2UE is about to farewell 'golden tonsils' John Laws next month and Fairfax is about to buy the talk station. So what is happening to the contracts of Mike Carlton, Peter Fitsimons and Steve Price and what will 2UE's on air line-up be in 2008?
Following the retirment and death of Stan Zemanek, overnight presenter Stuart Bocking was elevated to presenter of the night time show but this has never been confirmed as a full time gig. This makes you wonder what 2Ue has install for 2008.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported recently that there were a lack of new talent wanting to fill the shoes of John Laws and pointed to the likes of Jason Morrisson (2GB) and Paul Murray (Triple M) becoming the next generation of AM presenters.
Andrew Denton would appear an obvious choice but he has declined the offer to enter radio land again... but never say never Andrew.
So who will fill the 9-12AM shift Monday-Friday on 2UE and networked around a host of other stations?
Faifax may be looking to cut costs and move Steve Price into the slot, broadcasting Price nationally and possibly into Melbourne, where he presented drive before coming to Sydney. This could help AW by moving Neil Mitchell into drive and axing Derryn Hinch.
So what would Mike Carlton do passing Price in the hallway each morning?
Retire. Carlton has done his dash, he has been there he has done that, it's time to hand the batton on to someone else and move into the documentaries and his book writing chapter of his media career.
I think Carlton is very clever, but he is undervalued by 2UE in breakfast and should consider his options.
But my overall darkhorses are George More and Paul B. Kidd. They offer a different start to your weekend on 2UE and make good entertaining radio. As a team, they will also not come under the same pressure that Laws has and provide something totally different to whoever sits in the retiring man's chair.
So my pick for 2UE would be this (if I could have it my way!)
6-9 Andrew Denton
9-12 George More and Paul B Kidd
12-3 John Stanley
3-6 Steve Price
6-8 Sports Today
8-12 Clive Robertson
12-5 Stuart Bocking
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
The last throw of the dice
A disastrous year for Channel Nine and incoming chief David Gyngell faces an uphill battle rebuilding the network and finding its glory. Christmas could come early for Gyngell who tomorrow night launches Multi-Millionaire hosted by Eddie McGuire in a desperate attempt to win back viewers.
The five-million dollar prize money plus the $10 000 on offer for viewers is the sweetener that will hopefully return viewers to the embattled network. Should Multi-Millionaire work then Gyngell will be at least starting his tenure on the front foot.
Viva Laughlin also debuts after Millionaire with Australian entertainer Hugh Jackman starring. Will Millionaire and Laughlin dethrone Seven’s Monday night power house of Border Security, The Force and City Homicide?
I suggest not, this is the last throw of the dice for Nine as this same week the network launches the doomed to fail new series, The Farmer Wants A Wife. Not a chance that this one will rate or pull any more viewers than McLeod’s season finale last week.
The five-million dollar prize money plus the $10 000 on offer for viewers is the sweetener that will hopefully return viewers to the embattled network. Should Multi-Millionaire work then Gyngell will be at least starting his tenure on the front foot.
Viva Laughlin also debuts after Millionaire with Australian entertainer Hugh Jackman starring. Will Millionaire and Laughlin dethrone Seven’s Monday night power house of Border Security, The Force and City Homicide?
I suggest not, this is the last throw of the dice for Nine as this same week the network launches the doomed to fail new series, The Farmer Wants A Wife. Not a chance that this one will rate or pull any more viewers than McLeod’s season finale last week.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Nine not 'singing' with the Bee
Nine thought their back savior for 2007 would be the 'Singing Bee' but Sunday night audiences didn't think so and the network just scraped the new show into the Top 10, at number 10 with only 1.2 million viewers.
It's disappointing the show 'flopped' after such heavy promotion and media hype, this was set to be Nine's saving grace in an otherwise terrible year.
I watched the show and didn't mind the concept but can see the two major problems as the scheduling, 6.30PM Sunday night is not a game-show slot and the host, Joey Fatone does not resonate with Australian audiences.
Australian viewers don't want an American boy band singer as host of any local programming and he did not seem to have the presence to succeed in our volatile market. Further the 'Singing Bee' should not be scheduled on Sunday at 6.30PM.
Nine's embattled programming could receive a much needed boost at 5.30PM on weeknights where the Singing Bee could really work as a lead in to the news but with a different host.
Imagine if Hugh Jackman, even John Farnham as host or Nine's own Richard Wilkins. I believe these men (or a host of other Australians) would be better received than Joey Fatone.
At least the network is experimenting with variety again but audiences were just not interested...
I wonder how long the Singing Bee will buzz...
It's disappointing the show 'flopped' after such heavy promotion and media hype, this was set to be Nine's saving grace in an otherwise terrible year.
I watched the show and didn't mind the concept but can see the two major problems as the scheduling, 6.30PM Sunday night is not a game-show slot and the host, Joey Fatone does not resonate with Australian audiences.
Australian viewers don't want an American boy band singer as host of any local programming and he did not seem to have the presence to succeed in our volatile market. Further the 'Singing Bee' should not be scheduled on Sunday at 6.30PM.
Nine's embattled programming could receive a much needed boost at 5.30PM on weeknights where the Singing Bee could really work as a lead in to the news but with a different host.
Imagine if Hugh Jackman, even John Farnham as host or Nine's own Richard Wilkins. I believe these men (or a host of other Australians) would be better received than Joey Fatone.
At least the network is experimenting with variety again but audiences were just not interested...
I wonder how long the Singing Bee will buzz...
Woeful Wallabies
Australian rugby is headed for the doldrums with the Wallabies pathetic performance at the 2007 World Cup losing to the struggling England and bowing out in the quarter finals.
As the nation still absorbs the shock, the curtain falls on the careers of George Gregan, Stephen Larkham and coach John Connolly. A bitter sweet taste is left in every Australian rugby fan paying tribute to Gregan and Larkham but now worried about what the future holds for rugby union in Australia.
The code has suffered in 2007 with decreasing spectator interest, failed Leaguies turned Union players and now the two biggest names calling it a day.
John O'Neill and the Australian Rugby Union will on the surface act calm and say Australian rugby is in a good state but underneath the calmness, the game is suffering.
In John Connolly's short reign as Australian coach, he has experimented with combinations, claimed he could fix the Australian scrum but after the world cup he has taken Australian rugby back even further with no prospects or forwards making the Wallabies a world force. So what has Connolly achieved?
Was his tenure as coach a complete failure or can we see signs of Wallaby improvement?
Apart from Berrick Barnes coming of age at the world cup, the Wallabies need a complete overhaul and despite the comments of former coach Eddie Jones being slammed by the Australian media, when he referred to Connolly's biggest mistake, "making Stirling Mortlock captain", I believe there is some truth in that.
Mortlock is a fine player but to give him the pressure of captaincy and goal kicking when he excells in neither is unwarranted pressure.
The persistance of the ideal forward pack being bigger has failed as Stephen Moore, Matt Dunning and Guy Shepperdson are useless international frontrowers. Wycliff Palu does is not potent enough in the Number 8 position in an overall forward pack that is too slow and not aggressive enough.
Playing Lote Tuqiri on the wing for Australia must surely change now as he is a waste of space and money. Surely the likes of Lachie Turner and Digby Ioane would serve Australia better than Tuqiri.
It will take some time to redevelop the Wallabies, but whoever takes over the coaching role must have the support of the selectors to look towards the next world cup NOW. Short term loss must be viewed in terms of long term gain.
Chris Latham and Nathan Sharpe may not line-up in 2011 and with this in mind, the Wallabies should look to some sort of mix like this:
15. Cameron Shepperd
14. Lachie Turner
13. Drew Mitchell
12. Stirling Mortlock
11. Digby Ioane
10. Matt Giteau
9. Luke Burgess
8. David Lyons
7. George Smith
6. Mitchell Chapman
5. Al Kanar
4. Mark Chisolm
3. Rodney Blake
2. Adam Freir
1. Benn Robinson
BENCH
16. Greg Holmes
17. Totafu Polota-Nau
18. Dan Vickerman
19. David Haigh
20. Berrick Barnes
21. Brett Sheehan
22. Ben Batger
As the nation still absorbs the shock, the curtain falls on the careers of George Gregan, Stephen Larkham and coach John Connolly. A bitter sweet taste is left in every Australian rugby fan paying tribute to Gregan and Larkham but now worried about what the future holds for rugby union in Australia.
The code has suffered in 2007 with decreasing spectator interest, failed Leaguies turned Union players and now the two biggest names calling it a day.
John O'Neill and the Australian Rugby Union will on the surface act calm and say Australian rugby is in a good state but underneath the calmness, the game is suffering.
In John Connolly's short reign as Australian coach, he has experimented with combinations, claimed he could fix the Australian scrum but after the world cup he has taken Australian rugby back even further with no prospects or forwards making the Wallabies a world force. So what has Connolly achieved?
Was his tenure as coach a complete failure or can we see signs of Wallaby improvement?
Apart from Berrick Barnes coming of age at the world cup, the Wallabies need a complete overhaul and despite the comments of former coach Eddie Jones being slammed by the Australian media, when he referred to Connolly's biggest mistake, "making Stirling Mortlock captain", I believe there is some truth in that.
Mortlock is a fine player but to give him the pressure of captaincy and goal kicking when he excells in neither is unwarranted pressure.
The persistance of the ideal forward pack being bigger has failed as Stephen Moore, Matt Dunning and Guy Shepperdson are useless international frontrowers. Wycliff Palu does is not potent enough in the Number 8 position in an overall forward pack that is too slow and not aggressive enough.
Playing Lote Tuqiri on the wing for Australia must surely change now as he is a waste of space and money. Surely the likes of Lachie Turner and Digby Ioane would serve Australia better than Tuqiri.
It will take some time to redevelop the Wallabies, but whoever takes over the coaching role must have the support of the selectors to look towards the next world cup NOW. Short term loss must be viewed in terms of long term gain.
Chris Latham and Nathan Sharpe may not line-up in 2011 and with this in mind, the Wallabies should look to some sort of mix like this:
15. Cameron Shepperd
14. Lachie Turner
13. Drew Mitchell
12. Stirling Mortlock
11. Digby Ioane
10. Matt Giteau
9. Luke Burgess
8. David Lyons
7. George Smith
6. Mitchell Chapman
5. Al Kanar
4. Mark Chisolm
3. Rodney Blake
2. Adam Freir
1. Benn Robinson
BENCH
16. Greg Holmes
17. Totafu Polota-Nau
18. Dan Vickerman
19. David Haigh
20. Berrick Barnes
21. Brett Sheehan
22. Ben Batger
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Has Nine given up?
Last week’s television ratings have seen Nine slip further and further behind 7 with only three shows in the top 20 which were, the NRL grand final, NRL grand final entertainment and National Nine News Sunday.
Between Monday and Friday, Nine offer nothing and across all key prime-time audiences, each one of their shows were beaten. Nine has no programming to challenge 7 and the shows that have been commissioned to air must raise eyebrows.
Commercial Breakdown, 1 v 100, Surprise Surprise Gotcha, Just For Laughs are all disgraceful excuses for television. It is embarrassing that we are producing these types of programs as television when this Channel produced The Block, Changing Rooms, Money, Our House, Burkes Backyard which all rated well and had money spent on good production.
Admittedly the Australian television market is not huge and we will never produce as good programming as the American media juggernauts but what is being produced now is a joke. Who wants to see Jackie O in prime time or Dermott Brerton running through a bunch of video clips of paid commercials?
Incoming CEO David Gyngell has been quoted that Nine is, “in a bad way” which is underestimated. His reign and enthusiasm is much needed but it will take Nine a few years if they are to rival Channel 7’s dominance.
Scheduelling needs to be addressed ASAP. It’s a tragedy that ‘Royal Flying Doctor Service’ failed but why was it scheduedled after the poorly rating 1 v100 in a 9.30pm Monday night line-up. Who is making these decisions?
Nine seem to have given up the challenged, much like 10 showing only all repeats on Tuesday nights and they must look to the new year.
The damage can be further done if the network shows no fightback this year because they will struggle to bring viewers back in 2008. Will the Singing Bee save the network?
I expect it to rate well tonight, probably around the 1.5-1.8 million mark and win the slot but it will drop massively next week and the format will not be used in 2008. Why is Joey Fatone, an American pop singer the host? Imagine if Nine had the foresight to hire Hugh Jackman!
The Gift is still to debut, The Farmer Wants a Wife is set to hit our screens soon but was has happened to the promotion at the beginning of 2007 showing a new series ‘…Mania’, much like Invasion never screening or Rome not being given a chance to develop an audience.
Please Mr Gyngell, you are needed now!
Between Monday and Friday, Nine offer nothing and across all key prime-time audiences, each one of their shows were beaten. Nine has no programming to challenge 7 and the shows that have been commissioned to air must raise eyebrows.
Commercial Breakdown, 1 v 100, Surprise Surprise Gotcha, Just For Laughs are all disgraceful excuses for television. It is embarrassing that we are producing these types of programs as television when this Channel produced The Block, Changing Rooms, Money, Our House, Burkes Backyard which all rated well and had money spent on good production.
Admittedly the Australian television market is not huge and we will never produce as good programming as the American media juggernauts but what is being produced now is a joke. Who wants to see Jackie O in prime time or Dermott Brerton running through a bunch of video clips of paid commercials?
Incoming CEO David Gyngell has been quoted that Nine is, “in a bad way” which is underestimated. His reign and enthusiasm is much needed but it will take Nine a few years if they are to rival Channel 7’s dominance.
Scheduelling needs to be addressed ASAP. It’s a tragedy that ‘Royal Flying Doctor Service’ failed but why was it scheduedled after the poorly rating 1 v100 in a 9.30pm Monday night line-up. Who is making these decisions?
Nine seem to have given up the challenged, much like 10 showing only all repeats on Tuesday nights and they must look to the new year.
The damage can be further done if the network shows no fightback this year because they will struggle to bring viewers back in 2008. Will the Singing Bee save the network?
I expect it to rate well tonight, probably around the 1.5-1.8 million mark and win the slot but it will drop massively next week and the format will not be used in 2008. Why is Joey Fatone, an American pop singer the host? Imagine if Nine had the foresight to hire Hugh Jackman!
The Gift is still to debut, The Farmer Wants a Wife is set to hit our screens soon but was has happened to the promotion at the beginning of 2007 showing a new series ‘…Mania’, much like Invasion never screening or Rome not being given a chance to develop an audience.
Please Mr Gyngell, you are needed now!
Melbourne versus New Zealand
That’s what the team might as well read for the Australian Kangaroos match against New Zealand in the rugby league International next week. What is the value of a Kangaroo jersey?
With a number of injuries, the selectors and the coach have looked to the future Kangaroos and bolstered their side with a number of rookies and unproven debutants. I am baffled with the selection of Greg Bird as five-eighth when he does not even play there for his own club.
Controversy and nepotism is always in the mind of the coach and the selectors as Bird has only been selected because Ricky Stuart is the coach. With a lack of quality halves in the game, the Clive Churchill medal winner should have been paired with his Melbourne halves partner Cooper Cronk instead of being left on the wing.
Israel Folau has had an almighty introduction to rugby union but does he really deserve an Australian jersey? Questionable in my mind leaving Jamie Lyon, Steven Bell and Matt Cooper without jerseys in favor for the teenager.
Melbourne have been rewarded with most players being selected in the Australian team. No doubt their players have all had excellent seasons and do deserve their opportunity but the balance of the team does not reflect the best, available players in the country.
International Rugby League is a waste of time and this spring’s one off test will do nothing to the development of the International game while the players should be kicking their heels on the beaches, enjoying a beer and the off season.
With a number of injuries, the selectors and the coach have looked to the future Kangaroos and bolstered their side with a number of rookies and unproven debutants. I am baffled with the selection of Greg Bird as five-eighth when he does not even play there for his own club.
Controversy and nepotism is always in the mind of the coach and the selectors as Bird has only been selected because Ricky Stuart is the coach. With a lack of quality halves in the game, the Clive Churchill medal winner should have been paired with his Melbourne halves partner Cooper Cronk instead of being left on the wing.
Israel Folau has had an almighty introduction to rugby union but does he really deserve an Australian jersey? Questionable in my mind leaving Jamie Lyon, Steven Bell and Matt Cooper without jerseys in favor for the teenager.
Melbourne have been rewarded with most players being selected in the Australian team. No doubt their players have all had excellent seasons and do deserve their opportunity but the balance of the team does not reflect the best, available players in the country.
International Rugby League is a waste of time and this spring’s one off test will do nothing to the development of the International game while the players should be kicking their heels on the beaches, enjoying a beer and the off season.
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