Friday September 7, 2018
Google Australia promotes Mel Silva as new MD, replacing Jason Pellegrino
Silva has been with the tech giant for over a decade and has held a number of roles in this time. She joined the company from Fairfax Media in 2007 as the industry marketing manager for finance. Most recently, Silva was Google’s MD for Go To Market Strategy and Operations for the APAC region.
Silva said: “There is a tremendous digital opportunity for the region, with businesses and consumers increasingly making use of tools such as AI and machine learning. During my time in APAC, it’s been wonderful to see and share stories of the innovations coming out of Australia and New Zealand, and I can’t wait to come back and work with our partners and clients to help them innovate, grow and succeed.”
Google’s president of Asia Pacific, Karim Temsamani, said: “I am delighted that Mel will be leading our business in Australia and New Zealand. She is an exceptional leader who really knows how to bring the best out of people and has a thorough understanding of our partners’ needs.
“Through her extensive Google experience, she has built an in-depth knowledge of the region, which makes her perfectly placed to continue to develop our engagement with consumers and businesses across Australia and New Zealand.”
Sydney Radio Wrap Day 5: Sky Sports Radio and Macquarie Sports Radio
Radio metro market reviews: Week 1 Sydney
Sky Sports Radio 10+ 1.4%, Breakfast 1.6%
Cume audience: 10+ 108,000, Breakfast 66,000
Sky Sports Radio has been Sydney’s sports specialist for many years. It starts its day with an all-sport breakfast show before then devoting the remainder of the day to coverage of thoroughbred racing. The breakfast show used to be hosted by Terry Kennedy with Michael Slater. However, these days it is Kennedy with Laurie Daley and as well as delivering a comprehensive sports roundup, the two have a lot of fun. The program is also simulcast on Foxtel via Sky Racing 1. There is lots to like about the program including the regular appearances of The SMH’s Andrew Webster.
Although niche, the station still has a decent reach to sports fans.
The current share of 1.4% 10+ is its best in over three years. The breakfast show peak in the past three years was 1.9%, so it is not far below its best at present.
Macquarie Sports Radio 10+ 0.6, Breakfast 0.6
Cume audience: 10+ 126,000, Breakfast 45,000
The recently rebranded TalkingLifestyle was the recently rebranded 2UE. It’s still early days for the format, which is just six months in and already on its second breakfast show lineup.
The new format launched with John Stanley and Beau Ryan. They were later swapped out with the current hosts – Mark Levy and Mark Riddell. Fans of the English Premier League are in luck with the coverage of the weekend matches live via a deal with TalkSport. The station will also cover the final Bledisloe test match this weekend.
However, the network of stations along the east coast is pinning its hopes on live coverage of the summer of cricket with much of the summer devoted to Test matches and the Big Bash League.
After the GfK survey 5 results, Macquarie Media CEO Adam Lang said:
“Our new national sports network, Macquarie Sports Radio, launched on Wednesday April 4. Our Breakfast show with Mark Levy and Mark Riddell has only been on air for a month but is already seeing a terrific response from listeners, both on the open line and online. Drive with David Schwarz and Mark Allen (Monday to Friday 4pm-7pm) is also proving to be a great example of entertaining a network audience.”
See also from this week:
Mediaweek radio wrap: Sydney leaders 2GB and WSFM
Mediaweek radio wrap: Nova Entertainment’s powerful double
Mediaweek radio wrap: KIIS 106.5 and Triple M
Mediaweek Radio Wrap Day 4: 2CH and 2Day FM
Podcast Week: The Howie Games, Cryptocurrency & Rosie Waterland
“The interview ran for over 20 minutes, but because of the time constraints on modern sports television we were only able to screen about five minutes of it,” Howard recalled to Mediaweek.
“I was very frustrated and told a mate there is close to 20 minutes of Lewis Hamilton that no one will ever see. He told me I should do podcasts with the people I get to chat with. Can you believe just two years ago I actually said to him, ‘What’s a podcast?’”
Howard knows all about a podcast these days.
The Howie Games has extended his relationship with PodcastOne in a new long-term agreement after more than 9.5 million downloads in his first year on the platform.
The first podcast Howard ever did was with AFL commentator Dennis Cometti before a game of Friday night football. “I remember deciding on the podcast name in a rush. I was surfing in the morning and was worried about what I would call the podcast when I interviewed Dennis. I had to come up with a name and that was it. I maybe should have given it a bit more time.” [Laughs]
The first podcast he released, however, was an interview with Adam Gilchrist. Signing with PodcastOne makes sense for Howard as he’s been part of the wider SCA family for some time, working on sport at Triple M for close to eight years.
“I was working with a guy called Michael James, who was also working at Triple M, and we did the podcast by ourselves for a year, which was a fantastic learning experience. We initially had no idea what we were doing and we had to produce it, publish it and then market it.
“A year ago PodcastOne came to us and asked if we’d be interested in joining its platform. Hopefully it’s been beneficial to both parties.”
Howard had to think hard about naming his favourite interview so far. “The one that probably made the biggest impression on me was an interview with Ricky Ponting before a Big Bash game last year. [Ponting and Howard were both working on TEN’s coverage of the sport.]
“He recounted the story of one of his children being pretty crook and he started crying. I grew up thinking Ricky Ponting was the toughest man in the world and to see him shed a tear as an emotional father sat with me a fair bit.
“The podcast out of the 50+ so far I most recommend to people is Jack Jones. He is now a 90+ former footballer who played for Essendon and helped them win premierships in the VFL. Before that he fought in Papua New Guinea and his recounting of the war is fascinating. He’s someone the average sports fan would have never heard of.”
Like many podcasters, Howie doesn’t over-prep and write questions down. “I would rather react to what people are telling me than be thinking about the next question.”
One of his longer interviews was with Aussie F1 driver Mark Webber, which went for two hours and was published as two parts. “There’s also an upcoming one with [Aussie NFL star] Ben Graham that is also two hours and we will publish as two parts.
“The best part of the process is chatting to these people and when you are speaking with Mark Webber and he’s happy to keep going I don’t want to stop him.”
Howard is one of the busiest people in sports media with AFL commitments with Triple M and a new cricket deal with Fox Cricket. However, he noted recording podcasts is the favourite of all his media work. “The world of the long-form conversation has started to disappear in my world.”
When Howard finished talking to Mediaweek he was off to speak to new Australian cricket coach Justin Langer.
Listen to The Howie Games here.
Cryptonomics
One of the more rewarding podcasts you could listen to is one from futurist Mark Pesce, who breaks down the cyptocurrency industry.
“We are about explaining cryptocurrencies and blockchains, and the technology that sits beneath them, in ways that average people understand,” he told Mediaweek.
“So when people see these things or are offered an investment, which is happening more and more, they have the tools to be able to understand – is this real, is this wise – and ask does this work?
“More and more of our personal data will be stored in blockchains and people will understand what that means. We are touching on the way that individuals will be impacted, not just by the financial system.”
Pesce said blockchains are the next big thing in accounting. “In a recent episode we did the history of 6,000 years of keeping track of things. People used to use clay tablets and then much later dual entry bookkeeping. The blockchain is the next big invention in accounting. It is a really good way to do secure accounting. And people are finding a lot of uses for that.”
Pecse reinforced that listeners don’t need any specialist knowledge before listening. “This is for everyone. We designed it so that anyone with any level of knowledge will be able to get a better understanding.
“People think they might need specialist knowledge and have to be an insider. We are saying that is not the case. We think it is important for everyone to learn.”
Every episode features a specialist interview. In episode one that was with Mark Jeffrey, an early proponent of bitcoin. “He tells us how he found out about it and where he thinks it is going.
“The second episode features Ron Tucker, who is the head of the digital currency association of Australia. He also set up the first bitcoin trading exchange.
“One of the points I wanted to make was that, when there is a gold rush on, it is the people who are selling the picks who are making the money.”
One of the big questions Pesce addresses in a recent episode is why these currencies have value. “People need to be able to assess it and explore why it is valuable and answer why they would want it.”
A final message for Mediaweek readers dabbling in bitcoin: “The old-fashioned rules of investing apply. If you don’t understand it, don’t invest in it. It’s just common sense but it’s amazing how few people are saying that.”
Podcast recommendation: Mum Says My Memoir is a Lie
Imagine growing up with mentally ill, drug and alcohol-addicted parents, writing a memoir about all the crazy things that happened and then when your mum gets sober she insists the memoir is a lie.
That is exactly what Rosie Waterland’s ACRA-nominated podcast is about and it is hilarious, and hard to stop listening to.
Rosie revises her memoir about her troubled childhood with her mother for the first time, in real time, on the podcast, and her mum chimes in to correct the facts in it. Quite often the truth is much more bizarre than Rosie’s version in the memoir!
Each episode of the podcast corresponds with one chapter of the book and allows Rosie and her mum to revisit the past and gradually rebuild their relationship now that Rosie’s mum is in her longest period of sobriety in Rosie’s memory.
Listen to My Mum Says My Memoir Is A Lie here.
SBS News refresh: Digital shifts changing political news operations
By Sam Caldwell
Graduating from his SBS cadetship at the end of 2016, Elton-Pym joined the Canberra team with a focus on radio, filling the shoes of the late and well-respected Amanda Cavill. Developing more cross-platform capabilities, he now files for SBS’s recently redesigned SBS News website.
We’re speaking at SBS’s narrow office in the press gallery, on the second floor of Parliament House.
“SBS still has a very proud ongoing and radio output… it’s still at the heart of how we reach our 68 foreign language groups.”
But audiences are increasingly expecting their news online. SBS News’s recent TV bulletin refresh has been paired with a new-look website and a new mobile app.
Brett Mason, SBS’s chief political correspondent, notes how the delivery of news has evolved to meet the needs and changing audience consumption habits.
“SBS has embraced the opportunities afforded by technology and while we’ve long been recognised for our nightly 6.30pm news, over the last 18 months, we’ve seen notable success with our digital-first model, where we’re breaking political stories online as a standard.
“The multiskilled bureau is delivering across platforms and formats, with digital stories regularly engaging thousands of Australians.
“To build on this audience appetite, we appointed a dedicated online journalist in James, whose focus is to bolster the team’s output of digital stories throughout the day,” he adds.
Elton-Pym explains the shift to digital has given him the chance to delve deeper into areas of immigration and cybersecurity.
“We’re breaking more of our own exclusives, particularly in the immigration space. Working alongside SBS’s Investigative Unit, we’ve reported a range of stories specifically around changes to visa policy,” he says.
“Take the Budget lockup – hundreds of reporters locked in a room for eight hours with thousands of pages of treasury papers. We came out of the lockup with five stories on immigration that were barely touched by anyone else.
“It’s amazing how well these stories do online. It’s like the antidote to clickbait. When you cover your patch really well, the audience takes note.”
The emphasis on digital has changed the breaking news game too.
“That’s why you can’t just hit publish and let your story live its life online. You can’t be too reactive but you do have to keep tabs on your stories and update them when you need to. If you don’t do it properly, you can risk accusations of bias.”
The SBS News refresh
SBS News underwent a major facelift in December last year, which included a major set refresh, a graphic rebrand, a new website and an app.
MORE: New app, new graphic and new set for SBS News
“It is a nice big studio space and we wanted to give it some depth and it is the trend in Europe and the US that has been well-received by audiences,” SBS director of news and current affairs Jim Carroll told Mediaweek’s James Manning at the time.
SBS also has a big ambition for video online, Elton-Pym said.
“Pretty much every political story that I file has got a video element to it these days. Sometimes it’s a quick grab from a politician, sometimes it’s an animation that explains some political issue, but almost everything is multimedia in some way now.”
Working at the press gallery
“The press gallery has got this surprising camaraderie about it even though it is so competitive. We divide up filming jobs with some other broadcasters and we share a lot of it – there’s just too much going on around the building for any one network to cover,” Elton-Pym says.
He says some of the newsrooms have shrunk, especially the newspapers. But there are relatively new players in the gallery too. BuzzFeed moved in next to SBS’s radio office a couple of years ago.
Being a young reporter in 2018
James got his start in journalism working in Laos as a reporter, subeditor and freelance video-journalist before he finished his degree at UTS.
“That sort of got me into the craft of being a journalist,” he says. “Came back, finished my degree, did a whole bunch of internships with all sorts of different publishers – News Corp, The Guardian, Al Jazeera, Fairfax, you name it.
“There are few ways a young reporter can actually learn how to be a reporter. And they’re internships, basically. And even though it sucks, and it’s like ‘oh, a chance to do free work!’, in reality I was definitely an imposition on the first newspapers that took me in.
“But there are very few of those roles now, even since a couple of years ago. I started in local suburban newspapers… but the first one that gave me an internship in a newsroom doesn’t exit any more.
“It’s more of a shame for their readers who are missing out, but it is a shame for young journalists too.”
ABC launches Media Literacy Week to educate consumers about fake news
The week-long program will run September 10-16.
This announcement follows new research by the ABC and University of Tasmania showing one in four teachers feels unable to help students distinguish between fake news and trustworthy news.
Dr. Claire Wardle
ABC head of Education Annabel Astbury said: “The ABC’s Media Literacy Week is a comprehensive survival guide, ensuring all Australians can navigate news, opinion and information. In a world where fake news and misinformation are rife, the ABC is best-placed to help Australians sort truth from fiction.”
Headlining Media Literacy Week is the Navigating the News Conference on September 10-11. It will explore the issue of declining trust in journalism and the need for better media literacy.
ABC Education has created a suite of resources aligned with the curriculum to help students understand and analyse news and information, including a News Diet challenge, media literacy interactives and videos of journalists explaining concepts such as bias and sources.
The ABC News Media Literacy Week website features articles examining issues such as fact checking, deepfakes and the weaponisation of social media, along with video explainers, tips and quizzes to immunise people against dodgy information.
ABC Radio content will include interviews with key speakers from the Navigating the News Conference such as Dr Claire Wardle, a global expert on truth in the digital age. Some of the conference sessions will also be broadcast on the ABC News channel and iview.
For more information visit abc.net.au/medialiteracyweek.
Andrew Mercado on TV: Foxtel’s fabulous new dramas on politics, prostitution, police & porn
Most people don’t join a streaming service to watch one movie – but they will sign up to watch a buzzworthy TV series. Foxtel’s movie library is streets ahead of its competitors, but it’s smarter to promise a new drama every week. And next week, they have not one, but two absolute scorchers.
Before that though, an admission that may confirm your worst suspicions about me – I don’t think The Wire is the greatest TV series ever made. In fact, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t even finish it. Yawn. The only thing I ever want to see set in Baltimore again is a John Waters movie.
The creator of The Wire, David Simon, has since made several other acclaimed TV series, none of which I could stick with either. So it is a relief that the only series from him I would call a masterpiece is one about hand relief. The Deuce is set in New York in the late 1970s, and it starts its second season next week on showcase. It’s about politics, prostitution and the police, and particularly how the burgeoning porn industry empowers some working girls at the expense of their pimps. The opening scene sets the mood for this season, as Candy (Maggie Gyllenhaal) strolls through the snow and up into a pumping disco. Wow!
The Deuce airs straight after the premiere of Pose, another new drama from Ryan Murphy. It’s also set in New York, but a decade later, and it’s about a group of trans women and their hangers-on. Possibly inspired by RuPaul’s Drag Race, but with even more “sashay”, this show barrels down the runway into even darker territory than The Deuce.
POSE — Pictured: Angelica Ross as Candy. CR: Pari Dukovic/FX
At one point, a character remarks that they are the most marginalised group in society, and it’s hard to disagree. They are poor, black and Latino, considered by many, even most gays from that era, as freaks, and let’s not forget being HIV positive during the worst days of AIDS. Luckily, they can still dance and look fabulous, and the drag balls on show here are stunning to watch.
Pose has been acclaimed for its authenticity in casting the largest ever group of transgender actors. Maybe our new Prime Minister should watch, given he just tweeted about “gender whisperers”, a tabloid beat-up right up there with the best of them. Pose may show ScoMo that life is indeed about “having a go”, but even more so when the odds are stacked against you. As “house mother” Blanca (Mj Rodriguez) puts it, “Life comes for all of us. And it comes hardest for the ones who think they’re above it all.”
From TV to talkback – NewstalkZB’s Heather du Plessis-Allan
By John Drinnan
Twelve years later – and after a stint co-hosting the TV3 7pm current affairs show Story – du Plessis-Allan is a columnist in the Herald On Sunday and talkback host on NewstalkZB in Wellington.
She is 33 and from the same generation as Jacinda Ardern. There are plenty of thirty-something female reporters, but she is a youngster in the Kiwi media commentariat. She moved to New Zealand from South Africa at 12. On-air, she developed a reputation for being in your face. The word “feisty” springs to mind. She had a slow rise as political reporter at TVNZ.
“I never really fitted the mould of a female broadcaster – gentle and maternal, with lovely feminine qualities,” she told Mediaweek.
“I think I was hired as a bloke,” she added with a laugh.
After three years in the press gallery for TVNZ she had an 18-month run at TV3’s 7pm show Story in 2015 and 2016, co-hosting with Duncan Garner. Story was replaced by much lighter The Project run by Entertainment. Story was run by News.
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This is an excerpt from the full article, which appears on Mediaweek Premium. Read the full article here or subscribe to Mediaweek Premium here.
Mediaweek New Zealand: Googlebox NZ, Bake Off & Runway all launching
News brand readership
NZME is promoting Nielsen readership figures for the third quarter of 2017, with good year-on-year growth. The New Zealand Herald increased readership by 23,000, with the average issue read by 453,000. The Herald on Sunday remains the most-read paper on Sunday, 89,000 more than Stuff’s Sunday Star-Times. On average, people spend 49 minutes with the Weekend Herald and 43 minutes with Herald on Sunday.
Bake Off & Project Runway launching
TVNZ is investing in reality TV. Rival MediaWorks has made reality front and centre in its strategy with The Block, Married At First Sight and Dancing With The Stars. But TVNZ is also investing heavily. It is about to launch three reality shows. They include series six for the NZ version of My Kitchen Rules, which last year was up against Married At First Sight and beat it five nights out of seven. TVNZ is also running the first series of The Great Kiwi Bake Off. Start dates are not yet scheduled. The first Project Runway NZ launches on October 1.
Arden retains Curran in portfolio
Jacinda Ardern’s decision to keep Clare Curran as broadcasting minister after transparency breaches caused rumbles in the media sector. Curran – who was also minister of open government – was demoted out of cabinet for failing to declare a meeting with Derek Handley, who was a candidate for a role as new chief technology officer. Handley is a director of Sky TV. Curran’s breach is similar to her private meeting with the news boss at Radio New Zealand, Carol Hirschfeld, who left RNZ amidst the controversy. Handley is reported to be a favourite for the CTO role and that attracted negative comment from the IT sector.
PHD leader steps down
Media buying identity Louise Bond has signed as CEO of high-profile media agency PHD, but will continue be chairman. In 1999 Bond had launched the media independent Spark before it merged with PHD. No replacement CEO has yet been named.
Newshub attracts legal action
Hawke’s Bay locals have launched a defamation claim against Newshub over articles published in January. The move follows a Broadcasting Standards Authority decision that upheld their complaints about two items relating to the launch of rockets at a launch site in Mahia, on the East Coast. MediaWorks has been fined and ordered to address the breach on its 6pm news bulletin. Complainants said in a statement the BSA decision would be a case study for dangers of media relying on social media to form the basis of news stories.
Creative agency loses boss
FCB chief creative officer James Mok has stepped down after 14 years to be a consultant. Mok has long been a key player in the Kiwi creative sector and is credited a popular “Sandpit” ad for Mitre 10. Mok joins a number of senior staff, including CEO Dan Martin, who have left the agency in the past year.
IABNZ winner revealed
The IABNZ Awards were announced this week with the Grand Prix award going to Charlotte Startin of NZME. Acquire Online was named Digital Agency Of The Year and Trading Desk of the Year.
Gogglebox launching on Three
The new NZ version of the UK format Gogglebox will premiere on Wednesday September 19 at 8.30pm on Three and then on ThreeNow. Each week the cameras will be rolling on a bunch of ordinary Kiwi households, capturing their laughs, cries, cringes, bickering and unpredictable commentary as they watch a selection of telly from the week gone by. Gogglebox NZ will make New Zealand the 35th territory to produce a localised version of the BAFTA award-winning international format. The New Zealand households featuring in the series include golden oldies Maureen (73), Myrtle (84) and Sybil (91), firm friends who met when they moved into the same retirement village. Quantity surveyor Andrew “Andy” (34) and truck driver / jack-of-all-trades Hamish “Hamo” (35) are best mates and true Kiwi lads. The close-knit Mizsey (pronounced Mizzay) extended family includes matriarch Lee (52) and husband George (62) with a total of 11 children in their blended family – only Quentin “Q” (30) and Navaho (22) live at home. Also there are Hilary “Hilz” King (67) and Mary Irwin (69), who live with their 13-year-old brussels griffon, Tebo. Gogglebox NZ will be produced by Satellite Media and Motion Content Group for Three.
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Top Photo: The Mizsey family on Gogglebox NZ
TV Ratings Analysis: September 7
By Kruti Joshi
Seven
Seven had the winning primary share of 20.3% last night. This was helped by its primetime news bulletin, which was the most-watched program on the channel. It had 881,000 people tuning in.
The first AFL match between Richmond and Hawthorn was in the top five shows on Thursday. The game had 874,000 people watching Richmond win at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The pre-match and post-match programs had 450,000 and 417,000 tuning in.
The Chase Australia was the only other Seven show to make the top 10 with 506,000.
Nine
Its news and current affairs show were the top performers. Nine News had 892,000 people watching and was the second-most watched program on free-to-air last night.
A Current Affair did 650,000.
Hot Seat hosted by Eddie McGuire was the broadcaster’s most-watched non-news show with 483,000. It ranked #11.
Nine’s primary share should lift tonight and over the weekend with the first week of the final rounds kicking off (see details above).
TEN
It was a good night for the channel with The Bachelor Australia and Gogglebox. TEN recorded a primary share of 18.5%, ahead of Nine on 13.5% and behind Seven on 25.5%.
The drama on The Bachelor Australia saw participants Cat, Romy and Alisha asked to leave by Bachelor Nick Cummins. The trio were much talked-about this season for reportedly stirring the pot. The show had 899,000 watching and ranked #1 on Thursday.
Gogglebox Australia was the seventh-most watched show of the night with 774,000 watching.
ABC
The News was its best performer on 612,000. 7.30 was watched by 464,000.
Grand Designs Australia was the ABC’s highest-ranking non-news show at #14 and attracted an audience of 447,000.
Week 36 TV: Thursday
| THURSDAY METRO | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Seven | Nine | Ten | SBS | |||||
| ABC | 9.8% | 7 | 25.5% | 9 | 13.5% | TEN | 18.5% | SBS One | 4.7% |
| ABC 2 | 2.3% | 7TWO | 4.4% | GO! | 2.8% | ONE | 2.3% | VICELAND | 0.8% |
| ABC ME | 0.5% | 7mate | 5.0% | GEM | 1.4% | ELEVEN | 2.1% | Food Net | 0.7% |
| ABC NEWS | 1.5% | 7flix | 2.5% | 9Life | 1.7% | NITV | 0.1% | ||
| TOTAL | 14.1% | 37.4% | 19.3% | 22.9% | 6.3% | ||||
| THURSDAY REGIONAL | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Seven Affiliates | Nine Affiliates | Ten Affiliates | SBS | |||||
| ABC | 9.9% | 7 | 19.4% | 9 | 13.5% | WIN | 15.9% | SBS One | 3.9% |
| ABC 2 | 3.6% | 7TWO | 7.7% | GO! | 4.1% | ONE | 2.7% | VICELAND | 0.9% |
| ABC ME | 0.7% | 7mate | 5.3% | GEM | 3.4% | ELEVEN | 1.6% | Food Net | 0.7% |
| ABC NEWS | 1.7% | 7flix | 2.3% | 9Life | 1.8% | Sky News on WIN | 0.9% | NITV | 0.1% |
| TOTAL | 15.9% | 34.7% | 22.8% | 21.1% | 5.6% | ||||
| THURSDAY METRO ALL TV | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTA | STV | ||||||||
| 82.1% | 17.9% | ||||||||
THURSDAY FTA
- The Bachelor Australia Ten 899,000
- Nine News Nine 892,000
- Seven News Seven 881,000
- Seven’s AFL: Thursday Night Football Seven 874,000
- Nine News 6:30 Nine 855,000
- Seven News / Today Tonight Seven 806,000
- Gogglebox Ten 774,000
- A Current Affair Nine 650,000
- ABC News ABC 612,000
- The Chase Australia Seven 506,000
- Hot Seat Nine 483,000
- 7.30 ABC 464,000
- Seven’s AFL: Thursday Night Football – Pre Match Seven 450,000
- Grand Designs Australia ABC 447,000
- The Project 7 PM Ten 447,000
- Seven’s AFL: Thursday Night Football – Post Match Seven 417,000
- Home And Away Seven 400,000
- Ten Eyewitness News First At Five Ten 396,000
- Driving Test Nine 394,000
- RBT Nine 352,000
Demo Top Fives
16-39 Top 5
- The Bachelor Australia Ten 380,000
- Gogglebox Ten 273,000
- Seven’s AFL: Thursday Night Football Seven 202,000
- The Project 7 PM Ten 128,000
- Nine News Nine 122,000
18-49 Top 5
- The Bachelor Australia Ten 532,000
- Gogglebox Ten 417,000
- Seven’s AFL: Thursday Night Football Seven 346,000
- Nine News Nine 218,000
- The Project 7 PM Ten 202,000
25-54 Top 5
- The Bachelor Australia Ten 521,000
- Gogglebox Ten 422,000
- Seven’s AFL: Thursday Night Football Seven 376,000
- Nine News Nine 259,000
- Nine News 6:30 Nine 255,000
THURSDAY Multichannel
- Seven’s AFL: Thursday Night Football 7mate 184,000
- Peppa Pig AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 183,000
- Father Brown- PM 7TWO 181,000
- Charlie And Lola AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 170,000
- Go Jetters AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 165,000
- Peter Rabbit ABCKIDS/COMEDY 164,000
- Noddy Toyland Detective- PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 162,000
- Peppa Pig- PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 159,000
- Kiddets AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 156,000
- Octonauts ABCKIDS/COMEDY 156,000
- Little Roy- PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 152,000
- Fireman Sam- PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 150,000
- Murdoch Mysteries- PM 7TWO 149,000
- The Big Bang Theory Tx2 9GO! 148,000
- Brewster The Rooster AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 146,000
- Hey Duggee- PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 146,000
- Play School AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 145,000
- The Big Bang Theory Tx1 9GO! 142,000
- Becca’s Bunch AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 140,000
- Pj Masks- PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 139,000
THURSDAY Subscription TV
- Live: AFL Qualifying Final 1, Rich V Haw FOX FOOTY 420,000
- Live: AFL: Thursday Footy On Fox FOX FOOTY 119,000
- Live: AFL: Thursday Night Footy On Fox FOX FOOTY 105,000
- Live: Sportscenter ESPN 83,000
- Live: Tennis: Us Open ESPN 60,000
- Live: The Late Show With Matty Johns FOX LEAGUE 57,000
- Credlin Sky News Live 53,000
- Paul Murray Live Sky News Live 53,000
- The Bolt Report Sky News Live 49,000
- Live: NRL 360 FOX LEAGUE 49,000
- Unforgotten BBC First 45,000
- Outsiders Sky News Live 44,000
- Peppa Pig Nick Jr. 40,000
- As Time Goes By FOX Classics 40,000
- Peppa Pig Nick Jr. 38,000
- Curious George Nick Jr. 38,000
- Criminal Minds TVH!TS 35,000
- PM l Overtime Sky News Live 35,000
- The Day Henry Met Nick Jr. 34,000
- Family Guy FOX8 34,000
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
Amazon gains $US500bn as Facebook friends fade away
This time a year ago, Facebook and Amazon were neck and neck in terms of market value (like they were for the better part of the preceding four years).
Then a gap between the two opened up. And it has progressively widened ever since. It now stands at more than US$500 billion (A$694 billion).
Amazon this week became the second trillion dollar company (in US dollars) on the planet, following Apple which reached the milestone in August.
Meanwhile, Facebook fell into bear market territory – its shares are down more than 20% since late July – with myriad scandals still swirling around the social platform, and fresh signs that users are moving away from it.
Facebook has contended with data privacy scandals, US lawmaker scrutiny and slowing user growth in 2018. Yet the social network’s shrinking margins are giving investors the most pause, report Jeran Wittenstein and Sarah Frier in The AFR.
As the internet giant’s shares continue to languish in the aftermath of its US$121 billion one-day rout in July, Facebook will need to show that it can jump-start earnings growth to restore faith with investors who have been reluctant to buy, analysts and shareholders say.
“Facebook hasn’t built confidence in anybody,” Ross Gerber, chief executive officer of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management, said by phone. “They’ve done a very poor job at dealing with problems.”
Facebook, Twitter execs pledge action on foreign meddling
Facebook’s No. 2 executive, Sheryl Sandberg, and Twitter’s CEO, Jack Dorsey, testified before the Senate intelligence committee, but there was an empty chair for Google’s parent Alphabet, which refused to send its top executive.
Senators had sharp words for Alphabet CEO Larry Page, who oversees Google. Senator Marco Rubio suggested the company might have bailed because it was “arrogant” while Senator Susan Collins expressed outrage over the absence.
The United States could follow Australia’s example with a probe into the negative impact Facebook, Google and Twitter are having on competition, reports Max Mason in The AFR.
The US Department of Justice has raised the idea of investigating how Facebook, Google and Twitter are impacting free speech and competition. However, it did not elaborate beyond noting Attorney General Jeff Sessions will meet with his state counterparts to discuss the issue.
The trio are already the main focus of a world-first investigation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in its Digital Platforms Inquiry.
US Attorney General Jeff Sessions plans to gather the country’s state attorneys generals to discuss whether social media giants may be harming competition and “intentionally stifling” certain viewpoints, stepping up pressure on the platforms over alleged anticonservative bias.
The Justice Department raised the prospect of a possible investigation just as Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey were wrapping up morning testimony about protecting their platforms from foreign influence.
In the Senate hearing, they expressed contrition for allowing their platforms to be abused in the past while pledging to make protecting their systems during the 2018 midterm elections a priority.
A new Spotify initiative makes the big record labels nervous
Almost every artist today who reaches the top of the charts – whether Kanye or Adele, Beyoncé or Drake – has gotten there with help from one of the three conglomerates that control around 80% of the business: Universal, Sony and Warner.
Now Spotify is experimenting with another approach, one that is making those labels nervous.
Over the last year, the 12-year-old company has quietly struck direct licensing deals with a small number of independent artists. The deals give those artists a way onto the streaming platform and a closer relationship to the company – an advantage when pitching music for its influential playlists – while bypassing the major labels altogether.
Publishing
Vogue Australia’s ninth annual Fashion’s Night Out launch
The shopping fiesta has started at about 6pm in previous years. However, this year, offers from the participating stores went live at 10am.
The event was held in Melbourne on August 31. In Sydney, the Vogue American Express Fashion’s Night Out is expected to inject about $30 million to the city’s economy.
In her address during the launch, Vogue Australia editor-in-chief Edwina McCann thanked the City of Sydney Council and Mayor Clover Moore, who has been a supporter of the event since it launched in 2010.
Max Markson sparks up in court in dispute with Penthouse publisher
They even called in for backup from Australia’s most vociferous conservative cheerleaders: Alan Jones, Mark Latham and David Leyonhjelm.
However, the party has suddenly come to a spectacular halt and the “bromance” is over amid wild accusations on both sides and a trail of debt, with Markson claiming Costas owes him $90,000.
Missing fact sees Fairfax Media come unstuck on honey
The article, over three pages in The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald on Monday, was based on scientific testing showing Capilano’s Allowrie-branded mixed blossom honey had been adulterated. It reported the testing had been commissioned by law firm King & Wood Mallesons for horticulturalist Robert Costa.
The article, by Adele Ferguson and Chris Gillett, did not disclose that the law firm that commissioned the report on Capilano’s honey was acting separately for another client trying to buy the company.
Entertainment
Television
Meshel Laurie among the celebrities confirmed for SBS’s Go Back To Where You Came From Live
Well-known media personalities such as comedian Meshel Laurie, former AFL player and breakfast radio host Spida Everitt, and writer Gretel Killeen have been confirmed for the show. Everyday Australians including 41-year-old Steve from Adelaide, 29-year-old Gareth from Bathurst and 24-year-old Dannii from Townsville will join the celebrities on the program. Details on more participants for the show and locations where they will be sent are yet to be announced.
Produced by CJZ, Go Back To Where You Came From Live aims to take the pulse of the evolving global refugee crisis in real time and challenge the views of the participants about the issue.
The refugee crisis continues to be the world’s greatest humanitarian disaster with 68.5 million displaced persons worldwide.
Ten announces premiere date of new Aussie drama Playing For Keeps
The new series centres on the unlikely friendship between five very different women, Kath (Madeleine West), Paige (Cece Peters), Tahlia (Olympia Valance), Maddy (Annie Maynard) and Jessie (Isabella Giovinazzo). They are all wives or girlfriends of the players at the Southern Jets Football Club.
Playing For Keeps depicts the lives of the sporting world’s rich and famous.
The program has been produced by Screentime with production investment from Screen Australia and the assistance of Film Victoria.
The eliminated Bachelor villains claim producers ‘ordered them’ to say and do certain things
“It is very manipulative,” Henesey-Smith said.
“You are told to do things and, if you don’t, you might go home.”
Poulier added: “Or your friend will go home if you don’t have this conversation on camera.”
Henesey-Smith, Poulier and Aitken-Radburn spoke to The Daily Telegraph 15 minutes after watching Thursday night’s explosive episode and say the truth of reality TV was far closer to the hit American behind-the-scenes TV drama, UNreal, than everyday life.
Bachelor in Paradise: Jarrod split with Keira because she was ‘Instagram obsessed’
The Bachelor In Paradise star told Who magazine that he had broken up with Maguire three weeks ago – but claimed she had gone public with the split without warning him first and while still living in his Melbourne home.
“Keira was still living in my house when she posted about our split on Instagram,” Woodgate said.
Fans celebrate the series final of Adventure Time at a special screening
Guests were transported through the Land of Ooo, treated to sweets in Princess Bubblegum’s Candy Kingdom, and delivered popcorn by Lumpy Space Princess. They sang with the ukulele band, participated in the cosplay competition and had the opportunity to take photos with Jake, Finn, Ice King, Marceline and BMO.
Adventure Time first aired on Cartoon Network in US on April 5, 2010. After eight years on-air and nine seasons, it has become Cartoon Network’s longest-running show. It has more 17 million followers on Facebook.
Adventure Time has won 20 industry awards and has been nominated for 21 others. Worldwide it has had 400 licensing partnerships over its lifetime and its app has recorded 56 million downloads.
Doctor Who finally gets UK air date, throws ABC programming into spin
The long-running sci-fi show will return to British television screens this time next month. However, unlike past years, the show will be broadcast on BBC on Sunday evenings instead of Saturday.
In Australia, Doctor Who is broadcast on the ABC and the show’s new release schedule has thrown the public broadcaster’s programming into a spin, given its Monday night schedule is jammed with shows such as Australian Story, Four Corners, Media Watch and Q&A.
An ABC spokeswoman promised local fans they’d still be able to watch their favourite series immediately after it airs in the UK. However, a specific airtime hasn’t been announced.
Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood killed off in House of Cards
Netflix has finally confirmed what everyone long suspected: that Kevin Spacey’s character in House of Cards has been killed off.
The streaming giant dropped its latest trailer for the sixth and final season of the cult series in the early hours of Thursday morning, Australian time. In it, Robin Wright – who plays newly elected President Claire Underwood – stands over her husband’s grave.
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