Mumbrella live blog: Monday, February 24
This is Mumbrella’s live blog, keeping you updated with what’s happening in the media and marketing world, as it happens. Refresh the page for the latest updates.
Highlights: The Australian editor admits paper has lost money since 2008 | Barry O’Brien launches full-service media agency | Simon Langley joins JWT Sydney as ECD | Opinion Charlotte Dawson: A media death but a normal illness | TV Ratings for Sunday |Morning Update | Tim Worner says reports of Seven Schapelle deal are “baloney” | Box OFfice: Wolf Creek 2 wins the weekend | ANZ ‘glams up’ ATMS to ‘GAYTMs’ to celebrate Mardi Gras
6:10pm – Aussie horror flick Wolf Creek 2 has topped the Box Office this week – but The Wolf of Wall Street still went well. You can check the full listings here.
4:50pm – There seems to be a lot of interest in Dr Mumbo’s yarn Bring bags of Cocaine on the site this afternoon. We couldn’t think why that would be.
4:41pm – We’re hearing whispers there will be more on Media Watch tonight about the stoush between them and The Australian following last week’s show. It follows Chris Mitchell saying he will report the ABC to the ACMA, but admitting his paper has lost money in the last five years (see 2.15pm update).
3.06pm – Trying to wrap your head around the world of content marketing? Mumbrella is running a Content Marketing Academy in the next few weeks in Melbourne.
2.15pm – For those who missed it. The Australian’s Chris Mitchell rang this afternoon to have a chat and clarify some of his earlier remarks about the newspaper’s profitability. Full update here.
1:39pm – Here’s one of the new ads we picked up on this weekend. This one is for – tractors. Yep. You can check out the other ads we saw here, including McDonald’s, Holden, Ford and NAB.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm1qhB6wXAs
Updated: We have to correct this for the country set – it’s a hay baler, not a tractor ad. Our apologies.
1:29pm – Did you see the new Bonds ad went to air over the weekend – it features women in sportswear running away from comically large dogs, hippos and bowling balls, and can be viewed here.
1:16pm – So, we have a launch date for Foxtel Presto with CEO Richard Freudenstein announcing it will start on March 13, and announcing two new Disney channels.
12:08pm – The Real Housewives of Melbourne launched last night on Arena, and got 117,000 viewers, the most watched non-sport program of the day on pay TV.
Grant Denyer
11:32am – There is something of a bruhaha brewing between Woman’s Day and Seven host Grant Denyer, with the magazine claiming he and his wife had a $200,000-a-year meth addiction. Denyer has hit back at the claims and says the pair are taking legal advice over the “highly defamatory article”.
At the end of last year Denyer quit Seven’s new quiz show the Million Dollar Minute and then saw his other presenting gig disappear as the network cancelled Slide Show.
11.10am – Something for Mardi Gras. ANZ has ‘glammed up’ some ATMS into ‘GAYTMs’ to celebrate Sydney Mardi Gras Festival. Awesome. See the story here or video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWDW114cji8
10.50am – The Australian is reporting that Fairfax is looking to float Domain in 2015, with a whopping $500m price tag. The speculation has been growing for a while and we reported three weeks ago how a recent restructure set them up for a float. However before we get too excited its worth noting the quote at the bottom of the story from a Fairfax spokesman who said any float in early 2015 was: “totally incorrect and we reject it”.
10.40am – Today’s Financial Review is reporting that merger talks between Radio 2GB and Fairfax Radio have collapsed. According to the newspaper the main problem appears to be 2GB shock jocks Alan Jones and Ray Hadley saying that did not want be part of the deal. You can read the report here.
10.34am – Ten’s share has slumped to a record low after So You Think You Can Dance draw only 378,000 viewers. Full story here.
10:12am – In some breaking news, Simon Langley has been hired as the new executive creative director of JWT Sydney, replacing Mark Harricks who resigned last week.
9:48am – Here’s the first ratings story for the night, some interesting data on the INXS telemovie as well here.
9:27am – TV ratings are in, and there was amassive result for Seven which stole 37 per cent share for its primary channel last night, with Sunday Night, Downton Abbey and My Kitchen Rules among top shows.
However, doubt remains over the future of Ten’s So You Think You Can Dance after it struggled again. Full ratings report up soon.
9:12am – Want your ad to go viral? Why not put a little girl and a kitten singing as the cycle along, to a rock anthem. This and much more in the Morning Update.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXy6JElmgHU
9:00am – Here it is – former PHD boss and Network Ten sales boss Barry O’Brien has launched his own new media agency D212 – he wants to offer full service and tap into the trading deals of a major agency network.
8:56am – In real news, we have a big announcement about one of adland’s most notable characters going live in just a few moments, so stay tuned.
8:37am – Both the Fin and The Oz have managed to secure exclusive interviews with their own CEOs. While Greg Hywood tells the Fin he wants to see cross media rules scrapped (although doesn’t say whether that’s so Fairfax can buy businesses, or be old to another media company), News Corp boss Julian Clarke tells The Oz print isn’t dead, which is just as well for their newspaper business.
8:22am – Morning all, it’s Monday again, and that means it’s media section time in The Australian and the Australian Financial Review.
It’s the first Oz Media under new editor Sharri Markson, and carries on where Nick Leys left off before heading to a gamekeeping job with the ABC, with the top yarn being about Fairfax’s plan to float the Domain business as a separate entity.
