Business of Media
Pay-TV cord-cutting accelerates as cable and satellite providers see losses across the board
As Hollywood mostly wraps its quarterly earnings season, Wall Street analysts are zeroing in on the major pay-TV providers’ declining subscriber bases and growth outlook, reports The Hollywood Reporter’s Georg Szalai.
“The second quarter of 2022 marked the second consecutive quarter with over 1.9 million net pay-TV losses,” stated Bruce Leichtman, who runs Leichtman Research Group, which tracks the sector. “Over the past year, top pay-TV providers had a net loss of about 5,425,000 subscribers, compared to a net loss of about 4,550,000 over the prior year.”
Comcast, Charter, Cox, Altice, DirecTV, Dish, Verizon and Hulu’s live TV tier all lost subscribers this past quarter, Leichtman noted, with Comcast (-500,000) and DirecTV (-400,000) leading the way for losses.
Agencies
DDB welcomes Cam Hoelter as group creative partner
Cam Hoelter has returned to DDB Sydney after five years, stepping into the role as group creative partner.
Hoelter spent seven years in the DDB network between 2011 and 2018 at both DDB Sydney and then DDB New York, helping create campaigns such as McDonald’s Becomes Macca’s, I See Fries, Mac It Better, plus Volkswagen’s Naked Ute and Golf – Tough Sell.
Returning to the Sydney agency, he will work with McDonald’s as it celebrates 51 years of partnership with the network in Australia.
Hoelter has been recognised at major national and international award shows, judged most major shows including Cannes Lions, and has helped Volkswagen and McDonald’s win 11 Cannes Lions including three Gold.
M&C Saatchi launches in-house consultancy, Micro Agency
M&C Saatchi has launched its own in–house consultancy, Micro Agency, aimed to address a gap in the market by designing and building bespoke in-house and hybrid marketing capabilities for clients.
The agency will be headed by the former general manager of Yes Agency, the in-house collaboration between Optus and Re Group (part of M&C Saatchi), David Sutherland. Sutherland spent five years in his former role.
Sutherland said: “As more and more businesses search for new engagement models from their agency partners, Micro can help provide the right expertise to assist business leaders in the transition towards in-housing or hybrid agency models.”
“With in-housing fast becoming a viable solution for many marketers’, navigating a seamless path and achieving a smooth transition has become increasingly important. Knowing the right in-house model that suits a company, finding the best talent, plus building the processes and frameworks, can take time and expertise.”
Hearts & Science expands senior leadership team across Australia and New Zealand
Omnicom’s third pillar agency, Hearts & Science, has elevated three of its senior leadership roles as the agency focuses on growth.
The new remits will see Melinda Duffy promoted to national business development director, Australia, while Georgia Leathart moves to national head of strategy, Australia, and Christie Meischke takes on head of people & culture, Australia & New Zealand.
Duffy’s promotion to a national role will ensure the agency has the right focus and greater synergy across Sydney and Melbourne. She will leave behind her dual role of client leadership and new business to be fully aligned on new business and marketing.
The goal of Leathart’s new national remit is to further synergise thinking across Sydney and Melbourne and build out Hearts’ strategic offering across the Australian markets.
With people & culture the number one priority for Hearts going forward, Meischke will now focus solely on that in this new cross-Tasman role. Handing over her marketing remit to Duffy, she will lead on fully connecting the agency culturally across Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland on areas including learning and development.
Television
Networks exceed Australian content quota on multichannels
The Seven network broadcast more than twice the amount of local content on its multichannels in 2021 than Nine or 10, reports TV Tonight.
All networks met the minimum requirement of at least 1,460 hours of Australian programs between 6am and midnight on their multi-channels, according to an ACMA compliance report. This includes genres such as light entertainment, documentary, lifestyle, sport etc.
In 2021, Seven Network averaged 5,307 hours of local content across 7mate and 7TWO compared to 2,230 hours on 9GO!, 9GEM and 9Life and 1,726 hours on 10Peach, 10 BOLD and 10 Shake. Other channels such as 7flix and 9RUSH were not included.
Channel 10 star Georgie Tunny joins The Project full-time
The Project regular Georgie Tunny is joining the show full-time next month, reports News Corp’s Bella Fowler.
The 31-year-old journalist, who has been hosting daily segments on Foxtel’s news streaming service Flash while also appearing on the Channel 10 panel show, has secured the position after filling in for Carrie Bickmore while she was on extended leave earlier this year.
Tunny, who is engaged to former Australian Idol star Rob Mills, shared the role with The Masked Singer judge Chrissie Swan.
A 10 spokesperson told news.com.au: “The Project is excited to announce that broadcaster Georgie Tunny is joining the show in a permanent role.
“Georgie has done an exceptional job keeping the seat warm for Carrie while she took long service leave, and quickly became a loved and respected member of The Project team.”
How Better Homes was “always a battle” between TV & magazine
Since Seven sold its Pacific Magazine publishing arm in 2019, how has it impacted the long-running TV tie-in Better Homes & Gardens, asks TV Tonight?
According to host Johanna Griggs, the magazine, now published by ARE Media still covers its cooking and craft elements.
“We still work with the magazine stylists and photographers but it’s not as closely run as it used to be,” Griggs tells TV Tonight.
“It would always be a battle whether the TV or the magazine would come first. It was unbelievable. It was always fraught with politics, the world of marrying the mag and the TV! But it was the only show that actually had that.
“For a while there we had a radio show as well, covering all the bases.”
Sports Media
Seven banks on AFL rights: ‘We have a very strong relationship’
Seven West Media chief executive James Warburton says he is confident of retaining the rights to broadcast the AFL from 2025, despite a bidding war with Channel 10 and Paramount and Nine Entertainment, report Nine Publishing’s Mark Di Stefano and Patrick Durkin.
But another source close to the negotiations brushed off reports that Channel 10 and Paramount had submitted a low ball offer and said the AFL is on track for a “strong result” and was in “no rush” to finalise the deal, as it pushes to reach a record $600 million a year benchmark.
Speaking after Seven’s financial year results on Tuesday, Warburton talked up Seven’s deep history and “very strong” relationship with the AFL and said the broadcaster remained confident of retaining the rights.
“We have been with the AFL for all but six years in the 62 years since TV started. We have a very strong relationship with the AFL. There is a lot of speculation floating around the market. We know exactly where we sit,” he told The Australian Financial Review.
See More: Why Seven West Media had its best financial result in 11 years
Ian Chappell retires from cricket commentary after 45 years
Australian cricket great Ian Chappell has retired from commentary after almost half a century behind the microphone, reports the ABC.
After a legendary 75-Test career as a player, including 30 as captain, Chappell quickly moved into the media landscape.
Chappell was the last member still in the chair from Channel Nine’s famous commentary team including Richie Benaud, Bill Lawry, and Tony Greig.
Greig and Benaud have died and 85-year-old Lawry left the commentary box some years back.
Now Chappell, who spent most of his career with Nine’s Wide World of Sports before stints with Macquarie and ABC radio coverage in recent summers, is also hanging up the headset.