Monday October 1, 2018
Val Morgan announces global first partnership with online media giant FANDOM
In a statement, Val Morgan said the partnership reveals another piece of its overall strategy, with the group now offering digital publishing alongside its existing assets in cinema, out-of-home and custom publishing.
A fan-powered, fan-trusted source of entertainment, FANDOM is home to millions of users providing a platform where they can explore, contribute to and celebrate the world of pop culture across movies, gaming and entertainment.
With more than 2.5 million users throughout Australia and New Zealand (Nielsen, 2018), Val Morgan will exclusively represent FANDOM in these markets, amplifying its online content onto the big screen and reciprocally offering cinema advertisers with the chance to reach an engaged, online audience. FANDOM uses authentic, compelling content to drive advertising strategy, which appeals to both its influential users as well as advertisers.
Val Morgan said brands like FANDOM have a specific audience that appeals to advertisers. Their market-leading advertising and branded content strategy aligns closely with that of Val Morgan.
Dan Hill, CEO, Val Morgan Group, (pictured) commented, “We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with FANDOM. This is a very natural extension to our strategy of seamlessly connecting brands to the most passionate people. The partnership will offer clients both contextually relevant content and brand-safe environments, which is key to agencies effectively executing their screen strategies.”
Walker Jacobs, COO, FANDOM, said, “FANDOM is excited to partner with Val Morgan to power and align some of the strongest entertainment assets in the Australian and New Zealand marketplace. There is a lot of natural synergy between FANDOM and Val Morgan and this partnership allows both companies to maximise the opportunity in best serving brands and consumers in new, compelling ways.
“We feel that forming a strategic partnership with Dan and his organisation will provide a massive opportunity for the FANDOM brand, in addition to elevating the Val Morgan’s in-cinema and out-of-home assets.”
The cross-platform partnership is set to commence January 1, 2019 with Val Morgan anticipating strong interest from brands looking to reach engaged audiences.
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Top Photo: Dan Hill
Seven and McDonald’s create unique AFL Grand Final integration
Seven’s Network Director of Sales Natalie Harvey said: “Fuse briefed Seven to find a unique way to promote one of its biggest campaigns of the year, Monopoly. Maccas is an AFL partner so leveraging the biggest day of the footy year was perfect.
“This was much more than a piece of tactical integration though. Neuro research shows that when you create an ad or content that is themed to the sport it appears within, engagement increases by 30-40%, so we are taking incredibly powerful real estate and making it even more effective for brands.
“With this in mind, Seven, OMD, Fuse and McDonald’s collaborated to create humourous and contextually relevant content which appeared in our Grand Final day broadcast, featuring some of our most loved and trusted faces and voices of footy. Seven’s AFL talent brought to life the fun of Monopoly, and at the same time gave viewers entertaining content.
“Our producers are the best in the business at finding ways to work with brands to tell their story and create great content that adds value to our broadcast. We want to deliver the ‘7 effect’ to even more brands in the future and have fans enjoy themed branded content that aligns with the stories of footy or cricket, and appears in a brand-safe environment using the most effective medium of TV.”
OMD / Fuse Group Communications Director Aaron Miller said: “This was a fantastic opportunity to deliver key campaign messages in an entertaining, engaging and seamless integrated way during the biggest live audience telecast of the year – a brilliant example of true partnership collaboration.”
7’s AFL Grand Final reached over four million Australians, giving a taste of what is to come for the historic Summer of Cricket on 7.
Concept and Production – 7sport Sales, 7sport Production, Whooshkaa, OMD/Fuse.
Australia’s newest TV channel: Your Money on Foxtel and FTA TV
The channel is a partnership between News Corp’s Sky News Australia and Nine Entertainment Co. The re-branded Sky News Business is keeping many of the successful elements from the past decade while fusing its market coverage with a new evening schedule.
Your Money is promising viewers to be a 24/7 TV and digital destination for business news, personal finance information, in-depth real estate coverage and a raft of luxury and lifestyle programming.
Also see: Complete guide to next week’s launch of Your Money channel
The first day began with Business Breakfast at 6am with Leanne Jones and a collection of expert guests. The guests on day one included AMP Capital’s chief economist Dr Shane Oliver.
Trading Day: The Countdown followed at 9am with Ingrid Willinge with a setup of the local session before the channel’s blow-by-blow coverage of the Australian market begins at 10am with Trading Day: The Open.
From 11am through to 4pm, trading day coverage is hosted by Ingrid Willinge, James Daggar-Nickson and Adam Creighton.
As the market closes Your Money features Trading Day: The Final Count with James Daggar-Nickson as the Your Money team take a deep dive into the day’s big market movers and the major corporate stories.
The channel’s biggest changes then happen from 5pm with an earlier start for the flagship program Ticky as host Ticky Fullerton today will interview AFL chairman Richard Goyder following Saturday’s grand final.
Business reporter Leo Shanahan will examine the findings of the Financial Services Royal Commission’s first report, with analysis of what it could mean for banks, shareholders and customers.
Your Money’s big push for a primetime audience then begins with anchors Brooke Corte and Chris Kohler fronting Your Money Live, which debuts on tonight at 6pm. Over two and a half hours the program will traverse topics from shares and real estate to wine, cruising travel and how to deal with imposter syndrome. Guest on day one include Mark Bouris live in studio, Anna Porter from Suburbanite and Nine’s entertainment editor Richard Wilkins.
Peter Switzer is back in a new timeslot with a new show – Money Talks at 8:30pm. The series launches on today with a new 10-week segment, Portfolio Builder, where Switzer taps into the country’s top 10 fund managers for their best stock picks and investment strategies. Bell Direct’s Julia Lee joins Switzer each week in Sector Spotlight, an in-depth analysis of the most talked-about sectors in the market – discover how 36-year-old property millionaire Tim Gurner made his fortune.
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Top Photo: Your Money’s Brooke Corte, Chris Kohler and Ticky Fullerton
Sky News breakfast: Laura Jayes joins Kieran Gilbert on First Edition
Each weekday 5am-8:30am, Jayes and Gilbert team up to deliver Australian viewers breaking news, business news and national affairs coverage first.
Then weekdays at 8:30am, they jointly host AM Agenda, Australia’s only weekday morning program devoted to political news coverage. The political journalists will bring together decision makers and opinion leaders, including a no-holds-barred debate between Labor and Liberal MPs.
Laura Jayes said: “What a great privilege to be working alongside a wonderful mentor, excellent journalist and all-round decent human. I’m humbled to be invited into the homes of thousands of Australians. We all lead busy lives so we promise not to waste your time. You’ll only need to come to one place to find out exactly what you need to know in politics, business, news, weather and sport.
“Kieran and I will also join forces to bring you AM Agenda, the only weekday morning program dedicated to politics. I’m proud of our track record on breaking political news – with the two of us, you can’t go wrong.”
Kieran Gilbert said: “Laura is one of the sharpest, best-connected and most insightful political journalists of her generation. I’m honoured to work with her. She is also hilarious and a great friend. I can’t wait to work with her.”
Angelos Frangopoulos, CEO, Australian News Channel, said: “Laura is an outstanding political journalist and will bring great energy to First Edition and AM Agenda alongside respected political news-breaker Kieran Gilbert. This is breakfast and morning television for Australians who want to start the day informed and across the issues facing the nation and the world.”
Jayes joined Sky News in 2006 as Brisbane reporter. Most recently she held the role of political reporter and anchor of NewsDay and The Latest.
She has reported on Brexit live from London, the war in Afghanistan from Kabul, Kandahar and Tarin Kowt and Donald Trump’s election win and inauguration in Washington. She is one of the only journalists to have been granted access to Nauru to report on the fate of asylum seekers.
Gilbert is a leading member of the Sky News Canberra bureau.
He joined Sky News in 2003 and over the last two decades, together with political editor David Speers, has built the Sky News Canberra team into one of the leading bureaus in the Canberra Press Gallery.
He has earned a reputation as a leading political reporter through his coverage of major news stories including the Coalition wins at the 2016 and 2013 elections, the 2010 cliff-hanger election and subsequent minority Gillard Government, Kevin Rudd’s 2007 victory and John Howard’s fourth election win in 2004.
In addition to federal politics, Gilbert has reported on significant global news events including the Boxing Day tsunami and Barack Obama’s inauguration as the 44th President of the United States.
Gilbert and Jayes were recipients of a team Walkley Award and TV Week Logie for the 2016 Sky News Federal Election coverage.
Google celebrates 20 years with 20 business highlights
It has been marking the occasion for a number of years with an annual doodle.
In a blog post, The Keyword editor-in-chief Emily Wood wrote: “The exact date of our company’s founding is up for debate, even for those of us who are in the business of providing answers. Google Inc. was incorporated on September 4, but for more than a decade we’ve celebrated our birthday on September 27 – with an annual doodle, of course.”
Google reports that it now has seven products that are used by more than one billion people every month.
One of its most-used products, Google Maps, was created in Sydney. The company’s headquarters for the Australia-New Zealand region is located in the NSW capital city. Earlier this month, it also opened a new office in Melbourne.
Globally, the tech giant has operations in nearly 60 countries. It marked 10 years of its internet browser, Chrome, earlier this month too.
On the occasion of its 20th birthday, Google has counted 20 highlights from the past two decades.
• Billions of people have used Google Search to find answers to (literally) trillions of questions every year – from “how to help my community” to “how to find home” to all the many small questions in between. With job search, we’ve helped connect 100 million people to job opportunities in 92 countries.
• Google Maps has helped people find their way with driving directions in 240+ countries and territories, spanning 40 million miles of road – that’s 83+ trips to the moon and back. By connecting people to 150 million places around the world, Maps helps communities and businesses grow. Most moving are the times when Maps has helped people find a sense of place in the world – from Rio’s favelas to one’s own memories.
• People can now talk to their Google Assistant in more than 20 languages, and in some cases it can even keep up if the user is bilingual.
• Translate helps over half a billion people ask for help, make new friends, and say “thank you” across 100+ languages. More than 143 billion words are translated every day – that’s more than 161,000 times the number of the complete works of Shakespeare.
• More than 500 million people use Google Photos every month, backing up more than 1.2 billion photos and videos per day. Photos has also freed up over 410 petabytes worth of space – that’s more than 25 million 16GB devices.
• With the typing time reduced by Autocomplete in Search, the company estimates people worldwide collectively save over 200 years of typing time per day.
• Gmail’s Smart Compose, a new machine learning-powered experience that helps users write email faster, saves people from typing over one billion characters a week – that’s the equivalent of nearly 4 million tweets.
• One billion people visit the Google Account each year to access settings to safeguard their data and privacy.
• Safe Browsing protects more than three billion devices from malware and phishing schemes.
• Gmail blocks nearly 10 million spam and malicious emails every minute.
• Each year for the past five years, Google’s search and advertising tools have helped provide more than $100 billion in economic activity to businesses, publishers and nonprofits across United States.
• Google Play has helped developers grow app businesses and reach users in 190+ countries and across more than 2 billion Android devices. From an app that helps blind people see to a game that creates art, these creators are doing amazing things on our open platforms.
• Since the start of 2017, the company has trained more than 30 million people around the world in a range of digital skills, helping them start and grow businesses, learn to code, and find new careers.
• More than 25 million students worldwide are using Chromebooks in schools.
• Art lovers and history buffs have marvelled at artifacts from 1,500+ museums across 70 countries in Google Arts & Culture. Users have thousands of artworks and 6 million photos, videos, manuscripts and other documents at their fingertips. People have met more than 78 million selfie matches from 650+ institutions with Art Selfie.
• People can access local versions of YouTube in 91 countries around the world across 80 languages – covering 95% of all internet traffic. Every day, people watch learning-related content over a billion times on YouTube.
• Google has activated SOS Alerts to provide better access to emergency information in more than 200 crisis situations. People have viewed Public Alerts – for things like storm warnings or hurricane evacuation – more than 1.5 billion times.
• Since 2005, Google has donated more than $1.5 billion to organisations working to help refugees and disaster victims, fight for equal justice, provide teachers with classroom equipment, and teach people new skills. Over the past four years, Googlers have logged over a million hours (that’s 114 years’ worth) volunteering in the communities where we live and work.
• People have used Nest thermostats to save 25 billion kWh of energy – roughly enough to power Ireland for a year.
• Thousands of developers have used TensorFlow, Google’s open source tool for deep learning, to make farming more efficient in Japan and the Netherlands, predict wildfires and prevent deforestation, track whale migration and identify birdsong – and even detect cancer.
SCA raises $3m+ for regional children’s health organisations
This year, events held as part of the initiative by SCA’s regional radio stations raised $3,625,037, this is $1 million more than the amount collected in 2017.
The result brings the grand total of the Give Me 5 for Kids appeal to $25.9 million since its inception in 1994.
Each year individuals and community groups throughout SCA’s 38 regional radio markets host morning teas, trivia, running races, movie nights and other activities under the Give Me 5 for Kids banner, raising money for local paediatric wards and children’s health organisations throughout regional Australia.
Southern Cross Austereo’s chief operating officer John Kelly: “Year after year, we are blown away by the generosity of our local communities who dig deep in support of Give Me 5 for Kids.
“We are extremely proud of this year’s result and would like to thank our dedicated staff and local communities who manage to make each year even better than the last.
“Money raised will enable local health organisations to purchase vital equipment and improve infrastructure, having a big impact on sick kids and their families.
Well-known Australian personalities such as Olympian Libby Trickett, country singer Lee Kernaghan and NRL player Trent Hodkinson are ambassadors of Give Me 5 for Kids.
For more information about Give Me 5 for Kids or to donate, head to www.giveme5forkids.com.au .
ARIA Charts: Slash highest new album entry with rocker’s debut at #4
By James Manning
Singles
Just 86 days until Christmas, shoppers!
George Ezra is holding the top spot as we bound into October with a second week at #1 for Shotgun.
The only newcomer to the top 10 is Lil Peep and XXXTentacion with Falling Down with its chart debut at #7. The late Lil Peep makes a first appearance on the ARIA chart, while the more recently deceased XXXTentacion makes the top 50 for the fourth time and the top 10 for the third.
Lil Peep credit: hurricanehank / Shutterstock.com
Making way for the sole new top 10 arrival are 5 Seconds Of Summer as Youngblood slips out of the top 10 after 24 weeks on the chart. The only single that has been on the chart longer than Youngblood – and it’s a lot longer – is Ed Sheeran’s Perfect, which has been hovering around here for a massive 82 weeks, this week at #36.
Just three other chart debuts this week made the top 50:
#11 Eminem with Killshot
#46 Gucci Mane, Bruno Mars & Kodak Black with Wake Up In The Sky
#49 The Chainsmokers with This Feeling featuring Kelsea Ballerini
Albums
No change at the top here either this week as Eminem’s Kamikaze spends a fourth week at #1.
Four new releases managed to debut in the top 10:
#4 Slash with Living The Dream is his third collaboration with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. The previous two releases – in 2012 and 2014 – both peaked at #2.
#6 Brockhampton with Iridescence is the fourth album from the US hip hop collective with the previous three albums all released last year. The group have just visited Australia.
#9 Thundamentals with I Love Songs. The Blue Mountains hip hop group release their fifth album, which becomes their third to crack the top 10.
#10 Dead Letter Circus with Dead Letter Circus. The Brisbane band’s fourth album is their fourth top 10 entry. The previous album Aesthesis peaked at #1 in 2015.
Three other albums made it into the top 50 on debut:
#14 Josh Groban with Bridges is the artist’s eight album and the first in three years.
#33 Prince with Piano & A Microphone 1983. One of what could be a long list of releases from the archives.
#48 The Paper Kites with On The Corner Where You Live. The prolific Melbourne folk-rock band’s fourth album and second this year.
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Top Photo: Slash Credit: Fabio Diena / Shutterstock.com
TV Ratings Analysis: September 30
BREAKFAST TV WATCH
Breakfast TV averages metro
Week 38
Sunrise 264,000 (Sydney 74,000, Melbourne 63,000)
Today 230,000 (Sydney 68,000, Melbourne 56,000)
Week 39
Sunrise 286,000 (Sydney 78,000, Melbourne 70,000)
Today 229,000 (Sydney 70,000, Melbourne 49,000)
Sunday Ratings
Seven
Up against the NRL, Seven replayed Rahni Sadler’s wonderful ABBA special at 7pm where she interviewed former members who revealed earlier this year the startling news the group would be touring – sort of – with holograms and a live band. The audience of 680,000 made it the most-watched non-news and non-sports show of the night.
The Story Of The Royals then continued in what is something a Royal Week at Seven. Last night’s episode did 425,000.
On Saturday, Seven’s AFL Grand Final audience of 2,601,000 was down on last year and was the smallest audience since 2,491,000 in 2008.
Seven’s strong Saturday continued with its first cricket match under its new rights deal, and the Australia v New Zealand match had an average audience of 398,000.
Nine
Coverage of NRL Grand Final day dominated with the match, the pre-game entertainment and the post-match entertainment all attracting 1.5m+ crowds.
The victory by Eastern Suburbs saw them get away to an early lead. The match audience of 2,122,000 was the smallest in a decade and down on last year’s 2,301,000.
The win gave Nine a huge start to the week with a Sunday 6pm-12midnight audience share of 40.2%. The Sydney share was a massive 57.7% and in Brisbane 48.8%. The NRL also helped Nine to wins in Melbourne and Adelaide.
TEN
The network had plenty of star power even if it wasn’t reflected in the ratings, given the NRL Grand Final on Nine.
The Sunday Project just made the top 20 with 260,000 watching Leigh Sales join the panel where across the hour she discussed her new autobiography and the current turmoil inside the ABC. Co-host and celebrity look-alike Lisa Wilkinson played some of her interview with Sally Field, also promoting a new book, including a chat about how Lisa looks like Sally. Finally the show ended with guests Nash Edgerton and Brooke Satchwell talking about the new Foxtel series Mr Inbetween.
The star power continued on an episode of The Graham Norton Show, which was his first since the summer break and one that went to air just last Friday in the UK. Guests were A Star Is Born actors Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, First Man star Ryan Gosling, the new Doctor Who Jodie Whittaker and rocker Sir Rod Stewart. The episode just missed the top 20 with 231,000.
ABC
The channel’s best was ABC News on 614,000. Episode two of Joanna Lumley’s Silk Road Adventure did 481,000 followed by Rake on 364,000.
SBS
SBS World News drew the channel’s biggest audience with 160,000 at 6.30
Week 39-40 TV: Friday-Sunday
| FRIDAY METRO | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Seven | Nine | Ten | SBS | |||||
| ABC | 13.7.% | 7 | 21.3% | 9 | 15.4% | TEN | 10.2% | SBS One | 5.9% |
| ABC 2 | 3.2% | 7TWO | 3.4% | GO! | 3.9% | ONE | 3.9% | VICELAND | 1.9% |
| ABC ME | 0.5% | 7mate | 4.1% | GEM | 2.4% | ELEVEN | 2.9% | Food Net | 1.0% |
| ABC NEWS | 1.9% | 7flix | 2.6% | 9Life | 1.7% | NITV | 0.1% | ||
| TOTAL | 19.2% | 31.3% | 23.4% | 17.0% | 9.0% | ||||
| SATURDAY METRO | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Seven | Nine | Ten | SBS | |||||
| ABC | 10.5% | 7 | 22.5% | 9 | 15.5% | TEN | 9.8% | SBS One | 5.2% |
| ABC 2 | 2.8% | 7TWO | 4.7% | GO! | 3.9% | ONE | 3.2% | VICELAND | 3.2% |
| ABC ME | 0.5% | 7mate | 4.0% | GEM | 4.2% | ELEVEN | 1.9% | Food Net | 1.0% |
| ABC NEWS | 1.5% | 7flix | 3.4% | 9Life | 2.0% | NITV | 0.3% | ||
| TOTAL | 15.2% | 34.6% | 25.7% | 14.9% | 9.6% | ||||
| SUNDAY METRO | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Seven | Nine | Ten | SBS | |||||
| ABC | 10.4% | 7 | 15.8% | 9 | 40.2% | TEN | 5.3% | SBS One | 4.1% |
| ABC 2 | 1.7% | 7TWO | 2.7% | GO! | 2.9% | ONE | 2.9% | VICELAND | 1.1% |
| ABC ME | 0.5% | 7mate | 3.2% | GEM | 2.7% | ELEVEN | 1.4% | Food Net | 0.5% |
| ABC NEWS | 1.1% | 7flix | 1.5% | 9Life | 1.9% | NITV | 0.2% | ||
| TOTAL | 13.7% | 23.2% | 47.6% | 9.5% | 5.9% | ||||
| SUNDAY METRO ALL TV | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTA | STV | ||||||||
| 87.3% | 12.7% | ||||||||
SUNDAY FTA
- NRL Grand Final Day Nine 2,122,000
- NRL Grand Final Day Entertainment Nine 1,207,000
- NRL Grand Final Day Presentation Nine 1,148,000
- Nine News Nine 983,000
- Seven News Seven 944,000
- Sunday Night Seven 680,000
- Abc News Sunday ABC 614,000
- Joanna Lumley’s Silk Road Adventure ABC 481,000
- The Story Of The Royals Seven 425,000
- NRL Grand Final Day State Championship Nine 369,000
- Rake ABC 364,000
- Vera (R) ABC 287,000
- Ten Eyewitness News Sun TEN 280,000
- True Story With Hamish & Andy -Encore Nine 277,000
- NRL Grand Final Day Womens NRL Nine 275,000
- Weekend Sunrise Seven 267,000
- Insiders AM ABC 262,000
- The Sunday Project 7pm TEN 260,000
- Seven News At 5 Seven 245,000
- Landline PM ABC 235,000
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
Will Michelle Guthrie trigger a “cracker” court case against ABC?
Maurice Blackburn principal Josh Bornstein said Guthrie’s sacking could trigger a “cracker” court case, although the ABC was probably more inclined to settle.
Bornstein said Guthrie appeared to be preparing to argue that her termination as ABC managing director was in breach of general protections under the Fair Work Act.
Guthrie’s prospects of victory were buoyed by the fact that the ABC would want to settle out of court rather than having its “dirty linen” aired in public, he said.
Next ABC executive heading for exit: Editorial boss Alan Sunderland
“I told Mark Scott when he gave me this job and then Michelle when she first started that my plan was to give the role a good five years and then step away in 2019 when I turn 60,” Sunderland told The Australian from Rome, where he has been sightseeing.
“That’s around April next year and that’s been my plan for years, unaffected by any events. It is still my plan. I hear there’s a world out there.”
Jonathan Shier: How to rebuild trust in troubled public broadcaster
To ensure adequate editorial governance, I believe the roles of managing director and editor-in-chief – which the ABC Act requires to be done by the same person – should be carried out by two separate people. Both individuals should hold identical terms and in the unlikely event that they cannot resolve any differences on any matter affecting editorial standards – such as a particular staff change – the matter should be brought to the attention of the board.
The current board is clearly compromised by its recent behaviour and its lack of readiness to protect the ABC’s independence. I would certainly like to know how the staff-elected director justifies her behaviour.
It would certainly help if at least three non-executive directors had public broadcasting, editorial or journalistic experience. There should also be a convention that the opposition of the day nominates at least two of the board members.
Situations vacant: Speculation about the field of ABC candidates
News Corp’s Sharri Markson:
The high-profile jobs at the helm of the public broadcaster have seen some of the biggest names in the media industry considered in early discussions by the government and the board, including David Gonski, John Hartigan, Greg Hywood, Kim Williams, David Gyngell, Michael Ebeid, Christine Holgate and Amanda Laing.
Jennifer Duke in The SMH:
In a sign Prime Minister Scott Morrison is keen to move swiftly after a turbulent week for the public broadcaster, government sources say former Nine Entertainment Co chief executive David Gyngell was sounded out about the appointment late last week but was not interested in the role.
The AFR’s Joe Aston (at the AFL Grand Final):
At least half of The Daily Telegraph’s laundry list of candidates not remotely interested in either job were actually present: Prime Media chairman John Hartigan (sitting, ironically, with Tele editor Christopher Dore and Courier-Mail editor Sam Weir), former Nine executive Amanda Laing as well as Australia Post boss and Collingwood director Christine Holgate (seated with Collingwood vice-president Mark Korda). And then one who is very interested: former News Limited CEO and now AFL Commissioner Kim Williams.
Departing SBS chief Michael Ebeid shows ABC how it’s done
But unlike the ABC’s Michelle Guthrie, Michael Ebeid chose the timing of his departure from SBS and he leaves the organisation in considerably less turmoil.
Ebeid officially steps down as SBS managing director on Monday after 7½ years at the helm. During that time, he launched SBS On Demand, which now has more than 5 million registered users, started the National Indigenous Television, Viceland and Food Network channels, secured rights for the FIFA World Cup and the Tour de France, almost doubled advertising and sponsorship revenue to more than $107 million and was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his efforts.
However, the 52-year-old, who is leaving to take up a senior executive role at Telstra, says perhaps his most memorable day in the job was when Australia made it into Eurovision.
“Everyone had said to me for years we were mad to even suggest it,” he tells The Australian Financial Review.
“The more people that told us we weren’t part of Europe and we’d never do it, the more we wanted to do it, so that was a fun day. Eurovision really epitomises what we stand for; bringing cultures together.”
Ebeid to TV Tonight: “SBS in good shape, the right time to leave”
“SBS is in good shape at the moment so it was probably the right time to leave.
“I thought 12 years is too long for a CEO in any role, really. Ultimately I felt that SBS’s transformation has been completed in so many ways, both back of house and front of house. SBS is in good shape at the moment, both financially and content-wise.
“It feels very much like ‘job done’ for a CEO who is all about change and transformation.”
Murdochs get US$150m from 21st Century Fox on Disney deal
Chief executive officer James Murdoch and his brother Lachlan Murdoch, who’s executive chairman, each received pay valued at about $50 million for the year ended June 30, up from $20 million in the prior year, according to a regulatory filing Friday from the New York-based company. Their father Rupert Murdoch, who’s also executive chair, got $49 million, a 68% increase.
The Murdochs will still rule over a broadcast network, a cable sports channel, a business news channel and Fox News. The new entity, New Fox, will be run by Lachlan Murdoch, 47, who’ll also split the chairman role with his father. James Murdoch, 45, is expected to move on after the deal is completed, pursuing interests in areas such as technology investments.
Television
Triple play: Festival of Julia Morris starting on TEN on October 15
Now there is finally a launch date – Monday October 15 at 7.30pm.
The new series is being made for Ten by Playmaker Media under executive producers David Maher and David Taylor.
The arrival of the series also means viewers are in for a festival of Julia Morris. The busy comedienne will appear on Ten for the next couple of months in the new dating program. She will then appear in the next season of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here alongside co-host Dr Chris Brown, with the series going to air earlier in 2019 than it normally does.
After returning from the jungle in South Africa, Morris will then be seen, alongside Brown again, in TEN’s new series from ITV Studios Australia, Chris & Julia’s Sunday Night Takeaway.
Ahead of the launch of Blind Date, Network Ten chief sales officer Rod Prosser said: “With the wonderful Julia Morris playing Cupid in this cheeky new version of Blind Date, the upcoming series is sure to be entertainment at its finest. It’s fresh, funny and full of surprises, giving advertisers a premium environment to reach those looking for light-hearted entertainment.”
Shane Warne reveals how he earned $2m for charity from Network Ten
In Australia they tried to get me to do Dancing with the Stars. With due respect, I thought these shows were for wannabes and washed-ups.
The Australian I’m A Celebrity rang the first year – 2014 – but I scared them off with a figure of two million bucks or nothing.
They said, “That’s our budget for everyone”, so there was no deal. I watched that first series and quite liked it, and I got tempted by the chance to portray myself in an environment outside cricket.
I called James Erskine, my manager, who said he knew the main guy at Channel 10 and would speak to him again, which he did. Bingo! Next day, James rang to say we’ve got the $2 million! Oh shit! When you throw a big number out there, you’re not really expecting to get it; but now…
James negotiated me leeway on some things. One was smoking. I could smoke but had to follow the process of being about a hundred yards from the camp with a security guard accompanying me.
The next was my hair. It has to be redone by Advanced Hair every three weeks, so the company flew out to the bush midway through the filming of the program.
*Edited extract from No Spin by Shane Warne, published by Ebury Press, October 1, RRP $49.99.
Sports Media
Seven’s first cricket match sets women’s cricket audience record
The audience for metro areas averaged 398,000 viewers and peaked at 609,000 as Australia chased down a big total from the Kiwis.
Across the match, Seven’s coverage reached 2.905 million viewers nationally, and over 2.074 million in metro areas.
Mediaweek’s Twitter account detailed all the major sports audiences across the weekend. Follow Mediaweek on Twitter @mediaweekAUS.
Seven’s AFL GF national audience: 3.378m, peaks at 4.297m
The audience for metro areas averaged 2.601 million in-home viewers and peaked at 3.257 million, with a dominant share of 86.4%.
Across Grand Final day, Seven’s coverage reached almost 7 million viewers, and over 5 million in metro areas.
In Melbourne, an average audience of 1.247 million in-home viewers watched the Magpies fall agonisingly short, with the Melbourne audience peaking at 1.454 million.
In Perth, the average audience was 471,000 in-home viewers with the audience peaking at 568,000 as the Eagles won their fourth premiership.