The Project 7pm 10 271,000
Thursday Multichannel
  1. Seven’s AFL: Thursday Night Football Post Match 7mate 235,000
  2. NCIS (R) 10 Bold 196,000
  3. Seven’s AFL: Thursday Night Football 7mate 178,000
  4. Father Brown PM 7TWO 166,000
  5. Home And Away 7TWO 126,000
  6. Bluey ABCKIDS/COMEDY 124,000
  7. Bluey AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 124,000
  8. Hawaii Five O Ep 2 (R) 10 Bold 120,000
  9. Murdoch Mysteries PM 7TWO 118,000
  10. School Of Roars ABCKIDS/COMEDY 114,000
  11. Spicks And Specks Ep 2 ABCKIDS/COMEDY 113,000
  12. Hawaii Five O (R) 10 Bold 113,000
  13. Murdoch Mysteries Ep.2 PM7TWO 108,000
  14. Neighbours 10 Peach 107,000
  15. Rusty Rivets ABCKIDS/COMEDY 105,000
  16. Peppa Pig AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 105,000
  17. Love Monster ABCKIDS/COMEDY 99,000
  18. Bondi Rescue Ep 2 (R) 10 Bold 97,000
  19. Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 96,000
  20. Andy’s Dinosaur Adventures ABCKIDS/COMEDY 96,000
Thursday STV
  1. Live: NRL: Wests Tigers V Rabbitohs FOX LEAGUE 216,000
  2. Live: AFL St Kilda V West Coast FOX FOOTY 195,000
  3. Live: AFL Post Game FOX FOOTY 103,000
  4. Paul Murray Live Sky News Live 86,000
  5. The Bolt Report Sky News Live 81,000
  6. Live: The Late Show With Matty Johns FOX LEAGUE 80,000
  7. Aussie Gold Hunters Discovery Channel 78,000
  8. Credlin Sky News Live 64,000
  9. Live: NRL Pre GameFOX LEAGUE 61,000
  10. Alan Jones Sky News Live 58,000
  11. PML Later Sky News Live 56,000
  12. Beverly Hills: Real Housewives Of… FOX Arena 44,000
  13. The Kenny Report Sky News Live 44,000
  14. Peppa Pig Nick Jr. 39,000
  15. Paw Patrol Nick Jr. 37,000
  16. Abby Hatcher Nick Jr. 36,000
  17. First Edition Sky News Live 35,000
  18. Live: AFL Pre GameFOX FOOTY 34,000
  19. The Big Bang Theory FOX Funny 33,000
  20. First Edition Sky News Live 33,000

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

Media News Roundup

Business of Media

Why big tech gorillas will submit to wrestled media revenue deal

The federal government’s recent decision to mandate a News Media Bargaining Code has been a long time coming but is still a trail-blazing experiment, whose outcome will be watched around the world, reports The Guardian Australia‘s Richard Alston.

The decision has already been met with a hysterical response from big tech and its allies, but this is little more than par for the course.

This is almost certainly disingenuous.

As well as depriving its multitude of users of ready access to quality journalism it would enable disinformation and conspiracy theories to flourish – hardly a good look.

These concerns were heightened during last summer’s bushfires, when false and misleading information about the cause of the flames and various conspiracy theories were rife.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has established that there are significant public concerns about misinformation on digital platforms – a key source of news and information for many Australians. Hence the authority has concluded the digital platforms should share considerable responsibility for providing readers with a safe and user-friendly environment in which to digest news and information.

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Government pays $200k for third media review in a year

The federal communications department has awarded the Queensland University of Technology a tender worth nearly $220,000 for the third independent report into the media sector in less than a year, reports AFR‘s Max Mason.

QUT houses the respected Digital Media Research Centre. Several other government reviews are also underway in the sector, covering topics including content requirements, classification and election ad blackouts.

QUT will receive $219,989 for the Assessment of Media Business Models and Supports, which is due to be handed in on October 2. QUT referred The Australian Financial Review to the department for details.

Sources said some of the analysis may be used to inform budget measures, although the close timing to the October 6 budget may make that difficult. The report was initially planned to be handed in by August 31, but the department’s tender process was delayed.

There have been rumblings in Canberra that the government would outline its roadmap for the so-called harmonisation of media framework, which was recommended by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in its Digital Platforms Inquiry. Some sources suggested an outline of its content requirement review may require changes to the budget.

This is on top of the ACCC’s process for code of conduct legislation to govern the relationships between Facebook, Google and local media companies, which aims to have the technology giants pay for journalism on some of their platforms.

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News Brands

Assange trial halted over Covid infection fears

Julian Assange’s extradition trial has been halted because of fears that members of the court may have coronavirus, reports News Corp’s Jacquelin Magnay.

One of the lawyers representing the US prosecution team is being tested for the virus after her partner came down with symptoms. But there are fears that if the test is returned positive, the entire Old Bailey court precinct could be shut.

It is believed the Assange trial is one of the first in Britain to be ­affected in this way.

On Thursday morning, the ­entire prosecution team representing the US government joined the court hearing via ­remote videolink from their homes.

Two members of Assange’s legal team, including Mark Summers­ QC, were seen in the Old Bailey courtroom wearing masks for the first time.

Judge Vanessa Baraitser said that she had been informed on Wednesday evening that one of the barristers might have had exposure­ to the virus.

“For that reason, the prosecution team doesn’t attend here in person and some of the defence is not here, out of caution, and are attending remotely by videolink,’’ Judge Baraitser said. She added that testing for “all concerned’’ would take place and that the outcome would be known sometime on Friday.

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Chinese ‘journalists’ linked to propaganda unit

Four Chinese “journalists” raided by ASIO were part of a Communist Party propaganda operation in Australia, ­influencing local Chinese-language media and reporting to Beijing on members of the Australian-Chinese community, reports News Corp’s Ben Packham.

China’s harassment and ­attempted detention of Australian journalists Bill Birtles and Mike Smith is believed to have been payback for the raids on the Chinese state media representatives, according to senior Australian government sources.

It’s unclear whether the detention of Australian journalist Cheng Lei by Chinese security services was also retaliation for the ASIO raids.

One of the Chinese journalists interviewed by ASIO is believed to be former Sydney Xinhua bureau chief Yang Jingzhong, who left Australia after the June 26 raids and was removed as the listed ­director of the news agency in ­August.

Unlike two already identified journalists raided by ASIO — China news service bureau chief Tao Shelan and China radio international bureau chief Li Dayong — Yang was not part of a ­WeChat group linked to NSW Labor MP Shaoquett Moselmane and his adviser John Zhang.

Chair of the Senate finance and public administration committee James Paterson said he would raise the issue of whether Chinese state media should be able to access federal parliament.

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Television

Studio 10 host Joe Hildebrand quits program after seven years

Studio 10 host Joe Hildebrand broke down in tears as he confirmed he was leaving the Channel 10 morning show program after seven years at the helm, report News Corp’s Karlie Rutherford and Jonathon Moran.

Hildebrand announced the news live on air on Thursday morning after weeks of negotiation with the network.

“I am leaving Studio 10,” Hildebrand, who been on the show since it started in 2013, said on air. “I have given it a huge amount of thought. It has been really hard.”

Hildebrand’s exit is the latest in a long line of departures from the embattled breakfast show. Last month Channel 10 announced that due to cost-cutting, Kerri-Anne Kennerley and Natarsha Belling were set to leave the program.

The panel show also declared it would return to a more traditional morning television format by bringing on Dancing with The Stars judge Tristan MacManus to co-host the show alongside Sarah Harris.

Hildebrand wouldn‘t discuss any of the changes with The Daily Telegraph but said he wishes the show well.

“The truth is that Channel 10 offered me a job two days a week and wanted to keep me on as part of the show but not as one of the two hosts,” Hildebrand told The Daily Telegraph.

“I was very grateful that they wanted me to stay on but I felt it was best for me and best for the show if I made a clean break. It would hardly be fair to Tristan to have me hanging around.”

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Sport

Cricket Australia on front foot over Big Bash after blast from broadcasters

A senior Cricket Australia executive has issued a defence of the Big Bash League after a fortnight of scathing criticism from broadcasters, saying the availability of Australian internationals had never been “the be-all and end-all” of the competition and reaffirming the governing body’s commitment to a full home-and-away season, reports SMH‘s Chris Barrett.

The Twenty20 competition was in the sights of Seven West Media as its chief executive James Warburton unloaded on CA over concerns about its deteriorating quality last month, threatening to tear up the network’s $450 million cricket contract. Nine chief Hugh Marks also last week questioned CA’s strategy in extending the duration of the BBL in recent years, saying “there was just too much cricket”, while even Australia’s limited-overs captain, Aaron Finch, has conceded the jump from 10 to 14 matches in a regular season was “probably a little bit too drastic”.

As CA prepares to unveil the revised dates and venues for this summer’s showpiece – Australia’s four-Test series against India – it has jumped onto the front foot about its most scrutinised product.

The game’s governing body is on Friday announcing a new deal with long-time BBL naming-rights backer KFC which also extends into supporting the WBBL and the Australian’s women’s team. Anthony Everard, CA’s executive general manager of fan engagement, said “it was a great vote of confidence in the strength of the competition”.

Seven’s major gripe was a further draining of Australian players from the Big Bash this season due to a congested international schedule and the need for bigger national squads in biosecurity bubbles.

While the network had been alarmed that the league might be stripped of one-day internationals like Finch and Glenn Maxwell for longer periods, not only the Test players, Everard argued the tournament’s capacity for uncovering stars of the future such as Jofra Archer, Josh Philippe and Riley Meredith had more to do with its steep rise over much of the past decade than the national players on display.

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