Media Hunter has evolved substantially throughout 2008. Feedback and page view results help me determine the type of content that is well-received and which is a waste of time.

I have also switched from Typepad to Wordpress mid-year with a much improved layout and design, which I hope has made Media Hunter and better reader experience.

Finally, I succumbed to the temptations of Twitter which has become a source of news, content and publicity for the site. As a result Media Hunter has grown and hopefully improved.

So as the year draws to a close I thought I’d look back on which have been the most popular or best received posts of 2008. Its not just about the number of hits though, because I could just include a picture of Paris Hilton or Britney Spears to get more hits…but that would be really beneficial to you or me.

1. A turning point in media & marketing history (The run away leader)

2. That noise you’re hearing, that’s the sound of a marketing revolution

3. NEWFM “dreaming” of ratings success (only really for Newcastle audience)

4. Social media success stories: Zappos (one of a series of interviews)

5. The rise & rise of micro media

6. A web 2.0 president? (resulted in an Adnews story by Mark Chenery)

Thanks to everyone for reading, RSS feeding, linking and commenting this year.

Source: David Dale, Sun Herald blogs

On Friday and Saturday, Channels Seven, Nine and Ten attempted to capitalise on what they imagined would be a booming interest in Australiana and Hugh Jackman. See the charts below for how Mick Dundee, Van Helsing and Wolverine pulled in the punters.

Seven won the last week of the “official” ratings year with 29.9 per cent of the prime time audience, while Nine got 26.5, Ten 20.2, ABC 17.7 and SBS 5.7.

Of course, the people meter boxes will keep sending their data to OzTAM’s computer over the silly season, so this column will continue to provide regular discussion on how Australians are entertaining themselves.

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Thanks to technology like this, which allows citizens to blog & tweet from their mobile phone, traditional media (as seen in picture) is becoming less relevant. Please discuss?

I am a big fan of Al and Laura Ries’ dissection of the marketing world. I also tend to agree with their theory of divergence (despite maybe making the wrong call on the iPhone) which says that new products and channels will continually splinter away from their ancestors and evolve.

There is probably no better place to explore the divergence theory than in the media. We are constantly being told that traditional media is dying and that new media is on the rise. But while that is somewhat true, what isn’t highlighted enough is that “new media” consists of a plethora of options and delivery systems rather than one or two all powerful mediums.

The truth is that we may never see a handful of dominant mediums again. What we are now witnessing is the rise and rise of micro-media.

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Source: David Dale, Sun Herald blogs

In the second last week of the “official” ratings year, Channel Nine staged a recovery. Thanks largely to biffo, home renovations and Harry Potter, it averaged 28.4 per cent of the prime time audience, to Seven’s 28.0 per cent, Ten’s 20.1, ABC’s 17.1 and SBS’s 5.9.

On Pay TV, the most watched shows were America’s Next Top Model (221,000 on Fox 8), The Simpsons (207,000 on Fox 8), and Futurama (152,000 on Fox 8).

Channels Ten, Nine and Seven have announced their programming for the silly season, and readers of this blog will welcome the return of ER, McLeod’s Daughters, Fringe, The Closer, Ugly Betty, Las Vegas, Dirty Sexy Money, US Kath and Kim, 24 (a movie), and Gossip Girl.

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NBN is clearing the table week after week when it comes to the ratings number game. The channel leader cleared the board with a 9.5 win over rival station Prime and SC Ten coming in a furter 10.9 points behind NBN. Even with Prime having top 3 most watched programs - with ‘The Zoo’ taking out the no.1 spot for the first time. NBN claimed 6 of the 10 spots on the most watched programs board, SC Ten not even making the top ten for last week.

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Neil Perkin at Only Dead Fish is one of my favourite bloggers and a great marketing mind. He has just released a sensation slide show called Goodness & Happiness (2) which is really worth a look.

Maybe this should be our collective approach to business in 2009. Nuff said.

Newcastle must have had all eyes glued to NBN Monday night to watch the number one most watched program of the week, Domestic Blitz. The Domestic Blitz team were back to bring some well-earned joy to the lives of a family that touched the hearts of the nation in a 90-minute special episode of Nine’s hit lifestyle series on Monday at 7.30pm. The leader boards constant winner - Packed to The Rafters was shafted down two spots last week with Domestic Blitz and The Zoo jumping up the ratings as most watched programs. Compared to a 3.1 lead the week before for the ratings winner NBN, this week wiping the board with a 7.4 point lead over rival channel Prime.

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The hottest names on television last week were Bianca Saez and Dawn French. Saez almost gave Channel Nine a ratings victory, and French showed why the ABC should have fought harder to keep Andrew Denton doing his interview program Enough Rope next year.

Saez is a former sufferer from Tourette syndrome, and renovating her home was the theme of a special edition of Domestic Blitz which attracted 1.7 million mainland capital viewers on Monday night. French is the star of The Vicar of Dibley, and her thoughts on life and weight brought 1.2 million to Denton’s program on Monday night.

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Nominate your favourite Australian media and marketing posts of 2008

The Moggies Has a Logo

All good bloggers know (or are learning) that quality tends to win out over quantity when it comes to posts. One really thought provoking, well written posts can deliver more traffic, subscribers and attention than 20 ordinary posts.

The penny really dropped for me soon after I relaunched Media Hunter with a new look and format a few months ago. Rather than pumping out countless random posts and regurgitating facts and news from around the world, I decided to post less regularly, taking the time to identify poignant topics and research them well before tapping out the post.

It was a good decision. Two of my more recent posts (…The sound of a marketing and media revolution and A Turning point in media and marketing history?) have gone on to be the most read Media Hunter pieces ever (OK I am no Seth Godin, but I was happy) while another post on Barack Obama’s digital marketing strategy, A Web 2.0 President?, resulted in editorial coverage in Adnews thanks to Mark Chenery.

The point is that quality counts.

When Katie Harris asked readers of her Zebra Bites blog to send her some brain food and inspiration via links to the posts they were most proud of, I started thinking…..maybe we need to honour the best Media and Marketing Posts of the Year. A sort of Walkley Awards for Media and Marketing Weblogs.

Welcome to THE MOGGIES!

So, please submit your nomination for the best Australian media and marketing blog posts of 2008. It could be one of yours, or it be by someone else. The only conditions are that it be Australian, be media and marketing focused, was originally posted in 2008 and that is original work.

I will take nominations until midnight Friday 12 December (AEST) then shortlist the Top 10 posts before announcing the Gold Moggy at a Gala blog posting (pizza and beer for me) on Monday 22 December.

In true web style the winner will receive….no compensation or prizes but lots of kudos, links and well-deserved praise.

So over to you: What is your Moggy nomination for Australian Media and Marketing Post of 2008?

HOW TO ENTER (updated)

• Post a link in the comments of this post

• Email me at enquiries@stickyads.com.au

• Post a link on Twitter with #themoggies tag

UPDATE: 17 NOVEMBER - Experienced journalists and new media analysts Mark Chenery and Mark Jones have agreed to help judge the Moggies. Mark Jones is a technology and business journalist of over 10 years standing. He is the former IT Editor of Fairfax Media’s Australian Financial Review. Mark Chenery is the DigitalWatch writer for Adnews (until 12 Dec 2008) and has just announced his move to Austcare.

The two Mark and Mark will assist me in rating the Top 10 Australian Media and Marketing blogposts for 2008.