News Archive:
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 …
US election: the figures
So where did Aussie viewers go to get all their US election coverage?
Firstly it’s worth acknowledging that with some telecasts stretching to five hours, the average figure will be necessarily modest, especially during the daytime.
At this stage we also only have preliminary figures, which factors in schedules as they were initially planned. In other words, they don’t yet account for the fact that candidate speeches were after 4pm AEDST, when Seven and Nine had planned to return to normal schedules.
ABC did in fact return to normal programming on cue at …
NRL wins it but Seven takes glory
It was the week that TEN was in breach of subliminal ads (a ruling first leaked by TV Tonight), ACMA instructed Nine to sell part of its Darwin operation, two former premiers will now defend Pay TV v Free to Air battles, while two television gardeners faced off over the environment, a Footy Show comedian defended a school principal under fire, a musical about the media in Beaconsfield was branded as tasteless, a former Idol died in tragic circumstances, Perth’s Telethon broke its own record, SBS lost a top Drama …
Nine settles Spiteri case
Channel Nine has made an undisclosed payment to former reporter Christine Spiteri to bring to a conclusion her grievances with the network. One newspaper article speculates a settlement amount of $100,000 plus her $30,000 legal fees.
But Spiteri appears not to be going lightly, declaring yesterday the “culture of corporate bullying is alive and well at Nine”.
“Is the boys’ club going to change? In my opinion, sadly, no, it doesn’t seem like it,” she told The Sunday Telegraph.
Nine executive director Jeff Browne said he was pleased it was over, describing it …
Axed: Taken Out
Channel TEN has finally pulled the plug on its latest game show, Taken Out.
It is to be replaced by The Simpsons effective from tonight.
After tracking its performance in a week of single guys, TEN has been forced to turn out the light on its own show. This week it started with 610,000 but last night was at 533,000 viewers. TEN is mindful that last Friday it dropped to 465,000 viewers. Meanwhile Seven News had 1.44m viewers while Nine News had 1.1m viewers.
For a show whose biggest audience was younger females, the …
Nine Darwin jobs safe from takeover
Channel Nine’s Darwin staff have been assured no jobs would be lost if the station was taken over by Alice Springs-based Imparja.
The Northern Territory News understands the Nine Network wants to retain the same staffing levels as a condition of a proposed sale.
The newspaper reported on Friday that a takeover could see the station’s local news service cancelled and most of the production and editorial staff replaced by a small Darwin news bureau. NTD employs 46 people including journalists, production staff, sales and camera operators.
Nine’s Darwin general manager Andy Bruyn is …
Denis Walter to exit WIN News
WIN TV’s Victorian newsreader Denis Walter is leaving his presenter role after more than 15 years after being offered the afternoon shift on radio 3AW.
Walter will finish reading the local bulletin he has presented at Ballarat in November, for the afternoon vacancy following the retirement of veteran entertainer Ernie Sigley. He has been part of the 3AW stable for some time, filling in for Sigley over summer, and presenting on weekends.
But the logistics of presenting radio in Melbourne and television in Ballarat make both jobs impossible, not to mention all the …
Bored rigid by lack of competition, it’s Seven.
It was the week that Seven and Nine argued over Karl Stefanovic, Grant Hackett signed with Channel Nine, ASTRA again attacked the anti-siphoning rule –prompting an hilarious “bored rigid” response from Seven, Nine denied a takeover of its Darwin affiliate by Imparja, Grant Denyer landed in hospital, a former Idol was assaulted, WIN trimmed its Queensland newsrooms, SBS said sponsors wouldn’t affect its editorial on Top Gear Australia and networks and advertisers all held their breath as the US financial market went into meltdown.
And unsurprisingly it was another win by Seven …
Grant Hackett signs with Nine
Channel Nine today announced that Olympian Grant Hackett has signed with the network.
The announcement follows reports this week that Seven boss David Leckie had expected the swimmer to agree to forthcoming appearances on Dancing with the Stars.
Hackett will become a sports presenter on weekends for Melbourne’s National Nine News, after Heath O’Loughlin exits later in the year, as well as Nine’s coverage of the 2012 London Olympics.
Hackett will also appear on Nine’s What’s Good For You and join Ken Sutcliffe on Sunday’s Wide World Of Sports.
Press Release:
The Nine Network, …
Nine’s Sunday touchdown
‘Thankyou Rugby League’, is what Nine will be thinking today after a decisive Sunday win over the Seven Network.
The Storm v Warriors match gave Nine a perfect lead-in to its evening line-up and managed to snatch back the night it lost to Seven the week before.
Nine’s 29.8% share was a triumph over Seven, which came third on 22.5% behind TEN’s 22.8%.
Buoyed by the NRL, National Nine News hasn’t enjoyed figures of 1.63m for longer than many care to remember. That didn’t stop Seven sending out a Press Release today reminding media …
Nine News axes European correspondent
Channel Nine News is to end its tradition of having a permanent European correspondent. Reporter James Talia, who has been based in London, will conclude the position at the end of September.
The move follows cost-cutting in the Channel Nine News department that has also seen Sunday and Nightline axed.
In speaking to the weekly television podcast, Boxcutters, Talia said Nine had opted to go down the same road as Channel Seven in deciding to run without a European correspondent.
“They’ve decided there’s no longer a need for a presence in Europe. I …