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The Age
16 hours ago
- Business
- The Age
10 News+ is being thumped by its rivals. Can it be saved?
It's tempting to assume the death of 10 News+ is imminent: in its first week on air, Network Ten's bold prime-time news and current affairs offering, which debuted on June 30, averaged just 211,000 viewers nationally. Four weeks later, its audience had dwindled to 149,000 – while the 6pm bulletins on Seven and Nine each attracted a viewership around nine times this size. 'They need to double their ratings, at the very least, to be sustainable,' says Pearman Media analyst Steve Allen, noting the challenge is compounded by the network's financial constraints. 'Ten don't have the luxury of choice; they don't have a cupboard full of programs they can pick from if this fails – which gives them an even stronger incentive to make it work.' Ten news boss Martin White admits the one-hour program, which airs at 6pm between Sunday to Friday, has a long way to go. 'I have no illusions about the task we're facing, given we're in one of the most hotly contested time slots in TV,' he says. 'But we're not in as dire a position as some have suggested.' Indeed, the program's co-anchors, Amelia Brace and Denham Hitchcock, take comfort from other Ten series that got off to an equally dismal start. Chief among them is Have You Been Paying Attention?, which debuted with 301,000 viewers in 2013 before sinking to 168,000 the following year. Had it aired on Seven or Nine (the owner of this masthead), it almost certainly would have been axed in its infancy – but Ten stuck with it. Now, HYBPA? is one of the network's biggest hits, regularly exceeding 1 million viewers. Likewise, The Cheap Seats fell to 255,000 viewers a few weeks after its 2021 launch; since then, it has roughly doubled its audience. And The Project – which notched up almost 16 years before being cancelled in June due to high production costs – was first reported to be on the chopping block a mere 10 days after it premiered in 2009. 'Ten has a unique position in the marketplace in that it can take more risks and give things more time to grow,' Brace says. 'Historically, they've been rewarded for that, which certainly gives us confidence.' Adds Hitchcock: 'We were sitting opposite [Ten network president] Beverley McGarvey at the Logies the other night. She told us, face-to-face, that she loves the show and that this is a long-term project.' This doesn't mean the 10 News+ format won't evolve: recently, Ten commissioned market research to gauge viewers' opinions about everything from its 'tone, pace and delivery' to the length of its reports. '10 News+ is actually quite a hard sell; it's tricky to explain to the public.' Network Ten insider 'We're not making huge, wholesale changes, although those decisions ultimately rest with the network,' says Dan Sutton, the program's executive producer. 'What you might see are some little tweaks as we go along. It's a smart move by any network to do market research on a new show, and we're listening to that feedback so we can deliver a show that people love to tune in to.' Allen sees Ten's investment in research as proof the network is not giving up on 10 News+, although he remains sceptical about its long-term prospects. 'Ten are very strong at 5 o'clock [with their state-based 10 News First bulletins],' he says, 'but I'm not convinced that another hour of news and current affairs at six o'clock is going to work.' To some inside Ten, Allen's observation about 'another hour of news and current affairs' sums up their challenge. ' 10 News+ is actually quite a hard sell,' says one journalist who is not authorised to speak publicly. 'Here at Ten, we know it's not just a replica of the straight news bulletins on Seven and Nine, but it's not a completely new, out-of-the box idea either – and that's tricky to explain to the public in a way that's both clear and appealing.' Loading So what is 10 News+, exactly? Although it gives viewers the news of the day, it's not a traditional bulletin. Often, it features longer-form stories in the style of Seven's Spotlight or Nine's 60 Minutes. While its direct rivals might devote 45 seconds to a report about declining childhood literacy rates, 10 News+ will invite experts to spend five minutes debating the topic. 'My hope is that when people watch the show, they will be informed about something they might not have known beforehand,' Sutton says. 'I want them to hear an opinion or an idea that they hadn't considered.' White agrees, offering three recent stories as examples. 'We had the Melbourne mum taking TAB to court because she's a known problem gambler; a lot of other networks were interested but she came to us,' he says. 'We interviewed Hannah Thomas, the Greens candidate who could lose an eye after a clash with police during a protest. And we've done a lot of very nuanced and contextual reporting around the situation in Gaza.' Ben Willee, executive director of media and data at Spinach Advertising, says Ten's task is not an easy one. 'It's hard to launch any new show in 2025 because there is so much competition,' he says. 'But it's even more difficult if your ratings are not as strong as the other networks, because you have fewer viewers to promote your new programs to.' But Willee does not accept that a one-hour news and current affairs show, airing six nights a week, is destined to fail in what some believe is an already-saturated market. 'There's a reason the networks invest so much in news, and that's because it rates,' he says. 'There's still a very strong appetite for it, so if 10 News+ isn't working, it could be that there's a problem with the format or a problem with the promotion. 'Ten still have a few levers they can pull: they might go very hard on promotion, which I don't feel they've done yet. They might tweak the format or they may do something really surprising that brings in a whole new crop of viewers.' Last week, 10 News+ attracted an average audience of 159,000 – its highest figure in three weeks. Although it was thumped by the 6pm bulletins on Seven and Nine, which averaged more than 1.37 million viewers each, it may suggest early signs of recovery. Loading Ten's 5pm bulletin continues to draw its biggest audience since 2022, and has grown by 14 per cent compared to last year, giving the network a stronger lead-in to its fledgling program. (Ten's lunchtime, afternoon and late bulletins – all of which serve as cross-promotional platforms – have enjoyed even greater increases.) On social media, 10 News+ content has racked up 1.2 million views on TikTok, 1.9 million on YouTube and 2.2 million on Instagram. The program is also available on Spotify, in audio and video formats, where it can be streamed ad-free by paid subscribers. 'It's not just a ratings game any more,' says White, referring to the traditional TV metric of live broadcast audiences. 'We've got to be a bit less binary in terms of how we judge success because it's a multi-platform game now – and it does take time to build brand awareness.' A journalist from a rival network, speaking on the condition of anonymity, insists it's too early to write off 10 News+.
Sydney Morning Herald
16 hours ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
10 News+ is being thumped by its rivals. Can it be saved?
It's tempting to assume the death of 10 News+ is imminent: in its first week on air, Network Ten's bold prime-time news and current affairs offering, which debuted on June 30, averaged just 211,000 viewers nationally. Four weeks later, its audience had dwindled to 149,000 – while the 6pm bulletins on Seven and Nine each attracted a viewership around nine times this size. 'They need to double their ratings, at the very least, to be sustainable,' says Pearman Media analyst Steve Allen, noting the challenge is compounded by the network's financial constraints. 'Ten don't have the luxury of choice; they don't have a cupboard full of programs they can pick from if this fails – which gives them an even stronger incentive to make it work.' Ten news boss Martin White admits the one-hour program, which airs at 6pm between Sunday to Friday, has a long way to go. 'I have no illusions about the task we're facing, given we're in one of the most hotly contested time slots in TV,' he says. 'But we're not in as dire a position as some have suggested.' Indeed, the program's co-anchors, Amelia Brace and Denham Hitchcock, take comfort from other Ten series that got off to an equally dismal start. Chief among them is Have You Been Paying Attention?, which debuted with 301,000 viewers in 2013 before sinking to 168,000 the following year. Had it aired on Seven or Nine (the owner of this masthead), it almost certainly would have been axed in its infancy – but Ten stuck with it. Now, HYBPA? is one of the network's biggest hits, regularly exceeding 1 million viewers. Likewise, The Cheap Seats fell to 255,000 viewers a few weeks after its 2021 launch; since then, it has roughly doubled its audience. And The Project – which notched up almost 16 years before being cancelled in June due to high production costs – was first reported to be on the chopping block a mere 10 days after it premiered in 2009. 'Ten has a unique position in the marketplace in that it can take more risks and give things more time to grow,' Brace says. 'Historically, they've been rewarded for that, which certainly gives us confidence.' Adds Hitchcock: 'We were sitting opposite [Ten network president] Beverley McGarvey at the Logies the other night. She told us, face-to-face, that she loves the show and that this is a long-term project.' This doesn't mean the 10 News+ format won't evolve: recently, Ten commissioned market research to gauge viewers' opinions about everything from its 'tone, pace and delivery' to the length of its reports. '10 News+ is actually quite a hard sell; it's tricky to explain to the public.' Network Ten insider 'We're not making huge, wholesale changes, although those decisions ultimately rest with the network,' says Dan Sutton, the program's executive producer. 'What you might see are some little tweaks as we go along. It's a smart move by any network to do market research on a new show, and we're listening to that feedback so we can deliver a show that people love to tune in to.' Allen sees Ten's investment in research as proof the network is not giving up on 10 News+, although he remains sceptical about its long-term prospects. 'Ten are very strong at 5 o'clock [with their state-based 10 News First bulletins],' he says, 'but I'm not convinced that another hour of news and current affairs at six o'clock is going to work.' To some inside Ten, Allen's observation about 'another hour of news and current affairs' sums up their challenge. ' 10 News+ is actually quite a hard sell,' says one journalist who is not authorised to speak publicly. 'Here at Ten, we know it's not just a replica of the straight news bulletins on Seven and Nine, but it's not a completely new, out-of-the box idea either – and that's tricky to explain to the public in a way that's both clear and appealing.' Loading So what is 10 News+, exactly? Although it gives viewers the news of the day, it's not a traditional bulletin. Often, it features longer-form stories in the style of Seven's Spotlight or Nine's 60 Minutes. While its direct rivals might devote 45 seconds to a report about declining childhood literacy rates, 10 News+ will invite experts to spend five minutes debating the topic. 'My hope is that when people watch the show, they will be informed about something they might not have known beforehand,' Sutton says. 'I want them to hear an opinion or an idea that they hadn't considered.' White agrees, offering three recent stories as examples. 'We had the Melbourne mum taking TAB to court because she's a known problem gambler; a lot of other networks were interested but she came to us,' he says. 'We interviewed Hannah Thomas, the Greens candidate who could lose an eye after a clash with police during a protest. And we've done a lot of very nuanced and contextual reporting around the situation in Gaza.' Ben Willee, executive director of media and data at Spinach Advertising, says Ten's task is not an easy one. 'It's hard to launch any new show in 2025 because there is so much competition,' he says. 'But it's even more difficult if your ratings are not as strong as the other networks, because you have fewer viewers to promote your new programs to.' But Willee does not accept that a one-hour news and current affairs show, airing six nights a week, is destined to fail in what some believe is an already-saturated market. 'There's a reason the networks invest so much in news, and that's because it rates,' he says. 'There's still a very strong appetite for it, so if 10 News+ isn't working, it could be that there's a problem with the format or a problem with the promotion. 'Ten still have a few levers they can pull: they might go very hard on promotion, which I don't feel they've done yet. They might tweak the format or they may do something really surprising that brings in a whole new crop of viewers.' Last week, 10 News+ attracted an average audience of 159,000 – its highest figure in three weeks. Although it was thumped by the 6pm bulletins on Seven and Nine, which averaged more than 1.37 million viewers each, it may suggest early signs of recovery. Loading Ten's 5pm bulletin continues to draw its biggest audience since 2022, and has grown by 14 per cent compared to last year, giving the network a stronger lead-in to its fledgling program. (Ten's lunchtime, afternoon and late bulletins – all of which serve as cross-promotional platforms – have enjoyed even greater increases.) On social media, 10 News+ content has racked up 1.2 million views on TikTok, 1.9 million on YouTube and 2.2 million on Instagram. The program is also available on Spotify, in audio and video formats, where it can be streamed ad-free by paid subscribers. 'It's not just a ratings game any more,' says White, referring to the traditional TV metric of live broadcast audiences. 'We've got to be a bit less binary in terms of how we judge success because it's a multi-platform game now – and it does take time to build brand awareness.' A journalist from a rival network, speaking on the condition of anonymity, insists it's too early to write off 10 News+.
Metro
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Record-breaking TV series hailed 'funniest in ages' launches on free UK streamer
The most recent season of an Australian series that left viewers 'laughing out loud' is now streaming for free in the UK. Launching in 2021, Fisk was co-created and co-written by comedian Kitty Flanagan, best known for appearing on panel shows including Full Frontal, Rove Live, The Project and Have You Been Paying Attention? In 2001 she also moved to the UK, where she lived for eight years and featured on The Sketch Show, also regularly touring to perform stand-up. But it was Fisk that has seen Kitty, 54, become a household name. Just last weekend the third season swept Australia's Logie Awards, winning all five awards for the categories it was nominated in. The show follows the titular Helen-Tudor Fisk, who moves back home to Melbourne from Sydney after her marriage and carrier broke down. She then manages to find a job at a small legal firm – Gruber & Gruber – run by siblings Ray (Marty Sheargold) and Roz (Julia Zemiro) and which specialises in probate law and wills. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Despite its seemingly banal premise, the workplace comedy has become a massive hit. It was labelled 'Australia's funniest sitcom in years' by Screen Hub, while other critics called it 'sublime', a 'delightful surprise' and 'deliciously dry'. 'This series is a fast-paced, funny, eccentric look into a woman's journey to redemption,' Common Sense Media wrote in its reviews. 'The show has a strange, low-key charm, and vibrates at a comic frequency unlike anything else on TV now, and is worth watching for that alone,' The Straits Time shared. 'Not quite as strange as Stath Lets Flats but set in a similarly askew world populated by enchanting oddballs…if you wish you could mash up Boston Legal and The Office, try this,' The New York Times added. Meanwhile viewers said it left them 'laughing out loud' and was the 'funniest TV show we've seen in ages'. The second season of Fisk was released in 2022, while the third aired in Australia late last year. This week the most recent was released on ITVX, with all three seasons available to binge for free. ITV has teased of the new episodes: 'Stakes are higher for Helen. Being a name partner brings more responsibility, and her first challenge is to pitch herself as Ray's replacement in the local business networking group. 'Ray has broken the rules by dating a fellow member, his age-appropriate new lady-love Melly (Justine Clarke). Meanwhile George is pursuing some lucrative side hustles and Roz is slowly realising that her clients don't seem to enjoy mediation as much as she does. 'When a bomb scare at the office forces a relocation to the local community work hub run by an overzealous hub manager (Rhys Nicholson) Roz and Ray are both plunged into parallel personal crises. With the Gruber siblings unravelling around her, Helen is forced to step up and take charge, giving rise to an unexpected new chapter in the Gruber & Fisk story.' The premiere episode of this season broke records in Australia, attracting three million viewers and becoming the all-time highest-rated episode of any non-kids show on the ABC. It's also been a hit globally. In 2021, Fisk won best comedy series at Series Mania in France, and last year made it to the top 10 on Netflix in 10 countries, including South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. More Trending When asked about the reception by international audiences, Kitty told ABC News last year: 'When people message me from Canada or India or wherever it is around the world and say they're loving Fisk, I think, 'Oh my God, that's fantastic'.' She then attributed the show's success to the characters and the relationships between them. 'I guess the world is realistic and relatable. The characters in our show obviously exist the world over, even if they have a different accent or speak a different language.' View More » Fisk is streaming on ITVX. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: 'I'm naked, peeing, and tattooed on stage every night – but it's no biggy' MORE: 'We lost £250,000 minutes into The Fortune Hotel – but we can't complain' MORE: 'My comedy show is usually illegal – I can't wait to let loose in Scotland'
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Mel C shows off jaw-dropping abs as she packs on PDA with boyfriend on swanky yacht
Spice Girls star, Mel C, looked very loved up with her Australian boyfriend, Chris Dingwall, as the pair larked about at sea onboard a luxury yacht in Ibiza on Tuesday Mel C looks sensational in new snaps in which she shows off her washboard abs on holiday in Ibiza with boyfriend, Chris Dingwall. The pair, who went public with their romance at Glastonbury last year, can be seen larking about onboard a luxury yacht before snuggling up for a kiss under the Spanish sun. The Spice Girls star, 51, looks like she's living her best life in the snaps - taken on Tuesday - in which she sizzles, sporting a tiny black bikini, showing off her ripped physique and collection of tattoos, including a huge 'Angel' inking across her stomach. Australian actor, Chris, also looks in great shape as he attempted a back flip off the boat while Mel, who wore her hair loose and appeared makeup free, grinned with delight. It comes after the singer's former bandmate, Emma Bunton, reached out to Geri Haliwell-Horner amid rumours of a feud within the Spice Girls. Chris and Mel revealed they were dating last summer when they were seen with their arm in arm at Glastonbury. They were then papped at Wimbledon and looked very much a couple as they sat in the Royal Box. The actor then wished the Scouse star a happy birthday in January, posting a sweet snap of the pair with the caption: 'Happy Birthday @melaniecmusic (for yesterday)! Been a beautiful year. Looking forward to another amazing one with you." The Never Be The Same Again singer, who has a 15-year-old daughter, Scarlet Starr, is notoriously private about her love life. However, Mel, who previously dated Robbie Williams, once spoke about how she was banned from dating in the early days of the Spice Girls - while her bandmates were free to pursue romances. Speaking to Australia's The Project, she said: "Looking back what struck me was it was one rule for one and another for the others, right? I think when you are vulnerable as well, people go, I don't think it's good for you." Mel said the rule for the other women was, "she is fine, she can have a boyfriend, she can cope with having a boyfriend, she is strong enough but you are not." 'It makes you question yourself when you are already vulnerable," she added. The singer was in a relationship with property developer, Thomas Starr, for 10 years. The couple split in 2012 before Mel gave birth to their daughter in 2009. In an interview with the BBC, the Stop Right Now star admitted that the arrival of her child proved to be a turning point in her life. She said: "Being a mum was so liberating because for the first time in my adult life, it wasn't all about me. "It made me not only realise I had a huge responsibility to her but I have a huge responsibility to myself. In being her teacher, I had to treat myself better."
Sydney Morning Herald
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Beyond the Gold: The highs, lows and whoas of the 2025 Logies
Did you go to bed at a normal time last night instead of bingeing an epic four-and-a-half hours of the 65th TV Week Logie Awards? Honestly, great call. Luckily, deputy TV editor Meg Watson and culture reporter Nell Geraets were up until the wee hours watching and live blogging for you. Here's what you missed: THE HIGHS Some brutal honesty from Sam Pang and the presenters In his third consecutive turn as host, Sam Pang again proved why he's the right guy for the job: daring enough to roast the industry and good-natured enough to get away with it. The jokes weren't quite as pointy as last year, often opting for easy targets such as MAFS being trashy and Ray Martin being old, but there were some good one-liners and decent swings at his own network, too. 'Channel 10, of course, replaced The Project with 10News+, which is like the Titanic being replaced with the OceanGate submarine,' he said, as the hosts of the struggling new show laughed awkwardly in the crowd. Kitty Flanagan and Anne Edmonds also gave a special shoutout to Netflix, as the only streaming platform that seems to work. And things really went up a notch, when beloved Logies troll Tom Gleeson took the stage, presenting with Gold Logie nominee Poh Ling Yeow. 'You are not going to win, just so you know. Because you're not on Channel Seven,' the Hard Quiz host said to a few gasps from the crowd. 'Channel Seven [the host network] are giving out awards for themselves … It's like Channel Seven invited us to their house so we can watch them have a wank.' MW Lynne McGranger being laid to rest inside a Logie Loading As wonderful as it was simply witnessing Lynne McGranger, who has portrayed Irene Roberts on Home and Away for 33 years, win the accolades she deserves, it was her speech that had me slow-clapping into the night. Sure, last year's Gold Logie winner Larry Emdur promised he'd get the initials of his fellow nominees tattooed on his butt on national TV if he won, but McGranger went a step further, explaining how she was going to use the coveted trophy beyond the grave. 'In a few years time, when I die, I might chop the head off, scoop it out, put my ashes in there, screw the top back on and give it to Clancy, my beautiful daughter, who is here tonight, and she can put it on the mantelpiece,' the 72-year-old said while admiring her prize. Living through eternity in a golden trophy – you can't get much more iconic than that. NG A perfect moment for Magda Magda Szubanski was this year's inductee into the Logies Hall of Fame, joining the likes of Graham Kennedy, Noni Hazlehurst and Bert Newton. She was celebrated with a great package highlighting her work from The D-Generation to Fast Forward to Kath & Kim, and kind words from screen legends including Melissa McCarthy, George Miller, Matt Lucas, Rebel Wilson, Richard E. Grant, Gina Riley and Jane Turner. Loading Szubanski, who revealed earlier this year she's been diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma, was unable to attend the ceremony but sent a moving message that had the crowd up on their feet. 'I want to say first of all ... I'm not being awarded this honour because I've got cancer,' she said. 'I'm getting this because of 40 years of hard work. I don't feel like an imposter. I feel like I've earned it.' She also spoke about how difficult the past few months have been for her and her family, offering thanks to the fans: 'The love and support that I have felt, like a tsunami from the Australian public, has been overwhelming. And I have to tell you, it really helps.' MW THE LOWS Pretty much all the music The musical interludes are often my favourite part of award shows – refreshing palate cleansers that get you rearing to go for the next categories. The performances at this year's Logies, however, did not have me rearing to go. First up was Jimmy Barnes, who sang Working Class Man in honour of its 40th anniversary. It was honestly a bit awkward, as Sam Pang noted in his monologue, considering he was singing it to a room filled with people who are the opposite of working class. Barnesy was then followed by Guy Sebastian, who used the awards as one big plug for his upcoming album 100 Times Around the Sun. While they backed his track Get It Done with all kinds of lights, lasers and gizmos, it just wasn't all that memorable. Then there was Richard Marx. Oh Marx – what were you doing at the Logies? Yes, I know, he recently became a coach on The Voice Australia. And yes, he's talented. But his rendition of Should've Known Better ended in an extremely awkward exchange with the audience, where he threw it over to them to sing the rest of the chorus, and no one knew the lyrics. It was painful to watch. NG The length, oh my god, the length It's joked about every year, but the length of this ceremony is absolutely out of control. The telecast ran for four and a half hours, making it a full feature-length movie longer than high-profile international counterparts such as the Emmys. What are we doing here? Do we really need extended crowd work from the likes of M AFS 'experts' Alessandra Rampolla and John Aiken? Could host network Channel 7 start playing the Home and Away theme song when speeches run too long? There's just no way that any normal human being stayed up until midnight on a school night to see McGranger take Gold. MW THE WOAH RIP streaming? Two of the most-nominated shows of the night – Apple Cider Vinegar (eight nods) and Territory (seven) – left with either little or absolutely nothing. The former won just one trophy, for best miniseries or telemovie, and the latter won zero prizes, despite being a favourite to win in multiple categories. Netflix, the streamer behind both shows, took home just one award. Not quite the result most were expecting, especially given the relative dominance of streaming in this year's nomination pool. NG
