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Results for posts tagged "industry" on Defamer Australia.

Should Anna Coren Stay Or Should She Go?

Australian Post Posted by Clem Bastow at 11:20 AM on September 4, 2008

Anna Coren concerned face.jpgThat title may seem like a rhetorical question (the answer being, one would expect, "Duh, go"), but it's par for the course over at Seven headquarters at present. One minute Coren was all set to vamoose the Today Tonight chair and Concerned Face™ to jump ship to CNN, and now it looks like she's not so certain the US is where it's at anymore. Where does this leave proposed replacement, Samantha Armytage? That's an issue that doesn't seem to be rating very highly on Seven's Care-Factor-O-Meter, as they're too busy to-ing and fro-ing about Coren, if Seven's current affairs honcho Peter Meakin's stance is anything to go by:

"I am scheduled to catch up with Anna tomorrow and everything will be laid on the table - we are going to start with a clean sheet," Meakin told Confidential last night.

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When You're About To Sack 550 Employees, Who Goes First?

Australian Post Posted by Clem Bastow at 1:36 PM on August 27, 2008

Network.jpgIf you're Fairfax Media, the answer would be simple: can the editor-in-chief of one of your biggest papers! That's right, just a day after Fairfax announced 550 jobs would be slashed across the board (the news, as other papers quaked in their boots regarding the apparent downturn in publishing the cuts reflected, reached as far as the UK), The Age's editor-in-chief Andrew Jaspan - who'd been in the role since July of 2004 - was shown the door. Here's the official word, and more over the jump.

Don Churchill, Fairfax's chief executive for Victoria, broke the news to staff at a meeting this morning.

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Llllet's Get Reeeaaady To (Ratings) Ruuuumble!

Australian Post Posted by Clem Bastow at 9:36 AM on August 25, 2008

Network.jpgSince Channel Seven have been portentously telling us about their post-Olympics premieres with the hilariously epic "AFTER THE OLYMPICS" promos for all their new material, it's doubtful that there's a single person in the country who doesn't realise that every network has been waiting for today (or, in Ten's case, last night) to start pummelling you with new shows and ratings-grabbing programming decisions. Got your TV guide and a highlighter ready? Good, here's the word from the network heads:

Seven will lead the launch with nine new or fresh series starting this week, with Nine and Ten staggering their news shows over several weeks.

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Gold Medal Deathmatch As Rival Networks Try To Ruin Seven's Party

Australian Post Posted by Clem Bastow at 8:55 AM on August 22, 2008

stephaniericemedal.jpgIt was bound to happen: tired of pumping out ads with a not-so-subtle "just wait until after the Olympics because we're not going to waste our A game while you're watching the Greco-Roman Wrestling heats" subtext, Channel Seven's rivals (which for the most part means Channel Nine, as ABC are too busy being seriose cats and Channel Ten are off packing bowls and hanging ten, or something equally hip and youthful) have started coughing up the mad bucks to get gold medalists on their shows - and, naturally, Seven is pissed.

"This is unprecedented, the level of desperation, the underhandedness and ugliness that went on," a source said.

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Are Nine Biting Off More New Media Than They Can Chew With 'Scorched'?

Australian Post Posted by Clem Bastow at 12:47 PM on August 19, 2008

Network.jpgIt's a new media frenzy over at Channel Nine, where - like everyone else including Sonia Kruger - they are breathlessly awaiting the end of the Olympics so they can play their latest ace. No, not Hole In The Wall - their newest bright hope is Scorched, which is so much more than just a 90-minute telemovie. It is also a completely confusing web presence, a number of fake news services, and some not-very-convincing acted-by-actors YouTube tomfoolery! Yes, Nine are stepping into the 21st century:

"What we've created is an integrated story that runs across all the platforms," director and producer Marcus Gillezeau said.

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Tina Sparkle-gate Continues

Australian Post Posted by Clem Bastow at 9:13 AM on August 19, 2008

Tina Sparkle.pngAfter being caned for saying the wrong thing (or for not saying the right thing) many, many times at the Beijing Olympics, it seems there might be more to Sonia Kruger's run of gaffes than meets the eye. Could it be possible that the powers that be at Channel Seven had instructed her to play up to the 'dumb blonde' stereotype in order to ensure ratings - or at least talkback - gold? What, from the channel that has brought you the most parochial Olympics coverage since Grandpop Jones sat in the pub in 1956 and whined about the foreigners flooding Melbourne? Never!

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Channel Ten Is Really Hoping '90210' V 2.0 Is Actually Good

Australian Post Posted by Clem Bastow at 11:35 AM on August 7, 2008

90210.jpgWhen it comes to television programming, what's worse? Buying in programs that everyone knows are crap (step right up, Channel Nine!), rootling around in the archives for "exclusives" (ahoy, Channel Seven!), or signing the cheque on a series without so much as looking at the pilot? If you're Channel Ten, then apparently the latter is the lesser of three evils - they've bought the nouveau 90210 sight-unseen!

Ten's head of programming David Mott said the show was already generating worldwide buzz, with the mix of original cast members and hot new talent appealing to Beverly Hills 90210 virgins sealing the deal.

"Generation X, who were targeted in the 1990s, have grown up and the show is already creating buzz in Generation Y," Mott said.

"I think it's a no brainer . . . in our initial discussions with producers we were talking about the issues that faced Generation X and they haven't gone away."

I particularly like how if you read that fast, it looks like Mott is complaining that Generation X haven't gone away. In any case, this could actually be a good move on the part of Ten (you know, assuming that the show doesn't actually blow, that is): they'll hook in the Gen Xers and hopefully some young'uns who have been listlessly drifting through Supré since the day Marissa Cooper died.

"Let Me Shag Kerri-Anne And We'll Consider Your Offer": Chaser Wooed By Networks

Australian Post Posted by Clem Bastow at 9:13 AM on August 7, 2008

Chaser dudes.jpgIn a development that induces horrible flashbacks to Kath & Kim being plucked from the ABC by Seven's flying monkeys, the commercial network sharks have started circling the blokes from The Chaser, evidently seeing a cash cow in the political satire show. Whether or not the boys actually take the offer is another question, considering Chas Licciardello's, er, unusual bargaining requests:

"At the moment the commercial networks aren't offering us the right carrots," Licciardello told AAP.

"We've been offered money, we've been offered better conditions but I'm yet to be offered an affair with Kerri-Anne Kennerley," Licciardello joked.

"When they start offering the real stuff then we'll start thinking of going but until then they're just not trying."

Chas you rogue! The bitter irony of all this is that, knowing Channel Nine's solid morals, one can actually imagine a lackey being dispatched to Kennerly's dressing room with a memo saying, "Look, Kerri-Anne, you've done a lot of great things for Nine, but we have a new project for you..." if they thought that the Chaser boys were going to be the answer to all the network's problems. Run, Kerri-Anne, run as far away as you can!

Fifi Leaves Radio For The Box

Australian Post Posted by Clem Bastow at 9:07 AM on August 6, 2008

Fifi Box.jpgAfter hearing her voice thrown into the "who'll get the Dancing With The Stars gig?" mix a few times (and as we all know, Daniel MacPherson got it; yay.), you could've been forgiven for thinking Fifi Box was launching an assault on the televisual world - and, had you thought that, you would've ended up correct. The brassy (and yet, strangely lovable) radio personality will be leaving Triple M at the end of the year and running into the open arms of Channel Seven, where she will present a "wacky" weather segment a la Grant Denyer (who is too busy driving brrm brrm cars now, or something):

Channel 7 continued to deny a rift between Doyle and co-host David Koch over salaries, stating Box's appointment was an addition, not replacement, to the Sunrise team.

Box said she was "absolutely thrilled" to be joining the TV show.

"Television is an exciting new challenge for me and the chance to work with (the Sunrise team) Mel, Kochie, Nat and Beretts, who have been wonderful friends to me over the years, was an opportunity I could not resist," she said.

"I'm over the moon - I'm still pinching myself."

Spare a thought (oh, okay, don't) for the lads of The Shebang, the Triple M breakfast show Box has left in her wake, which will be packing up its meagre belongings in a red-spotted hankie tied to a stick at the end of the year, and trundling off down the road. The entertainment industry's a harsh mistress!

Bonetastic: Channel Nine Eyes 'Big Brother'

Australian Post Posted by Clem Bastow at 10:50 AM on July 17, 2008

Network.jpgThis may well be the definitive Channel Nine-related news item of all time, in the context of Channel Nine having the annus horribilis to end all annuses horribilis: the network is considering picking up the dead-in-the-water Big Brother franchise!

Yes, in the television business equivalent of eating roadkill or taking a corpse to your school formal hoping to get lucky, Nine is eyeing the cancelled reality show as a possible revamp candidate for Nine's 2009 line-up.

"It's run its race in its present form," Nine chief executive David Gyngell said yesterday, The Australian reports.

"I still think it has some life in it in another form. Channel Nine will be looking at it."

The eight-year-old reality show ends on the Ten Network on Monday night.

Nine will hold talks with owners Endemol Southern Star about an overhaul.

"Big Brother was a very good show at its height and it is useful for the economic benefit it brings," Mr Gyngell said.

He is the only network chief interested in picking up the format. The Seven Network and Foxtel declined.

See that, Gyngell? Declined - no one else wants it for a reason! It's stale! Finished! Kaput! Irrelevant!

Actually, I think I've just hit the nail on the head - that makes it perfect for Channel Nine! Carry on, then.