Thursday September 19, 2019

Radio’s quiet achiever: From Austereo MD to talent manager

• The Brad March effect and how it impacted Australian radio

By James Manning

The women who front three of Sydney’s top rating breakfast shows –Jackie Henderson, Amanda Keller and Wendy Harmer – all have one thing in common impacting their careers. Call it the Brad March effect.

March has had a major influence on the Australian radio industry and his impact continues today. He manages Henderson and has for a number of years now. Better known as Jackie O, she co-hosts the successful Kyle and Jackie O Show on KIIS FM, Sydney’s #1 FM breakfast show.

He is credited with masterminding a five-year deal making Henderson the highest paid female personality in Australia media. The deal put her on parity with her co-star Kyle Sandilands, giving her a significant pay rise. Something in the range of $5m annually according to media reports.

Kyle and Jackie O

Kyle and Jackie O

Henderson is one of the judges on the new show The Masked Singer which premiers Monday 23rd on 10. It was a role March secured for Henderson after many years away from the small screen as she focussed on radio.

Back in the nineties as a radio executive, March hired Wendy Harmer for 2DayFM Breakfast. The 2Day FM breakfast crew subsequently rated #1 in the Sydney market for more than a decade.

Harmer was hosting The Big Gig on the ABC at the time, and March moved her from Melbourne to Sydney and oversaw the show’s development. In the latest radio ratings, the program she currently co-hosts with Robbie Buck ranked #2 in Sydney, behind only Alan Jones.

March also hired Amanda Keller from television (at Andrew Denton’s suggestion). March teamed her up with Denton for the top rating Triple M breakfast show. Keller now co-hosts the #2 FM breakfast show in Sydney with Brendan Jones.

Jonesy and Amanda

Jonesy and Amanda

March has a special affinity with women in the media in an industry long-dominated by male broadcasters.

He hired Jane Kennedy to join Triple M Melbourne breakfast with the D Generation. She is now part of the Kennedy Molloy national drive show on Triple M, co-hosting with Mick Molloy.

March oversaw Robin Bailey’s successful move from ARN to SCA in Brisbane in 2017, her new show with Marto and Nick Cody reaching #1 earlier this year. Bailey announced this week she is stepping down from radio to care for her husband, a former Austereo colleague of March’s, Sean Pickwell.

Jane Kennedy with Mick Molloy

Jane Kennedy with Mick Molloy

March does OK with male talent too – he put together the pioneering national drive show Martin Molloy with Tony Martin and Mick Molloy.

After stepping down as managing director of Austereo, March worked for ARN as a programming consultant.

He then started his own management company, March Media, and has built a small, but talented, client list that also includes Triple J’s Ben and Liam, Nova’s Matt Tilley and Triple M’s The Chaser.

Robbie Buck and Wendy Harmer

Robbie Buck and Wendy Harmer

March isn’t a fan of publicity. Call him a quiet achiever in a noisy industry. He was prepared to answer some of Mediaweek’s questions, but he prefers the talent to do the talking.

His answers to our questions were short and to the point:

What do you look for in finding strong talent?

They need to be unique and have something (a lot) to say.

What’s the winning secret for talent on radio?

Great talent is great talent, they need to be ambitious and have the drive and desire to succeed and win. And it all gets down to hard work and they need to know how to do radio.

Any big names that you should have signed?

Yes – in the early 2000s Kate Langbroek was on Triple M weekend breakfast, I missed hearing a show, Nova poached her and Hughesy for breakfast and they’ve had a great run ever since.

Is it easier working with male or female talent?

Each person is really different, you can’t pigeon hole them so that’s hard to answer. You need to build trust and develop a strong professional relationship regardless of gender.

Career highlights

The Wendy Harmer days of course, working with Martin Molloy, Ben and Liam make me laugh, and working with Jackie Henderson. She is amazing, a truly great broadcaster in her own right, one of the most focused, hardest working people I’ve ever worked with.

March’s radio colleagues talked glowingly of their friend and former mentor/boss/agent:

Jackie O: “Brad’s knowledge of the radio industry is incomparable – he’s been involved in it for over 30 years now. He genuinely cares for his clients and prioritises their success.”

Wendy Harmer: “Brad was my mentor, inspiration and co-conspirator in those exciting years at 2 Day FM. He understood the creative mind and the possibilities offered by the medium of radio better than anyone I’ve ever worked with.”

Jane Kennedy: “Brad gave me my first break 30 years ago, introducing me to the guys from Working Dog as well as Mick Molloy. His experience, passion and knowledge of radio is unsurpassed. He genuinely loves the business and has a great eye (and ear) for talent spotting.”

Chloe-Amanda Bailey Seven
Unpacked: Sky News launches first Facebook-exclusive program

• Unpacked premieres Monday 23 September at 5pm only on Facebook Watch

Sky News has announced the launch of its first dedicated social media program Unpacked following the recent content partnership announcement with Facebook.

Premiering on Monday 23 September at 5pm AEST on Facebook Watch the online weeknight program, produced exclusively for Facebook, will take a deep-dive into a major news story each day, speaking with expert guests as well as reporting from the field to provide a unique point of view from everyday Australians on the news making headlines online.

Hosted by former Seven news reporter and senior journalist Chloe-Amanda Bailey (pictured), the program will broadcast out of the custom-made Unpacked studio at Sky News in Sydney.

Chloe-Amanda Bailey said: “I am excited to front Unpacked, an original show unlike anything Sky News has done before. Every weekday we’ll explore one big story that’s trending online – bridging the gap between mainstream news and new media.”

Tim Love, head of digital at Sky News said: “Rather than re-cap the news of the day, we’ll be providing viewers of Unpacked with all the details they didn’t read about or see on a particular story that is being widely discussed and talked about online.

“Unpacked is an upbeat program, appealing to a younger social media focused audience who want to be informed and gain a better understanding of a news topic that has gained traction online.”

The daily program will be produced by Madeleine Hale who will also be reporting from the field to bring the perspective of everyday Australians on the stories that are trending on Facebook.

Podcast Week

• Osher’s #300, First Time live, EY, Frozen Lies

Osher and Audrey introduce baby Wolfie to podcasting

For his milestone 300th episode of The Osher Günsberg Podcast, the host asked his audience who they would like to hear from. “Overwhelming it was [my wife] Audrey,” Günsberg told Mediaweek. “The audience had done the maths and knew the baby would be here by then.”

Off course new baby Wolfgang was present too and he can be heard gurgling in the background – the new Osher offspring’s first media role.

“I get to live with this incredible woman every day and it was wonderful to be able to have her on as my guest where we could talk through the birth experience together. To be able to share the first few seconds of Wolfie’s life with my audience was wonderful.

“300 episodes is a lot of shows and has been a documentation of my life for six years. I am grateful to be part of the podcast scene in Australia. It is still early days as far as market penetration goes and there is nothing but blue sky ahead of us.

Osher and one of his guests on episode 300 (Instagram)

Osher and one of his guests on episode 300 (Instagram)

“I work with a great team at Acast who do a fantastic job bringing it to market. By the time I get to podcast 500, podcasting will be huge.”

Günsberg has always been very forthcoming about his struggles with mental illness and he said the podcasts have been helpful. “Hearing other people’s stories is helpful to me. Sharing my stories does help others according to all the feedback, which makes me feel good.”

He is managing his illness while holding down hosting roles on four primetime TV series and recording two podcasts a week. “I live with obsessive compulsive disorder and I manage it,” he said.

Since episode 300 with his family, Günsberg as also recorded episodes with Rosie Waterland and Grand Designs host Peter Madison.

Listen to the Osher Günsberg podcast here.

The First Time in Sydney

Melbourne-based writer’s podcast The First Time is recording in Sydney on Friday night at Gleebooks in Glebe.

The podcast is hosted by two friends who met at a professional writing course at RMIT – Katherine Collette and Kate Mildenhall. Both published their first novels in the past couple of years. The hosts call it one part reality show, one part writers’ master class. The First Time was shortlisted for Frankie magazine’s Good Stuff Awards.

The event starts at 6pm with recording underway at 6.30pm. RSVP here.

EY podcast promise to help marketers make sense of the ‘noise’

Continual change within the media and marketing landscape is making it exceedingly important for marketing professionals in the sector to continually seek out credible guidance and analysis on how best to build, and brace, for the future, according to EY.

To assist marketing professionals in understanding some of the big issues facing the sector, EY has launched a new podcast, Let’s Talk Marketing. Featuring leading global CMOs, authors, advisors and academics the podcast provides in-depth conversations around highly relevant and pivotal industry topics.

Presented in the style of a fireside chat, the podcast welcomes global marketing experts including authors Seth Godin, Jay Baer and Mitch Joel, Australian CMOs such as Mim Haysom (Suncorp) and Louise Eyres (Sport Australia), and leading MarTech analyst Scott Brinker. The conversations are strategic rather than tactical, aiming to go beyond the quick win headlines and make real sense of the ‘noise’ rattling around the industry.

The series is hosted by Adam Fraser, director, markets & business advisory EY.

Early topics covered on the podcast include marketing technology, customer retention, behavioural economics, blockchain, customer led business transformations, and brand strategy.

Listen to Let’s Talk Marketing here.

Foxtel combo: Crime TV series and podcast

In a new true crime series, investigative journalist Debi Marshall explores one of Australia’s most sensational murders – the case of the Lawyer in the Freezer. But as she searches for the truth, Marshall’s investigation spirals into a web of abductions, serial killings and cover-ups linked to the highest echelons of society.

With far reaching repercussions, including several 30-year court suppression orders being lifted, Debi Marshall Investigates Frozen Lies is a locally produced series premiering exclusively on Foxtel from Tuesday, September 24 – available to stream on demand or watch on Crime + Investigation.

To accompany the series, Foxtel has launched Frozen Lies podcast, which reveals Marshall’s investigative process and additional material to the series, while also following new leads as she chases fresh information, tries to lift further suppression orders, and attempts to bring justice for the victims.

Jim Buchan, Foxtel group general manager, factual, said: “Our latest true crime series is as timely as it is confronting. A seemingly straightforward case that has revealed so much more. We often believe these kinds of shocking crime stories don’t happen here in Australia. By exposing their existence we begin to find a truth in our collective awareness. An awareness that can begin to improve our society and hopefully help in preventing these possibilities reoccurring again.

We’re lucky to have found such an intrepid investigator in Debi Marshall who, having lived and helped solve her own crime story, is driven by a profound sense of the importance of getting justice. Thank you also to our producing partners Media Stockade who’ve done an amazing job, as well Screen Tasmania.

PC1 Healthy Her Column

Australian Survivors Luke Toki's GoFundMe has made over $500k in donations

Australian Survivor: Champions v Contenders 2019 third runner-up Luke Toki has now surpassed the $500,000 prize money won by Sole Survivor Pia Miranda thanks to donations from fans on Go Fund Me.

In the penultimate episode of this year’s season Luke was considered the favourite until he lost an immunity challenge making him vulnerable to elimination, and in an emotional scene on the beach, Luke asked Pia to vote with him for Baden, which would force a tie so the two could battle it out in a fire challenge. Pia was genuinely conflicted and was left to decide whether she would vote with her head or her heart.

At Tribal Council, Luke gave a heartfelt pitch to the tribe for a second chance but in the end, Pia, Harry and Baden all voted for Luke and he became the 21st person voted out of the game.

Following this, a GoFundMe was set up by Dave Skow who wrote on the page:

“Let’s be honest…Luke Toki is the best Australian Survivor contestant, ever.

We first met the FIFO worker from Western Australia two years ago when he made a name for himself as the ‘King of the Jungle’ on the 2017 season of Survivor.

Then this year saw his return as a Champion in the 2019 season. Leaving behind his young family, he had one aim – to take out the title of Sole Survivor and in turn, win $500k to provide a better life for them. 

With two young sons with autism and a baby girl with cystic fibrosis, $500k would be a life changing amount for the Toki’s.

Whilst Luke stumbled near the finish line and was voted out of the top four, true Survivor fans will recognise that he is the greatest Australian player ever to grace our screens. So let’s rally behind this Aussie legend and change this awesome young family’s life.”

The goal was set for $500k (The same amount as the Australian Survivor prize money) and was aimed to help Luke and his family who are dealing with a number of health issues, but Skow has stated that the plan is to go beyond that and raise as much money as possible.

On Tuesday Luke commented on his Instagram account,

“First of all, I would like to say a huge thank you to anyone and everyone who has donated to this 💜
I’m still halfway through my media day and I keep getting updated on the total from each and every radio station which makes me my heartache.

It’s such a hard to post to write as I’m sooo utterly grateful.
I am just sooo thankful to the Australian Survivor gods for taking a shot on me when I first applied in 2017… You have changed my family’s life.”

You can see Luke’s Go Fund Me here.

New Zealand
Amazon Studios to shoot new series based on 'The Lord of the Rings' in NZ

Amazon Studios announced today that its series based on The Lord of the Rings will shoot in Aukland, New Zealand in the coming months. The TV adaptation will explore new storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring.

“As we searched for the location in which we could bring to life the primordial beauty of the Second Age of Middle-earth, we knew we needed to find somewhere majestic, with pristine coasts, forests, and mountains, that also is a home to world-class sets, studios, and highly skilled and experienced craftspeople and other staff” said showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay.

J.A. Bayona will direct the first two episodes of the series as well as produce alongside his partner Belén Atienza.

Executive Producers are Lindsey Weber (10 Cloverfield Lane), Bruce Richmond (Game of Thrones), Gene Kelly (Boardwalk Empire), Sharon Tal Yguado, Gennifer Hutchison (Breaking Bad), Jason Cahill (The Sopranos), and Justin Doble (Stranger Things).

“We are grateful to the people and the government of New Zealand and especially Auckland for supporting us during this pre-production phase. The abundant measure of Kiwi hospitality with which they have welcomed us has already made us feel right at home, and we are looking forward to deepening our partnership in the years to come” said J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay.

New Mediaweek podcasts: Neil, Wendy, Matt and Vanessa + Andrew

After a few days away from the PodcastOne Mediaweek studios, the Mediaweek podcasts have returned in force this week.

The following four podcasts are all ready to be downloaded from PodcastOne or your favourite podcast platform or app.

Listen here.

Neale Whitaker

A judge on The Block takes Mediaweek behind the scenes on the hit show. Neale also previews the new season of LifeStyle’s Love It Or List It with Andrew Winter.

Wendy Moore

The new group GM of Foxtel’s LifeStyle channels talks about her move from magazines to television and the changes at some of Foxtel’s most-watched channels. And will she remain a TV judge with Seven’s House Rules?

Pedestrian.TV

Now a key part of the new-look Pedestrian Group inside Nine Entertainment, CEO Matt Rowley and publisher Vanessa Lawrence talk about what makes Pedestrian.TV unique and they run through all the new brands they are integrating. Will they be full of features about Nine TV shows? Not exactly, they say!

Mercado & Manning

A new and apparently controversial episode of our TV podcast with Andrew Mercado and James Manning. MTV on 10? Not so says Viacom + The Masked Singer, Real Dirty Dancing, Pilot Week and the return of Beverly Hills, 90210.

TV Ratings Analysis: September 18

• Cash crisis on The Block: Kitchen Week impacted as dollars dry up
• Matt decides between Abbie, Chelsie and Helena on The Bachelor

Wednesday Week 38 2019

By James Manning 

• Seven News 980,000/915,000
• Nine News 814,000/862,000
• A Current Affair 752,000
• ABC News 598,000
• 7.30 487,000
• The Project 297,000/512,000
• 10 News First 357,000
• The Drum 168,000
• SBS World News 130,000

Breakfast TV

• Sunrise 280,000
• Today 227,000

Seven

Home and Away has gone from 692,000 and 633,000 to 631,000 on its midweek episode.

Celebrity Chase featured Derryn Hinch back in primetime FTA TV. Also joining him were Lauren Jackson, Anne Edmonds and Joel Creasey with 470,000 watching after 499,000 a week ago.

Another Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions special episode did 331,000.

Nine

A Current Affair went from 791,000 on Tuesday to 752,000 last night. Union boss John Setka was interviewed on the episode.

The Block saw the Blockheads finishing off a special charity renovation before they went to budget meetings were it was revealed the cash is running out during Kitchen Week. The episode did 834,000 after 833,000 on Wednesday last week.

Two episodes of Grand Hotel were moved in favour of the special Queen: Days Of Our Lives with 405,000 watching.

10

The Project did 512,000 with Christopher Pyne joining the desk. Highlight was when he did a cross to Sam Maiden at the Midwinter Ball and a great Pia Miranda interview.

The Bachelor followed with the penultimate episode this season featuring Matt deciding who he would take through to the final episode tonight – Abbie, Chelsie or Helena. Torn between two women who had told him exactly how they felt and one who couldn’t, Matt decided to send Helena home without a rose. The episode did 760,000 after 704,000 last week.

The final episode of My Life Is Murder featured a cracking case that the audience and Alexa Crowe had to solve. Diana Glenn was great as the guest lead and there was a nice cameo from Lawrence Leung. It was one of a handful of episodes writer Tim Pye had worked on along with the team from CJZ led by Claire Tonkin and Nick Murray, working alongside the 10 drama heavy hitters Rick Maier and Sara Richardson. The audience for the season final was 413,000. Because the penultimate episode went to air later last week, it subsequently recorded its biggest BVOD audience of the season.

ABC

Hard Quiz started the midweek comedy festival with 570,000 after 604,000 last week.

Mad As Hell attracted the biggest comedy crowd with 602,000 after 635,000 a week ago.

Utopia was then on 572,000, backing up after 605,000 previously.

The final episode of Diary of an Uber Driver was on 217,000.

SBS

Tony Robinson’s Coast to Coast was navigating the River Thames in the final part of the look at England’s most famous waterway. The audience was 170,000.

The second week of The Looming Tower then did 101,000.

Week 38 TV: Wednesday
WEDNESDAY METRO
ABCSevenNine10SBS
ABC12.5%718.4%920.8%10 14.6%SBS One3.9%
ABC KIDS/ ABC COMEDY2.2%7TWO3.3%GO!2.4%10 Bold4.6%VICELAND0.8%
ABC ME0.6%7mate2.9%GEM2.7%10 Peach2.4%Food Net1.1%
ABC NEWS1.2%7flix2.4%9Life1.9%  NITV0.2%
  7Food0.5%    SBS World Movies0.7%
TOTAL16.5% 27.5% 27.8% 21.6% 6.6%

 

WEDNESDAY REGIONAL
ABCSeven AffiliatesNine Affiliates10 AffiliatesSBS
ABC11.0%719.2%917.1%WIN12.2%SBS One3.6%
ABC KIDS/ ABC COMEDY2.6%7TWO4.2%GO!3.0%WIN Bold5.1%VICELAND1.0%
ABC ME1.1%7mate3.9%GEM4.0%WIN Peach2.3%Food Net0.8%
ABC NEWS1.0%7flix (Excl. Tas/WA)2.7%9Life1.9%Sky News  on WIN2.2%NITV0.2%
  7food (QLD only)0.6%      
TOTAL15.7% 30.7% 26.0% 21.9% 5.7%

 

WEDNESDAY METRO ALL TV
FTASTV
86.4%13.6%
WEDNESDAY FTA
  1. Seven News Seven 980,000
  2. Seven News / Today Tonight Seven 915,000
  3. Nine News 6:30 Nine 862,000
  4. The Block Nine 834,000
  5. Nine News Nine 814,000
  6. The Bachelor Australia 10 760,000
  7. A Current Affair Nine 752,000
  8. Home And Away Seven 631,000
  9. Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell S10 ABC 602,000
  10. ABC News ABC 598,000
  11. Utopia ABC 572,000
  12. Hard Quiz S4 ABC 570,000
  13. The Chase Australia Seven 524,000
  14. The Project 7pm 10 512,000
  15. 7.30 ABC 487,000
  16. The Celebrity Chase Seven 470,000
  17. Hot Seat Nine 461,000
  18. My Life Is Murder 10 413,000
  19. Queen: Days Of Our Lives Nine 405,000
  20. 10 News First 10 357,000
Demo Top 5

16-39 Top Five

  1. The Bachelor Australia 10 277,000
  2. The Block Nine 178,000
  3. The Project 7pm 10 139,000
  4. Utopia ABC 125,000
  5. Home And Away Seven 104,000

 

18-49 Top Five

  1. The Bachelor Australia 10 429,000
  2. The Block Nine 352,000
  3. The Project 7pm 10 244,000
  4. Nine News 6:30 Nine 231,000
  5. Utopia ABC 202,000

 

25-54 Top Five

  1. The Bachelor Australia 10 443,000
  2. The Block Nine 416,000
  3. Nine News 6:30 Nine 290,000
  4. The Project 7pm 10 273,000
  5. Nine News Nine 259,000
WEDNESDAY Multichannel
  1. NCIS: Los Angeles (R) 10 Bold 172,000
  2. NCIS (R) 10 Bold 165,000
  3. Bluey AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 148,000
  4. Floogals ABCKIDS/COMEDY 136,000
  5. NCIS: Los Angeles Ep 2 (R) 10 Bold 133,000
  6. Dinosaur Train ABCKIDS/COMEDY 133,000
  7. Border Security – Australia’s Front Line 7TWO 132,000
  8. Peppa Pig PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 125,000
  9. Peppa Pig AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 124,000
  10. Go Jetters ABCKIDS/COMEDY 124,000
  11. Ben And Holly’s Little Kingdom AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 123,000
  12. Border Security – Australia’s Front Line 7TWO 121,000
  13. Little Princess AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 116,000
  14. Kiri And Lou PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 115,000
  15. Neighbours 10 Peach 115,000
  16. Bondi Rescue Ep 2 (R) 10 Bold 114,000
  17. PJ Masks PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 108,000
  18. Rusty Rivets ABCKIDS/COMEDY 105,000
  19. Pawn Stars PM 7mate 105,000
  20. School Of Roars AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 104,000
WEDNESDAY STV
  1. Gogglebox Australia Lifestyle Channel 156,000
  2. Grand Designs Australia Lifestyle Channel 78,000
  3. Live: AFL 360 FOX FOOTY 73,000
  4. Danny ‘Spud’ Frawley: A Tribute FOX FOOTY 55,000
  5. Richo & Jones Sky News Live 53,000
  6. Blue Bloods TVH!TS 52,000
  7. The Bolt Report Sky News Live 49,000
  8. Paw Patrol Nick Jr. 45,000
  9. Paw Patrol Nick Jr. 45,000
  10. Abby Hatcher Nick Jr. 45,000
  11. Paul Murray Live: In Washington Dc Sky News Live 44,000
  12. Paw Patrol Nick Jr. 43,000
  13. Grand Designs: The Street Lifestyle Channel 41,000
  14. Live: NRL 360 FOX LEAGUE 41,000
  15. Ryan’s Mystery Playdate Nick Jr. 40,000
  16. Butterbean’s Cafe Nick Jr. 40,000
  17. Deadliest Catch Discovery Channel 40,000
  18. Rusty Rivets Nick Jr. 38,000
  19. Live: The Funeral Of Danny Frawley FOX FOOTY 36,000
  20. Blaze And The Monster Machines Nick Jr. 36,000

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

WPP merges public relations agency PPR with BCW

Just days after the exit of its longstanding chief executive Michael Pooley, WPP AUNZ has merged one of Australia’s oldest public relations agencies, PPR, with global agency BCW, reports The Australian’s Zoe Samios.

The merged business, top be known as BCW, would be led by managing director Pamela Klioufis. WPP AUNZ said there would be no redundancies as result of the merger and that the decision to join the businesses was not based on “cost efficiency”.

The latest move also follows the mergers of J. Walter Thompson and Wunderman into a new group known as Wunderman Thompson, as well as the joining of VML and Y & R to form VMLY & R, ahead of the arrival of new WPP AUNZ boss Jens Monsees on 1 October.

[Read the original]

TEG farewells Anton Berezin and Theresa Borg after three years

TEG has announced Anton Berezin and Theresa Borg are departing as the Managing Director and the Creative Director of Life Like Touring and The Entertainment Store, which they founded together 20 years ago.

Geoff Jones, CEO of TEG, paid tribute to Berezin and Borg for a legacy which has helped TEG become Australasia’s leader in live family entertainment and one of the top three businesses of its kind globally in the fields of theatrical and experiential events.

“Both Anton and Theresa have made a huge contribution to the development of the businesses and we are very grateful for their contribution since they joined the TEG family in 2016,” said Jones. He added: “I am delighted that Tess will continue work with TEG as a director and writer on various future projects.”

Berezin said: “Theresa and I have enjoyed this great journey together over the last 20 years. We are grateful to have worked with wonderful colleagues and clients who have become our friends and especially for the contribution of our long-time business partner, Troy Sussman.

“It was always the plan when we joined TEG that we would continue to build the businesses over a three-year period. I have since rediscovered my love of performing and that is where I see my professional future. We leave the business in great hands with TEG and the brilliant, dedicated team at Life Like and The Entertainment Store. I wish Geoff and everyone at TEG all the very best for the future.”

News Brands

Margin Call in Canberra: Midwinter Ball seating guide

In The Australian, Margin Call columnists Will Glasgow and Christine Lacy detailed the seating arrangements at last night’s Midwinter Ball at Parliament House:

Over on the Nine table chief executive Hugh Marks and his government relations exec Clare Gill had a special Liberal guest for the Ball.
Of course they did!

Weeks after the Nine duo hosted Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his cabinet for a Liberal Party fundraiser at the media company’s Willoughby studios, who should they have this time?
Marks went with his buddy from his junior lawyer days, Morrison’s Communications Minister Paul Fletcher.

ABC managing director David Anderson packed his table with staff. Joining Anderson were ABC stars Virginia Trioli, Laura Tingle and Fran Kelly, Aunty executives Gaven Morris, Judith Whelan and Mark Tapley, and ABC boardmate Joe Gersh.

Rival public broadcaster SBS went in the other direction, packing its table with Liberal Immigration Minister David Coleman, Labor’s Linda Burney, and The People’s Jacqui Lambie.

Tanya Plibersek was with the Guardianistas, and Peter Dutton was with Sky News.
Recent press champion Mark Dreyfus joined Campbell Reid on the News Corp table.

[Read the original]

Not everybody was impressed by Margin Call’s reporting though.
The column wrote about an unnamed ABC guest “shouting on her Qantas flight” about the treatment of her ball gown.

New ABC radio host Virginia Trioli posted on social media late last night:

A shoutout to the gorgeous @Qantas staff who looked after me, and a frock, tonight: nobody shouted, nothing was stuffed – except for this bullshit in @australian.

Top Photo: Nine CEO Hugh Marks pictured with the ABC’s Virginia Trioli (Nine News boss Darren Wick looking on)
Source: Nikki Short/The Australian

Scott Morrison's joke falls flat at the Midwinter Ball

This year’s Midwinter Ball was the first time the leaders’ speeches have been placed on the record, after several occasions in prior years when the speeches were leaked, reports The Sydney Morning Herald’s Latika Bourke.

The off-the-record rules were designed to allow working journalists the night off and an opportunity for the leaders to poke fun at themselves and each other.

“It’s on the record, when was it ever not,” Morrison said at one point.

However both leaders steered clear of any overly provocative jokes and delivered largely unfunny speeches.

[Read the original]

Ben Stokes slams tabloid The Sun for reporting on family tragedy

England cricket star Ben Stokes claimed a British newspaper’s front page report about the murder of his brother and sister was “utterly disgusting”, “immoral and heartless”, reports The Australian’s Jacquelin Magnay.

Stokes said the article dealt with deeply personal and traumatic events more than 30 years ago and he has ignited a debate about media ethics, insisting his name has been used as an excuse to shatter the privacy and private lives of his parents.

“It is hard to find words that adequately describe such low and despicable behaviour, disguised as journalism,” Stokes said.

The furore erupted after the Sun newspaper ran an exclusive front-page story about the tragedy surrounding the double murder of Stoke’s half-sister Tracey, aged eight and his half-brother Andrew, four, that happened three years before Stokes was born.

The tragedy was extensively covered in New Zealand media at the time.

[Read the original]

Podcasting

Jan Fran to host ABC’s OzPod 2019 Melbourne conference

The ABC has announced Jan Fran as the host of this year’s OzPod conference. The journalist and presenter is the host of Sexism in the City and co-host of The Few Who Do and will bring her industry know-how and quick wit to the day.

Newly announced speakers include Marlee Silva, whose grassroots social media movement to empower Indigenous women led to the Tiddas 4 Tiddas podcast. Silva will join Marc Fennell, Download this Show and The Few Who Do and Sam Loy Human/Ordinary to discuss how to take your podcast from an idea to the listeners’ ears.

Monique Bowley, executive producer with ABC Audio Studios behind hit shows including The Pineapple Project and Fierce Girls, who previously helped build the Mamamia podcast network, will share her insider knowledge on how to perfect your podcast pitch.

Ange Lavoipierre of ABC’s The Signal, Elizabeth Kulas, 7am and Laura Murphy-Oates, 2018 Walkley Young Journalist of the Year and host of the soon to be launched Guardian Australia news podcast will debate what it takes to make a successful news podcast and how the medium is changing the way we digest the news.

EVENT DETAILS

OzPod 2019 Conference
Thursday 3rd October
The Arts Centre, Melbourne

Pocket Casts has long been podcast users' favourite app; now it's free

Pocket Casts has long been our favourite way to find, subscribe and listen to podcasts, reports The Age’s Peter Wells.

The app, available on Android, iPhones and the web, is simple enough for first-time listeners to get started, while still giving podcast power-users the ability to tweak every setting. For almost a decade, Pocket Casts charged a small fee for its apps, but starting from today those apps are free.

All the current features of the mobile apps, including variable playback speeds, smart filters and sync between devices are available for free, and Pocket Casts has even added a new feature for this release, the ability to sideload any audio or video files into the app, to take advantage of its smart playback controls.

Pocket Casts, created by a couple of podcast fans in Adelaide, started life as an independent alternative to Apple’s podcast ecosystem. The app was the first to offer a truly mobile podcast experience, allowing its users to download episodes directly to a phone, rather than syncing over iTunes.

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Television

Waleed Aly leads tributes to TV producer Carla Bellomarino, dead at 29

Australia’s television industry is in mourning following the sudden death of a young TV producer who was set to “dominate the industry”, reports news.com.au’s Nick Bond.

The Project host Waleed Aly led the flow of tributes during Tuesday night’s episode, announcing the death of “a friend and colleague”, Carla Bellomarino, aged just 29.

Aly said he was “devastated” to announce Bellomarino had passed away in the early hours of Saturday after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest.

“She was only 29 years old. She worked at The Project with us in several departments over several years – she was a massive part of our team,” said Aly as photos of Bellomarino flashed on screen.

“She was full of life, she was a go-getter, she was going to dominate the television industry, there’s no doubt about that. But more importantly, she was hilarious, she was extraordinarily kind, she was always happy, she smiled easily. It was a genuine pleasure to be around her at every moment. So everyone here at The Project sends their condolences to her parents Vita and Frank and her twin sister Lucy. We want her family to know that we will definitely remember her.”

As will many others – The Block judge Shaynna Blaze shared her own memories of Bellomarino when The Project’s tribute was posted online.

“Thank you so much for your beautiful words about Carla. I worked with her many years at 9 and she as you said was lively, fun and just incredible at what she did. Will be so sadly missed,” she wrote.

Photo: Bellomarino with stars of Suits when they visited The Project

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From Disney+ to Apple TV+: How the streaming war will be won

The next wave of streaming service launches will push the number of global video subscriptions to nearly 1 billion in the next five years, writes Simon Murray in The Hollywood Reporter.

That’s a remarkable number considering streaming video barely existed a decade ago. But despite the plethora of options, just four platforms – Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV+ – will hold nearly half of global subscriptions by 2024, according to my analysis at Digital TV Research.

Though Netflix and Disney+ are often pitted against each other in conversations about the race for subscribers, it’s not those companies that need to worry. Both offerings can and likely will thrive without one snatching subscribers from the other. Netflix is augmenting its current subscriber base in emerging markets whereas Disney will push forward through its global brand recognition and the depth of its content library. It’s the smaller players that will need to change their strategies to compete on a global level.

Disney+, which launches Nov. 12, will have 82 million subscribers around the world by 2024, according to my forecasts.

Disney+ will be bundled with Disney’s Hulu and ESPN+ for $13 per month, a $5 discount compared with what it would cost to sign up for each of these platforms separately.

I expect this strong push to give Disney+ 29 million U.S. subscribers within five years, a quarter of all U.S. subscription additions forecast during the period. Internationally, where Hulu and ESPN+ do not operate, Disney will need to rely more on its brand, robust content slate and lower price to attract subscribers. But the global market is becoming increasingly important to a streamer’s long-term ability to succeed, and international subscribers will make up a projected 65 percent of its subscriber base by 2024.

Simon Murray is the founder of U.K. media analysis firm Digital TV Research.

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