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TEN appoints John Stephens as Director of Scheduling and Acquisitions

TEN appoints former Nine and Seven exec as Director of Scheduling and Acquisitions.

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2014-03-07_1102Network TEN has appointed veteran programmer John Stephens as Director of Scheduling and Acquisitions.

Stephens is a former Director of Programming at Nine Network and a former Head of Programming Strategy and Acquisitions at Seven Network. Most recently he has been a Programming Consultant at Seven.

He will work closely with Chief Programming Officer, Beverley McGarvey, both of whom will report to Chief Executive Officer, Hamish McLennan.

“John is one of the most experienced and successful television programming executives in Australia, with a local and international reputation second to none,” said McLennan.

“With a long history of developing, commissioning and acquiring popular, innovative and enduring television series, he knows what viewers want and how to create and schedule hit programs.

“We are very pleased to welcome someone of John’s calibre, experience and talent to Network TEN. He is a critically important addition to our management team. His appointment underlines our commitment to hiring industry-best talent as we work on our turnaround strategy,” he said.

The announcement follows under-performing numbers by the network, despite some good results by the Big Bash League and a lift on multichannels during the Winter Olympics.

Stephens is expected to serve a short non-compete period after departing Seven.

16 Responses

  1. Very hard job he faces at TEN

    Sceduling programs at 7:30pm / 8:30pm are not working for ten, they need to move the project to 6pm & start regular shows at 7pm (not 7:30).

    Move new eps of Modern Family to Thursday & SYTYCD to Eleven

  2. Perhaps a couple of appointments most vitally needed at Network Ten are yet to be announced, who would work as an Autonomous team, and known as the ‘ Director of Exposure, Associations, Tenure and Vested Interests’ along with an Assistant Director of Comprehension and prevention of White Ant attacks and the ability/strength to remove heads from the sand, and large quantities of a high quality sun screen to protect some long buried heads, and finally the ability to immediately fit and secure reliable neck braces to prevent heads from looking the other way.

    Strictly defining key elements of these appointments :-
    ‘Exposure’ of Influences and real agendas of ‘all’ concerned.
    ‘Associations,Tenures’ of ‘all’ concerned and length/number of time/associations with the ongoing demise and constant failures.(Henry/Bolt)
    ‘Comprehension’ most of our comments are written not verbal,…

  3. There are many people who conment on this website daily who have no television programming experience but we could all do better jobs than those currently at TEN. Tens biggest problem is their stubborness to react to anything. Blind Freddy could see the opportunities for improvement (like Thursday nights) They are now faced with nothing after 6pm that rates. It’s crystal clear that they need to keep shuffling their cards until something works.

  5. Is TEN the new 7 of several years ago when displaced 9 executives moved over there…now ex 7ers Warburton, Meakin, Boland, ( should Lachlan really be allowed to hire people ? ) now Stephens, who else still has a bit of fire in the belly and wants to make a point ?
    TEN is in far worse shape than 7 was though with more leaks than a men’s room.
    Really TEN , it’s about the programmes and where you place them ,stupid!
    Some of the stuff that goes to air like Bimbo News and The Living Room where the presenters constantly congratulate themselves need a shake up. As for Wake Up, when’s the wake ?

  6. Just another exec going through the revolving door at ch10. Everyone who has turned up is going to make a difference, yet the demise continues unrelentingly

  7. Over and over and over we get announcements from TEN about talented people coming into behind the scenes roles but nothing seems to change in terms of their on-air performance.

    It is very sad to see but when are some of these “talented” people going to make a difference?!

  11. Would it have been more sensible for Seven and Nine to chip in together and pay John Stephens not to work for Ten or is Ten beyond saving? But an appointment well worth trying if he is listened to. Will need not just reworking of programming but a new strategy for local program development and commissioning. Wish him luck.

  12. @JermanTells – thanks, that was what I was wondering about. A stubborn refusal to listen to the very people that you’re trying to get to watch your shows is not a desirable character trait.

  14. Scheduling and Acquisitions = Programming. Reporting to CEO, that would make Stevo Director of Programming, or in Ten’s vernacular Chief Programming Officer. Given that Dr Shoebridge usually spins as well as Warnie, this is a pretty blunt release.

  15. Good appointment but the current Ten is not the Seven of 2005 when Stephens went over and did a massive and strategic overhaul and leveraged off proven hits Seven had at the time.

    The issues at 10 are bigger than just appointing people who have had previous success elsewhere, i’m seriously hoping there are bigger and better plans at 10 then just making appointments and hoping that “track record” is enough, as we saw with the last appointment from Seven (Wharburton), if the product looks and quacks like a duck, it probably is…. no amount of “experience” will fix

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