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7NEWS
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
INSIDE MEDIA: The show set to replace The Project
A video version of this article is available in the player above with vision of the interviews quoted. THE SHOW SET TO REPLACE THE PROJECT This morning, TV Blackbox posted quotes from an email sent by News Director Martin White confirming the appointments. INSIDE MEDIA understands Hitchcock had not revealed to Seven where he was going. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today 'Denham is a vastly experienced, internationally recognised story-breaker, and Amelia is a Walkley winner who has worked in Canberra and the United States,' the email by White stated. 'They will both be developing ideas for 10 News with Dan Sutton.' Respected reporter Dan Sutton is the executive producer of the unit, although INSIDE MEDIA believes this is not an investigation unit, but a new unnamed show. And while many are assuming that show will be weekly, something along the lines of 7NEWS Spotlight and 60 Minutes, I have reason to believe the show will be nightly. In fact, even though I have not been able to confirm it yet, I believe this will be the show to replace The Project when the contract with Roving Enterprises expires in a few months. The number of people already associated with this 'unit' already exceeds what would be needed for a once-a-week show. And it makes perfect sense for 10 to go down this path. Let's assume the deal between Channel 10 and Roving Enterprises is a $20 million a year. Network 10 could replace the low rating The Project with a new show for $15 million per year, easily saving a cool $5 million. And there certainly seems to be no love for The Project. Even on my personal TikTok account, a video I made about the future of the show has been viewed more than 26,000 times, with most comments saying the show should be cancelled. A Current Affair on Channel 9 is still one of the biggest shows on TV and Today Tonight was still rating strongly when it was replaced by the 1-hour format of 7NEWS. So, imagine if 10 decided to run a current affairs program at 6.30pm in the old slot formally occupied by ACA and TT. In that timeslot, those two shows were untouchable and were at the top of the ratings every night. That would mean 10 could solve its big issue surrounding The Project's ratings and the fact (as I mentioned last week) that 10 has to hand over all of its news vision to Roving Enterprises, but that company owns all The Project vision. It's a lopsided deal that doesn't make sense in 2025 when owning content is the key to financial success. This new show would allow 10 to once again own its content and might just be the kind of show audiences want at 6.30pm, after they've watched the first 30 minutes of news on Nine and Seven. As long as they don't make it 'worthy' like they did with the George Negus program during the 'news revolution' days and as long as they don't put it on at 6pm, this new show could actually be a gamechanger for the network. The big question then is, would it be 30 minutes or an hour? A 30-minute show would get them to 7pm, which would allow them to try something completely different and move their reality shows into that slot, getting a head start on Nine and Seven. Or they might elect to extend Deal Or No Deal by 30 minutes, but starting reality TV shows at 7pm could be the breaker the network needs. But would they take the risk? Only by taking a big risk do you get big rewards. Either way, here's my prediction: The Project will be off our screens before the end of the year and Channel 10 will launch a new nightly current affairs show. Remember you heard it first. THE FUTURE OF RADIO REVEALED On Saturday night I spoke to Brisbane radio legend Spencer Howson on my McKnight Tonight streaming show. Spencer has had a lot of success, including presenting Brisbane's number one breakfast show on the ABC for many years. Spencer is currently working on a PhD studying the value of local radio and, so far, his findings are quite unexpected. 'Already I'm, I'm seeing this research showing that people are just not as connected to their local town or their local region as they once were,' he told me. You can see my interview with Spencer in the video player above. His point is verified by the fact the number one breakfast show in Mount Isa isn't the local radio show but one beamed in from the Gold Coast – a 20-hour drive away. That same show from the HIT Network is also top of the charts in Toowoomba – a shorter 2-hour drive away. Traditional thinking has always been that 'local is king' but Spencer's research seems to show the opposite. 'People are getting their local information now from the WhatsApp chat of their street, the Facebook community group of their suburb' explains Spencer. But does the same rule apply in big cities? Kyle and Jackie O top the charts in their hometown of Sydney, but have failed to make their mark in Melbourne since their expansion on KIIS FM. Dave Hughes and Ed Kavalee were two popular Melbourne identities who failed to resonate with Sydney audiences on 2DAY FM. So, is localism more important in big cities than in regional areas, even though it would be fair to assume the opposite was true? Having just completed 10 months of his 8-year PhD, there are certainly a lot of questions still to be answered by Spencer. SKY NEWS EDITING FAIL You have to feel sorry for Jack Houghton at Sky News. As the host of The Media Show, he holds the media to account, just like we do here at INSIDE MEDIA. So, imagine how embarrassed he must have been when a blooper that was meant to be edited out aired on his show on Friday night. Houghton was blasting the ABC after a clip was played of Sarah Hanson-Young appearing on the national broadcaster, but he fluffed his lines. 'Ah, sorry, can I redo this? It's two, two stumbles' he asked the control room. Thankfully, there were no expletives and Houghton kept his composure. The editor of the program didn't notice the fluff and kept it in. You can see what happened in the video player above. Here's an old trick for the folks at SKY: When you have a stuff-up, but black to line for a few seconds so that an editor quickly scrolling through can see something has gone wrong. It's obvious that whoever was editing this show was just skipping through and didn't pick up on the mistake. A little trick like this can save humiliation.
7NEWS
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
INSIDE MEDIA: Why the new Superman movie could be banned in Australia
Watch the video version of this article and see interviews with people mentioned in the player above. WHY THE NEW SUPERMAN MOVIE COULD BE BANNED IN AUSTRALIA There's an ongoing battle taking place right now about the international rights to Superman and it could mean the anticipated new film could be banned from screening in Australia. As INSIDE MEDIA reported in February, the estate of Superman co-creator Joseph Shuster has launched a copyright claim against Warner Bros. Discovery. The claim states 'the copyright laws of countries with the British legal tradition — including Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia — contain provisions automatically terminating such assignments 25 years after an author's death, vesting in the Shuster Estate the co-author's undivided copyright interest in such countries'. The case was dismissed a month ago and everyone thought it was over. But they were wrong. According to US media company Puck, lawyer Marc Toberoff 'has refiled his case in New York state court, where it's now pending. What's more, he's shooting for a quick injunction to block Warner Bros. from exploiting Superman in those foreign territories, theoretically jeopardizing the global rollout of James Gunn's Superman reboot on July 11'. That's bad news for Aussie fans eagerly awaiting the new adventure – and I include myself in that category. The case is set for June 4 where it will be determined if the injunction will be granted. While most experts believe it won't be, stranger things have happened. I'll keep you updated. NINE STANDS DOWN REPORTER FOR BIZARRE REASON Plenty of questions are being asked around Channel 9's North Sydney bunker over the appalling treatment of sports journalist Michael Chammas. According to The Daily Telegraph Chammas was kicked off Channel 9's 100% Footy show after Parramatta Eels star Mitchell Moses threatened to cancel his scheduled appearance if Chammas was on the panel. The request was made through his manager, Isaac Moses. As per the article: 'Nine entertainment – that described itself as 'Independent Always' bowed to the manager's wishes and pulled Chammas off the show'. Apparently, there's bad blood between Isaac Moses and Chammas, which is why Chammas says he expected to sit out of the panel when Mitchell was on but return after his segment. 'But the decision was made that even after Mitchell left, it would be better that, that Danny (Weidler) was on,' Chammas told the Triple M Rocks Footy podcast. You can hear his comments in the video player above. So even though Chammas was willing to sit it out until the end of segment with Mitchell, his manager didn't want him to be part of the show at all. And he got his way. That's a lot of power one man holds over the Nine Network. 'What annoys me is I could see what Isaac was doing and he does it with clubs (too),' Chammas continued when asked if he was annoyed. It's one thing for a powerful manager to pull their weight but it's another thing for Channel 9 to allow itself to be bullied. NRL player managers now know the network will cave to any demands in order to get access to players. That's a dangerous precedent. In the first year of Studio 10, Anthony Callea was booked to appear on the show and we promoted it. With less than 24 hours' notice, we received a phone call from his manager informing us the appearance was cancelled so that Anthony could appear on rival Channel 9. We pushed back and told them they couldn't do that as we booked him first. The manager didn't care as Channel 9 had bigger ratings at the time. We soon overtook them but that's another story. I warned the manager that if Anthony appeared on Channel 9 that morning he would never appear on Studio 10 while I was the executive producer. The manager laughed and didn't believe me. To me it was an easy decision – don't allow yourself to be treated like a second-class citizen. Anthony appeared on Channel 9 and, true to my word, he never appeared on Studio 10 for the five years I was running the show. Let me be clear, this was nothing to do with Anthony – he suffered because of the decision of his then manager. That one decision set the tone and managers knew they couldn't treat the show like a second-class citizen. It led to us booking great guests and quickly increasing our audience. There's no doubt the producers at Nine were thinking about the short-term benefits of booking a great guest for their show, but what they've done is hand over all their power and shown they don't protect their own. By allowing one of their cast to be dropped at the whim of a player's manager, it shows a lack of backbone and a lack of respect for their staff. WOKE v WOKE You have to feel sorry for those on the progressive left who fall victim to the vitriol of those they support. Take the case of ABC Melbourne radio presenter Bob Murphy. The former AFL Western Bulldogs star is often described as 'woke'. When he referred to the men's competition as 'AFLM' in a recent newspaper column in a bid to separate it from the women's AFLW, he was cheered on by some but mostly ridiculed for his use of the term. So, here's a guy who believes in equality and inclusivity, despite whatever backlash he might receive. But did any of that matter when Murphy made a silly joke while on air with Sharnelle Vella when he insinuated that she worked at Melbourne strip club Spearmint Rhino? No, no it didn't. Not only was he forced to issue a grovelling apology, but those who he had stood up for were quick to turn on him, labelling him misogynistic. It turns out you can't bank any good will with the woke brigade. If you make one mistake you become the enemy – and this is a take-no-prisoners situation. Jessica Rowe suffered a similar fate back in 2021 when she dared to interview Pauline Hanson for her podcast – The Jess Rowe Big Talk Show. The left turned on Rowe and she pulled the episode after a massive backlash, despite doing nothing wrong – she was simply talking to an elected official. Rowe made the point that she didn't agree with Hanson's politics but she was accused of platforming the One Nation leader. The thing I don't understand to this very day is that if you ever watched just one episode of Studio 10, you would know Jess is a kind-hearted big leftie. So, even if she had made the wrong call by interviewing Hanson (which I don't believe she did), didn't she deserve a pass? Didn't she deserve some kindness for all the people she had stood up for, all the left issues she had supported? Apparently not. Turns out you are only embraced by those on the extreme left until you dare step out of line – whether you actually have stepped out of line is questionable, but it's whether they BELIEVE you have. Bob Murphy is a progressive leftie – some call that woke – whatever it is, it's fair enough. It's just a shame that the people and issues he supports didn't support him after he made a silly joke.
7NEWS
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
INSIDE MEDIA EXCLUSIVE: Big changes for I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here after budget cuts
BUDGET CUTS FOR I'M A CELEBRITY GET ME OUT OF HERE Expect big changes for the next season of Channel 10's I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here (IAC). INSIDE MEDIA can exclusively reveal the reality TV show will not be live, but rather pre-recorded. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today It turns out the budget for the show has been drastically cut, which is why this decision has been made. Pre-recording the show means a smaller production team in South Africa as a post-production crew will not be required. When the show is live, crew will work on a 24-hour turnaround with live hostings beamed from location. INSIDE MEDIA understands the crew is not happy about the changes as the schedule does not allow for any days off, meaning they will be working to a gruelling production timeline. Previously, most crew would get weekends off when the show was not airing. Earlier this year, it was revealed Channel 10 show three different endings ahead of the IAC finale. This allowed crew to head home a few days early, saving on accommodation and crew costs. Once Sam Thaiday was chosen as the winner by the public, 10 aired that version. Next year, it must be assumed that public voting will play no part in deciding the winner. The LIVE factor has always been a key part of IAC and will sorely be missed in the 2026 edition of the show, although INSIDE MEDIA understands the show will still be filmed in South Africa. Channel 10 has been contacted for comment. In 2023, Network 10 recorded a $322.1 million loss in the 12 months to December 31 (no financials are available after this date as yet). With declining ratings and revenue, there's no doubt the network is looking for cost savings across the board and going LIVE is an added expense those in control obviously believe they can live without. Don't get Elton John angry. You wouldn't like him when he's angry. It's a lesson the UK Government is learning after the iconic singer went on the attack over plans to exempt technology firms from copyright laws. 'I think the government are just being absolute losers, and I'm very angry about it' Elton John told the BBC (you can see his interview in the video player above). His comments come after the UK Government rejected proposals from the House of Lords to force AI companies to disclose what material they were using to develop their programmes. The bill would have added transparency requirements to existing legislation, ensuring copyright holders have to give permission for their work to be used. 'They'd be committing theft, thievery on the highest scale. And for young people or for everyone who's creative. 'The fact that AI could run rampant without (permission), you have to ask for approval and you have to have transparency. It's quite simple. If someone wants to use your song, ask, and then you have to have the transparency and how is it being used.' And he's right. As I reported in a previous edition of INSIDE MEDIA, companies like OpenAI say they need access to copyrighted material as the very future of artificial intelligence hangs in the balance. And it looks like Sir Elton is ready to fight the government on this one. 'We'll fight all the way. I mean, if it takes going to the court or whatever, we will fight this,' he said. Every other company has to pay for research and development – they can't just freely use other people's work. Why are AI companies any different? If they don't have a business model that can't succeed without stealing, then they don't have a successful business model. YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHO DOES THAT VOICE! Voice over artists are a special breed of people who get paid to a lot of money to deliver messages to you through ads, reality TV shows, and on hold announcements. Recently, comedian Darren Sanders met the woman who you might have heard saying 'Welcome to Optus, the number you have dialled has been disconnected'. When Joey Moore did her recognisable line, the live studio audience went crazy. It's well worth a watch in the video player above. I've met many voice-over artists through the years, and you would never guess what they actually look like, as very rarely does the voice match the face. It's a specialised craft that AI will find hard to replicate. Yes, AI can say the words, but only a human artist can interpret the meaning and follow direction to enhance what it says on the page. And no, I'm not an AI Luddite. I believe AI plays an important role – I just also happen to believe that the companies that will make a lot of money from these products shouldn't be able to steal from others to achieve those goals. You can find more of Darren's interviews and clips on his TikTok page.
7NEWS
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Disney drops woke ... and that means big changes for viewers
In this edition of INSIDE MEDIA: Disney drops woke and Aussie viewers are already seeing changes | Why a radio legend believes FM stations need to drop music in order to survive | And a big night for the team at 7NEWS Melbourne. A video version of this article is available in the player above. DISNEY DROPS WOKE There are big changes happening at Disney, and Australian viewers are already feeling the effects. According to The Australian, content warnings have been dumped before its classic animated movies — such as Lady and the Tramp, Peter Pan and the Jungle Book — on its streaming service in Australia, as it seeks to align itself with Donald Trump's anti-diversity policies. US-based companies are grappling with how to deal with Trump's crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion policies, which he claims are discriminatory, specifically against white Americans. Adding to Disney's woes is its remake of Snow White, which bombed at the box office. There was immediate backlash against the casting of Latina actress Rachel Zegler in the lead role, as many believed Snow White's race should not be changed from Caucasian. Adding to controversy surrounding Zegler's casting was her negative comments about the beloved original animated film and her political views. The introduction of warnings before older, problematic, films was an attempt by Disney to appease critics during an era of inclusion. In October 2020, the disclaimer was updated from the 2019 simpler version to say: 'This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. 'These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. 'Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together. 'Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe.' Variety reports that a new disclaimer reads: 'This program is presented as originally created and may contain stereotypes or negative depictions.' Interestingly, when I looked at these titles this morning on Disney Plus, no disclaimer preceded the films. To me, the simpler disclaimer is welcome as I don't need a lecture before watching a movie, but an acknowledgment of changing times is a fair compromise. DO FM STATIONS NEED TO GET RID OF MUSIC? What is the future of FM? Now that consumers have access to Spotify, Apple Music etc, why do they need a radio station to curate content for them? That's part of a discussion I had with radio legend John Stanley on Saturday's edition of McKnight Tonight. The host of 2GB/4BC Night's with John Stanley believes talkback stations have an advantage to FM because they provide an alternative, offering companionship, discussions and breaking news. 'When you listen to the radio, if something happens, you feel like you're going to know about it and there's someone on air who knows what they're talking about and can tell you about it,' Stanley told me (you can see his interview in the video player above). Ratings would certainly suggest Stanley is right. In Melbourne, 3AW is a dominant number 1, as is its sister station 2GB in Sydney. 4BC in Brisbane is not having the same success but is in a period of rebuilding after multiple format changes over the past few years. And if you look at the Kyle and Jackie O Show, they are more of a talk format than music and they are Sydney's number 1 radio station. Critics to this line of thinking would (fairly) make the point the show is not resonating in Melbourne though. Stanley says those issues are not about format but rather content. While smut has garnered most of the headlines, Stanley believes the lack of localism should not be discounted. 'Remember in the 1980s, Kerry Packer 2UE and 3AK and decided to set up a networked programme between the two of them. 'He pinched John Blackman from 3AW, put him on the breakfast show on 3AK. He had Mark Day doing drive time in both cities. 'They stupidly thought they could do a networked sports show. And so, 3AW countered that with a huge advertising, I remember newspaper campaigns talking about harbour bridges and talking about keep the Sydneysiders out of Melbourne. 'The idea of trying to pump a show from Sydney into Melbourne, it just doesn't work'. The simple lesson: localism + talk = ratings TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT As I reported last week in INSIDE MEDIA, 7 News Melbourne moved into their new studio. While most viewers will only notice slight differences, the team is dealing with a much bigger set, higher quality screens and updated technology. You can watch my tour of the new studio here. Loading content... Over the weekend, boxes were packed up with staff belongings and moved to the new facility. There's no doubting the excitement as everyone gets to know the new office but still focus on getting multiple news bulletins out (including the 4pm news). There was a nice touch over the weekend as 7NEWS paid tribute to 7BCM, which had been its home for more than two decades. The five-minute video is a great trip down memory lane. So, make sure you take a look at the new studio nightly on 7NEWS at 6.
7NEWS
05-05-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
INSIDE MEDIA – Take a tour of the new state-of-the-art 7NEWS newsroom
In this special edition of INSIDE MEDIA, we take you inside the new 7NEWS Melbourne headquarters for a sneak peek of the office and studio ahead of next Monday's launch. WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE NEW FACILITY ABOVE. On May 12, the team will shift from the 7 Broadcast Centre at Docklands to the new newsroom and studio. The purpose-built Docklands facility was opened with much fanfare in 2001, housing all local operations including the presentation suites for all cities (that's the term used to describe where the programs and commercials are played out for broadcast). But over the years, the technology became dated and the facility was showing its age. Now operations are relocating to Collins Street in a co-ordinated move that will see newsroom staff shifting across this weekend. While there's only a week to go before the first edition of 7NEWS from the new facility, the desks are currently bare and there's still a lot of work to be done. 'It's certainly fit for purpose and our requirements have certainly changed in the 20 years we've been at BCM,' Engineer John Albiston told me. 'Next Monday, we're going to see plenty of action. We're going to have about 80 new staff rolling in here, and that's going to flag the transition from the old premises to this new fully digital facility,' he explains. John and I filmed a walkthrough tour of the new office and studio, which you can see in the player above. There are two control rooms in the new building, even though there's only one studio. The news control room is automated and there will be four people in there putting each bulletin to air. A bigger control room next door fits 15 people and is used for sporting programs and panel shows. The back row is filled with EVS controllers, which allow operators to record incoming vision (such as horse races) and play it to air on a delay while the race is still going (a bit like PVRs which allow you to watch a TV show from the start while it is still airing). As you enter the studio, it seems deceptively small, but then you realise there are two different sets facing each other. On the right is a much bigger 7NEWS set, compared to the one at 7BCM. On the left is a multipurpose LED set to house multiple sports-based panel shows. While speaking to presenters Peter Mitchell, Bec Maddern and Jane Bunn, they all commented on how far apart they feel from each other but loved the quality of the screens and details in the set. For her part, Maddern will be standing at the sports monitor for interviews and special stories, otherwise she will sit in roughly the same position as she currently does. Jane Bunn has a much bigger screen to deliver her weather, which she is often still updating right before she goes on air. Interestingly, Bunn doesn't simply rely on the information from the Bureau of Meteorology. Instead, she uses a variety of data to give viewers an accurate forecast. Considering the latest information from the BoM is sent out at 4.30pm, Bunn has often been at odds with their forecast, but she is mostly proven correct (if not always). A smaller studio at the entrance to the newsroom level will be used for live crosses. Entertainment reporter Peter Ford will cross daily to The Morning Show from this studio as will other guests from Melbourne who appear on shows in other states. Rehearsals have been taking place in the new studio and things seems to be going well. The proof will be on Monday night when Mitch and the team go live from their new home.
