Amazon Prime Video this month released the six-episode Back to the Rafters. To recreate the magic of the original series, Amazon Prime Video assembled most of the original Packed to the Rafters cast and the show’s creator, Bevan Lee.

In an interview with Mediaweek, the Australian drama Hall of Famer Lee said he still enjoys the creative process. “But I’m 71 this year, I keep trying to retire. I want to get some rest before I turn up my toes,” he laughed.

“I had a good time working on the return of the Rafter family.

“When I was first approached to do Back to the Rafters I didn’t see a way I could do it. But when I found a way forward I loved it.

Lee plotted the whole of the Back to the Rafters six episodes and wrote episodes one, two and six. “Margaret Wilson, Trent Atkinson and Catherine Thomson wrote the others,” he said.

Lee’s initial reluctance to bring back the Rafters family was because he had stripped the characters from his mind in the six years since the original ended. “If I didn’t do that I’d be more insane than I actually am.”

Although the new series was made by Seven, it was commissioned for Amazon Prime Video.

“There was no brief from Amazon, I was just asked if I could see a way to bring them back,” Lee told Mediaweek. “I found a story that I wanted tell, one that was very personal to me because it was about the reason behind the breakup of the great relationship of my life.

“That is, what happens when two people truly love each other, but get to a point where to fulfil themselves they realise they possibly can’t do it within the relationship. Two people breaking up while still being in love happens a lot.

“I found it interesting because in the six-year gap between the two series, women’s place in the world had changed quite a lot. The Julie Rafter who was in the show at the end of Packed to the Rafters was a strong woman in a different world. Although Julie was a strong woman, she previously might have thought if that’s the way Dave wants it to be then she would suppress herself and go with Dave.

“Women six years later are more likely to say, ‘It’s my time.’

“Amazon was excited by that with a new place for the woman in the family. As commissioners, Amazon raised a few questions along the way, as they have a right to. Sometimes they saw my point, sometimes they argued another point.

“They encouraged us to always think we were also making the series for the international market.”

Lee added: “It was a very pleasant experience to revisit a world I thought I was done with and find that my creativity was such that six years down the track I still had a hell of a lot to say about those people.

“People who watch and accept that these people have moved on are in for six hours of really charming and uplifting viewing. It also proves maybe there is life left in the old dog yet!” [Laughs]

What about more All Saints or Always Greener?

Lee told Mediaweek that Rafters was the only one of his shows he had been asked about remaking, so far.

“If I thought Amazon just wanted to revisit the show without bringing it into the future I don’t think I could have found a way to do it. I had to find something that was worth saying about now. If we just tried to recreate what we had, the whole exercise would have been pointless.”

Bevan Lee’s biggest hits

Lee feels most connected to the shows he created from scratch. “For A Place to Call Home I had a vision of a woman on a ship taking a journey. As simple as that. I started asking questions about the woman and it grew into a six-season series shown in hundreds of countries with a huge fan base.”

Always Greener is another one of Lee’s successful creations, and viewers who recall the country life in that will see parallels in the first episode of Back to the Rafters.

“We got nominated for an International Emmy with Always Greener and I thought it was a show that died before its time. Somehow that show has lived on in my creative DNA.

“It was perhaps my whackiest show, it was in a lot of ways my most eccentric show.”

From Sons and Daughters to a Back to the Rafters

During a number of years with Nine as a script executive, Lee oversaw shows created by other people. One of his first major hands-on roles was with Sons and Daughters, “Even though I didn’t create it. Reg Watson wrote the pilot of that and then they gave me the job quite early in my career as a script producer, under the guidance of my mentor Don Battye.

“I remember going to Reg, ‘Where do you see the story going.’ He replied to me, ‘I don’t know, that is your job.’

“A big series for me was when I came in and recreated Home and Away after the opening telemovie wasn’t working.

“I then shared creativity with the lovely lady Susan Bower as we created All Saints.

“Always Greener was really my first big ‘created by’ credit.

“Then followed Headland, Winners and Losers, Packed to the Rafters and then A Place to Call Home. I look at them as ‘my’ shows, but they aren’t of course because you are working with wonderful people supporting you.”

Six-hour mini-series – distilling it down to the pure essence

At its peak, the Bevan Lee drama factory was delivering 44 episodes of All Saints in a year and then Packed to the Rafters was doing around 24. Returning to the Rafters was something quite different.

“It’s a wonderful thing doing a six-hour mini-series. I liken it to drinking a liqueur instead of drinking cask wine. Your storytelling has to be very distilled and you have to have a very specific story to tell.

“Across the six hours it is still Rafters, but it is completely different in the rhythms of the writing to what the show was. When you write just six hours you distil it down to its pure essence. This has a very clear story it is telling – within a family what do you do when mum and dad still loving each other, question if their future lies together. That is very personal to me because I lived it.”

Where does Back to the Rafters rank in Lee’s body of work?

“There are things I love about all the things I do, even the ones that fail. The two closest to my heart would be A Place to Call Home and Packed to the Rafters and the new incarnation.

“When you have success after creating a world that is so embraced – like Rafters or A Place to Call Home – they are important to you because you know you have done something greater than what you set out to do.

“At some level, I have been able to do something more than just entertaining people.”

See also: Foxtel’s Brian Walsh and creator Bevan Lee on final A Place To Call Home series

With Ash London leaving her Ash London Live show ahead of the birth of her first child, Tom Bainbridge and Oliver Morris are stepping up to the plate. Coming in from late nights, Tom & Olly will now be heard from 7-10pm nationally across the Hit Network for the rest of 2021.

Mediaweek spoke to Bainbridge and Morris about what 2021 has been like so far, and what their plans are for the new slot.

With Ash London leaving big shoes to fill, Bainbridge and Morris are excited to bring their own style to the slot.

Bainbridge: “We’re really looking forward to getting in there and smashing it. The first question that everyone asks us is ‘are you going to change? Are you going to become a music show?’. I just think that every radio show is a music show in one way or another. If you’re on a commercial Hit station, you’re a music show because you play music. So the music is always going to be forefront for us, but we do so much more than that. I’m really looking forward to bringing some real fun listener-focused stuff to the airwaves. “

Morris: “The way we see it there’s no point in trying to be Ash London, or do what she does, because she does that the best.

“We’ve always been doing a show that we think deserves to be in the slot earlier, that’s how we see it. We’re just going to take what we do to the slot and trust that there’s value in what we do, and that it will deliver what it needs to deliver.”

For Bainbridge and Morris, going into the 7-10 pm slot comes off the back of a very positive year behind the mic.

Morris: I think Tom and I have done our best work yet this year, our relationship is better than it’s ever been and that’s obviously so important with radio. Through Covid we’ve been forced to be more transparent about ourselves, where we’re at, our emotions, and things that are working for us and things that aren’t. So I think it’s some of the best radio we’ve done. We’re gelling and working together better than we ever have. I’d like to believe that as a result, we’re now doing the best slot we’ve ever had.”

Bainbridge: “These lockdowns really force you to check in with other people and check-in with yourself, and so we’ve been really in tune with how we’re feeling. That’s allowed us to really make sure that we’re bringing really positive vibes to everyone because nobody needs any negativity right now. They don’t need serious, they just need fun bloody times. And that’s what we’ve been able to do, which is good.”

Broadcasting Nationally

With Australians living under numerous different levels of Covid restrictions, broadcasting to the entire country means taking every lockdown into consideration. 

Bainbridge: “When Melbourne was in a strict lockdown we didn’t really ever reveal that we were in Melbourne and going through lockdown. We didn’t really reveal that stuff. This year, we’ve connected a bit more into ‘whatever you’re doing, in whatever way you’re dealing with the pandemic, we’re here to get you through and we’re here to bring you a few laughs for the next three hours’. That’s usually how we put it.”

Morris: “It is a headache. There are so many experiences with lockdown, or with getting out of lockdown, and it’s such a pivotal moment and experience for everyone who’s going through those moments. To not be able to just go, ‘we’re free today!’ and really celebrate it, having to smooth over the whole journey into, ‘well it’s tough, but we’re getting through’, it does blunt it a little bit. 

“At the end of the day, all everyone needs is a good time, and radio is a distraction, it’s a bit of fun whilst you’re driving or working. You can get caught overcomplicating ‘how do we get the messaging right for everyone?’, but I think everyone just wants to be distracted with a good laugh and a good time and some good music – and we can give it to them.”

Mardi Gras 2021

Earlier this year, the pair took to Mardi Gras, marching alongside Carrie & Tommy, who were joined by Troye Sivan.

Bainbridge: “That was amazing. It was my first Mardi Gras as a gay man, and that was pretty special to be able to go there and walk with the company. SC-Gay we were for that weekend! 

Morris: “I know you Tom were excited about Troye Sivan, but I actually got to meet Anthony Albanese and Tanya Plibersek. I got to get a photo with them. I didn’t get a photo with Troy, I didn’t bother! [laughs]

Bainbridge: “But you couldn’t dance, which sucked. Covid affected Mardi Gras, so I’d like to go back and experience what it’s like without Covid for sure.”

Morris: “That feels like a lifetime ago, it was a real aberration in the last two years that we got to do that – just going to the airport was fun, just going to a hotel was so good. I’ve heard a lot of people in radio talking about how it would just be great to go out and have a drink with colleagues, because without that it’s just work. It’s such an important part of the fabric of enjoying your job, having those downtimes and those weird moments. That was one of them, a rare one.”

Top Image: Tom Bainbridge and Oliver Morris

For the first time, advertisers have been able to get a snapshot of total video consumption – just what sort of video people are watching at home.

OzTAM has estimated the share of video viewing in Australian homes for the month of June 2021 (May 30 – June 26, 2021). The numbers show that advertisers who choose to go big with FTA TV are making the right choice.

The data represents OzTAM’s best estimate of total video usage in-home on any device, blending data collected from the standard TAM panel along with a national streaming meter panel. It is the first cross-platform view of audience behaviour ever available in Australia.

“We can now say with confidence this is what video advertising looks like in homes and this is what ad-supported video looks like in homes,” ThinkTV CEO Kim Portrate told Mediaweek.

“We can split out the SVOD figures and work out how many are consuming SVOD. We quite often get anecdotal information, but we don’t always get hard measurement. About 15% of video consumed at home is through SVOD services – that includes platforms like Stan, Disney, Netflix and Amazon.

“Linear TV is about 75% and social video is about 10%.

“What we are now able to see is the split of YouTube and Facebook versus TV. We now have really useful data for people buying video who are figuring out where to invest.”

Portrate noted for advertisers it indicates Facebook, with estimated time spent viewing of just 1.3%, is less of a competitor in video than perhaps some might have thought. “That is aside from the issues of viewability and clutter. The Facebook video audience consumption is actually very small.

“YouTube is a bit more at 8.6% which is not surprising given the growth of connected TVs.

“The good news for us is that TV in home is still massive irrespective of device. TV remains the place to get fast, high-velocity reach – perfect for an advertiser who wants scale and wants it quickly.”

A key message for brands is what this means for the video market.

“If you are an advertiser don’t get confused about the articles you read about streaming platform’s activity,” said Portrate. “Even if you find out the actual number watching it is irrelevant because it’s a small percentage of the overall and it doesn’t carry any advertising.

“Australia’s video universe is vast with a range of viewing options. But for marketers, the choice is actually quite simple. The reason for this is the difference between the total video universe and available audience.”

The list of streaming video options available to audiences in Australia continues to grow – 10 Play to 9Now, 7plus, Kayo, Foxtel Go, Foxtel Now, Paramount+, Netflix, Stan, Amazon Prime, Binge, iview, Vimeo, YouTube, Tubi, Disney+, Apple TV+, SBS On Demand, Stan Sport and Tik Tok etc.

Portrate’s message to brands: “Advertisers should instead focus only on ad-supported video platforms – a much shorter list.

“Advertisers should note that the 15% of the audience watching SVOD in homes is not accessible to brands. Can I buy an ad in what is being watched is an important question. I mentioned clutter before. On TV when an ad is on it is full screen and doesn’t have any tickers or banners and there’s no chance of scrolling where you might miss some of it.”

One of the Covid-assisted trends has been the increasing growth of BVOD. “A lot of that growth has come from internet-connected TVs,” said Portrate.

“There has been a big increase in live streaming, according to data collected before Tokyo 2020. The growth in the BVOD viewing has come largely from females aged 25-54,” she added.

“The big attractions for that demo have been drama and reality TV. Kid’s TV crops up too because kids are watching on the mother’s device.”

About the OzTAM data:

• The data is not weighted at a metro or national level, but is a representation of the complete in-home video consumption landscape.
• The TV portion of the viewing includes co-viewers where they are registered in the OzTAM people meter system.
• Other devices are assumed to have only one viewer for any viewing session.
• This data represents in-home usage only and does not include extra viewing to BVOD, SVOD and social services from out-of-home venues.
• The data does not include any viewing to gaming, pornography or other non-broadcast video usage.

Download the new ThinkTV Fact Pack here.

See also: VOZ data reveals Total TV audience of 20m weekly

From October, Fetch subscribers will have access to a first wave of apps available in Metrological’s App Library, including Acorn TV, iwonder, Vevo, Vimeo, Plex, Kidoodle, The Weather Network, and a rebuilt hayu app.

Additional premium, niche, and localised apps will be added in the coming months.

Metrological offers a global cloud-based Application Platform that allows Fetch TV to integrate apps into the Fetch service.

Metrological has partnered with leading global companies including Comcast, Sky, Liberty Global, Vodafone, and others. Fetch TV has secured rights for Australia and New Zealand.

The Metrological App Store will complement Fetch TV’s native app integration capabilities, and allow Fetch to service the long tail of content available via OTT apps.

Fetch native app integrations to date include Netflix, Stan, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount Plus, Britbox, Optus Sport, YouTube, YouTube Kids, and the six free-to-air BVOD Apps – 7Plus, 9Now, 10Play, ABC iview, ABC Kids, and SBS on Demand.

Fetch also offers over 50 channels from a range of broadcasters, and a TV and movie store with around 10,000 titles.

Scott Lorson, CEO of Fetch TV, said “The launch of the Metrological App Store will open up a new world of content to Fetch subscribers and provide an easy way to access the things they love to watch, all in one place. This latest innovation is another demonstration of the commitment Fetch has to providing a world class aggregation platform, offering value not previously seen in the Australian market.”

Jeroen Ghijsen, CEO of Metrological, said: “We are proud to continue our work with Fetch to provide subscribers with a seamless and unified viewing experience, and even more of the world-class content they crave. Now more than ever, consumers want access to long tail OTT apps, as well as niche and localized content behind one remote, and with the most compelling user experiences in real-time.”

Content providers can leverage the open Lightning Software Development Kit (SDK) for quick app development, with a single app build facilitating distribution to a global footprint of operators. Carrier billing functionality is available in selected apps, enabling users to sign up and pay via their Fetch account.

Adding to the user experience on Fetch is the availability of Universal Voice Search, making it easier for users to find content from across the whole of Fetch, including all the channels, apps and YouTube, with one spoken request.

Universal Search for the latest Metrological apps will be added in the next Fetch production release scheduled for later this year. The new apps will be available on Fetch Mini, Mini 4K and Mighty boxes.

The new Fetch TV apps include:

Acorn TV
Acorn TV curates a world-class library of captivating crime thrillers, addictive dramas, and intriguing mysteries. Stream award-winning shows, exclusive Originals, unmissable dramas, and heart-warming comedies from Britain and beyond.
Key shows include My Life is Murder, Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries, Whitstable Pearl, Midsomer Murders and Agatha Christie’s Poirot and Marple.
The subscription cost is $6.99 per month with a 7-day free trial.

iwonder
iwonder is a documentary and current affairs streaming service, curating the world’s best feature film documentaries and factual content all on one platform. With a vast library of more than 1,000 critically acclaimed, award-winning and festival favourite movies, series and shorts, iwonder marries trending news stories with fascinating and captivating real-life stories about the people and events shaping world affairs, politics, music, culture, religion, sports, art, nature, history, science, technology and much more.
Priced at $6.99 monthly or $69.90 annually and including a 14-day free trial – top documentaries available to stream right now on iwonder include: Tales of the Grim Sleeper – An investigation into the 25-year killing spree of serial killer Lonnie Franklin Jr. and his arrest;  The Pickup Game – An inside look at the multi-million dollar ‘pickup’ industry; and Eating Animals – A film exploring the notion of stepping away from the industrial meat farming practices of the past 40 years.

Vevo
Vevo is the world’s leading music video network. Vevo offers music fans across the world a vast array of premium content to choose from, showcasing official premium music videos alongside a constantly developing line-up of live performances and innovative original programming. From your favourite artists and the biggest names in music, to discovering the next big thing, Vevo brings high-quality music video content direct to your screen.

hayu
From NBCUniversal, hayu is the first and only all-reality subscription video-on-demand service of its kind – available in 27 markets globally including Australia.
hayu subscribers can watch on a full array of devices (mobile, tablet, laptop, connected TVs and selected consoles) at www.hayu.com
Shows and episodes are downloadable to watch-on-the-go, including Keeping Up With the Kardashians and its spin-offs – along with The Real Housewives, Below Deck and Million Dollar Listing franchises. The majority of US shows debut on the service the same day as their US launch.
The subscription cost is $6.99 per month with a 7-day free trial.
hayu has been available on Fetch since July 2017. The app has been rebuilt in the Metrological App Store with carrier billing added. Existing subscribers on Mini, Mink 4K and Mighty boxes will need to log into the new app using their current details. The previous version of the app will continue to run on the older Gen 2 Fetch boxes.

About Metrological
Metrological, a Comcast company, enables operators to integrate their TV and OTT content into a single viewer experience. The cloud-based Application Platform delivers a complete product suite for monetisation, onboarding and managing the lifecycle of apps and premium OTT services on any device. Content providers are able to reach over 40 million households across operator networks by adding a single app to the Metrological App Library. Metrological works with cable and telecommunications companies such as Comcast, Liberty Global, Vodafone, NOS, Fetch and Multichoice. Founded in 2005, Metrological is based in The Netherlands with offices in the US and Europe. For more information, please visit www.metrological.com.

See also: Amazon Prime Video app launching on Fetch TV

Are Media has announced the appointment of editors for its Woman’s Day, TV Week and Take 5 weekly magazines.

Kietley Isrin, associate editor of New Idea, becomes editor of Woman’s Day. Since 2014, Kietley has held news and features roles on Woman’s Day, TV WEEK and New Idea.

TV Week associate editor Stephen Downie has been promoted to editor. Downie has worked across Are Media and Pacific Magazine brands for more than decade on NW, New Idea and TV Week.

Rachel Williams, currently deputy editor of That’s Life!, has been appointed Take 5 editor. Starting her magazine career as assistant editor of Take a Break in the UK, Rachel also worked as features editor for the Press Association and That’s Life!

Fiona Connolly, group publisher, weekly titles, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Kietley, Stephen and Rachel into their new roles. It’s a testament to the depth of talent within the business that all are internal promotions and I look forward to working with them, alongside our recently appointed editorial directors, to continue delivering compelling celebrity and real-life stories for our audiences.”

The appointments follow a new growth structure for Are Media’s weekly titles to provide greater opportunities for talent development and progression, an enhanced focus on brand differentiation and new commercial opportunities.

Three editorial divisions have been created with editorial directors appointed to lead each – celebrity (New Idea and Woman’s Day), entertainment (TV WEEK and Who) and real-life (That’s Life! and Take 5). 

Erin Holohan, editor of Woman’s Day, has been promoted to celebrity editorial director; TV Week editor Amber Giles will lead the entertainment group; and Kate Kirsten, editor of Take 5, becomes the editorial director of the real-life division.

Top Image: Keitley Isrin, Stephen Downie, Rachel Williams.

Yahoo Australia has signed a deal with Google, becoming the latest premium publisher to join the News Showcase product.

Under the new arrangement, journalism content from Yahoo will appear across multiple Google services.

According to senior director of content at Yahoo Australia, New Zealand & South East Asia Simon Wheeler, the deal signals a significant investment in Yahoo’s quality content. 

“This new deal will allow us to reinvest into producing more local, top quality journalism, and take our strategy to the next level.

“This is a historic day for not only Yahoo and Google, but for all lovers of high-quality local content. This new agreement ensures an investment in the future of Australian digital journalism.”

Shilpa Jhunjhunwala, Google’s head of news partnerships ANZ, said Google was pleased to welcome Yahoo to Google News Showcase. 

“Google has been a proud supporter of the Australian media industry for two decades and we are excited that Yahoo Australia will soon be part of News Showcase – our biggest commitment to date. 

“Yahoo Australia will join more than 100 titles from across Australia, many from regional areas, and almost 1,000 international outlets,” Jhunjhunwala said. 

Yahoo Australia has had a record year with traffic up across all sites on average by +18% in the last year and the number of days visited per user per month grew +20%YoY.  Yahoo was also recently shortlisted for Brand of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards for the second year in a row. 

Google News Showcase is a product and licensing program that pays publishers to curate content and build deeper relationships with readers. 

Seven West Media has announced the establishment of the David Leckie Seven Scholarship Program in memory of its former chief executive officer, the late David Leckie.

The annual program, which has been set up in conjunction with Skye Leckie and David and Skye’s sons Harry and Ben, offers a 12-month scholarship at Seven West Media for a junior graduate with a passion for sales, programming, or news.

Applications open in January 2022 and the successful applicant will start in March. Applications will be judged by Skye, Harry and Ben Leckie, and senior Seven West Media executives.

Skye, Harry, and Ben Leckie said: “David’s passion in life was television, from the time he joined GTV Melbourne as managing director, to his role as CEO at TCN and then as CEO of Seven Network.

“He was never happier than when he was working in TV. David had an innate ability to understand what Australians wanted to watch. He also loved working across sales and management. He always said he learnt a lot from his fellow executives at Seven and from all the staff, whom he held in very high regard.

“David was passionate about Seven and about media. We are thrilled that his legacy will live on at his beloved Seven and we would like to thank Kerry Stokes and James Warburton for recognising David and his talents in this way,” they said.

“Despite his ‘bluff’, we know Davo would be very, very chuffed to have this scholarship created in his honour and he would love the idea of giving a young person such a great start in the media industry.” 

Seven West Media managing director and chief executive officer, James Warburton, said: “We lost a very good friend and a very talented media executive with the passing of David in July this year.

“David was a great mentor and colleague to many of us at Seven and we miss him a lot. We wanted to find a way to honour his legacy and memory, and we believe the David Leckie Seven Scholarship Program does that.

“David made an enormous contribution to Seven and to the media industry in general, and this annual program is a fantastic opportunity for someone who wants to learn, grow and become a leader of our industry.”

Further details about the David Leckie Seven Scholarship Program will be announced soon.

Commercial radio ad revenue continued to grow in the month of August despite ongoing lockdown restrictions, with revenue up 16.8% compared to August 2020, according to data released by industry body Commercial Radio Australia (CRA).

Ad revenue for the five major Australian capital city markets totalled $49.653 million in August compared to $42.527 million one year ago.

“With continued Covid lockdowns it is encouraging to see ad revenue remain in positive territory year on year,” said CRA chief executive officer Joan Warner.

“Melbourne stations for example, re-entered their sixth lockdown in August since the pandemic began, and reported a solid 33% year on year increase in ad revenue to $16.421 million in that month.”

Sydney stations also reported a 4.5% year on year increase in ad revenue to $13.356 million in August, Brisbane was up 14.5% to $8.027 million, Perth rose 13.8% to $6.984 million and Adelaide increased 13.2% to $4.865 million.

The figures include agency and direct ad revenue and are compiled by media data analytics company Milton Data, which took over responsibility for industry revenue reporting from Deloitte from 1 July 2021.

inc. Digital Media CEO Loan Morris has announced that she will be leaving the agency to return to her native France with her family.

Morris has been with inc. for more than five years and was appointed CEO in April last year. She will leave the agency in November.

Replacing Morris as Managing Director is Claire O’Connor, the former APAC Vice President Retail and Licensing at ViacomCBS Networks International in Singapore, a role she has held for five years.

“I have made the difficult decision to move back to France with my family after 17 years living in Australia. I am leaving the business in a great position with strong foundations, an amazing culture and people and a bright future,” Morris said.

“I will remain with inc. until November to ensure a smooth and planned transition of the role. Claire comes to inc. with outstanding credentials working with media organisations and brings valuable skills to our team and clients and we will work closely until my departure.”

Mediaweek spoke to Morris earlier this year which you can read here: iNC Digital Media CEO on life as an indie after HT&E sale

Merchantwise Group CEO, Alan Schauder, said: “Loan has been a key part of inc’s success and growth over the past five years and oversaw the successful move of the agency from ARN to Impulse Screen Media and the Merchantwise Group in 2020. She has brought great passion, integrity, and leadership to the business. While we are disappointed to see her go, we fully support her decision to move home to France to spend more time with her family. At the same time, we welcome Claire O’Connor to our team and feel confident that she will be an outstanding leader for the business.”

O’Connor has 30 years’ experience in the media sector and has worked in marketing roles for BBC Worldwide and Paramount Pictures and was Director, Consumer Products ANZ for Nickelodeon. In her most recent role with ViacomCBS, O’Connor led the franchise, digital ad retail marketing strategy for consumer products and led media and licensing agencies in APAC.

Commenting on her new role, O’Connor said: “It’s an honour to be joining inc. Digital Media at this exciting and dynamic time for the Australian digital marketing industry. I’m thrilled to be working with such a talented and professional team at inc. as well as the broader Merchantwise Group.”

O’Connor joins inc on September 20.

—

Top Photo: Loan Morris and Claire O’Connor

Hot on the heels of its 2021 season, the Seven Network has announced the cast for the second season of Dancing With The Stars: All Stars returning to Channel Seven and 7plus in 2022. 

Hosted by Daryl Somers and Sonia Kruger, Dancing With The Stars: All Stars features DWTS royalty – including winners, finalists and all-time fan favourites – competing alongside four wildcard entrants for the mirror ball trophy. 

Returning Dancing With The Stars series winners including TV personality Grant Denyer (Season 4, 2006), actress Bridie Carter (Season 7, 2007) and former AFL players David Rodan (Season 14, 2014) and Anthony Koutoufides (Season 5, 2006) are firm favourites heading into the second season.  

Other returning All Stars looking to claim victory include singer-songwriter Ricki-Lee (Season 14, 2014), The Morning Show co-host Kylie Gillies (Season 9, 2009) and entertainer Courtney Act (Season 16, 2019). 

Also putting their best foot forward are actress Olympia Valance (Season 16, 2019), reality TV star Angie Kent (Season 17, 2020) and actor and entertainer Rob Mills (Season 9, 2009).

This season’s wildcard entrants are Sunrise weatherman Sam Mac, model and TV presenter Kris Smith, music artist Deni Hines and actor Cameron Daddo, who are set to shimmy and shake things up as the dancefloor’s dark horses.

Seven Network programming director, Angus Ross, said: “The first season of All Stars was the perfect mix of entertainment, celebrity and fierce competition, proving a stand-out hit with Australian audiences. 

“We have a fantastic cast ready to hit the dancefloor for season two. With a history of multiple perfect scores in the ranks, it’s going to be a brilliant series.”

Todd McKenney, Helen Richey, Paul Mercurio and Mark Wilson will make a return to the judging panel.

Dancing With The Stars: All Stars is produced by Warner Bros International Television Production Australia and BBC Studios, from a format created by the BBC and distributed by BBC Studios.

Dancing With The Stars: All Stars, returns in 2022 on Channel Seven and 7plus

The nation’s sexiest singles return when Love Island Australia premieres Monday, October 4, at 9.00pm after The Block on Channel Nine and 9Now.

Sophie Monk returns to host and play Cupid alongside new addition, comedian Stephen Mullan, the narrator, in the world-renowned reality TV show.

Sophie Monk said: “I can’t wait for everyone to meet the new cast on Love Island – they are sassy, fun, and looking for love, and what better place to find it than the luxurious Love Island villa.”

The Islanders are all hoping to find romance, passion and “the one” where they couple up, stay together, and win over the hearts of the public, all while surviving the temptations of beautiful bombshells entering the villa. 

At the end of the series, the winning couple as voted by the public are handed a pot of money to start their new lives together, but there’s a very big catch: one partner gets the whole say in either sharing the money 50/50 – or walking away with the lot, like a love rat. Were they after love or the money all along? 

Can’t get enough of Love Island Australia? Each Thursday night join Abbie Chatfield and a bunch of celebrity superfans as they dissect all the highs and lows from the show on Afterparty. 

Featuring the latest gossip, behind-the-scenes stories, and exclusive former and recently dumped Islander interviews, Afterparty is your surefire way to debrief and stay up to date with all that’s happening and about to happen in the Love Island villa. 

Love Island Australia took a hiatus in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The year before however, in the 2019 season of Love Island Australia,  the show received about 10,000 applications which involved looking at photos, getting video from people, and doing a national casting tour.

Love Island Australia is produced by ITV Studios Australia for Channel 9 with assistance from Screen NSW’s Made In NSW Fund.

Singles

Notching up its tenth week at the top of the ARIA singles chart, The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s Stay takes outright second on the list of most weeks at #1 by an Australian artist on the ARIA singles chart. It now sits only behind current record-holder, Tones And I’s Dance Monkey which hit #1 in August 2019 and spent 24 weeks on top.

Ahead of the release of his fifth album, =, Ed Sheeran claims a third top ten single from it in as many months with Shivers at #5. The follow-up to Bad Habits and the promo single Visiting Hours becomes Sheeran’s 23rd top ten single on the ARIA Charts. = is to be released on October 29th.

American duo The Anxiety make their ARIA top 50 debut with Meet Me At Our Spot at #27. The track comes from the self-titled debut album by the pair – Willow Smith and Tyler Cole – which was released in March 2020. It’s recently become a popular song on TikTok, where it’s known as the ‘caught a vibe’ song.

Singer-songwriter Tai Verdes hits the ARIA top 50 for the first time with A-O-K at #28. The track comes from Verdes’ forthcoming debut album, TV, which was released in May of this year. Verdes first came to prominence when Stuck In The Middle went viral on TikTok in early-2020.

Winner of the 2021 season of The Voice, Bella Taylor Smith, makes her ARIA top 50 debut with Higher at #31. The Sydneysider’s release becomes the first chart entry by a winner’s single from the Australian version of The Voice since Judah Kelly’s Count On Me at #19 in July 2017.

Albums

Drake holds the ARIA #1 album for a second week with his fourth chart-topper Certified Lover Boy. Of the Canadian rapper’s previous #1s, Scorpion spent the most time at the top, racking up three weeks.

The highest ranking Australian album this week comes from Amyl and the Sniffers who score their first ARIA top ten album as Comfort To Me debuts at #2. The second album from the Melbourne rock band comes just over two years on from their self-titled debut, which won Best Rock Album at the 2019 ARIA Awards. 

Kacey Musgraves takes out her first ARIA albums chart top ten entry as she debuts at #9 with Star-Crossed. The fifth album from the American country-pop artist is the follow-up to 2018’s Golden Hour which won four Grammy Awards in 2018 including Album Of The Year and Best Country Album.

Releasing What The Future Holds Pt. 2, their second album in under a year, British pop group Steps score the second-highest chart peak of their career at #11. The follow-up to What The Future Holds features an appearance by singer and TV personality Michelle Visage (RuPaul’s Drag Race), as well as a track co-written by Savage Garden’s Darren Hayes. The group’s highest chart peak was with their debut Step One at #5 in September 1998.

Sydney rockers Pist Idiots make their first ARIA top 50 appearance as they chart at #12 with debut album, Idiocracy. Prior to the album, the four-piece from Bankstown released three EPs: Pist Idiots (2017), Princes (2018) and Ticker (2019). 

The Black Sorrows hit the chart with Saint Georges Road at #14. The 19th album from the veteran Australian blues rock band continues their rejuvenation on the chart after Citizen John hit #11 in April 2019, which was their first top 50 entry in 25 years. It’s the 50th career release for Black Sorrows leader and ARIA Hall Of Fame member Joe Camilleri.

2021 ARIA Chart Toppers

Singles
January 4 24Goldn Mood
January 11 24Goldn Mood
January 18 Olivia Rodrigo Drivers Licence
January 25 Olivia Rodrigo Drivers Licence
February 1 Olivia Rodrigo Drivers Licence
February 8 Olivia Rodrigo Drivers Licence
February 15 Olivia Rodrigo Drivers Licence
February 22 Olivia Rodrigo Drivers Licence
March 1 Glass Animals Heat Waves
March 8 Glass Animals Heat Waves
March 15 Glass Animals Heat Waves
March 22 Glass Animals Heat Waves
March 29 Glass Animals Heat Waves
April 5 Glass Animals Heat Waves
April 12 Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar & Giveon Peaches
April 19 Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar & Giveon Peaches
April 26 Lil Nas X Montero (Call Me By Your Name)
May 3 Lil Nas X Montero (Call Me By Your Name)
May 10 The Kid Laroi Without You
May 17 Russ Millions and Tion Wayne Body
May 24 Russ Millions and Tion Wayne Body
May 31 Olivia Rodrigo Good 4 U
June 7 Olivia Rodrigo Good 4 U
June 14 Olivia Rodrigo Good 4 U
June 21 Olivia Rodrigo Good 4 U
June 28 Olivia Rodrigo Good 4 U
July 5 Ed Sheeran Bad Habits
July 12 Ed Sheeran Bad Habits
July 19 The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber Stay
July 26 The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber Stay
August 2 The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber Stay
August 9 The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber Stay
August 16 The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber Stay
August 23 The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber Stay
August 30 The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber Stay
September 6 The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber Stay
September 13 The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber Stay
September 20 The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber Stay

Albums
January 4 Taylor Swift Evermore
January 11 Taylor Swift Evermore
January 18 Barry Gibb Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers’ Songbook
January 25 Illy The Space Between
February 1 Bluey Bluey The Album
February 8 The Kid Laroi Fuck Love (Savage)
February 15 Foo Fighters Medicine at Midnight
February 22 The Rubens 0202
March 1 Tash Sultana Terra Firma
March 8 Architects For Those That Wish To Exist
March 15 Kings Of Leon When You See Yourself
March 22 Dua Lipa Future Nostalgia
March 29 Justin Bieber Justice
April 5 Skegss Rehearsal
April 12 Justin Bieber Justice
April 19 Taylor Swift Fearless (Taylor’s Version) 
April 26 London Grammar Californian Soil
May 3 Justin Bieber Justice
May 10 Amy Shark Cry Forever
May 17 Amy Shark Cry Forever
May 24 Delta Goodrem Bridge Over Troubled Dreams
May 31 Olivia Rodrigo SOUR
June 7 Olivia Rodrigo SOUR
June 14 Olivia Rodrigo SOUR
June 21 Olivia Rodrigo SOUR
June 28 Olivia Rodrigo SOUR
July 5 Olivia Rodrigo SOUR
July 12 Jimmy Barnes Flesh And Blood
July 19 Olivia Rodrigo SOUR
July 26 Tones and I Welcome to the Madhouse
August 2 The Jungle Giants Love Signs
August 9 Billie Eilish Happier Than Ever
August 16 Billie Eilish Happier Than Ever
August 23 Luke Hemmings When Facing The Things We Turn Away From
August 30 Lorde Solar Power
September 6 Kanye West Donda
September 13 Drake Certified Lover Boy
September 20 Drake Certified Lover Boy

Loading...

Taking too long?

Reload document

| Open in new tab

Seven’s combo of Tokyo 2020 and the climax of the AFL season that has kept it ranked #1 in primary and network share TV ratings for the past eight weeks has come to an end.

Seven narrowly won the primary share rankings this week, but it lost the bragging rights to a #1 network ranking.

Seven overnights Week 38

21.4% primary share, 29.1% network share

Seven News was tipped out of top spot after leading the weekly rankings for five consecutive weeks. The biggest program for the week was The Voice Grand Final with split audiences of 1.383/1.292m.

Seven News Sunday and Seven News 6pm M-F both averaged just over 1.1m.

Away from the News, Seven’s next best was three episodes from a new season of SAS Australia. All episodes were over 600,000 with 654,000 on Wednesday.

Home and Away averaged 615,000 for the week.

Total TV Week 36

Seven continued to perform well in the VOZ Total TV ratings. It had five of the most-watched programs of the week with The Voice Sunday and Seven News Sunday both pushing above 2m.

Seven also had the two biggest commercial TV BVOD audiences of the week with close to 240,000 watching the Sunday and Monday episodes of The Voice.

Nine overnights Week 38

20.7% primary share, 29.3% network share

Nine News Sunday was the most-watched Sunday news bulletin with 1.225m as it followed an NRL Final.

The best non-news numbers belonged to The Block Sunday with 952,000. The other three episodes screened were all over 800,000.

A Current Affair averaged 746,000 after 770,000 the week prior.

The Sunday afternoon NRL Elimination Final did 523,000 while the Semi-Finals later in the week had audiences of 690,000 and 608,000.

Total TV Week 36

Nine’s best was the Wednesday episode of The Block which reported a Total TV ratings audience of 1,692,000 which includes a BVOD audience of 215,000. All episodes of The Block this week were better than 1.4m.

10 Overnights Week 38

11.8% primary share, 18.3% network share

The channel’s best TV ratings were the end of one reality franchise and the start of another.

The biggest audience came for Australian Survivor Grand Finale with 935,000/785,000 watching the conclusion of the series.

The following night The Masked Singer Australia kicked off with 760,000/642,000.

Also over 600,000 for the channel were a second Masked Singer episode (676,000/592,000), Have You Been Paying Attention? (641,000) and Gogglebox (610,000).

Total TV Week 36

The channel’s sole entry in the Total TV top 20 was the Tuesday episode of Survivor on 1,199,000 which includes 139,000 on BVOD. The two other episodes of Survivor were also over 1.1m.

Have You Been Paying Attention? pushed over 1m too and the grand finale episode of The Bachelor Australia lifted to 959,000 with 120,000 watching by BVOD.

ABC Overnights Week 38

11.2% primary share, 15.4% network share

ABC News weekdays had a stronger week, up from 689,000 to 718,000.

Four Corners and Australian Story were both just over 600,000 while 7.30 and Hard Quiz were oh-so-close each on 597,000.

Total TV Week 36

Bluey had a massive increase for an episode with a staggering crowd of 1,169,000 watching on BVOD which lifted the Total TV audience to 1,712,000.

Other shows over 1m for the week included ABC News on Sunday and weekdays, Australian Story and Four Corners.

SBS Overnights Week 38

4.6% primary share, 7.9% network share

The launch episode of ITV Studios’ Inside Central Station on Sunday drew the best TV ratings crowd with 243,000.

Also over 200,000 were repeat episodes of Who Do You Think You Are? and Tony Robinson’s World By Rail.

Total TV Week 36

What Does Australia Really Think About again topped the rankings with 414,000 including 30,000 watching on BVOD.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine again had a giant BVOD audience with 135,000, or 39% of its audience.

See also: TV ratings Week 37 2021: AFL drives Seven higher, but Nine close behind

Total TV Ratings for September 5, 2021

The Voice finished the year with a bang in the total TV ratings. The show’s finale had an average of 2.148 tune in while 2.287m then watched the winners announcement. Both segments were up 13%.

See more: Bella Taylor Smith wins The Voice Australia 2021

The Block was up a strong 24% which saw its total viewers come to 1.619m. The episode featured the room reveals for the master ensuites.

The Survivor finale was up 20% with 1.170m. The final episode of the year saw Hailey crowned the Sole Survivor.

See more: Hayley wins Australian Survivor 2021 and $500,000

The Newsreader continues its excellent performance in the total tv ratings, up 60% with 967,000.

The NRL finals match between the Newcastle Knights and Parramatta Eels ended up with 893,000, up 6%.

September 12 Overnight TV Ratings

Primetime News
Nine News 1,110,000
Seven News 1,028,000
ABC News 677,000
10 News First 347,000 (5:00pm)/ 270,000 (6:00pm)
SBS World News 197,000 (6:30pm) 162,000 (7:00pm)

Daily current affairs
Insiders 462,000
The Project 323,000 (6:30 pm)/437,000 (7pm)

Breakfast TV
Sunrise 248,000
Today 248,000
News Breakfast 291,000

Seven

At 7:00pm, Seven aired the Brownlow Medal in the AFL markets, while Sydney and Brisbane received a 7 News special on William Tyrrell which had 401,000 viewers. Due to the time delay, Perth was able to watch the Brownlow Medal live at 5pm and then the William Tyrrell special at 7:00pm.

The AFL’s night of nights had 899,000 across its primary channel and 7mate as Ollie Wines won the namesake of the night and capped if off with the memorable quote “stick ya champagne up your ass”.

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back then had 361,000.

Seven was the comfortable winner last night with a primary share of 29.2% and a network share of 36.4%. 

Nine

At the halfway mark of The Block 2021 All Stars Ronnie & Georgia are still setting a cracking pace. On the week that the guest bedrooms and re-do rooms were revealed there was just one team lagging a long way behind – Josh and Luke. After the twins copped a lashing from the judges, they picked out judge Neale Whitaker and suggested they could walk into his bedroom and find it not to their liking.
Ronnie and Georgia won the week with 29 out of a possible 30. Three of the other four teams were close behind though:
Ronnie & Georgia 29.0
Kirsty & Jesse 28.5
Mitch & Mark 28.0
Tanya & Vito 27.0
Josh & Luke 20.0

The episode was the top non-news show for the evening with 961,000.

This was followed by 60 Minutes with 643,000 viewers. The episode featured Tom Steinfort reporting on the accusations of abuse at the Australian Hillsong Church. And Liam Bartlett reported on the political powers at play in Australia’s new defence deal with the US and UK.

10

The Sunday Project had 323,000 (6:30pm) and 437,000 (7:00pm) as the show covered Victoria’s roadmap to recovery from Covid-19, and NSW relaxing its restriction on LGA’s.

The Masked Singer had 494,000 for its performances and then 584,000 as it was revealed that it was Ben Lee under the professor costume.

Despite his rendition of Seal’s smash hit Kiss From A Rose, the Professor was no match for Pavlova’s  take on Cover Me In Sunshine by P!nk & Willow Sage Hart. 

Dannii Minogue thought Professor was Australian comedian Jimmy Rees, Dave Hughes locked in Australian actor Simon Baker, Jackie O was convinced it was American musician Zac Hanson, and Urzila Carlson guessed The Killers lead vocalist, Brandon Flowers.

ABC

An audience of 363,000 tuned in as David Attenborough explored the Armadillo. This was followed by The Newsreader’s finale with 429,000 tuning in as the show covered the nuclear meltdown in Chernobyl.

SBS

Inside Central Station had 185,000 viewers tune in for its second episode.