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60 Minutes turns camera on Ray
It’s art imitating life this Sunday on 60 Minutes, as Ray Martin becomes the subject of a Charles Wooley interview.
Martin publishing his autobiography will form the backbone of the story, with comments on his childhood.
“These were hard years, marked by poverty and the emotional turmoil of living with a drunken, violent father. But Ray transcended those early difficulties and become a huge star on the television screen and, as Charles Wooley reports, an even bigger star behind the scenes,” publicity notes detail.
But if Martin is to be the subject of a …
A toast to Sunrise
The lovely Ann Sanders and Kylie Gillies were two of the more fetching guests of honour at a bash for Sunrise, The Morning Show and Weekend Sunrise last night in Sydney.
Seven staff and execs gathered with invited media to celebrate a dream run for the morning television shows, which Executive Producer Adam Boland noted was a national winner, for Sunrise, every week for five years.
Guests partied with finger food and free-flowing booze at Star City’s skyhigh Astral Bar as Sally Singleton sang her new single, “Tomorrow” to a partying throng.
Larry Emdur …
When Adam meets Peter
Next Monday on Talking Heads Peter Thompson (pictured) is joined journalist Adam Shand, who spent three years investigating Melbourne’s underworld war for Sunday and The Bulletin magazine.
Despite never having written about crime, Shand promised his media bosses he’d crack the story of Melbourne’s gangland murders.
Shortly after Jason Moran was shot dead in front of his young children at a football ground, Shand ventured into the inner circle… mixing with the drug-dealers, the thugs and the murderers.
What did he make of the men who would be portrayed in the TV series …
Ray won’t spray
Ray Martin says his autobiography won’t “squeal and moan” about the TV industry. Guess that means it won’t be another Who Killed Channel Nine? That book was written by his old boss at 60 Minutes, Gerald Stone.
Or even the ‘fictional’ Boned. Shame… that might have made it a must-read.
Instead Martin covers his earliest years as an ABC radio journalist through to his days on Nine.
He devotes space to his media-shy family and to the great interviews of his career- Don Bradman, Fred Hollows. The book is apparently without bitterness about …
Airdate: Closing the Gap
‘Mr Hypothetical’, Geoffrey Robertson is returning to television, but not where you would expect.
He will host a debate Closing the Gap on the National Indigenous TV (NITV) this Friday.
Robertson’s fiery debates on political and social subjects in the 1980s are still remembered for bringing intelligent television to our screens on the ABC. He last presented a debate “Australia Under Attack” on Sunday in 2005.
On the first anniversary of the Prime Minister’s national apology to the Stolen Generation, Closing The Gap will explore the way forward between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia.
“I am …
Mike Munro signs to Sunday Night
Mike Munro has been confirmed to co-host Seven’s new current affairs show, Sunday Night.
News Limited says he has signed for one year while the female co-host role is being battled out between Chris Bath and Natalie Barr.
Sunday Night will premiere next month at 6.30pm (as tipped here) and not against 60 Minutes at 7.30pm.
Charging out of Seven News it will allow Seven to undermine 60 Minutes without going head to head with it and potentially losing.
Munro announced his retirement from Nine last year after years with the network, saying …
Today launching Sunday edition
Channel Nine’s Today show will take on Weekend Sunrise when it launches a new Sunday edition in February.
To be hosted by Leila McKinnon and Cameron Williams, the show is reported to resemble the weekday edition by Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkinson with slight changes.
“The fact it’s on a Sunday, it will have a slightly different vibe, but will be similar to the Today show in if there’s something happening we’ll be across it,” McKinnnon told the Sunday Telegraph.
“But you don’t have to grab people in the 15 minutes between when …
Final week (almost) a Seven sweep
It was the last week of ratings for 2008, and the week all the free to air broadcasters bonded (temporarily) for Freeview with 4 of 5 metro CEOs there for the party, Nine scrambled to refinance its loans, an Australian actress was trapped in international terror, Seven sacked a reporter, former Sunday journos won the Gold Walkley, Nine let go another network celebrity, ACMA slapped Nine three times for A Current Affair, Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares and Spiderman, TEN dumped 90210 and rearranged its summer schedule again, a gangster’s wife was at …
Munro for Sunday Night?
The Sunday Telegraph reports retired Nine newsman Mike Munro has auditioned for the hosting role in Seven’s new Sunday Night current affairs program.
Munro was spotted at Seven’s Epping studios, ‘prompting speculation that screen tests for the supposedly top secret and hot show were underway.’
Others reported to have auditioned include Canberra-based political editor Mark Riley, plus Sydney presenters Chris Bath and Natalie Barr.
Producers are said to be considering a male and female host for the new show. So far there are no guarantees the show will compete head to head against 60 …
Sunday journos win Gold Walkley
Former Sunday journalists Ross Coulthart (pictured) and Nick Farrow won the Gold Walkley last night for their investigation of a doctor’s alleged malpractice and incompetence in the New South Wales town of Bega. Their expose led to charges of sexual assault and mutilation against him.
“Ross Coulthart and Nick Farrow of the Nine Network’s Sunday program acted on a tip and, after weeks of painstaking investigation, found dozens of victims in a series of powerful exposes that forced a reform of NSW medical regulations surrounding the monitoring and reporting of incompetent doctors,” …
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 …
Liam Bartlett sticks with 60 Minutes
The Nine Network is believed to have increased the contract “significantly” for 60 Minutes reporter Liam Bartlett in a bid to keep him from returning to his home city of Perth for a local radio job.
He will stay with the top rating show until the end of 2010.
According to The Sunday Times, Nine’s chief executive, David Gyngell, likes Bartlett’s “hard-hitting, intellectual style”.
“He was definitely a priority at the station,” an insider said. “There was some negotiating, but he’s finally agreed and everyone’s happy.”
Yesterday, 60 Minutes executive producer Hamish Thomson said he …