What is going on, Networkers? For years we have known quite clearly the demographics of Channel Ten. They have clearly directed their programming to the twentysomething and thirty somethings....
Of course there is that slogan...Seriously Ten. Does this mean that programming at Ten might not have been so light-hearted and Gens Y and X less frivolous than we have believed.
Does seriously now mean that there has to be notable gravitas in reading the news at Ten...hence the appointment of the baby-boomer pin-up boy, George Negus. Although George, like Miss Eagle, precedes the Baby Boomer generation. I would call us members of the Scarce Generation - those babies born while a large proportion of Aussie men were overseas fighting in World War II. In fact, George was born within a month of the Fall of Singapore. Miss Eagle was born twelve days before D-Day.
So what is going on when George leaves SBS and Dateline for News at Six at Ten Next Year? And who is on the shortlist for Dateline or a revamped version thereof?
Perhaps George is showing his age in more ways than one. It is likely that he just wants to turn up for work and read the stuff that someone else has put together. Perhaps, having got tired of traipsing around the world with Sixty Minutes, George is now tired of travelling Australia and the same-old same-old current affairs format. Perhaps, now that George is eighteen months away from his three-score-and-ten, it is time to cosy up for a little news-reading to round off an illustrious career.
At least this career change means that he is not on the short-list for Kerry O'Brien's anchor job on The 7.30 Report. I think it is time for a female front for that program and that the job should go to a well-qualified but recently unemployed person living in the Federal seat of Bennelong.
So it looks like G is for George as well as Gravitas - but what about the demographics. The ABC is thought to have the over 60s market sewn up pretty well - well, it had me sewn up in every decade of my whole life even before television! And I am still there except for little sojourns to crime and Kevin McCloud on Foxtel. So if the over 60s do a big shift to watch Ten News read by George will it impact on the ABC News slot at 7pm? So much change.....
Nope, I think it means George will lose the Gravitas. I am afraid it will be "G" for "Gs" as in the American usage for 000s of dollars.
ReplyDeleteWhat do I care?
I never watch commercial TV anyway.
I am a rusted on ABC person - radio first, then TV.
I knew you could not resist pushing the Maxine barrow - as we were speaking just several days before this announcement about the vacancy in Kerry's position. Then when George made this announcement, I figures I'd read something about it.
I'd be happy for Maxine to be offered the job.
Denis
It's not that simple, Dennis.
ReplyDeleteI have read some stuff since I wrote this post which indicates that Channel 10 are going all out on a concerted news effort which ends up at 7pm with the popular 7pm Project of which George Negus is already a popular part. And if all that news was not enough, Ten is also hiring Chris Masters to do investigative stuff. This, apparently, will all go to air in the New Year.
Considering Channel 9 is no match for the ABC, it appears that Channel 10 is very serious about this. I will watch with interest because aside from the usual corporate points of view, I don't know of Ten having a political axe to grind. In the Packer hey-days there were axes to grind. Certainly the Emperor of the News Empire has various axes to grind as well as irons in fires and his Empire comprises both newspapers and television (including a specialised Public Affairs channel). So, in a sense, Ten will come to the serious news scene without any serious baggage. If it can remain intelligent and relatively non-partisan without pandering to the ratings more than is necessary, it could be a refreshing change that will be interesting to watch.