CBD has learnt that former Nine Entertainment chief executive Hugh Marks has emerged as a contender for the role of managing director of the ABC, which David Anderson is vacating just one year into his second five-year term.
UPDATE:
An ABC spokesperson responded to the reports when contacted by Mumbrella on Monday.
“The Board has not concluded the process of appointing a new managing director,” the spokesperson said.
“An announcement will be made in due course.”
The Australian Pavilion, an alliance of independent content creators and distributors including ABC Commercial, Escapade Media, Fred Media and Melodie, is set to return to the Asia Television Forum (ATF) in 2024.
Working across the TV production, distribution and music licensing sectors, the Pavilion collectively represents a wealth of premium content and brings significant business acumen and industry experience to the market.
With the recent commissioning downturn in the US, Australian programming has been in high demand among international buyers. Collectively, Escapade Media, Fred Media and ABC Commercial have seen sales of Australian television content rise over the past three years – and are confident that their current, strong content slates of fresh, unique programming will also resonate strongly with buyers in the Asian marketplace.
Melodie is a music licensing solution, providing a truly international catalogue of original music for content producers all around the world. In Asia, key partnerships with factual producers, as well as clients like Singapore Airlines, Qalbox and the South China Morning Post, have ensured audiences in the region are well acquainted with their multi-award-winning music and technology solutions.
ABC Commercial returns to ATF this year boasting an exciting slate, which features content across all the genres which have traditionally performed strongly in the Asian market. Leading the drama lineup is Ladies in Black, a vibrant new fashion-focused series exploring 1960s Sydney through the lives of resilient women; the factual slate includes Season 3 of the family favourite and ratings winner Muster Dogs which follows the lives of various graziers and their adorable pups, the fascinating Megafauna narrated by Hugh Jackman, the entertaining Secret Science which explores diverse areas of human biology, and the brilliantly executed I Was Actually There. This bold new series, which provides historical insights from those who witnessed pivotal moments in history firsthand, is already making waves – including for Broadcast UK, who selected it as one of their MIPCOM 2024 ‘Hot Picks’. Natural History fans will love Living With Devils, a visually stunning exposé on Tasmania’s iconic but endangered marsupial, plus new seasons of the popular, long-running lifestyle show Restoration Australia round out the adult slate. For young audiences, there are new seasons of Ready, Steady, Wiggle!, Fizzy & Suds and Beep and Mort – all set to entertain and delight.
Escapade Media ’s unique and fresh content is finding a home within this market, presenting a slate spearheaded by Debriefing the President, a compelling political series diving into the high-stakes world of international leadership. Follow the Rain brings an evocative journey through challenging landscapes, while Portobello Road captures the charm and eccentricity of one of London’s most iconic streets. Adding a modern twist on classic mystery, Sherlock & Daughter delivers clever crime-solving with a dynamic duo. The powerful documentary The Hospital in the Deep End sheds light on healthcare challenges faced by underserved communities, and Untamed explores breathtaking natural environments and the fight to preserve them.
Fred Media is excited to return to ATF with a diverse slate which covers new children’s titles and the traditional lifestyle, travel, animal and human-interest categories. On the renovation front, the slate includes Colin & Justin: Sub Zero Reno, a new co-pro series from Fred Media/Radar parent WTFN and Far Point Films which follows a design duo as they transform a derelict house into a tourist retreat in the middle of a Canadian winter. Additionally, Budget Battlers, from North Light Productions for the Nine Network, is a makeover show that rallies communities to renovate the homes of neighbours in need – all within a week and on a tight budget. Three new children’s series will also feature. Tales of Aluna an animated series for Seven Network from new producer partner Three’s A Company. Additionally, two new live-action shows from Nine Network: Actually Really Very Difficult Show and Earth Science Investigators follows the antics of two amateur detectives from an alien planet who have come to Earth to investigate the human race. In animal tales, Shark Town, from Rockpool Media, is a South African set story about the dwindling population of great white sharks. In feature documentaries, Fred/Radar are representing a co-pro documentary from WildBear Entertainment and Bursty Company with RUNN which tells the story of Aussie ‘bloke’ Nedd Brockmann who ventures on an unprecedented mission of running solo across the continent of Australia. The Big Break, produced by Broken Yellow for Nine Network, features the infamous Aussie breakdancer ‘Raygun’ and her Australian breakdancing team cohorts as they pursue the Olympic dream. In travel, Big Little Footprints, produced by Edge & Elegance Entertainment, is a travel show featuring Amber Wyatt and stuntman husband Karl as they embark on global adventures with their kids.
In Australian lifestyle there are two titles from new partner AFN Fishing and Outdoors; Charter Boat Wars and established title The Fishing Show.
As margins increasingly get squeezed across the industry, Melodie’s innovative approach to music royalty partnerships enables production companies to turn what was once a music licensing cost into a high-growth revenue stream, driving quality and uniqueness while accessing a new revenue opportunity in a $4B royalty market. Melodie partner production companies use Melodie music in their programs, while Melodie takes care of the administration: paying partners a portion of global royalty income each year. “We work closely with our partners, ensuring the Melodie library is always fit for purpose, often acquiring new music for upcoming productions. We understand that outstanding, relevant creative must always drive decision-making in editing,” said Evan Buist, Founder and Managing Director at Melodie.
Australian storytelling has a unique ability to connect with audiences across cultures. By adapting to local nuances and leveraging universal themes, Australian content is captivating viewers in Asia and beyond. The Asia TV Forum provides a platform to showcase this creative excellence, strengthen Australia’s reputation as a global content powerhouse and explore innovative opportunities to expand its reach in Asia.
Meet the Australia Pavilion teams including ABC Commercial, Escapade Media, Fred Media and Melodie at stand FC09 at ATF, running from 3–6 December in Singapore.
What’s the value in constantly posting this sort of nonsense here?
Kim William’s today addressed the National Press Club, where he called for more investment into public broadcasting.
The text of his speech can be found in the link below:
While News Corp always have negative views of the ABC, both of those posts are just reporting of the ABC’s own policies. The broadcaster is trying to be inclusive.
Correct, but you’re constantly quoting and amplifying News Corps’ deliberately false framing of issue after issue. It’s rarely newsworthy or relevant.
It’s not @JohnsonTV’s fault that News Corp is sometimes the only outlet who may have picked up the story, despite the negative framing. He spends a lot of time finding all these articles which he believes members may find interesting.
Amanda Meade publishes a lot of actual news from/about the ABC in her column in the Guardian. That never seems to be picked up…
I posted Amanda Meade’s report on ABC Ombudsman’s investigation of Australia All Over’s interview with Dick Smith in the ABC Local Radio thread last Friday. Media Watch then followed up with its own report on Monday this week.
I also quote from other sources like Mumbrella, Mediaweek, SMH etc. if there are new content.
I’ve also (along with other members) have posted plenty of Amanda’s reports about various topics on the media - on ABC, News Crop and other broadcasters. In many cases, most users include key information and quotes from articles on post’s along with the link (something that @JohnsonTV also goes out of there way to do for most of the articles he shares), so no one is being forced to go to a site they don’t like to get the information.
Even though I don’t agree with a lot of News Corp’s content, I still feel that people should be able to share it here if they feel it contributes to the discussion, or has information which they believe hasn’t been reported by other outlets.
The televised speech is now available on YouTube.
ABC chairman Kim Williams has elaborated on his controversial criticism of Joe Rogan, claiming the megastar podcaster did “an enormous amount of damage” during the Covid pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
“LOL WUT,” was Mr Rogan’s response, on social media, to Mr Williams’ remarks about him at the National Press Club yesterday.
The ABC boss had described Mr Rogan as a “deeply repulsive” figure who took advantage of “people’s vulnerabilities”.
Mr Williams had been asked about “the Rogan effect”, and how exactly the podcaster had managed to capture what has been dubbed “the bro market” in the United States.
Williams also spoke to Rafael Epstein on ABC Radio Melbourne this morning.
ABC Commercial, a leading distributor of premium Australian television content, has partnered with Amagi, a global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and Connected TV (CTV), to launch a suite of Free Ad-supported Streaming TV (FAST) channels.
This partnership signifies ABC Commercial’s commitment to evolving with the media landscape, leveraging its rich catalogue to connect with international audiences in new and dynamic ways.
The rollout of the channel suite is expected to lead with North America (including the US, where FAST Channel household penetration is over 40%*), with plans to expand into broader English-speaking territories, Europe and Asia.
“This partnership with Amagi represents a significant milestone for ABC Commercial as we expand into the global FAST market, opening new doors for Australian content to thrive on international FAST platforms” says ABC Commercial Digital Sales Manager Brian Lee. “Our channels will allow audiences to access Australia’s most loved and unique stories in innovative ways, whether they’re seeking family-friendly content, compelling dramas or captivating documentaries.”
As the Commercial arm of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (‘ABC’), the business represents a catalogue of over 4,000 hours of premium content across all genres – including scripted, factual entertainment, lifestyle and children’s. The ABC is recognised for its singular, innovative and award-winning programming – with highlights including the cheeky comedy Aftertaste, multiple seasons of the primetime, lifestyle favourite Restoration Australia, stunning natural history series Wild Australians, and charming kid’s animation Reef School.
“We know how much international audiences have opened up to Australian content over the last decade’ says Lee, ‘and we are confident that platforms will embrace our new channels with enthusiasm, allowing them to provide audiences with the opportunity to enjoy the best Australia has to offer. We look forward to announcing further details on our new channel launches in early 2025.”
“ABC’s foray into the FAST ecosystem is an exciting step forward. With Amagi’s technology, we’re enabling ABC to expand its reach, engaging audiences worldwide with high-quality content while creating new revenue opportunities through precise, targeted advertising,” said Srinivasan KA, Co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer at Amagi.
“We are seeing continued evolution of the FAST market as premium content owners are now looking to find new ways to reach their audience efficiently and intelligently. The ABC is one of the most important and beloved brands in Australian TV and we’re thrilled to be partnering with them on this journey” Thomas Parsons, Senior Director - Sales & Business Development at Amagi.
Amagi provides a complete suite of channel creation, distribution, and monetization solutions. The company’s clients include some of the world’s biggest names, including A+E Networks UK, ABS-CBN, Astro, Cox Media Group, DAZN, Globo, Lionsgate Studio, NBCUniversal, Tastemade, and VIZIO.
ABC features stories by, for, and about Australians living with disability
In the lead up to and beyond December 3, the ABC is featuring stories by and about people with disability to mark International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD).
From November 19 to December 10, the ABC has once again partnered with the Department of Social Services to recognise the 5.5 million Australians living with disability.
Through this partnership, 34 short-term positions have been created at the ABC for people with disability to have their content featured across ABC websites, radio, social media, television, and ABC iview. Content highlights will be featured across all ABC platforms until December 10.
One of the content creators working with the ABC is David Grant (@auslanwithdavid).
David is a deaf actor, writer and content creator based in Melbourne, dedicated to teaching Australian Sign Language (Auslan) to his followers and audiences.
As a proud advocate of the LGBTIQ+ community and a recipient of the Content Commissioning Fund, David is collaborating with the ABC to create Auslan reels for ABC Queer on Instagram. His reels capture his connection to the queer community and feature lessons on how to share gender pronouns in Auslan and sign the LGBTQIA+ acronym.
David is well known for his Sign of the Day videos, which make learning Auslan more accessible to all Australians while fostering a greater understanding for the deaf community.
In March, David created an educational segment called Auslan with David: Children Edition, where he teaches common words and phrases through engaging videos and fun sign-and-dance-alongs that promote inclusivity and connection.
You can find ‘Auslan with David’ on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Tik Tok.
The IDPwD partnership also funds the ABC Storyteller Scholarship, an early-career program for two content makers with lived experience of disability. Comedian Madeleine Stewart, one of the scholarship winners, is producing six videos with Compass, set to be featured across ABC Tik Tok and other social media platforms. Her first video, Get A Job, humorously explores the challenges of employment for people with disability. Other videos include A Period Drama, which examines menstruation through the lens of women with disability, and two vox pops that reveal the surprising, often shocking, and often funny aspects of everyday life with disability.
Dan Jacob is working with ABC Hobart and will produce a digital article on a Tasmanian musician who has broken into the difficult United States music scene and a radio package on the transition of an elderly person from their home to aged care, with a focus on disability.
Additionally, on ABC iview, you can stream the entire new music series Headliners. Hosted by Elly-May Barnes, the series follows her ambitious quest to form two bands entirely made up of musicians living with disability. With support and inspiration from Australian music royalty, including her rock legend father, Jimmy Barnes, Elly-May helps transform a group of strangers into must see acts in a live performance at a sell-out iconic music event — all within just seven weeks.
ABC iview will also feature a disability collection that highlight the diversity of experiences and perspectives from people with disabilities.
For International Day of People with Disability, ABC Big Kids Collections will feature key episodes from shows like Hardball, Disrupted Films, Fearless Films, and What’s It Like.
ABC Kids will also present special playlists and collections, including popular titles like Riley Rocket and Play School Storytime.
For Landline’s last program of the year, airing on December 1, the story of Rise and Shine Eggs will showcase how siblings Alistair and Heather Pearce offer career opportunities to people living with a disability at their chicken farm near Adelaide.
Additionally, the documentary Tides of Change: Para Athletes of the Pacific will air on That Pacific Sports Show and ABC iview on December 4.
The documentary explores the lives, challenges, and achievements of Pasifika para-athletes from Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands.
The film is a celebration of human resilience and cultural pride and seeks to inspire future generations while advocating for increased support for para-sports.
The film aims to challenge stereotypes about disability, promote inclusivity in sports, and inspire future generations while advocating for more support for para-sports.
As part of International Day of People with Disability activities, the ABC is a sponsor of the Disability Leadership Institute’s Disability Leadership Oration.
The oration is an annual discussion on disability leadership and this year will feature Indigenous disability researcher and advocate Dr Scott Avery as the keynote speaker.
The event will be held at Canberra’s National Archive on November 26 and will be aired nationally on ABC Radio National’s Big Ideas program on the International Day of People with Disability, which is Tuesday 3 December.
Dr. Scott expresses his excitement and honour in being selected as this year’s Disability Leadership Orator.
“I feel very fortunate to be part of the disability community every day of my life. Many people will be listening or watching the Disability Leadership oration for the first time and learning about the amazing contributions people with disability make,” he said.
“My hope for today, is that people will talk to others about what they’ve learned and consider how they can be more inclusive of people with disability in their workplaces and community groups – so they can be part of the ongoing story of inclusion,” he said.
ABC Director, News, Justin Stevens said the ABC was proud to support International Day of People with Disability.
“The ABC is thrilled to once again elevate the voices of the disability community in recognition of International Day of People with Disability,” he said.
“In total, 26 teams across the ABC are collaborating with over 30 external content creators to produce a wide range of impactful content, including documentaries, digital articles, social media content, and TV and radio stories.”
“These collaborations reflect the ABC’s ongoing commitment to hearing a diversity of perspectives throughout our storytelling. The content will in turn raise awareness among our audience to better understand the personal experience of those we will hear from.”
Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth said the initiative highlights the important role of International Day of People with Disability as a platform to elevate the diverse stories and experiences of Australians with disability.
“International Day of People with Disability is a day for us to stand with and learn from the disability community and this is only possible when people with disability are empowered and given opportunities to share their honest, authentic experiences,” Minister Rishworth said.
“This year’s Ambassadors are an incredible group of Australians that are role models in their communities. International Day of People with Disability is an opportunity for us to elevate their voices, so other Australians with disability outside of their usual sphere of influence to hear their messages too.”
“As we work towards implementing key actions under Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-31, it is vital that we continue to hear from the disability community about their lived experiences so we can develop policies that support their full inclusion in Australia.”
