Tuesday October 1, 2019

Nova - Fitzy and Wippa
GfK Radio Ratings 2019, Survey 6: Highlights + Full Results

• Full results and analysis of the sixth radio ratings report of the year

Sydney:

• Ratings steady despite controversies at 2GB & KIIS
• Markets biggest movers: Bogart & Glenn, Kyle and Jackie
• Good survey results to for Moonman plus Fitzy and Wippa

Biggest movers

UP: KIIS 1065 + 0.9
DOWN: WSFM -0.2

Read more: Sydney Radio Ratings: GfK Survey 6

 

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Melbourne

• Here comes Gold – Christian O’Connell + dayparts lift
• Listeners love music: Gavin Miller’s Gold drive show now #1

Biggest movers

UP: Gold 104.3 +2.2
DOWN: 3AW -1.3

Read more: Melbourne Radio Ratings: GfK Survey 6

 

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Brisbane

• Hit 105 back in the game, but Nova still untouchable
• Breakfast with Stav, Abby & Matt the big mover at Hit 105

Biggest movers

UP: Hit 105 +1.5
DOWN: 97.3FM -0.9

Read more: Brisbane Radio Ratings: GfK Survey 6

 

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Adelaide

• Mix #1 despite drop, Fiveaa commercial breakfast king

 

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Perth

• 96FM on the march, but Nova still rules overall + breakfast

 

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Welcome to Russel Howcroft week: Tuesday & Wednesday on ABC

It’s a big week on ABC TV for people interested on how and why advertising works.

By James Manning

Long time advertising and marketing executive Russel Howcroft will be a key part of two series for the next couple of weeks.

He is one of the originals on Gruen, which returned for its 11th season on Wednesday last week. This week sees the launch of How Australia Got Its Mojo, hosted by Howcroft, a series telling the story of adland greats Alan ‘Mo’ Morris & Allan ‘Jo’ Johnston.

Howcroft credits the concept for How Australia Got Its Mojo to Michael Stanford, someone that Howcroft has known for a long time and they both worked together at George Patterson and Network 10. Stanford is back at 10 as national creative director of 10’s Imagine division.

“When we were working at 10 we said to each other there is such a good story in Mojo,” Howcroft told Mediaweek. “We talked to Gruen producer CJZ and we subsequently decided to pitch it to the ABC.”

Howcroft’s pitch: “The two most important cultural voices since the invasion aren’t Banjo Patterson and Henry Lawson, they are Allan Johnston and Alan Morris.”

Howcroft with Delvene Delaney and Allan Johnston

“Good on the ABC for allowing us to explore that which has been a very worthwhile exercise.

“My Gruen colleagues at CJZ put a lot of effort into it – Andrew Farrell [head of factual] and Polly Connolly [also produces Gruen]. Something like this takes a long time to do properly with significant research, significant use of archival footage and a significant group of people who were interviewed.”

Speaking about the guests, Howcroft said everyone approached was very happy to be involved in a documentary about Mojo. “There is definitely a fondness for the time, but also the individuals involved.” Those guests include Delvene Delany, Ita Buttrose, Paul Hogan, John Singleton, Ian Chappell, John Brown and former advertising colleagues Ted Horton, Judith Pearson and Doug Watson.

Howcroft with Paul Hogan

While Alan Morris passed away a decade ago, viewers do get to meet Allan Johnston. “They will see what a gentle man he is, something that was appreciated by everyone involved in that era.

“We filmed Ita Buttrose before she had been appointed ABC chair. John Singleton was hugely impressive and he was something of a competitor at the time.”

The thing that made Mojo exciting, said Howcroft, was it was an Australian business working on Australian brands and doing Australian-style advertising.

“They created their own way of doing things. By all accounts clients were literally knocking on the door, asking, ‘Can we have one of those please.’ The sales graphs for all Mojo clients were trending north, and going north rapidly and they had very successful commercial partnerships.

These days, Howcroft noted it feels like there are increasingly fewer clients prepared to take a leap of faith in a creatively unique campaign. “The world of marketing has a technology side to it now – data rules. A lot of us are hopeful that creativity starts to get more of a voice in the world of marketing communication.”

Howcroft with Allan Johnston

As to whether Johnston and Morris might have been frustrated working today, Howcroft said “Probably.”

Howcroft added: “Because they were definitely gut feel people. I love the stories around how they worked.

“They would give a client a cassette. They’d tell the client to play it one the way home in the car. ‘If you wake up in the morning still humming the tune, you know you’re on a winner.’

“It was a powerful way to sell.”

Howcroft said he hoped one take out from the documentary is about how Mo and Jo were outstanding singer/songwriters. “Yes, they wrote about products. But if they had chosen to have a pop career, they would have been successful. C’mon on Aussie C’mon was a best-selling song.”

Asked if advertisers and marketers might be over-thinking their advertising these days. Howcroft said, “no.”

“There is a risk of getting it wrong. There is nothing wrong about thinking. An old boss of mine used to say, ‘You’ve got to think until it hurts.’

“These guys were instinctive and did it by feel. That shouldn’t imply that they weren’t thinking really hard.”

Howcroft added: “We don’t celebrate those individuals as much know as we may have in the past. There are people who just know how to do it. And the clients reap the rewards.

“John Singleton for example. Ted Horton is an example of today’s advertising creative.”

Russel Howcroft at work

The part-time TV host and panellist told Mediaweek about his day jobs.

“I have two jobs really. I’m a partner at PwC and part of the CMO Advisory. CMOs these days are presented with lots of options and it can be a confusing marketplace. We do the best to give them a hand with strategies for growth.

“I am also the chief creative officer of PwC. That sees me applying what I know to how they express their brand.”

Howcroft started the CMO advisory when he joined the firm. “It was started because we hypothesised the market needed a bit of a hand.”

He used an example of a client who had a marketing budget of $10m. “What they should do with that $10m is really tough to answer. In the Mojo days it was easy. Make a TV commercial, screen it and 80% of the country would see you. It’s not like that now.

Howcroft said the expansion of what PwC can offer clients has been successful. “A place like PwC is now able to help, and I am pleased to report we are still in business. If we weren’t delivering for clients we wouldn’t be.

Top Photos: Russel Howcroft

Guy Sebastian
Guy Sebastian to host 2019 ARIA Awards on November 27

ARIA has announced the host of the 33rd Annual ARIA Awards in partnership with YouTube Music will be Guy Sebastian.

The Australian singer/songwriter is no stranger to the awards, having been nominated 27 times and winning four ARIA Awards. His impressive CV – an inaugural Australian Idol victory, a Eurovision Song Contest top-five appearance, a stint as a coach on The Voice – makes him a natural choice as host of the 33rd Annual ARIA Awards, a role he will be undertaking for the very first time.

“I am so pumped and honoured to be hosting the 2019 ARIA Awards. The Australian music industry is so diverse and I can’t wait to celebrate with you all as we unite to recognise and celebrate how much talent we have to offer the world,” said Sebastian.

Sebastian has sold over 7 million units worldwide with 61 platinum certification awards (including 11 for single Battle Scars, which also boasts over 210 million streams worldwide and US platinum certification). He is the male solo artist that has had the most ARIA number one singles with six times at the top, as well as two ARIA number one albums.

Sebastian was also the first Australian to perform in the Eurovision Competition, has appeared as a coach and judge on both The X Factor and The Voice Australia, and performed on the Late Show with David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon Live and The Conan O’Brien Show. He is also no stranger to international superstars, having worked with world-renowned musicians Brian McKnight, Robin Thicke, Steve Cropper, John Mayer, Jordin Sparks, Eve and Lupe Fiasco.

Sebastian is also a passionate family man and advocate. His family charity The Sebastian Foundation, seeks to collaborate with like minded partners and charities to provide a little bit of the warmth and benefit of a family where it might be missing, through lack of privilege, serious illness or domestic violence. Just some of their projects include donating sleeper beds to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead so that families can stay together through treatment, creating a garden in a women’s shelter to give hundreds of women escaping domestic violence a sanctuary within which to heal, and making over the kitchen and living area of the only young girl’s refuge in NSW. This year he has been awarded an Order of Australia medal for his outstanding achievements and community service, an honour he said “brought him to tears”.

His latest single Choir, which has been the number one most played song on Australian radio for six consecutive weeks (surpassing all other international and Australian artists released at the same time), has garnered over 14 million streams worldwide since its release in June. Sebastian will be performing in Sydney this week (Thursday, October 3rd), and next (Thursday, October 10th) for the final shows on his sold out Ridin With You national tour.

ARIA Chief Executive Dan Rosen said: “ARIA is honoured and excited to have Guy Sebastian as our host for the 2019 ARIA Awards. He is one of Australia’s most talented artists and has had an incredible 12 months.

“Guy will be an amazing host to lead the celebration of another great year of Australian music, and we cannot wait for music fans around the country to see what we have in store at this year’s ARIA Awards.”

“We are thrilled that Guy has been honoured with this role after the amazing first season he had as a Coach on The Voice this year. He’s a tremendous talent and hosting the ARIAs is further recognition of that,” said Nine Program Director Hamish Turner. The ARIA Awards will be broadcast on Wednesday, November 27 from 7.30pm on Nine and 9Now.

Nigel The Company We Keep
How theatre producer and VR has helped grow new events company

• Nigel Ruffell’s The Company We Keep blazes a trail

The digital world has become a very crowded place. Increasingly, businesses are also taking their conversations into the real world, where they can make an impact on a guaranteed audience and get immediate results. Events and brand experiences are thriving. The ever-increasing sophistication within digital media has made audiences expect more, a lot more.

“It’s weird to me that the growth in events and brand activations has caused, not a blossoming of ideas, but complacency,” said Nigel Ruffell, founder and director of events and brand experience agency, The Company We Keep. “There’s too much doing it how it has been done in the past. Too much taking the easier route.”

When Ruffell launched The Company We Keep a year ago, he brought something new to the industry – a background in theatre production. “Theatre is all about transporting people into another world, about capturing their imaginations. That’s why we remember their stories. Why we talk about them. Share them. Love them,” he explained.

After more than a decade in the events industry, he also had a desire to reignite its wow factor. “Clients run events and brand activations because they are looking for new ways to stand out, establish their credentials and promote their appeal. How on earth can we expect to do that with the same tried-and-true formulae we have always used? We can’t,” Ruffell added.

Earlier this year, Ruffell wondered how people might be able to experience an event before it was held. “The answer, of course, was VR,” he recounted.

VR

Ruffell had been following the development of VR technology and its uses. He had seen it used in marketing and was excited about the possibilities.

“But no one had ever thought about using it in events or brand activations.

“I saw a massive opportunity. Not only could I let clients experience ambitious ideas as if they were real, but we could also test run every element of an event before it was finalised. Making alterations during set-up is costly and time-consuming and has always been one of the major challenges in the lead-up to staging an event or brand experience.”

The Company We Keep currently claims to be the first and only event and brand experience agency using VR in the development of its events. Ruffell believes that it should, and will, become the norm. “It’s a massive step forward for the industry. It’s also a logical step forward,” he stated.

Meanwhile Ruffell is working on developing A.I. technology that will help to fine-tune presentations. “We’re hoping to use A.I. to allow presenters to do a dry run that is exactly like the real thing – with a live audience, the lights, the distractions and the tech they need to use. As someone who has prepared and experienced hundreds of presentations, I think that will be a very helpful and very welcome service.”

About Nigel Ruffell and The Company We Keep

Ruffell founded event and brand activation company, The Company We Keep, just 12 months ago. It is already working with clients like Salesforce, Docusign, R.E. and PwC, and has grown staff from one person to 12.

He has recently hired Brett Gosby, the former general manager of business performance for the Commonwealth Bank, and Jason Paffas, the former design creative director of CI Events. The Company We Keep has also recently been named a finalist in the Australian Event Awards.

Apple News Plus Australia
Apple News+ launches with Australian & international publishers

The Apple News+ subscription service is now available to Australian readers. Apple News+ subscribers can access current and past issues and individual articles from magazines such as Vogue Australia, Harper’s Bazaar Australia, Australian Women’s Health, The Australian Women’s Weekly, Elle, GQ Australia, Australian Men’s Health and Delicious.

Australian subscribers can also access international newspapers and magazines including The Wall Street Journal (US), Los Angeles Times (US), The Times (UK), The Sunday Times (UK), Forbes (US), Esquire (US), Rolling Stone (US), National Geographic (US), New York magazine (US), The Hollywood Reporter (US), Empire (UK) and Grazia (UK).

While major publishers like News Corp Australia, Bauer Media and Pacific are on board, the service is missing three of Australia’s biggest news brands – The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial Review.

As to why Nine didn’t join the other publishers, the company told Mediaweek: “We have chosen not to participate in Apple News+ because their non-negotiable terms do not sustain a significant investment in quality, independent journalism.
“We remain focused on successfully growing our direct subscriptions business and investment in our newsrooms,” said a spokesperson for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial Review.

Apple News+ is offering richly designed layouts, animated magazine covers, vivid photography and bold typography optimised for iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Subscribers can enjoy cover-to-cover access to their favourite magazines, which are also available for offline reading, and receive notifications when a new issue of a favourite publication is available. Apple News+ also includes collections of articles and featured issues curated by Apple News editors and personalised recommendations.

All Apple News users in Australia, the UK, US and Canada can continue to enjoy the free news experience within the app on iPhone, iPad and Mac, including access to Top Stories, Trending Stories and a personalised feed of articles. In the Today and News+ tabs, subscribers will be presented with individual article, topic and issue recommendations based on both editorial curation and personalised suggestions that maintain user privacy.

“Apple News+ offers hundreds of the world’s most popular publications, all discoverable through personalised and curated recommendations,” said Lauren Kern, editor-in-chief of Apple News. “The quality of the journalism, the beautiful photography, the stunning live covers and custom-designed articles in this collection are second to none. We think readers in Australia will be delighted with the offering, and we are proud to support the work of our newest publisher partners.”

“Apple News+ is an exciting evolution of the immersive print media experience,” said Sarah-Belle Murphy, executive general manager of Digital Operations and Publishing at Bauer Media. “The new subscription service offers enormous opportunity to reach new audiences in an elevated digital environment. The ability to reach millions of readers seamlessly through Apple’s ecosystem presents an innovative future for both magazines and the subscription model. We are looking forward to this next exciting step.”

“Apple News+ is an opportunity to introduce our compelling content to a new audience via Apple’s vast ecosystem,” said Will Everitt, director of Digital Product and Technology at Pacific Magazines. “This is an exciting new platform, and we’re keen to be an early adopter and partner.”

Apple News+ is available today in Australia for $14.99 a month. Customers can sign up for a free one-month trial, and the plan automatically renews after the trial ends. Apple News+ in Australia is supported on iOS 12.2 or macOS 10.14.4. Through Family Sharing, up to six family members can share one Apple News+ subscription. Apple News+ is also available today in the UK and launched in the US and Canada in March 2019.

Box Office: Rachel Griffith's Ride Like a Girl first past the post

With the Melbourne Cup around the corner, the Tersea Palmer lead Ride Like a Girl is an early winner with the cup themed flick based on the true story of Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup, riding away with the top spot at the Australian box office.

By Trent Thomas

Sport isn’t the only thing popular this school holiday season with two family-friendly films that missed the top five last week improving their fortunes thanks to the holiday surge. Those two films are DreamWorks Animations Abominable which moves up to fourth after debuting in seventh spot last week, and The Angry Birds Movie 2 which slides up to fifth place after slipping out of the top five last week.

The three films to drop out of the top five from this weekend are IT: Chapter 2 (four weeks, $14.48m), Good Boys (two weeks, $3.29m), and Rambo: Last Blood (two weeks, $1.91m).

Overall, the Australian box office dipped 2% on last weekends total after making $11.68m.

#1 Ride Like a Girl $1.66m

Directed by Rachel Griffiths, the Aussie film had the highest average per screen in the country this past weekend making $6,167 on 270 screens.

 

 

#2 Downton Abbey $1.41m 

The continuation of the English period drama continues to perform in Australian theatres producing an average of $4,636 on 306 screens bringing its total to $9.61m.

 

 

#3 Ad Astra$1.22m

Brad Pitt‘s sci-fi fueled space journey has slid down to third spot after two weeks, bringing its total to $3.90m after making an average of $3,801 on 321 screens.

 

 

#4 Abominable $1.18m

After a 30% increase on last weekend’s total the film moves into the top five making an average of $4,219 on 282 screens which brings its Australian total to $2.95m with more of the holiday period ahead.

 

 

#5 The Angry Birds Movie 2 $1.09m

The latest entry to the Angry Birds movie franchise finds itself back in the top five this week after slipping down sixth last week. The movie recorded a 19% increase on last weekend’s take. making $2,982 on 368 screens, bringing its total to $4.60m.

 

TV Ratings Analysis: September 30

• The Masked Singer defends its #1 spot against new arrival
• Real Dirty Dancing lifts Seven’s recent results, but trails competition

Monday Week 40 2019

By James Manning

• Seven News 1,016,000/1,015,000
• Nine News 836,000/870,000
• A Current Affair 794,000
• ABC News 652,000
• 7.30 596,000
• The Project 492,000/327,000
• 10 News First 371,000
• The Drum 186,000
• SBS World News 156,000

Breakfast TV

• Sunrise 270,000
• Today 188,000

Seven

Home and Away started its week on 656,000 after a week 39 average of 592,000.

The Real Dirty Dancing started as eight celebrities travelled to Virginia, USA, the location of dance movie Dirty Dancing, and commenced training to become the ultimate Baby and Johnny. Under the training guidance of professional dancers and choreographers, Todd McKenney and Kym Johnson, two celebrities will be chosen to recreate the iconic dance in front of a live audience. At the end of the first episode the men performed their dances to a standing ovation from the women, who voted Hugh Sheridan as their favourite Johnny. The series launched with 580,000. It contributed to a better Seven share in the weeks preceding Brownlow Monday, yet in the important 7.30pm slot Seven still trailed its commercial competitors.

Episode two of Secret Bridesmaids’ Business did 317,000 after the series debuted with 426,000.

S.W.A.T. then did 151,000 starting close to 10pm.

Nine

A Current Affair investigated a flashy church leader taking money for miracles and then a mean dog breeder separating a young girl from her puppy. The opening episode of the week did 794,000 after an average audience of 695,000 last week.

The Block saw the contestants prepping the properties for buyers. The show again ranked #2 in the slot on 806,000 after 807,000 a week ago.

The series final of This Time Next Year was on 437,000 after 400,000 a week ago. Could this be the end of Karl Stefanovic on primetime TV? At the end of the show Stefanovic signed off with “until next time”. The former breakfast show co-host is keeping busy this week on his second week hosting Ben Fordham’s 2GB drivetime slot.

The Grand Final preview episode and final episode of the year of 100% Footy then did 86,000.

10

After a Sunday night off because of the Rugby World Cup, The Project returned with 492,000 after 7pm. The program averaged 449,000 at 7pm last week. There was a short discussion of who might be revealed in the future on The Masked Singer and interviews with Norman Cook, aka Fat Boy Slim, and Johnny Ruffo. Highlight was another of Hamish Macdonald’s reports from Hong Kong.

The Masked Singer featured two more rounds of the competition with four Masked Singers across the hour. At the climax the show revealed Nikki Webster was the alien and was being eliminated. 10 has decided to split the show’s ratings in two which makes comparisons problematic. The first part of the episode was down week-on-week (835,000 v 1.162m) while the reveal at the end of the episode was also down very slightly (1.063m v 1.162m).

Have You Been Paying Attention? featured Dave O’Neil sitting in for Sam Pang along with guests Anne Edmonds, Denise Scott and Marty Sheargold joining regular Ed Kavalee. The show was 800,000+ yet again.

10’s Monday combo both reported good growth week-on-week in both encore screenings and BVOD views.

10 was again the #1 channel and network under 50 and key demos.

ABC

Australian Story was on 537,000 after 689,000 a week ago.

Four Corners featured a disturbing report on Australian women being held at a detention camp in Syria. ‘Married to the Islamic State’ was reported by Dylan Welch and had an audience of 489,000.

Media Watch ranged from Scott Morrison suggesting Australian media reports on climate change might be fake news to trouble Pime7 is having getting access to the Dubbo Mayor. There was also a report about a motoring segment hosted by a motor vehicle PR manager. Host Paul Barry then editorialised on a breakfast radio host: “Kyle you are a complete jerk.”

Music industry guests featured on Q&A including Katie Noonan, Tex Perkins, Mojo Juju and L-FRESH The LION. They were discussing the transformative power of music with host Tony Jones. The audience was 261,000 after 275,000 last week.

SBS

The start of How The Victorians Built Britain did 231,000.

24 Hours in Emergency was then on 158,000.

Week 40 TV: Monday
MONDAY METRO
ABCSevenNine10SBS
ABC12.9%718.2%919.2%10 17.6%SBS One4.5%
ABC KIDS/ ABC COMEDY2.4%7TWO3.2%GO!2.7%10 Bold3.5%VICELAND0.8%
ABC ME0.7%7mate2.7%GEM2.8%10 Peach2.0%Food Net1.3%
ABC NEWS1.2%7flix1.5%9Life1.6%  NITV0.2%
  7Food0.5%    SBS World Movies0.6%
TOTAL17.1% 26.0% 26.2% 23.1% 7.5%

 

MONDAY REGIONAL
ABCSeven AffiliatesNine Affiliates10 AffiliatesSBS
ABC11.7%720.0%916.1%WIN12.5%SBS One3.5%
ABC KIDS/ ABC COMEDY2.5%7TWO4.2%GO!4.1%WIN Bold3.9%VICELAND1.5%
ABC ME0.8%7mate3.2%GEM5.4%WIN Peach2.2%Food Net1.2%
ABC NEWS0.9%7flix (Excl. Tas/WA)1.8%9Life1.8%Sky News  on WIN1.9%NITV0.2%
  7food (QLD only)0.4%      
TOTAL15.9% 29.7% 27.5% 20.5% 6.4%

 

MONDAY METRO ALL TV
FTASTV
87.2.%12.8%
Monday FTA
  1. The Masked Singer Australia  Reveal  10 1,063,000
  2. Seven News Seven  1,016,000
  3. Seven News / Today Tonight Seven  1,015,000
  4. Nine News 6:30 Nine 870,000
  5. Nine News Nine 836,000
  6. The Masked Singer Australia   10 835,000
  7. Have You Been Paying Attention?  10 819,000
  8. The Block Nine 806,000
  9. A Current Affair Nine 794,000
  10. Home And Away Seven  656,000
  11. ABC News ABC 652,000
  12. The Chase Australia Seven  600,000
  13. 7.30 ABC 596,000
  14. The Real Dirty Dancing  Seven  580,000
  15. Australian Story ABC 537,000
  16. The Project 7pm  10 492,000
  17. Four Corners ABC 489,000
  18. Media Watch ABC 439,000
  19. This Time Next Year Nine 437,000
  20. Hot Seat Nine 427,000
Demo Top 5

16-39 Top Five

  1. The Masked Singer Australia  Reveal  10 287,000
  2. Have You Been Paying Attention?  10 274,000
  3. The Masked Singer Australia   10 209,000
  4. The Block Nine 173,000
  5. Just For Laughs  10 126,000

 

18-49 Top Five

  1. The Masked Singer Australia  Reveal  10 494,000
  2. Have You Been Paying Attention?  10 461,000
  3. The Masked Singer Australia   10 375,000
  4. The Block Nine 352,000
  5. Seven News / Today Tonight Seven  226,000

 

25-54 Top Five

  1. The Masked Singer Australia  Reveal  10 545,000
  2. Have You Been Paying Attention?  10 508,000
  3. The Masked Singer Australia   10 413,000
  4. The Block Nine 408,000
  5. Nine News 6:30 Nine 280,000
Monday Multichannel
  1. Bluey ABCKIDS/COMEDY 153,000
  2. NCIS (R) 10 Bold 136,000
  3. Luo Bao Bei ABCKIDS/COMEDY 135,000
  4. Dino Dana ABCKIDS/COMEDY 132,000
  5. Floogals ABCKIDS/COMEDY 130,000
  6. Nella The Princess Knight ABCKIDS/COMEDY 125,000
  7. Peppa Pig ABCKIDS/COMEDY 117,000
  8. Fireman Sam ABCKIDS/COMEDY 117,000
  9. Bondi Rescue Ep 2 (R) 10 Bold 117,000
  10. New Tricks  9Gem 114,000
  11. PJ Masks ABCKIDS/COMEDY 113,000
  12. Spicks And Specks ABCKIDS/COMEDY 112,000
  13. Law & Order: SVU Ep 2 (R) 10 Bold 109,000
  14. Foyle’s War 7TWO 108,000
  15. Hey Duggee ABCKIDS/COMEDY 108,000
  16. Andy’s Wild Adventures ABCKIDS/COMEDY 106,000
  17. Neighbours 10 Peach 105,000
  18. Thomas And Friends: Big World! Big Adventures! ABCKIDS/COMEDY104,000
  19. Bananas In Pyjamas ABCKIDS/COMEDY 101,000
  20. Law & Order: SVU (R) 10 Bold 100,000
Monday STV
  1. Live: RWC: Sco V Sam FOX SPORTS 503 65,000
  2. The Bolt Report Sky News Live 63,000
  3. Live: AFL 360 FOX FOOTY 57,000
  4. Live: On The Couch FOX FOOTY 51,000
  5. Border Security: Australia’s Front Line FOX8 48,000
  6. Family Guy FOX8 47,000
  7. Credlin Sky News Live 46,000
  8. Live: RWC Post Game: Sco V Sam FOX SPORTS 503 43,000
  9. Family Guy FOX8 42,000
  10. Paul Murray Live Sky News Live 41,000
  11. Highway Patrol FOX8 41,000
  12. Kenny On Media Sky News Live 39,000
  13. Highway Patrol FOX8 38,000
  14. Border Security: International FOX8 37,000
  15. The Simpsons FOX8 35,000
  16. Blue Bloods TVH!TS 35,000
  17. Paw Patrol Nick Jr. 34,000
  18. Live: NRL 360 FOX LEAGUE 34,000
  19. American Dad! FOX8 31,000
  20. Selling Houses Australia Lifestyle Channel 30,000

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

Sony considered axing Guy Sebastian, court documents claim

Singer Guy Sebastian was on the chopping block at his record label Sony because it “lacked confidence” in the inaugural Australian Idol winner following the release of his second album, court documents allege, reports The Sydney Morning Herald’s Angus Thompson.

Courtney Day, former Sony executive and wife of celebrity agent Titus Day, made the claim in a Federal Court affidavit lodged in her husband’s bitter court feud with the pop star he once managed.

“Guy was on the list of artists whose contracts Sony would terminate if they did not perform on the next release,” Mrs Day claims in the statement filed earlier this year.

Sebastian is suing Mr Day and his management firm 6 Degrees, which has since gone into liquidation, over alleged breaches of contract, including that he is owed more than $200,000 in performance fees, and proceeds from a sunscreen deal he helped foster.

Mr Day is counter-suing Sebastian, alleging he is owed commissions for a range of services.

The case appears set to go to a hearing at which Mr Day and his former client will appear in person to give evidence after mediation between the two parties failed.

[Read the original]

News Brands

Attorney General Christian Porter given veto to ‘safeguard’ journalists

Journalists from the ABC and News Corp Australia who revealed government secrets have been handed a lifeline after the government expanded its political veto of prosecutions based on legitimate news reports, reports The Australian’s Chris Merritt.

The new arrangements mean prosecutions under four federal laws will not proceed against journalists without the permission of the Attorney-General, Christian Porter.

The changes, outlined in a ministerial direction to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, coincide with growing pressure on the government over the May raids on the home of News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst and the ABC’s Sydney newsroom.

News Corp Australia’s director of corporate affairs, Campbell Reid, said the changes “offer no comfort for journalists disclosing information in the public interest that they are safe from prosecution for doing their job”.

“This so-called safeguard falls a long way short of what media organisations are seeking – to recognise the role of journalists to keep the public informed,” Reid said.

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Press freedom 'safeguard' raises fears over reporters' independence

Journalists will be under even more pressure to keep the Federal Government onside or risk prosecution under a new Attorney-General directive, Australia’s peak legal body has warned, reports ABC News’ Eliza Laschon.

Under pressure to do more to protect press freedom, Christian Porter issued a directive that prosecutors will need his approval before charging journalists under certain sections of Australia’s secrecy laws.

The decision could shield ABC and News Corp employees from facing possible criminal charges over their reporting on national security issues following June’s raids by the Australian Federal Police.

But Law Council of Australia President Arthur Moses SC said it would not help solve the “legitimate concerns raised by the media” since the raids.

“Let me be very blunt about this, it does not allay the concerns that have being raised in relation to press freedoms in Australia,” Moses said.

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Seven loses long-running defamation case over Today Tonight story

An Adelaide woman who was depicted as a welfare cheat in a Today Tonight story has won a long-running legal battle against Channel Seven, reports ABC News.

Malgorzata Barbara Poniatowska has had her appeal against the television network upheld by the Full Court of the Supreme Court of South Australia.

The three judges unanimously agreed Channel Seven failed to prove she was guilty of fraud when it aired the story on October 26, 2011.

The story reported Poniatowska had defrauded Centrelink of more than $20,000 in benefits while working for a building company.

Seven will now be forced to pay Poniatowska damages, the sum of which is yet to be assessed.

A spokesperson told the ABC the “matter is not finalised” but declined to comment on whether the broadcaster would launch an appeal.

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Radio

Triple M announces new Hard N Heavy brand for DAB+ radio

Triple M will roll out another DAB+ station this week with the October 1 launch of MMM Hard N Heavy in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

The new DAB+ station will feature Metallica across October, with the world’s greatest heavy metal band to be heard non-stop on MMM Hard N Heavy. Metallica had planned to tour Australia during October, but the five-city tour was cancelled just days ago.

Listeners to the new station can also expect MMM Hard N Heavy to play everything from Metallica to Motley Crue, AC/DC to Anthrax, KISS to Korn.

Triple M

Triple M’s head of music Mickey Maher said, “Australia has a large and very passionate fan base of Hard Rock & Heavy Metal yet, until now, it’s a genre that has been underserviced on Australian radio. The people have spoken and we are really excited to launch Hard N Heavy. I’m sure the fans won’t be disappointed!”

Triple M’s full suite of DAB+ stations including MMM Aussie, MMM Country, MMM Classic Rock, MMM Greatest Hits, and now MMM Hard N Heavy can be accessed via DAB radio, the Triple M app and website

Entertainment

Rich Lister rock: Singo's sing-along with Kris Kristofferson

On Monday, retail and burger king Jack Cowin (No. 25 on this year’s AFR Rich List with $2.79 billion) and Harvey Norman co-founder and executive chairman Gerry Harvey (No. 40 with $1.9 billion) joined their close friend, former ad man and entrepreneur John Singleton (on 145th spot with a paltry $670 million) at his Saddles restaurant in Mt White, on Sydney’s outskirts for an intimate concert with 83-year-old rocker Kris Kristofferson, reports The AFR’s Fiona Carruthers.

Vitamin mogul Marcus Blackmore and Central Coast businessman Tony Denny– who both fell just short on making this year’s $472 million Rich List cut off – were also in attendance, along with Harvey Norman CEO and Harvey’s wife, Katie Page Harvey; sporting icon Dawn Fraser; former News Corp CEO John Hartigan, and media personality Derryn Hinch, plus a bevy of Singleton’s other mates from the racing, advertising and sporting worlds.

The tickets were priced at $1500 for a single seat or $10,000 for a table of 10 seats, and once Kristofferson has taken his cut, Singleton and Saddles’ restaurateurs, husband and wife team Hayley Hardcastle and Cameron Cansdell, will at least break even as the 100 places have all sold out.

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Hate the Grand Final performers? Please, keep it to yourself

Here’s a glimpse into the not-too-distant future. American band One Republic is playing the NRL Grand Final this Sunday night.

And you don’t need a crystal ball to predict there’s going to be a rash of Twitter users spamming social media asking “Who is this band?” with the appropriate hashtag so people can find their witty commentary, writes the Herald Sun’s Cameron Adams.

It’d take just as much time for them to search “Who are One Republic?” online, or hear any of their handful of big hit singles, but why do that when you can vent on social media?

There’s going to be a lot of “Why didn’t they use an Australian band?” too.

We saw the modern blood sport of social media users savaging musicians performing before sporting events in full effect at the AFL Grand Final – and that was all Australian talent.

Turns out we’re never happy, even though nobody watches the Grand Final for the music performed before it, let’s be honest.

Melbourne busker Tones And I has had the No. 1 song in Australia for nine weeks now with Dance Monkey.

Yet some Twitter nuffies were saying her performance was “worse than Meatloaf”. Really?

You may not like her voice – it is divisive – but Meatloaf was absolutely diabolic on all fronts.

Dean Lewis also copped it online. Ballads are a tough choice at any sporting event, especially soppy ones about broken hearts.

People have incredibly short attention spans these days – a year ago Lewis’s Be Alright was everywhere and it has been a major international success story. But 12 months on, it looks like he‘s another victim of tall poppy syndrome.

If a song or a singer isn’t for you, skip it, turn the channel or go and get a drink, don’t necessarily feel the need to let everyone know on social media.

Remember when we praised Australian artists for being successful internationally, rather than slaughter them on social media because they weren’t to your taste?

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Publishing

Good Food Guide Awards: Quay still Sydney’s premier destination

After more than 30 years of fine dining and harbour views, Quay maintained its position as Sydney’s premier restaurant at the national Good Food Guide Awards held in Brisbane last night, reports The Sydney Morning Herald’s Callan Boys.

The Opera House-facing restaurant, where a 10-course meal costs $295 before drinks, was awarded the Guide’s top ranking of three chef hats for a “holistic experience at the very peak of Australian dining”.

good food

More than 800 restaurant industry guests packed Howard’s Hall at Brisbane’s new Howard Smith Wharves precinct for the awards, which also marked the Good Food Guide’s 40th anniversary.

Attendees included Matt Moran, Kylie Kwong and Stephanie Alexander.

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Good Food Guide Awards 2020: Full list of winners

Sports Media

Can SBS make the NBL a TV hit as new season launches?

For local fans who came of age in the mid-90s heyday of Leon Trimmingham and Robert Rose, the promise of live basketball on free-to-air TV has been one of steady disappointments; the legacy of broadcasters like Bill Woods and Steve Carfino dissolving to a story of commercial oversight and half-hearted scheduling, reports The Sydney Morning Herald’s Robert Moran.

With the NBL’s anticipated new season set to launch on Thursday, SBS are eager to change the narrative.

“Since the 90s, it’s struggled to really gain traction. Then the quality of the league deteriorated and the media interest also declined,” says SBS’s director of sport Ken Shipp. “But right now it does feel like the perfect storm.”

Earlier this month, the public broadcaster unveiled its multichannel SBS Viceland as the new free-to-air home of the NBL for the next two years, after a three-year deal with Nine – last season’s broadcasters and owner of this masthead – was binned.

“We recently lost some of our key football rights, and I was looking for something that could replace that, and I think basketball as a global sport is something that makes a lot of sense for us,” says Shipp.

The NBL launches live on SBS On Demand on Thursday, and on SBS Viceland on Saturday.

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How the feud between Andrew ‘Joey’ Johns and Erin Molan started

The Sunday Telegraph at the weekend reported Channel 9 has been dealing with an awkward falling out between star host Erin Molan and the rugby league immortal Andrew ‘Joey’ Johns with the pair no longer working together on Friday night football.

The feud between and Molan and Johns dates back to Paul ‘Fatty’ Vautin being given the boot from The Footy Show, report News Corp’s Jonathon Moran and Mibenge Nsenduluka.

The Daily Telegraph reports Johns never got along with Molan, who is hugely popular with others in the game, as she made her name as a TV reporter as opposed to being a sports person.

“Joey is an old schooler,” said one well placed industry insider.

The network advertised at the start of the year that Johns would be an integral part of the team every Friday night for the coverage Molan has hosted throughout the season.

But like last year, when he took himself off The Footy Show when Molan replaced Paul ‘Fatty’ Vautin, Johns suddenly disappeared from the Friday night broadcast, replaced by Billy Slater in the commentary box.

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