Buy Age of Conversation Now
29Mar08

LAUNCH: The Age of Conversation Bum Rush Starts Now

Today we launch The Age of Conversation
Bum Rush on the Amazon charts. From today, you can buy the book
directly on Amazon — with all profits going directly to Variety,the
Children’s Charity.

Please use THIS LINK to purchase your copy.

And if you are buying MORE than ONE copy, please do so one at a time (this improves our "best seller" status).

Keep up-to-date with our progress over at Chris Wilson’s blog here.

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Popularity: 1%

Digital Television is go, Digital Radio is no
27Mar08

Source: MediaSpy, ABC, News.com.au

The
complete conversion to Digital Television is set to be one of the most
significant changes in Australia’s history according to the
Communications Minister, who today has announced a $37.9 million
package for the transition by 2013.   Under the package, Australia will
be Digital Only from January 1st 2014.

But the news isnt that great for Digital Radio, with Federal Cabinet
still discussing a policy document regarding its implimentation with no
timeframe for its release.

Nearly $5 million will be allocated to a ’digital tracker’ to
measure public awareness, intentions to convert and actual
conversions to Digital TV, $8.5m to the industry authority ACMA to
undertake projects related to the switchover, and $16.9m for a
switchover taskforce to work on a number of issues, including the
provision of reliable information to consumers.

 

Popularity: 9%

Networks take up pay-TV formula
27Mar08

Source: Michael Bodey, The Australian

THE
war between free-to-air and subscription television is heating up on
several fronts, particularly sport and multichannelling.

But
the differences between the two platforms on screen are blurring, as
more subscription TV programs migrate to free to air and the commercial
networks ramp up plans for new channels.

Gordon Ramsay is Australian TV’s cultural beachhead for more than
his profanity. The British chef’s two programs are delivering big
ratings for the Nine Network in both total viewers and its prime 25 to
54-year demographic, with Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares topping 1.5
million viewers in the week before Easter.

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Popularity: 1%

Music cuts threat in copyright case
27Mar08

Source: Lara Sinclair, The Australian

THE
commercial TV networks are expected to cut back the amount of
Australian music they broadcast if steep increases in copyright
payments to recording artists are awarded against them in the federal
court.

Commercial
TV networks could cut back their use of Australian music if steep
increases in copyright payments to recording artists are awarded
against them in the federal court. Cartoon: Kudelka

The
Phonographic Performance Company of Australia has taken Free TV
Australia to the Copyright Tribunal in an action that could lead to an
increase in the broadcasters’ annual copyright payments to the PPCA.

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Popularity: 1%

Why don’t people get it?
26Mar08

Last year I was privileged enough to be part of an innovative publishing exercise, The Age of Conversation. 103 authors contributed to a marketing book that was released world-wide via lulu.com and raised funds for Variety.

The book is about to be released on Amazon. In the meantime organisers Drew McLellan and Gavin Heaton enjoyed the process so much that they have decided to have another crack this year. In  few months time the latest book Age of Conversation: Why don’t people get it? will be released with, count them, 275 authors from around the world.

Meet the authors:

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Popularity: 1%

Google plans wi-fi on ‘steroids’
26Mar08

Source: Reuters, The Australian

GOOGLE has unveiled plans for a new generation of wireless devices to operate on soon-to-be-vacant television airwaves.

It also sought to alleviate fears that this might interfere with TV broadcasts or wireless microphones.

In
comments filed with the US Federal Communications Commission, the
internet leader outlined plans for low-power devices that use local
wireless airwaves to access the "white space" between television
channels. A Google executive called the plan "Wi-Fi 2.0 or Wi-Fi on
steroids".

"The airwaves can provide huge economic and social gains if used more efficiently …," Google said in the comments.

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Popularity: 1%

Bill Caralis puts faith in Guy Ashford
25Mar08

Radioinfo.com.au reports:

Guy Ashford
has been appointed Operations and General Sales Manager at 2HD and New
FM, Newcastle.
Ashford joins the Supernetwork in this senior management role after
some 28 years of all round practical hands on experience including 18
years of on-air and programming stints at 2LF Young, 2MC Port
Macquarie, 2GO Gosford, 2SM Sydney and 2KO Newcastle. He has spent the
past 8 years in sales and has been Sales Manager at 2GO-Sea FM Gosford
for the past 3 years.

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Popularity: 1%

Newcastle TV ratings week 12 2008
25Mar08

We are currently in the middle of a two week non-ratings period. The results don’t go towards end of year figures. Here are last weeks results.

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Popularity: 1%

Stars lose thousands
23Mar08

Source: Phil Rothfield and Phillip Heads, The Sun Herald

SOME
of Sydney’s most high-profile sports personalities are up to $100,000
out of pocket after the collapse of a privately owned radio show on 2SM.

Former
rugby league stars Mark Geyer and Graeme Hughes, ex-jockey Malcolm
Johnston, former rugby union star Brett Papworth and former Test
cricketer Gavin Robertson are among a host of big names who have lost
thousands of dollars.

The afternoon Talkin’ Sport show was owned by Dallas Baker and Mike
Nui, who bought the airtime from 2SM’s Bill Caralis. The pair were
declared bankrupt last week, leaving a trail of debts.

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Popularity: 6%

Cuts on cards as adgrowth takes hit
20Mar08

Source: Nick Tabakoff, The Australian

SOME
of Australia’s leading media companies are preparing for a round of
belt-tightening as reverberations from a likely US recession lead to
predictions of zero growth in advertising in free-to-air television,
radio and newspapers.

There is even talk in local
media of "margin calls" extending from being purely a financial market
concept to a TV programming one as part of a more hard-headed approach
to individual programs if they do not generate adequate advertising
returns.

Signs indicate further tough times at the Nine Network, amid recent
revelations the network’s debt burden has blown out by $500million in
the past 18 months and stands at $4.2billion.

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Popularity: 1%