Television

Imparja cuts all news services

ABC News reports that the Alice Springs-based remote station Imparja Television has cut seven reporting and research staff.
Imparja scrapped its half-hour news bulletin last year in favour of Nine’s Brisbane news bulletin, replaced by a weekly current affairs show, Footprints. Sources told the national broadcaster that the program will cease at the end of next […]

Kate Ritchie back on TV

Former Home And Away star and TV Week Gold Logie winner Kate Ritchie is returning to TV in a role far removed from that of Sally Fletcher.
Ritchie, who left Home And Away earlier this year after more than two decades, is to return to TV as Judi Kane, wife of slain 1970s standover man Les […]

Foxtel demands sport “use-it-or-lose-it” for FTA

Pay TV provider Foxtel wants the right to transmit sports events that free-to-air TV broadcasters are failing to bring to the public, AAP reports today.
Chief executive Kim Williams again lashed out at free-to-air TV broadcasters at a breakfast briefing in Perth on Friday in the long running battle over sports rights regulation, or the so-called […]

Industry slanging matches juvenile and demeaning: Greiner

The departing chairman of the Australian Subscription Radio and Television Association (ASTRA), Nick Greiner, has criticised the fierce rivalry between the pay-TV and free-to-air sectors, describing it as juvenile and demeaning for the proffesionalism of all involved.
Speaking at the Association’s annual general meeting, the former NSW premier said he now realised he had been “deluded” […]

Newscorp, GTV foreshadow job cuts

Rupert Murdoch is preparing to cut jobs from his Australian and UK newspaper businesses as a result of falling profits and slowing advertising revenues. The media mogul refused to say how many positions would be cuin order to avoid adverse headlines, according to The Age.
News Corporation shares fell 23.1% on Wednesday, closing at their worst […]

Lloyd’s trafficking charges dropped

ABC News reports that former correspondent Peter Lloyd has agreed to plead guilty to some of the drugs charges he is facing in Singapore.
In return, the authorities have agreed to drop the most serious charge of drug trafficking, which carried a possible jail term of 20 years.
Lloyd’s lawyer says the former correspondent is remorseful about […]

UK: Jonathan Ross stands down from awards role

It’s been a major media controversy in the UK over the last few days, and has resulted in the suspension of one of the BBC’s leading stars of radio and television, Jonathan Ross. Now, Ross has stood down from his role as host of the British Comedy Awards over what has been dubbed “Sachsgate” - […]

US: Kath & Kim given full season order

The reviews at home and abroad may have been mixed, but the US adaptation of popular Australian comedy Kath & Kim has been successful enough to be given a full season order. NBC has to date aired four episodes of the series, and the announcement means that the current order will be expanded from 13 […]

Ten renews night Grand Final push

The Ten Network has confirmed renewed plans for the Australian Football League (AFL) to stage a night-time grand final.
Ten’s general manager of sport, David White, confirmed his preference for a 7.30pm start but felt the AFL was open to the idea of a twilight spectacle:
“I’d like to see a 5.30pm bounce.   They (the AFL) know […]

Regulators clear Seven to purchase WAN

The competition regulator has approved the Seven Network’s purchase of 22.4% of West Australian Newspapers and has raised no objections with Seven purchasing 100% of the West Australian company.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has advised Seven it does not propose intervention in Seven’s acquisition of shares in WAN nor would the ACCC see any […]