Mumbrella live blog: Thursday, April 17
This is Mumbrella’s live blog, a rolling diary of all you need to know in media and marketing. Refresh the page for the latest updates.
- Buzzfeed questions Nielsen’s decision not to classify it as a news site
- Southern Cross Austereo looks to digital to boost revenues
- Paul Bailey promoted to editor-in-chief as Fairfax reshuffles business again
- Isuzu Ute Australia withdraws competition after campaign describes it as an ‘X-rated Thailand sex tour’
5:24pm – There’s always a late breaking piece of news before a public holiday, and today’s is good for Ten, with the return of skilled news and sport presenter Matt White, presumably to head up the V8 Supercar coverage, but maybe for something slightly earlier…
4:20pm – One of the best yarns around today is on News.com.au – what kind of biscuit are you. It allows you to work out which Arnott’s biscuit is your personality type. Media Watch host Paul Barry smelled a rat though:
1.50pm – Isuzu Ute Australia has withdrawn a competition after campaign described it as an ‘X-rated Thailand sex tour’
1.25pm – Is Buzzfeed news? An interesting debate at Nielsen around whether they should be included in the online ratings. Story here.
1.10pm – Changes over a Fairfax with AFR editor Paul Bailey taking charge of the SMH and Age business section. Story here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z3KqrPL6n4
12.30pm – Got to love Father Bob. Check out his new fundraising campaign where he sings for money. Read about it here.
12:10pm – There’s an innovative radio campaign coming out of GPY&R Brisbane and Nova there ahead of the long weekend, using a low-frequency sound to test whether people are fit to be driving or if they are over the drink drive limit. There’s a lot of science behind it apparently.
11:36am – Interesting developments for the ABC overnight with the announcement of a new broadcasting deal in China, allowing them to post content directly into the country. It follows last week’s episode of Q&A which came live from Shanghai, although it is unclear whether politically-themed shows will get away uncensored. See more here.
10:45am – TV ratings are in, and Home and Away and Puberty Blues were the big winners in the absence of the major reality franchises last night. Ten’s homespun 70s drama picked up a decent number of viewers last week in the 8:30pm timeslot.
10:08am – Some interesting news coming out of Clemenger and OMD Tasmania, which appear to be pushing back towards a full-service offering by promoting Matt Fishburn and standing down managing director of Clems there for 25 years Tony Hart.
9:33am – There’s also an entertaining piece in the Sydney Morning Herald today about the now customary practice of padding in reality TV shows – that is, going over their allotted time. As Dr Mumbo noted last week Charlie Pickering’s witterings cost people who recorded Secrets and Lies the chance to see who actually did it.
But in the substantial realm of reality TV, an hour has come to resemble a Salvador Dali clock: fluid and misshapen. This is no accident. It’s a deliberate strategy to stretch shows that are rating strongly and to discourage viewers from changing channels, as they will have missed the start of programs on rival stations. Once upon a time, networks simply sneaked in an extra 10 minutes. Now, even if these shows are scheduled to run for 75 minutes – in order to stymie the opposition – they habitually run longer.”
9:21am – The Australian this morning has a yarn around last year’s media laws debacle, saying Senator Anthony Albanese actually tried to invoke laws not used for 40 years to kill then Communications Minister Stephen Conroy’s controversial package, which alienated a lot of media owners with plans for things like a regulator. Full story is behind a paywall here.
8:22am – Morning all, and welcome to last day of a shortened week. Today’s newspapers are saturated with coverage of Barry O’Farrell resignation but here at Mumbrella house we are fans of Chris Dore’s Courier Mail front page which is reworked the movie The Hangover with Bazza and young baby prince George as the central characters.
