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“No plans to scrap the Logies”

TV Week publisher responds to speculation about the future of the Logies and restores some faith.

After the sale of ACP Magazines to Bauer Media Group this week there have been some questions over how this will affect the Logie Awards.

The Logies will be wholly owned by Bauer Media subject to the ACP sale approved by the Foreign Investment Board.

Today the Daily Telegraph speculates that the 50+ year event is in doubt. A Bauer spokeswoman told the newspaper last night, the company “could not guarantee the future of anything in our business”. A Nine insider tells the newspaper conceded Bauer “could scrap it” once the sale has been approved.

Nine declined to comment when asked by TV Tonight on Tuesday night, but today the publisher of TV Week magazine, Peter Holder, told Mediaweek: “It truly astounds me that media writers who indulge in the annual ritual of tearing down the TV Week Logies somehow reserve the right to fabricate a story that the awards are to be scrapped before delivering a sense of outrage. The stories that have appeared in regards to the TV Week Logies are categorically false, not to mention wildly inaccurate, and had anyone bothered to check I could have told them that. There are no plans to scrap the TV Week Logies. They will go ahead as planned in 2013 and beyond, and will be presented by the Nine Network.”

Nine is understood to be 1 year into a 10 year contract to broadcast the Logies, and the event has secured a 5 year deal with Crown.

What changes Bauer may consider for the voting, presentation, revenue model and beyond is unclear. Presumably right now there are none.

TV Tonight also sent enquiries to TV Week publishers on Tuesday night.

41 Responses

  1. I think a change of venue would be good with a few tweaks here and there. The logies always has the feel of a very simple wedding reception with a tacky stage. Height people, height. Oh…and eyes and teeth.

  2. all the logies need is a slight face lift, an earlier time slot and a younger approach. they also need a few scits at the expense of our Aussie tv shows. the awards are on and run late at night, if you attract the audience to the show, it’s a great platform to get the word out on how great Aussie tv is, combine the Logies with the Australian Movie Awards, for one big night of huge entertainment.

  3. No offence to anyone passionately debating this, but I would think that Bauer is probably focused on the acquisition and streamlining of a profitable magazine business, and probably not spending much time in their boardroom at the moment debating the merits of a promotional event for one of the lesser-selling titles in the company they just bought. Worth having a cuppa and taking a breather, everyone. As if anyone would ever let the Logies die off.

  4. i’ve been a fan of the Logies as long as i remember. I too don’t want the awards to be scrapped. I know that some aspects of the Logies are flawed, but so is everything else in life. Nothing is perfect.

    People complain about the Logies being a ”Public Choice” Awards all the time. I do understand, to a point, why But most forget about the industry based awards at the same Logies. And there are flaws in both.

    I don’t have a sloution, but the Logies need to be fixed up slightly. There will still be complaints, but i just hope the Logies stay on

  5. So…@Andrew and @Kats..and others..all (with some exceptions here) basically agree… the Logies need improvement. Let’s do that if they continue on. Fair statement?
    This is where scrapping was turned to scraping in discussion hereunder.

    If they are scrapped [and that is a Bauer decision], then the focus will shift to another awards ceremony and similar discussions will be offered I’m sure but at least then it would be with a substantive goal in mind.

  6. @SusanP I’m all for fixing the flaws in the Logies (because we all know they are not perfect) but I don’t see the point of scrapping 55 years of Australian TV culture because people think that someone can do better… when so far nobody has.

    The AACTAs have a lot to prove before they can be considered a worthwhile alternative.

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