ARIAs post lowest viewership ever, but Nine has finally figured out the TV awards formula
Last night’s ARIA Awards was a tight, well-paced ceremony that celebrated the best of Aussie music – or, at least that’s what viewers saw on Nine.
Finally, it seems that Nine have nailed that elusive beast, that of the tired old award ceremony.
By choosing not to broadcast the entire four-hour (minimum) spectacle on free-to-air TV, but to instead air a tight, two-hour long tape-delayed presentation, Nine were able to fly through the awards and acceptance speeches at a rapid clip (TV viewers rarely care about hearing an artist’s management team name-checked), circling back to the winners of the less splashy category before ad breaks when needed, while also giving the live performances the airtime they deserve.
I used to watch the ARIAs when I knew who the artists were! But that was when Dragon, Midnight Oil, Icehouse etc etc were around. So unfortunately I think my generation hasn’t got a clue who’s who and as they say, it’s not like the good old days.