Ian Ross to retire at end of year

Celebrities / Personalities, Television

Newsreader Ian Ross will retire at the end of the year, telling colleagues that he wanted to go out on top and spend more time with his grandchildren.

Ross, who reads the news for Seven in Sydney has kept the network’s news broadcast at the top of the ratings for the past five years.   In 2005, management rewarded Ross for pushing the network above Channel Nine in the news ratings with a $1 million package and have subsequently increased the package every year since to entice Ross to stay with the network.

A succession plan, devised by news chief Peter Meakin is for Chris Bath to replace Ross, however The Australian understands that there are plans to trial the return of a two-newsreader bulletin with Bath and Seven’s recent signing, Mark Ferguson.

Ferguson’s job offer at Seven is understood to have come after Ross informed management of his decision to retire.   Seven had planned to delay an announcement but had agreed this week to let Ross go.

Source: news.com.au

Mark Ferguson set for 6pm Seven News

Television

Following yesterday’s news that Nine newsreader Mark Ferguson has signed a contract with the Seven Network, it is now reported that Seven’s Sydney newsreader Ian Ross is to retire later this year and that Seven’s new star looks likely to take his place.

It is unclear where this leaves Ross’ current understudy, weekend newsreader and Sunday Night co-host Chris Bath, though it is believed that she may be teamed with Ferguson to jointly present Seven News in Sydney.

The announcement of Ferguson’s move to Seven after 17 years at Nine comes only days after the launch of Nine’s This Afternoon in which Ferguson appears alongside Andrew Daddo and Katrina Blowers – though Ferguson had been in negotiations with Seven since early this year when he was demoted from reading Nine’s Sydney weeknight news bulletin in favour of Peter Overton .

Nine chief David Gyngell is reported to have offered Ferguson a $500,000-a-year contract after his current contract, worth $700,000 a year, expires in October.  The deal with Seven is expected to be somewhere between these two figures, with $600,000 suggested by Seven insiders as a minimum.

Source: news.com.au
MediaSpy: Seven News presenters, This Afternoon

Networks exceed Aussie content quotas

Industry, New Zealand, Television, Television Programmes

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has reported that all metropolitan commercial television licencees exceeded the amount of broadcast content required of the Australian Content Standard and Children’s Television Standards in 2008.

The quota states that a minimum of 55 per cent of air-time between 6.00am and midnight be devoted to Australian content.  There are also quota requirements for the broadcast of Australian (adult) drama, documentaries and children’s programs.

The Seven and Ten networks, each with stations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, broadcast a total of 64 per cent and 56 per cent Australian content respectively in 2008.

The Nine Network’s owned and operated stations in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane averaged 61 per cent Australian content.

The Seven Network aired 82 hours of documentaries, followed by Nine (43 hours) and Ten (24 hours) – all exceeding the 20 hours minimum requirement.  Programming from New Zealand such as Coast Watch, Police Ten 7, Border Control NZ, Motorway Patrol and Wild Vets also contributed to these figures.

All three networks also exceeded their required 250 quota points of Australian drama in 2008.  The Nine Network averaged 286 points across its Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane outlets.   The Seven Network averaged 276 hours across its five owned stations and Ten averaged 268 hours.  Ten’s drama content hours also take into account drama productions from New Zealand including Out Of The Blue, Outrageous Fortune and Orange Roughies.  Seven’s figure includes New Zealand title We’re Here To Help which was shown in Brisbane and Sydney.

A full copy of the report is available on the ACMA website.

Source: ACMA

Mark Ferguson signs with Seven News

Uncategorised

Nine News presenter Mark Ferguson has stunned the media world and signed with the Seven Network.

Television blog TVtonight is reporting that he will read weekend news for Seven.

Ferguson was demoted from his role as Nine’s Sydney weeknight newsreader earlier this year, when Peter Overton was elevated to the role by John Westacott in January. Ferguson was shuffled to weekends.

This week he also began on Nine’s new afternoon show, THIS afternoon, as its news presenter.

Ferguson has also appeared in promos for the new show, co-hosted by Andrew Daddo and Katrina Blowers.

It is believed he will continue with Channel Nine until October before moving to Seven, who won’t reveal his role as yet.

Source: TVTonight

Optus confirms D3 launch

Digital Radio, Digital Television, Industry, Regional Television, Subscription Television, Telecommunications

Optus has announced a mid-August launch for the third in its D series of satellites. Director Paul Sheridan said the launch of D3 would boost the telco’s capacity significantly.

We are especially excited about Optus D3 because, for the first time in a decade, the new satellite will increase Optus’ fleet capacity by more than 30 per cent, providing new business opportunities in broadcast television, direct-to-home market, new data services and services bundling,” he said.

Foxtel will be the largest customer on the new satellite, using the extra space to launch additional high-definition and digital channels. The pay-TV operator has said it has plans for up to 20 new channels this year.

The Australian reports that the satellite will be launched on board an Ariane-5 rocket from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana.

The ABC recently granted a $100 million contract extension for Optus to continue its transmission of ABC television and radio services into remote areas.

COAG: Community television ‘will die’ without funding

Community Television, Digital Television, Industry

The future of community television stations is to be discussed at today’s meeting of the Council of Australian Governments. Although the not-for-profit stations attract an audience of up to 4 million, they will struggle to survive in the next two years without federal government funding to move to digital.

Community stations have reiterated their call for support in moving to digital.

The Australian Community Television Alliance’s Laurie Patton – also the CEO of Sydney’s TVS – said it was ironic that the federal government is promoting the switch to digital, while at the same time leaving community television viewers behind. He told ABC News that without funding, some stations may have to close.

“We are hoping that the premiers and the Prime Minister will all agree that now is the time to do something to really make community TV a viable prospect in a multi-channel world,” he said.

“All the other television stations are available in both digital and analogue and we are just asking for a level playing field so that people who buy a digital set-top box, or a new digital TV, can watch community TV as well as the other channels.

“We are getting calls on a daily basis from people who have bought new digital sets and can’t find us and what we face is a diminishing audience. We rely on sponsorship for our revenue and if our audience declines, our revenue will decline,” he said.

Brian Dutton, of Adelaide’s Channel 31, said that community stations offered an invaluable range of local programming.

“The support for community has been great because we offer a genuine alternative,” he said.

“We offer current programs about where we are and who we are and about the communities, and that is just not covered by any other broadcasters.”

Community stations protest the lack of funding provided to them, despite assurances from the government.

“But the point is that everybody else is getting support, the ABC and SBS and even regional commercial television stations are being funded by the Government during the simulcast period, so we are only asking the Government to do for us what they have already done for the ABC and SBS.

“We are hopeful that the Government is looking into this very seriously at the moment and really we are just saying to them ‘can you please hurry up?’”

ABC set to lose emergency broadcast monopoly

Industry, Radio, Talking Points, Telecommunications

The Herald Sun reports that the ABC is likely to lose its monopoly on emergency broadcasting in the aftermath of the Victorian bushfires earlier this year, in a bid by the State Government to improve the distribution of information in the case of emergencies.

Although Aunty will remain an emergency broadcaster, it will be subject to new protocols and will likely have to share coverage of the event with commercial operators who may be able to reach thousands more potential listeners.

A government submission to the Royal Commission on the bushfires said that private stations would also be able to take on the role of emergency broadcasters following complaints amongst some communities that ABC Radio was sometimes slow or inaccurate in covering events in their area.

Updated: ABC defends playout outsourcing

Digital Television, Industry, Talking Points, Telecommunications, Television

The ABC’s chief operating officer David Pendleton has responded to criticism of the broadcaster’s move to outsource its television master control operations in a joint venture operation with WIN Television. Responding to criticism from ‘internal sources’ in Crikey yesterday, he said that it is “simply untrue to say that the new facility will not be controlled by the national broadcaster.”

The ABC’s TV presentation infrastructure has reached its used-by date and needs replacing. New technology means the ABC can not only ensure that current functionality is replicated, but that quality assurance will be improved, with response times for the rectification of technical faults and disaster recovery much easier at the new facility, given it will operate from one single location.

There is a lot to be gained from this new partnership. It will enable the ABC to provide state based versions of ABC1, ABC2, ABCHD and other channels nationally; and the ability to respond quickly to local state emergencies, which means providing breaking news into any region around the clock.

He added that the savings made from the move would allow the broadcaster to expand its spending on programming, citing ABC News Breakfast as one product of ‘backroom effiencies’. Media Spies have highlighted the potential for the new operation to improve the transmission quality of both network’s television signals, allowing the ABC to maintain its current suite of channels in addition to the forthcoming ABC3.

Further criticism has emerged from the Public Sector Union, which says that the plan will cost jobs at WIN stations in regional areas.

Karen Atherton said “there will be less people doing this work so less opportunity for that anyway but yes, if you’re in a small regional centre doing highly specialised work like this it’s going to be hard to find a job in the same field,” she said.

Read the full article at Crikey, or discuss in Media Spy’s forum topic.

TVW’s Jeff Newman announces his retirement

Celebrities / Personalities, Industry, Talking Points, Television

Seven News Perth’s veteran weather presenter Jeff Newman announced his impending retirement this evening. Newman has appeared on TVW’s news bulletin since 1982, at first as a newsreader and later as the bulletin’s weather presenter.

Known as “Mr Telethon”, Newman has anchored the charity show which raises funds for sick children via Princess Margaret Hospital for 32 years. This year’s, expected to take place in October, will be his last.

He told WA Today that he had enjoyed every moment of his time on TV and could not pick a favourite memory.

“It’s allowed me to do a lot of things that probably you don’t ordinarily get a chance to do, like work so vigorously for charities,” Newman said.

His position is widely tipped to be filled by former Weather Channel presenter Sally Bowery.

You can find a video of the announcement in the Seven News forum thread.

News Limited chief attacks bloggers, ‘online journalism’

Industry, New Media, Print, Talking Points

In his address to the National Press Club in Canberra today News Limited CEO John Hartigan said that an ongoing investment in ‘authoritative and relevant journalism’ would ensure the survival of newspapers.

He used the occasion to criticise blogs, which “…could never fulfil the role of well-researched, brilliantly written, perceptive and accurate journalism.”

“In return for their free content, we pretty much get what we paid for – something of such limited intellectual value as to be barely discernible from massive ignorance.

“It could be said that the blogosphere is all eyeballs and no insight.”

Sites singled out for criticism included The Daily Beast, The Huffington Post, and closer to home Crikey and MuMbrella.

“Most of the content on these sites is commentary and opinion on media coverage produced by the major outlets.

“These sites are covered in links to wire stories or mainstream mastheads. Typically, less than 10% of their content is original reporting.”

He did, however, use the occasion to spruik News Limited’s new opinion website The Punch, paradoxically modelled on sites such as the Huffington Post. Hartigan also repeated the views of other News Limited executives in attacking Google, reiterating the possibility of a shift toward paid subscriptions.

Hartigan’s speech follows comments from News Limited’s Group Editorial Director Campbell Read, which suggested the company was ‘uncomfortable’ with its journalists using social networking sites such as Twitter.

“It’s our belief that journalists who work for us who have news to tell should do so through the vehicles they are employed to supply material for. We’re very uncomfortable with staff tweeting in a professional sense under their own names, for a whole bunch of reasons, not the least of which is legal protection and concern about what is published.

“Like so many things that burn so brightly on the internet, we’re watching to see how it goes. We don’t want to spend a lot of time developing policies … and in three months’ time everyone’s realised it’s another way of having fairly boring conversations.”

Dave Earley of the Courier-Mail has published a directory of journalists on Twitter, including 100 News employees.

Read more analysis and coverage at Crikey, Inquisitr, The Australian, Business Spectator.

ABC launches Grandstand radio station

Digital Radio, Radio, Talking Points, Telecommunications

Amongst the launch of its other radio networks on digital radio today, the ABC has launched a third, sports-oriented network ABC Grandstand.

At the formal launch of the broadcaster’s digital radio network today, managing director Mark Scott said it was “just the start” of its investment into “…what we think will be an exciting area for our listeners for years to come.”

The new network could be a significant promotional coup for the digital radio platform – there are thought to be only 10,000 radios around the country.

According to The Australian, the new network will broadcast the Australia and England cricket series next week, also negating the sound delay  which prevents television viewers from watching cricket matches with ABC commentary.

Coverage of AFL and NRL matches will also be made available into states which would not otherwise hear it live. Director of Radio Kate Dundas said digital would allow a similar principle to be applied to local radio stations as well.

“Digital radio gives audiences the opportunity to continue listening to their favourite drive presenter while the cricket’s on,” she said.

Dundas also anticipated ABC Radio will introduce more services after audience research, subject to funding. It has capacity for another three or four digital stations.

“So there’s more to come on this spectrum,” she said.

The Australian

NZ: More watching TV at 6pm

New Zealand

Statistics released by TVNZ today show New Zealand television has recorded its biggest audience during the 6pm hour in more than a decade.

On average, 1.6 million kiwis aged over 5 were watching television between 6-7pm every night during June – up almost 10% on last June and equating to an extra 140,000+ viewers every night.

Most of this audience is watching television news (43% watching ONE News and 27% watching 3 News), 11% are on TV2 and the rest are spread across the remaining channels.

The last time the 6pm hour had so many viewers was in July of 1998.

Eleven years on, TVNZ Head of News and Current Affairs, Anthony Flannery believes the recession is responsible.

“With so much uncertainty around the economy it appears that people are saving money by staying at home and watching TV for free, and News is proving an important part of that increased viewing,”

For the month of June, ratings show the 6pm news hour rated an average of just over 700,000 for ONE News while rival 3 News held just over 440,000 average viewers.

Meanwhile, the battle for late night viewers intensified further with an average of just 890 viewers between the two broadcasts, ONE News Tonight (173,770) and TV3’s Nightline.

ABC and WIN set to merge playout operations

Digital Television, Industry, Regional Television, Television

The ABC has announced plans to merge its television playout operations with regional network WIN Television, with a master playout facility expected to be built in Campbelltown, New South Wales starting in 2010.

The plan is expected to lead to the loss of jobs at both networks, with around 60 jobs thought to be shed from WIN’s headquarters in Wollongong and a further 50 from the ABC. Around 30 positions will be made available at the new facility.

The national broadcaster will form a joint-venture with WIN, to replace the decentralised network currently used by the ABC spread out across each state and territory. The new business will be run with equal board membership between the two.

According to Crikey, the ABC’s chief operating officer David Pendleton told staff yesterday that joining forces with commercial TV to create a custom built, digital play-out facility “will be another step forward in the evolving media landscape.”

Insiders are concerned about the reliance on a commercial operator, as well as the loss of interstate backup facilities (under the current system, Master Control is duplicated in Sydney and Melbourne in the case of an emergency). There are also concerns that the ABC’s share in the joint venture does not adequately represent its likely capitalisation of the facility – with more channels and a larger broadcaster area than WIN.

Read the full story at Crikey, ABC Illawarra

US: Advertising altruism in economic downturn

Advertising, Industry, International, United States

A report to be released in the US this week shows that public service campaigns in the media have been major benefiters from the current economic crisis.

According to the Advertising Council, a non-profit organisation which manages the distribution of public service announcements, media companies’ contributions (including time and ad space) were worth more than $1.83 billion in 2008.

While the figure is only marginally higher than in the previous year, the result is regarded by the Council to be a positive outcome, given the competition for advertising space due to political advertising, the Olympics and digital TV awareness campaigns. The result also highlights observed advertising trends during times of financial crisis. According to the New York Times:

Support for public service campaigns is usually stronger during economic downturns because media companies often prefer to run classy-looking, altruistic ads to fill space and time rather than sell that inventory to dodgy marketers whose ads may be cheesy, misleading or deceptive.

Ad Council chariman Brian Perkins said that the steady support for community organisations and public causes on the part of media companies was welcome news.

“Everybody sees the tough times in business. But I think people are going the extra mile to make sure the Ad Council and the causes it supports are taken care of.

“In good times, it’s nice; in bad times, it’s really appreciated.”

Source: The New York Times

Triple M Sydney drop Ugly Phil and Sami

Celebrities / Personalities, Radio

Despite a listener increase in the last ratings, Ugly Phil O’Neill and Sami Lukis have been dropped from the Triple M’s Sydney lineup, the pair were expected to return to the airwaves today after the mid-year ratings break.   O’Neill returned to Australia in July after a stint in the UK teaming up with Lukis replacing The Shebang late last year.

Paul Murray and Rachel Corbett, Triple M’s evening show will fill in during the breakfast shift in July.   A sports based breakfast program is being tipped as the replacement program, with speculation the program will involve Lukis as well as Matthew Johns and Dan Ginnane.

This years first ratings results were Triple M’s worst in the breakfast shift in the broadcasters history, fueling speculation that the show would be replaced before years end.

MediaSpy Discussion: Triple M