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11 / 1 / 11 ….and counting

TEN's new digital channel is proceeding full steam ahead despite talk James Packer may seek to scuttle major plans.

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It’s official. Eleven will launch on Tuesday January 11th, 2011.

TEN’s new digital channel is proceeding full steam ahead with plans for The Simpsons and Neighbours, despite share acquisitions by James Packer and talk he may seek to scuttle major plans for TEN.

Yesterday at its annual result briefing executive chairman of TEN, Nick Falloon, welcomed Packer as its new major shareholder, then promptly declined to say anything substantial about him, the $280 million raid on the company and nothing at all about what it might mean for his future.

”We welcome their interest in our company and a return to the free-to-air industry,” he said.

”We do not propose to speculate on what has been in the newspapers.”

He acknowledged a “brief” phone conversation with Packer and indicated he plans to meet with him once he returns from Macau. But he declined to enter into the media speculation, including reports that Packer sees no need for both Falloon and CEO Grant Blackley to run the business.

TEN reported a $150 million net profit for the 12 months to August 31. Earning before interest, tax, amortisation was up 38 per cent to $208.1m mainly due to stronger advertising revenue for its television assets.

Meanwhile the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said it would examine the Packer investment to see if it raised competition concerns.

Closing down One HD would remove a competitor to the sports channels of Foxtel, the pay TV network Packer partly owns with Rupert Murdoch’s News Limited and Telstra.

So far there is still no indication if Eleven will be available via Pay TV platforms or to Regional viewers.

Source: smh.com.au, The Australian, The Age, Daily Telegraph

34 Responses

  2. confirmed…Eleven will be on Foxtel cable(not sure about satelite)

    not confirmed…date Eleven will begin on Foxtel cable(and possibly satelite)

    not confirmed…wether One SD will be replaced on Foxtel cable by Eleven, or if both One SD and Eleven will be on Foxtel cable

  3. Oh really Dave? Is it definitely going to launch on January 11, 2011? But it is long overdue anywaym we all looking forward to see our favourite shelved Ten shows like Supernatural, 90210 and Cleveland Show back on TV.

  4. Gary it may be clever, but 10 are contractually bound to bid for the AFL with 7 when the next rights packages are bid on. So perhaps he’ll need to buy out 7’s portion of the deal if he wants AFL for himself.

  5. I have thought over this story which seems to be ever developing, and my guess is that James Packer knows that his Gambling and Pay Tv (Fox Sports) interests are on the downward spiral. I make this statement becuase when the global economy is shrinking and peoples financial cercumstances are getting worse not better it is only logical that the profits of companies which deal with Gambling or Pay Television will be on the slide. Therefore i foresee the pay tv industry going down at least in australia now that is dependent on the economy going down, and the ever rising cost of living going up, people will then vote with their feet even the dumbest person will eventually relise that Gambling and Pay Tv is not viable, it is just a luxury for when the times are good. My guess is that James knows that and is looking to get out before the bubble bursts. Remember he is not Rupert Murdoch who has multiple media properties, James just has a share in Fox Sports, the rest is in Gambling and he will be getting out of that soon. So when the times improve he will be back in Pay Tv and Gaming.

  6. 11-1-11. I did expect this, when it was announced. That clearly states that The Simpsons season 22 Glee inspired ep will be the last one until 11-1-11. This is a Tuesday. So lets wait and see what happens. I’d like some HD content here as well. It might give it the edge.

  9. @ Sam
    Regional areas with the exception of Mildura don’t have ONE SD. We regional viewers only have ONE HD and SC10. So yes, a third channel (ELEVEN) will indeed take away bandwidth from ONE HD, for regional viewers.

  10. If Packer becomes a director he has a duty to the shareholders, I don’t see how sabotaging One for the benefit of foxtel could not put him in breach, and 11 looks so awesome that messing with that would probably also hurt the 10 network and shareholders. I hope those saying he is doing this to topple 7 are right because there is nothing wrong with making 10 stronger, but trying to wreck FTA to force people to foxtel is very anti-competitive and should be intervened with by the ACCC.

  13. If only they did it this year on Jan 11 – the date would have been 11/1/10 – a date representing their three digital channels.

    Or why not 1/11/10 – Monday week!? Guess we should be thankful Ten doesn’t rush these things…

  15. I’ve said it before – I really look forward to it. I hope they are reliable and start on time. By reliable I mean air an entire Season not to mention entire Series preferably on the same day for years. And hopefully same timeslot. They do I’ll reward them with my loyalty if I like or love the show. If not well I’ll give up even if I love the show. That said I can accept a change if it is for the better and happens once. But not always. Because it might cause me to give it up.

    By the way something went wrong with the opening sentence for the article. Just thought you should know.

  16. @Sam, they’re talking about Southern Cross Ten and One, where the multiplex only carries two channels at the moment. A definite downgrade for them, and they will have to hope for some new generation encoders to help make up the difference.

  17. @pietro
    11 would not take bandwidth away from One HD as the One Digital bandwidth is already being used and they are just changing the content broadcast on it.

  19. Very interesting this is. Here’s one idea
    Packer has brought Ten so he can form a consortium with Nine and Foxsports to obtain the rights for the AFL and NRL.
    This a very clever way to lock out kerry Stokes

  20. Of course if 10 had waited until November 11 2011, the date number would have been a triple 11.

    Instead would have to make do with two 11s and a 1 instead.

  22. Is there any information what SC10 is doing about this change?

    Decent quality HD will disappear once 11 starts as it will no doubt take bandwidth from ONEHD.

  23. Hopefully the ACCC will have something to say about it if he wants to close down One! Last night on TV they were speculating that Packer wanted to get involved in FTA AFL, so hopefully that’s closer to the mark. i.e. that he wants to keep it going, not shut it down. I want my One HD.

  24. From the news yesterday it sounded like one of the reasons Packer bought into TEN was it’s sports packages and ONE is now the corner stone of that so I doubt he will be asking the board to shut that down.

    So David how many big stories have broken since you’ve been on your break LOL

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