News, Top Stories Archive:
Tracy sticks with ACA
EXCLUSIVE: In Part 2 of an interview with TV Tonight, Tracy Grimshaw shares her thoughts on the changes that have encroached upon the landscape in the battle between A Current Affair and Today Tonight.
In the last two months there have been major developments to a once-familiar contest.
Anna Coren has vacated the TT chair, taken up by sports presenter Matt White. So far the Seven show has won the national ratings stoush. But this doesn’t tell the whole picture.
After years against local TTs, WIN Television has also begun locally-produced editions of …
Current survivor
EXCLUSIVE: The landscape for television current affairs has been moving almost at the rapid pace with which some journos would chase a shonky builder. There are budget cuts, new hosts, state-based editions and media speculation about the future. Sitting front and centre through it all is Nine’s Tracy Grimshaw, who took up the permanent hosting role on A Current Affair in 2006.
In a rare interview, she spoke to TV Tonight about her thoughts on the current climate of television current affairs, reflecting everything from their content to ratings to Eddie McGuire’s …
The race that tops the nation
It was the week a Pay TV spokesperson called broadcaster feuding “juvenile” while another exec wanted better inclusion at the digital switch table, a TEN programmer conceded it had massive timeslot problems, Nine axed production staff, Sonia Kruger was criticised for an on air joke, a former soap star said he didn’t really enjoy soaps, belated guide amendments left viewers confused, an ABC journo pleads guilty to charges in Singapore, drug charges against a Seven personality were dropped, Seven revisits its C7 case against Pay television, the ABC launches its new …
TV Forums report card
Since the advent of online, television fans have had ways of letting networks know what they think. No more writing letters to newspapers, it’s as easy as logging onto a network website anonymously and speaking your mind.
TV Tonight has been looking at how our networks embrace free and open discussion. Here’s how they stacked up.
ABC:
Within the ABC site there are individual show pages, many of which have open forums. Shows including Enough Rope, Compass, Can We Help?, At The Movies, Life at 3, Good Game, Media Watch, Spicks and Specks and …
Packered by the Rafters
It was the week the Packer family parted ways with Nine causing David Gyngell to vow to prove James Packer wrong, TEN announced a new channel, Pay TV launched another three, Minister Stephen Conroy signalled support for increased ABC & SBS funding, commercial networks (briefly) found a conscience but upset David Leckie, WIN sat down at the gambling table, Kath & Kim (US) got a greenlight for a full season, Andrew Denton announced the end of Enough Rope, David Tennant set his exit from his iconic role, Rove visited …
Tracy Grimjaw scratched in Race Seven
And you thought Santa’s Little Helper was the only famous greyhound in television…
Somebody up Dapto way has a sense of humour, at least when it comes to being creative with the name of their mutts.
Last night a pooch named Tracey Grimjaw was entered into Race Seven, but became a late scratching. All too ironic, really…
There must be something in the water up Dapto way. Some of the other dogs entered in last night’s races included Willing and Able (3rd), Little Britain (3rd), and Ricki Lee (2nd).
WIN launches ACA in Perth
WIN Television has announced the local Perth edition of A Current Affair will launch tonight on STW9.
Hosted by Louise Momber, the Perth edition is part of WIN’s push to compete with a local edition of Today Tonight. An Adelaide-produced ACA with Kate Collins will follow soon.
This leaves Tracy Grimshaw as an “east coast” host in the same way as Matt White serves on Seven’s TT. ACA’s Perth edition will comprise a mix of local and national stories.
WIN’s Managing Director David Butorac says, “We are very proud to be investing in the …
Current affairs surge at Seven
It was the week that current affairs and finance dominated. Ray Martin lamented the state of commercial news and current affairs at the same time as a former sports presenter won his first week behind a public affairs desk, a CEO lashed out at his rival networks but shot off about the starting date of his new current affairs project, while the network signed a former Sunday journo, TEN reported a 25% slump in earnings, a Telstra boss said Foxtel subscriptions were slowing, another Murdoch stitched up a production deal with …
Block it in, Eddie.
As PBL Media struggles with its crippling debt and the global financial crisis swirls, the axe has been falling on staff. But Eddie McGuire is buying up, moving from one street in Toorak to another, and paying handsomely for the privilege.
He is believed to have paid $11m for a single story Georgian style mansion in a small court just off prestigious St Georges Road. The block includes a tennis court, swimming pool and huge garden.
Title records show the property was offloaded in a quiet sale by Applied Chemicals executive Ian Hicks, …
From Malcolm Turnbull to Sophie Monk
From Malcolm Turnbull to Sophie Monk, Matthew, sorry Matt, White did it all in his first Today Tonight bulletin, replacing Anna Coren.
“It’s great to be in the chair,” he said, and with that he knuckled down to business.
The programme had a mix of reports and an interview with Opposition Leader, Malcolm Turnbull, the first to congratulate him in the new role. No doubt the interview on the financial crisis was an attempt to prove White can hold his own with political interviews. The Liberals got a free kick as a result.
But …
WIN reveals ACA Adelaide team
WIN Television has announced Kate Collins as the host of its Adelaide edition of A Current Affair, along with reporters Chris Kenny and Kelly Clappis.
NWS9 news director Tony Agars said viewers would be able to tune into the new-look ACA later this year.
“When everything is right, when it’s all coming together and we’re very confident we’re going to do this properly, then we’ll push the go button,” Mr Agars told The Advertiser this week.
He revealed WIN had injected about $3 million into the launch of the SA version, including a control …
Anna exits TT ahead of schedule
Channel Seven bosses are said to have “shown Anna Coren the door” ahead of schedule which will see her present her final Today Tonight bulletin tomorrow night.
Matthew White will take over from Monday, despite plans for holiday.
The sudden switch comes ahead of plans for a transition in December and is seen by many as retaliation for Coren’s public and messy departure from Seven to CNN in Hong Kong.
Seven chief David Leckie and his news boss Peter Meakin yesterday cut her loose, angry a favourite, recruited and mentored star had chosen her …