1995: November 4-10

tvweek_041195Cover: Eliza Szonert (Neighbours)

Mike Munro, this is your past life!
This Is Your Life host Mike Munro has revealed this his own life has something of a colourful background, including a change to his name. Among his ancestors were Irish-born bushrangers, brothers Patrick and James Kenniff (though their original surname before settling in Australia was Cunniffe). The pair were well known in central Queensland for their unlawful activities in the late 19th century before finally being charged and convicted for the murder of two men in 1901. Munro’s great grandfather (Patrick and James’ uncle) was so ashamed by the brothers that he moved to a property called Munrook in northern NSW and changed his surname to Munro. “And then I was to be baptised as Michael Cunniffe Munro. But at the last minute… mum said to the priest, without dad knowing, to make the middle name Kenneth,” Munro said.

Death in Summer Bay?
Home And Away actor Dennis Coard is leaving the series. Writers are currently discussing storylines for his exit, widely tipped to involve a gruesome end for character Michael Ross. If this is the case it will be the second of Pippa’s (Debra Lawrance) spouses to meet an early demise. Her first husband, Tom (Roger Oakley), died in a car crash.

simonwestaway_0002A thorny question
The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years is the sequel to the world famous 1983 mini-series The Thorn Birds. But one person not impressed with the production is the original book’s author, Colleen McCullough. She was unable to stop producers proceeding with the project (as it was part of the contract for the original mini-series) and is unhappy that characters that had been killed off in the book are being recycled. Filmed in Queensland over ten weeks, The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years features Richard Chamberlain and Amanda Donohoe with Australians including Simon Westaway, Michael Caton, Julia Blake, Peter Ford and James Costas.”It’s obviously the biggest thing that I’ve been involved with to date, and that was very exciting,” Westaway (pictured), who takes on the role played by Bryan Brown in the original, told TV Week. “It’s always hard making a sequel to anything, but having Richard Chamberlain in this endorses it, and it’s wonderful. The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years is due to air on the Nine Network in the new year.

Briefly…

  • Completing the line-up of doctors for next year’s series of GP is Leah Vandenberg, a graduate of the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Vandenberg joins Steve Bisley, Zoe Carides and fellow new cast member Melissa Jaffer.
  • The Nine Network is keeping quiet about its new late-night soapie Pacific Drive, but storylines being leaked to the media include a murder in the first episode and a gay love scene further down the track. “Melrose Place-style murder and mayhem is the brief for the show,” one source has told TV Week.
  • melissageorgeandrewhillMelissa George and former Home And Away castmate Andrew Hill are pictured at a function announcing that pay TV network Foxtel will be screening the Seven Network soap from episode one.
  • This week’s telecast of the AFI Awards from Melbourne is the first project for ABC from Steve Vizard‘s Artist Services production company. Magda Szubanski is hosting the presentation.

TV’s Top 20 (Week Commencing 15 October): 

Rank Program Network Day(s) Viewers
1 60 Minutes Nine Sun 1992000
2 This Is Your Life Nine Thu 1966000
3 Movie: Patriot Games Nine Sun 1934000
4 Blue Heelers Seven Tue 1806000
5 The Nanny Ten Wed 1780000
6 The Great Outdoors Seven Tue 1741000
7 National Nine News Nine Sun 1729000
8 Burke’s Backyard Nine Fri 1716000
9 A Current Affair Nine M-F 1701000
10 RPA Nine Thu 1694000
11 Better Homes And Gardens Seven Tue 1667000
12 Our House Nine Wed 1663000
13 Getaway Nine Thu 1651000
14 Australia’s Funniest Home Video Show Nine Tue 1644000
15 National Nine News Nine M-F 1628000
16 Cybill Nine Mon 1626000
17 Gladiators Seven Sat 1611000
18 Sale Of The Century Nine M-F 1574000
19 The Simpsons Ten Wed 1533000
20 National Nine News Nine Sat 1518000

Lawrie Masterson: The View From Here

davidjohnston_0002“On the final 1995 edition of television’s best Australian rules football, the Seven Network‘s Talking Footy, journalist Mike Sheehan remarked that anyone who thought the football season was over should think again. It was just starting, he said. There would be more moving and shaking in the “off-season” than there ever was during the heat of battle. It’s just like the television industry, really. Supposedly it closes down from late November to early February, but that’s also usually the time when people jump networks, new shows get bedded in, and so on. In Melbourne, long-time news presenter David Johnston (pictured) and director of news Neil Miller are moving (from Ten) to Seven. In Sydney, Anne Fulwood has gone from Ten’s national late-night bulletin and is en route to a similar position at Seven. One of Ten’s prime-time presenters in Sydney, Juanita Phillips, is also out of there. Andrew Denton? On his show recently, he made a passing reference to “when this gig is over in about five weeks”, and obviously he wasn’t joking.”

Program Highlights (Melbourne, November 4-10):
Saturday: The Melbourne Cup Carnival kicks off with Derby Day (10.30am, Ten), live from Flemington Racecourse, hosted by Tim Webster, Peter Donegan and Marie-Louise Theile with racecaller Dan Mielicki. Beyond 2000 (5.30pm, Ten) reports on a new IVF treatment that could end the need for long courses of fertility drugs and cut costs for infertile couples.

Sunday: The Mercantile Mutual Cup (11am, Nine) is given limited coverage, two hours, from the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Sunday night movies are Too Hot To Handle (repeat, Seven), The Bodyguard (repeat, Nine) and Witness To The Execution (Ten).

Monday: Four Corners (8.30pm, ABC) presents a special report leading up to the 20th anniversary of the dismissal of prime minister Gough Whitlam.

Tuesday: Seven hours of live coverage of Melbourne Cup Day (10am, Ten) from Flemington Racecourse. In Neighbours (6.30pm, Ten), a stunning Melbourne Cup breakfast entertains the residents of Erinsborough, until Joanna (Emma Harrison) picks the wrong horse. In Blue Heelers (8.30pm, Seven), while the rest of the country stops for the Melbourne Cup, Mount Thomas is hit by a string of burglaries. In GP (8.30pm, ABC), Sonia’s (Zoe Carides) relationship with Andy (Tom Burlinson) is tested when he is offered a job overseas.

Wednesday: In Neighbours (6.30pm, Ten), a depressed Joanna (Emma Harrison) meets up with an early childhood hero and decides to resurrect his career. In Bordertown (8.30pm, ABC), a magical nocturnal trip on Nino’s (Mitchell Butel) hand-made gondola makes Louise (Christine Tremarco) realise that Joe’s (Joe Petruzzi) brother is in love with her, but perhaps it is too late.

Thursday: Day One of the First Test (10.50am, Nine), Australian versus Pakistan, is live from Brisbane, taking a break for lunch with The Cricket Show (1pm, Nine), hosted by Michael Slater and Simon O’Donnell. The Melbourne Cup Carnival continues with Oaks Day (11am, Ten) at Flemington Racecourse. In Neighbours (6.30pm, Ten), Billy (Jesse Spencer) finally has his learning disability diagnosed, much to the horror of Karl and Susan (Alan Fletcher and Jackie Woodburne).

magdaszubanski_0002Friday: The First Test (10.50am, Nine) continues from Brisbane. Magda Szubanski (pictured) hosts the Australian Film Industry Awards (8.30pm, ABC), live from the Melbourne Town Hall. All Men Are Liars, Hotel Sorrento, Angel Baby and That Eye The Sky are nominated for Best Film. Leading the television category nominations are Halifax fp, Janus and Frontline.

Source: TV Week (Melbourne edition), incorporating TV Times and TV Guide. 4 November 1995. Southdown Press

 

Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2015/11/1995-november-4-10.html

SBS Food Network’s launch schedule

SBSFood_0001SBS has announced the opening schedule for its new food and lifestyle channel, Food Network.

Food Network launches at 1.00pm AEDST on Tuesday 17 November but is now running a promo reel on Channel 33.

Programming consists largely of titles sourced through an output deal with US packager Scripps Network Interactive, interspersed with repeat segments of SBS-made programs including Poh And Co, Peter Kuruvita’s Mexican Fiesta, Shane Delia’s Spice Journey, Luke Nguyen’s France and Destination Flavour.

Tuesday 17 November (AEDST):

0500 Food Network Launches 1pm 17 November
1300 Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals
1330 Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern
1425 Luke Nguyen’s France Bitesize
1430 Surfing the Menu
1500 Reza: Spice Prince of Vietnam
1530 Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals
1600 Giada at Home
1630 Food Lovers’ Guide To Australia
1700 Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics
1730 Guy’s Grocery Games
1825 Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook Bitesize
1830 Good Eats
1900 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita
1930 Surfing the Menu
2000 Reza: Spice Prince of Vietnam
2030 Chopped
2125 Poh & Co. Bitesize
2130 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
2200 Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern
2255 Man Fire Food
2325 Peter Kuruvita’s Mexican Fiesta Bitesize
2330 Surfing the Menu

shanedeliaWednesday 18 November (AEDST):

0000 Reza: Spice Prince of Vietnam
0030 Good Eats
0100 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
0130 Chopped
0225 Destination Flavour Bitesize
0230 Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals
0300 Giada at Home
0330 Food Lovers’ Guide To Australia
0400 Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics
0430 Good Eats
0500 Reza: Spice Prince of Vietnam
0530 Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern
0625 Luke Nguyen’s Lunar New Year Bitesize
0630 Man Fire Food
0700 Chopped
0755 Shane Delia’s Spice Journey Bitesize
0800 Guy’s Grocery Games
0855 Destination Flavour Bitesize
0900 Happy Foodie New Year
0930 Chopped
1025 Shane Delia’s Spice Journey Bitesize
1030 Reza: Spice Prince of Vietnam
1100 Giada at Home
1130 Food Lovers’ Guide To Australia
1200 Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals
1230 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
1300 Happy Foodie New Year
1330 Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern
1425 Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook Bitesize
1430 Chopped
1525 Luke Nguyen’s Lunar New Year Bitesize
1530 Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals
1600 Giada at Home
1630 Food Lovers’ Guide To Australia
1700 Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics
1730 Guy’s Grocery Games
1825 Poh & Co. Bitesize
1830 Good Eats
1900 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita
1930 Surfing the Menu
2000 Reza: Spice Prince of Vietnam
2030 Chopped
2125 Destination Flavour – Japan Bitesize
2130 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
2200 Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern
2255 Man Fire Food
2325 Luke Nguyen’s France Bitesize
2330 Surfing the Menu

pohlingyeowThursday 19 November (AEDST):

0000 Reza: Spice Prince of Vietnam
0030 Good Eats
0100 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
0130 Chopped
0225 Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook Bitesize
0230 Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals
0300 Giada at Home
0330 Food Lovers’ Guide To Australia
0400 Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics
0430 Happy Foodie New Year
0500 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
0530 Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern
0625 Destination Flavour Bitesize
0630 Man Fire Food
0700 Surfing the Menu
0730 Reza: Spice Prince of Vietnam
0800 Guy’s Grocery Games
0855 Shane Delia’s Spice Journey Bitesize
0900 Happy Foodie New Year
0930 Chopped
1025 Luke Nguyen’s Lunar New Year Bitesize
1030 Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals
1100 Giada at Home
1130 Food Lovers’ Guide To Australia
1200 Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics
1230 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
1300 Man Fire Food
1330 Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern
1425 Poh & Co. Bitesize
1430 Surfing the Menu
1500 Reza: Spice Prince of Vietnam
1530 Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals
1600 Giada at Home
1630 Food Lovers’ Guide To Australia
1700 Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics
1730 Guy’s Grocery Games
1825 Destination Flavour Down Under Bitesize
1830 Good Eats
1900 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita
1930 Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals
2000 Reza: Spice Prince of Vietnam
2030 Chopped
2125 Luke Nguyen’s France Bitesize
2130 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
2200 Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern
2255 Man Fire Food
2325 Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook Bitesize
2330 Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals

peterkuruvitaFriday 20 November (AEDST):

0000 Reza: Spice Prince of Vietnam
0030 Good Eats
0100 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
0130 Chopped
0225 Destination Flavour Down Under Bitesize
0230 Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals
0300 Giada at Home
0330 Food Lovers’ Guide To Australia
0400 Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics
0430 Happy Foodie New Year
0500 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
0530 Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern
0625 Shane Delia’s Spice Journey Bitesize
0630 Man Fire Food
0700 Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals
0730 Reza: Spice Prince of Vietnam
0800 Guy’s Grocery Games
0855 Luke Nguyen’s Lunar New Year Bitesize
0900 Happy Foodie New Year
0930 Chopped
1025 Destination Flavour Bitesize
1030 Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals
1100 Giada at Home
1130 Food Lovers’ Guide To Australia
1200 Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics
1230 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
1300 Man Fire Food
1330 Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern
1425 Peter Kuruvita’s Mexican Fiesta Bitesize
1430 Giada at Home
1500 Reza: Spice Prince of Vietnam
1530 Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals
1600 Giada at Home
1630 Food Lovers’ Guide To Australia
1700 Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics
1730 Guy’s Grocery Games
1825 Luke Nguyen’s France Bitesize
1830 Good Eats
1900 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita
1930 Surfing the Menu
2000 Reza: Spice Prince of Vietnam
2030 Chopped
2125 Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook Bitesize
2130 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
2200 Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern
2255 Man Fire Food
2325 Poh & Co. Bitesize
2330 Surfing the Menu

curtisstoneSaturday 21 November (AEDST):

0000 Reza: Spice Prince of Vietnam
0030 Good Eats
0100 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
0130 Chopped
0225 Peter Kuruvita’s Mexican Fiesta Bitesize
0230 Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals
0300 Giada at Home
0330 Food Lovers’ Guide To Australia
0400 Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics
0430 Happy Foodie New Year
0500 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
0530 Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern
0625 Luke Nguyen’s Lunar New Year Bitesize
0630 Man Fire Food
0700 Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook-Off
0755 Peter Kuruvita’s Mexican Fiesta Bitesize
0800 Guy’s Grocery Games
0855 Destination Flavour Bitesize
0900 Happy Foodie New Year
0930 Chopped
1025 Shane Delia’s Spice Journey Bitesize
1030 Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals
1100 Giada at Home
1130 Food Lovers’ Guide To Australia
1200 Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics
1230 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
1300 Man Fire Food
1330 Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern
1425 Luke Nguyen’s France Bitesize
1430 Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook-Off
1525 Poh & Co. Bitesize
1530 Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals
1600 Giada at Home
1630 Food Lovers’ Guide To Australia
1700 Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics
1730 Guy’s Grocery Games
1825 Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook Bitesize
1830 Kitchen Inferno with Curtis Stone (pictured)
1925 Destination Flavour – Japan Bitesize
1930 The Great Food Truck Race
2025 Peter Kuruvita’s Mexican Fiesta Bitesize
2030 Chopped
2125 Poh & Co. Bitesize
2130 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
2200 Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern
2255 Man Fire Food
2325 Peter Kuruvita’s Mexican Fiesta Bitesize
2330 Kitchen Inferno with Curtis Stone

 

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2015/11/sbs-food-networks-launch-schedule.html

1995: October 28-November 3

tvweek_281095Cover: Adam Willits, Tempany Deckert (Home And Away)

Steven’s towering stunt!
Police Rescue star Steve Bastoni is set to cap off his five years with the show by dangling off Sydney’s Centrepoint Tower. “It’s by far the scariest stunt I’ve performed,” Bastoni told TV Week. “I can’t describe the excitement. I’m buzzing!” In the scene, Bastoni’s character, Angel, has to bring down a heart attack victim from the tower the quick way — off the edge and down the side! Even though the jump was rehearsed by the show’s stunt team over and over, it was still fraught with danger. “If it had been too windy the ropes could have been tangled,” stunt team head Richard Booie told TV Week. “It wasn’t an easy stunt, especially with the wind spinning Steve and then pushing him into the tower.” The stunt is to feature in an episode in the upcoming final series of the ABC drama.

lochiedaddo_0001The calm before the storm
Getaway reporter Lochie Daddo (pictured) came up with the idea for a drive in a Ferrari along Italy’s Amalfi Coast for the travel show’s World Best Drives special. “But Rebecca Harris got the Italy trip, and I got bad weather in New Zealand and Far North Queensland,” Daddo told TV Week. The World’s Best Drives special includes stories from around the world, featuring road journeys from the US, Australia’s Nullabor Plain, the Kruger Wildlife Park in South Africa and England’s Lakes District.

Mimi’s job in doubt
Discovery channel presenter Mimi Macpherson is in danger of losing her job as a result of a recent drink-driving charge. Discovery (which is available in Australia via Foxtel), a family-oriented network, has a strict code of conduct for their on-screen stars. “The situation is still in discussion,” a spokesperson for Discovery told TV Week. “They are still reviewing Mimi’s case.”

Briefly…

  • Plans to feature pop superstar Kylie Minogue for an episode of This Is Your Life have been dropped following advice by her family and friends, who insist that she would hate the concept.
  • Melissa Jaffer is the latest addition to the cast of ABC‘s long-running drama GP, following the recent departure of original cast members Denise Roberts and Michael Craig. Jaffer joins the series as Dr Maureen Riordan as GP gets a new look in 1996.
  • John Blackman, Colleen Hewett and Tracy Harvey have taped a pilot at Nine‘s Melbourne studios for a Nineties version of Beauty And The Beast.
  • Healthy Wealthy And Wise producer Gavan Disney earlier this year produced a pilot for a new lifestyle show featuring Tonia Todman. The concept was put on hold but now Network Ten is set to revisit the idea.

TV’s Top 20 (Week Commencing 8 October): 

Rank Program Network Day(s) Viewers
1 60 Minutes Nine Sun 2355000
2 The Simpsons Ten Wed 2044000
3 This Is Your Life Nine Thu 1933000
4 National Nine News Nine Sun 1883000
5 Blue Heelers Seven Tue 1850000
6 The Nanny Ten Wed 1768000
7 A Current Affair Nine M-F 1745000
8 Getaway Nine Thu 1730000
9 Money Nine Wed 1697000
10 Home Improvement Seven Sun 1697000
11 Sale Of The Century Nine M-F 1645000
12 Burke’s Backyard Nine Fri 1643000
13 Australia’s Funniest Home Video Show Nine Tue 1641000
14 Lois & Clark Seven Mon 1629000
15 Our House Nine Wed 1620000
16 National Nine News Nine M-F 1609000
17 Better Homes And Gardens Seven Tue 1583000
18 RPA Nine Thu 1576000
19 Healthy Wealthy And Wise Ten Mon 1570000
20 World’s Weirdest TV Nine Tue 1568000

ronwilsonProgram Highlights (Melbourne, October 28-November 3):
Saturday: Beyond 2000 (5.30pm, Ten) reports on a car with an electric motor in each wheel; new hope for children with leukaemia; and unlocking the secrets of Aboriginal bush medicine to create new drugs. Sydney’s Ten News presenter Ron Wilson (pictured) presents the special Pets (7.30pm, Ten), to commemorate world animal week, featuring reports by Sydney weatherman Tim Bailey and Alexandra Brunning (Heartbreak High).

Sunday: The Mercantile Mutual Cup (11am, Nine) is live from Brisbane, featuring Queensland versus South Australia. In Heartbreak High (5.30pm, Ten), the teachers are on strike, while Con’s (Salvatore Coco) plan to spend more time with Katerina (Ada Nicodemou) turns into a raging party. Tamworth’s famous Country Music Festival is the focus of this week’s True Stories (8.30pm, ABC) documentary — taking a look behind-the-scenes at the 11 day festival held in January and which attracts more than 70,000 visitors to the rural town. Sunday night movies are Extreme Justice (Seven), Basic Instinct (repeat, Nine) and Sea Of Love (repeat, Ten).

Monday: In Neighbours (6.30pm, Ten), Sam (Richard Grieve) pursues a friendship with Stonie (Anthony Engelman), still unaware of Annalise (Kimberley Davies) and Stonie’s secret affair. In Home And Away (7pm, Seven), Michael (Dennis Coard) tries to keep Jack (Daniel Amalm) and Sally (Kate Ritchie) apart.

Tuesday: In GP (8.30pm, ABC), love is in the air when Sonia (Zoe Carides) falls for a motorbike paramedic while attending an accident. In Blue Heelers (8.30pm, Seven), when Chris’ (Julie Nihill) niece runs away, abuse is suspected. The local priest becomes the suspect when he is named by the young girl’s boyfriend.

jamiecroftWednesday: In Home And Away (7pm, Seven), Sally (Kate Ritchie) leaves Summer Bay. Prime Minister Paul Keating is interviewed by Andrew Denton in the half-hour special, Andrew Denton’s Paul Keating Unplugged (8pm, Seven). In Bordertown (8.30pm, ABC), Dom (Jamie Croft, pictured), a young gypsy boy, reminds Hungarian Mihaly Bassa (Alex Menglet) of the son he left behind the Iron Curtain.

Thursday: In Home And Away (7pm, Seven), Fisher (Norman Coburn) gives up hope of going out with Marilyn (Emily Symons). Getaway (7.30pm, Nine) presents a special episode on some of the world’s great road journeys, including Jeff Watson taking his 1958 Morris Minor across the Nullabor. Comedy special World Series Debating (8.30pm, ABC) debates the topic That There Is Life Beyond Earth.

Friday: In Neighbours (6.30pm, Ten), Jen’s (Alyce Platt) next publicity stunt could cost Lou (Tom Oliver) his job at the radio station. Jennifer Keyte’s World Around Us (7.30pm, Seven) presents the documentary Australia’s Endangered Species, hosted by Darren McDonald.

Source: TV Week (Melbourne edition), incorporating TV Times and TV Guide. 28 October 1995. Southdown Press

 

 

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2015/11/1995-october-28-november-3.html

Nine chief David Gyngell steps down

hughmarksNine Entertainment Co — owner of the Nine Network — has announced the resignation of CEO David Gyngell and the appointment of Hugh Marks (pictured) as his successor.

Marks, with 20 years’ senior management experience in broadcasting and production, joined the Board at Nine in 2013. His previous experience includes senior roles at the Australian Communications and Media Authority and Southern Star Group. Prior to this Marks was legal counsel for Nine and was a Director of Nine Films and Television for seven years.

He takes on his new role effective tomorrow, 10 November.

Although stepping down from the CEO role, Gyngell will remain as a Non-Executive Director on the Board at Nine.

In a statement issued today, NEC Chairman David Haslingden said:

“On behalf of the Board, I warmly welcome Hugh to his new role of Chief Executive Officer. His extensive experience in television, coupled with his detailed knowledge of NEC, made him an obvious replacement for David. We look forward to his experience, his leadership and his sure hand in these challenging but exciting times”.

“I’d also like to thank David Gyngell for his tireless eight years as CEO of Nine Entertainment Co.. He has led the Company through a significant restructuring, whilst remaining an active and inspiring leader on a day-to-day basis. Personally, I am sad to see David stepping down from his active management role, however I am delighted he will be continuing his long association with Nine as a non-Executive Director.”

davidgyngell_0001Gyngell (pictured), whose father Bruce was a key figure in the development of Sydney’s TCN9 in the 1950s and 1960s, had been CEO at Nine in 2004-05 and returned to the role in 2007, at a time when the network was being hit hard by a resurgent Seven. He brought stability to the network while also saving the company from falling into receivership, before it was re-listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.

The network has also grown with the acquisition of the Nine stations in Perth and Adelaide from affiliate partner WIN.

In stepping down from the CEO role, Gyngell said:

“I have great regard for Hugh Marks. He’s got the experience, he’s got skin in the game, he knows the industry so well and he’s very well regarded. Hugh was an obvious selection as CEO and I believe he’ll do a stellar job. For my part, it’s time. I always say Nine is part of my DNA, and it’s true. From my boyhood alongside my Dad, to this day. I love the culture and achievement of this company and I love its people. That won’t change. I will remain on the Board, and I’ll be happy to offer a little advice or support when it’s sought. It’s now up to Hugh and the team to run the show, and I confidently wish them the very best”.

In two weeks’ time, Nine will launch its new lifestyle channel, 9Life, and will resume high definition broadcasting for its primary Nine service after five years.

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2015/11/nine-chief-david-gyngell-steps-down.html

TV Week announces 2016 Logie Awards

Logies_2015The 58th annual TV Week Logie Awards will be held on Sunday 8 May 2016 at the Crown Entertainment Complex’s Palladium Room in Melbourne.

The awards will be telecast on the Nine Network.

TV Week has announced some changes for the upcoming Logies. Viewer-voted awards will now be known as Best Awards, while industry-voted categories will still be Most Outstanding Awards.

One new viewer-voted awards category is also being added — Best News Panel Or Current Affairs Program — while the award for Best Factual program is being reinstated.

The industry-voted categories will be increased with two new awards —  Most Outstanding Supporting Actor and Most Outstanding Supporting Actress.

TV Week has also announced that with the advent of subscription streaming services that program submissions from these sites can now be entered for nomination.

TV Week publisher Jayne Ferguson says the changes are part of the constant evolution of the awards:

“We are excited to announce some new awards to the 58th TV Week Logie Awards, as we continue to evolve the awards, to give fans the chance to vote on the best shows and biggest stars on TV. The introduction of new industry voted awards for acting highlights our commitment to supporting outstanding Australian talent. We are looking forward to another fabulous celebration of everything that makes Australian television special and unique.”

Public voting for the 58th TV Week Logie Awards will open on Monday 16 November 2015. Voting will be open until 17 January 2016.

Source: TV Week

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2015/11/tv-week-announces-2016-logie-awards.html

Seven launches Toowoomba news

robbroughjoannedesmondIn this era of shrinking regional television, the Seven Queensland network has bucked the trend with the launch of Seven Local News in Toowoomba and the Darling Downs region.

Reporters are based in the Toowoomba region but the bulletin is presented from Seven’s Maroochydore studios, with newsreaders Rob Brough and Joanne Desmond (pictured). The Toowoomba bulletin will also feature a regular segment presented by Peter Byrne, a former long-time weather presenter for rival WIN News.

7localnewsSeven Local News now presents a half-hour bulletin each weeknight for each of the regional areas of Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay and now Toowoomba.

The new bulletin comes at a time when rival network WIN is cutting back on news production. WIN has been winding back regional news services over recent years with the cancellation of local services covering regional Western Australia, regional South Australia, Mackay in Queensland and Mildura in Victoria. The network’s Canberra news bulletin is now presented from Wollongong, with WIN’s Canberra site to be sold off. WIN has also recently announced that it will be closing down its production studios in Ballarat, with the network’s regional Victorian news to be presented from studios in Wollongong in New South Wales..

Seven’s regional affiliate in New South Wales/ACT and Victoria, Prime7, has been consolidating production of its news bulletins of various regions to centralised facilities in Canberra.

Seven Queensland is owned by Seven West Media, which also owns the metropolitan Seven Network. Regional operators like Prime and WIN argue that they are being forced to trim back production and services in the wake of restrictive media laws and have launched a campaign, Save Our Voices, to lobby the government for change.

The regionals are campaigning for the ownership laws to be changed to allow larger metropolitan networks to invest more in regional television. The experience of the Seven Network in regional Queensland and the Nine Network owning NBN in Northern NSW indicate that the larger operators have greater economies of scale which enable greater levels of local production in regional areas.

More information on Save Our Voices is at their website.

YouTube: Australian TV Fan

 

Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2015/11/seven-launches-toowoomba-news.html

1978 Melbourne Cup makes TV history

tvweek_111178Today (Tuesday) marks the 155th running of the Melbourne Cup — one of the world’s most famous Thoroughbred horse races. Thousands will be at Flemington Racecourse to witness the ‘race that stops a nation’, while millions will be watching on television across Australia and around the world.

Flashback to 1978… and it was a significant year for the Melbourne Cup. It was the first time that the race was allowed to be telecast live within its home state of Victoria. Up until then Victorians could only see the race on TV via filmed replays later in the day. It was also the first time that exclusive telecast rights to the Melbourne Cup Carnival had been granted to the 0-10 Network through Melbourne’s ATV0, although rival network stations outside of Victoria had limited access to 0-10’s live coverage. (In Sydney, for instance, all four local channels broadcast the Melbourne Cup race live)

The 1978 coverage, fronted by Michael Schildberger, involved 13 cameras situated at various points around the grandstand and the track at Flemington Racecourse. Hand-held cameras also took viewers closer to the action.

Calling the races for the live coverage was Clem Dimsey, with analysis from Phil Gibbs and Ted Ryan. Special guests on the day included Australian-born Marilyn Monroe look-a-like Linda Kerridge, flying in from Los Angeles, and former Australian journalist Lyndall Hobbs, returning home from London.

Of course the Melbourne Cup is as much about the fashions on the field as it is about the horse race itself. TV Week‘s Melbourne Cup preview of 1978 featured celebrities from all three commercial networks: Lorraine Bayly and Vikki Hammond from The Sullivans; Lynda Stoner, Paula Duncan and Joanna Lockwood from Cop Shop; Julieanne Newbould and Sue Smithers from The Restless Years; and Monique Daams from The Daryl And Ossie Show.

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TV Times‘ preview featured Cop Shop stars Rowena Wallace, George Mallaby and Jo-Anne Moore:

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The 2015 Melbourne Cup Carnival — Emirates Melbourne Cup Day.  Tuesday 3 November, 10.00am (AEDST), Seven (check local guides).

Source: TV Times, 4 November 1978. TV Week, 11 November 1978. Sydney Morning Herald, 6 November 1978.

 

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2015/11/1978-melbourne-cup-makes-tv-history.html

Don’t forget… it’s Movember!

Movember is a month-long charity event that started in Australia and has since spread worldwide. For the month of November men are being asked to grow a moustache and gain sponsors to raise funds and awareness for men’s health initiatives – such as those targeting prostate cancer and depression.

So please either grow a mo’ or sponsor someone who is – because men’s health is an often forgotten issue.

Details on Movember can be found at their website.

Australian TV lacks the presence of a decent moustache these days but perhaps we might see a few over the coming month.

In the meantime here’s just a few that have featured on Australian TV over the years, listed in no particular order…

 

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uglydavegray kenjames
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mikegibson iainfinlay

 

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2015/11/dont-forget-its-movember.html

Nine launches 9HD and 9Life

9HD_0001The Nine Network has revealed its plans for 2016, including a raft of new shows and returning titles — but there are some announcements that are set to shake things up.

Firstly, Nine’s primary channel is returning to High Definition broadcast. From 26 November, Nine will resume the HD simulcast of its primary channel for the first time since 2010 — when GEM took over the HD slot.

Viewers without access to a high definition tuner will still be able to see Nine in standard definition on channels 9 and 91. The high definition broadcast will take over the Channel 90 spot, while HD channel GEM (to be re-branded 9Gem) will switch to Standard Definition on Channel 92.

GO (to become 9Go) will now be available on Channel 93 as well as its existing channel 99. Shopping channel Extra will be available only on Channel 95.

The next big announcement is that Nine will be launching a new lifestyle channel, 9Life, on 26 November on Channel 94.

9Life_00019Life will feature various lifestyle and reality brands, some of which not currently seen in Australia, through a supply deal secured with Scripps Network Interactive. (Scripps is also a key supplier of content to SBS‘ upcoming channel, Food Network)

Programs to feature on 9Life include The Bachelor, Million Dollar Listing, The Real Housewives, Flip or Flop, House Hunters International and Tiny House, Big Living.

Nine will also relaunch its online portal Jump-In as 9Now, promising streaming, catch up and on-demand viewing of all its channels. This comes after Seven‘s recent announcement that it will be streaming its channels online.

Nine’s primary channel line-up for 2016 will include returning programs Love Child, House Husbands, The Voice, Australia’s Got Talent, The Block, Reno Rumble, The Farmer Wants A Wife, Married At First Sight, The Embassy, Kings Cross ER, The Footy Show, Hot Seat and Getaway.

New titles include dramas Hide And Seek and House Of Bond, sitcom Here Come The Habibs, game show You’re Back In The Room (to be hosted by Daryl Somers), reality show The Rookie and factuals Prison: First And Last 24 Hours and This Time Next Year.

Nine will again cover the TV Week Logie Awards, Carols By Candlelight and the NRL State Of Origin.

It is unclear at this stage if Nine’s channel reshuffle and switch to HD for the main channel will be emulated by regional affiliates WIN, NBN (which Nine owns) and Imparja.

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2015/10/nine-launches-9hd-and-9life.html

Starting from zero… 35 years of SBS TV

brucegyngell_0001This weekend marks 35 years since Bruce Gyngell (pictured) announced “Good evening, and welcome to multicultural television,” on the opening night of Channel 0/28 — the network that is now SBS.

The birth of 0/28 and multicultural television came five years after the launch of ‘ethnic’ radio stations in Sydney and Melbourne that would eventually come under the control of the Special Broadcasting Service. Like with the radio stations, Channel 0/28 was launched initially in Sydney and Melbourne and would roll out to other capital cities over later years.

The path to multicultural television was not an easy one. Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser promised ahead of the 1977 Federal Election that his government would launch a multicultural television service. There was debate as to whether or not the national broadcaster ABC should be tasked with operating the service as a second channel. It was even questioned whether or not the newly formed Special Broadcasting Service had the competency or structure to provide a television station as feedback from its initial planning and test broadcasts was less than positive.

YouTube: TelevisionAU

Plans to replace the Special Broadcasting Service with a separate authority, the Independent and Multicultural Broadcasting Corporation (IMBC), had the potential for the new channel to operate as a commercially-funded service — something which attracted criticism from not just the commercial networks but also from independent publishers, the latter fearing that the TV channel would take advertising dollars away from their foreign-language newspaper publications.

Gyngell, the former chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal, was appointed managing director-designate of the IMBC and handed the task of leading the formation of the new channel, even though it was still unclear which authority would control it — the IMBC or SBS.

sbs_1980The IMBC plan was ultimately knocked down by the Senate, leading the way for SBS to continue to operate multicultural radio and television services, and without carrying advertising. Despite the dumping of the IMBC proposal, Gyngell was retained as a senior consultant for SBS.

The new television service was assigned the UHF band channel 28 with a temporary provision for a VHF service on Channel 0 in both cities. The use of the Channel 0 frequency was problematic, particularly in Sydney, where it was estimated that as many as 80 per cent of households could not receive a clear picture due to either difficult terrain or households not having compatible antennas installed. (This was less of a problem in Melbourne as households were well adjusted to the Channel 0 frequency as it had previously been used by the commercial station which had since shifted its signal to Channel 10)

whoareweFriday 24 October 1980, and opening night for Channel 0/28 began with Gyngell, whose history with Australian television dates back to day one in 1956, presenting a half-hour preview of upcoming programs to appear on the new channel. (Curiously, this preview was also screened in Canberra on commercial channel CTC7, even though 0/28 was at that time not planned for expansion into the national capital). Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, who had been returned to government at the federal election barely a week prior, officially declared the channel open. This was followed by the first program, a documentary, Who Are We?, taking a look at Australia’s multicultural identity, hosted by Peter Luck (pictured).

threeseawolves_0001The first foreign-language program, Chromakey Follies, came from Italy, followed by telemovie The Three Sea Wolves, an Australian production starring Chantal Contouri (Number 96, The Sullivans) and featuring dialogue in both Greek and English.

The night ended with a Yugoslav movie, Don’t Lean Out.

Over its first weekend, 0/28 featured cartoons and children’s programs from various European countries, comedies from Norway (including To Norway, Home Of The Giants, featuring John Cleese), Germany and Denmark, variety from China and Italy and films from Poland, France and Sweden. Sunday afternoon featured live coverage of the Grand Final of the Philips Soccer League from Canberra.

The new channel was launched with an initial annual budget of $15 million, supplemented by a last-minute boost of $9 million to assist with local production. It was operating from a modest setup in two floors of an office building in the Sydney suburb of Milsons Point with a staff of around 100. Programming initially ran for around 35 hours a week, including movies, documentaries, drama, sport and variety shows sourced from around 15 countries — with all foreign-language material meticulously subtitled in English. The newly-launched World News with George Donikian screened weeknights at 9.30pm, and Joe Hasham hosted local variety show Cabaret.

Below is the four-page insert that appeared in some magazines in the week of Channel 0/28’s debut plus two newspaper advertisements that appeared on opening day:

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Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2015/10/starting-from-zero-35-years-of-sbs-tv.html