ffs
I noticed some differences in the campaign ads that have been airing on commercial networks - guess the network this is from?
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Theyâll always do stuff like that⌠doesnât surprise me.
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Foxtel? 
What is the Marlboro app? 
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Just saw this during an ad break of Love Actually tonight and itâs voiced by Sarah Aubrey, Sevenâs former long-running female V/O (2005 - 2020), at least the one I saw on 7 is.
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Free TV CEO Bridget Fair has penned a guest column for Mediaweek, looking back at the FTA scene of 2023.
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NWS 9.
Auto correct not so correct at Free TV.
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Michael Coonan joins Free TV as Director of Public Policy
Free TV Australia is very pleased to announce that Michael Coonan has recently joined our senior team in the newly created role of Director of Public Policy. Michael is a well-recognised industry leader with extensive experience in public policy and government affairs, in both industry and government roles. Michael brings particular expertise in the areas of local content, prominence, privacy, and spectrum regulation and is also the Vice President of the Australian Chapter of the International Institute of Communications.
Prior to joining Free TV, Michael served as the Head of Regulatory and Government Affairs at SBS, where he led a highly effective policy and regulatory affairs team. His notable career also includes significant roles at Foxtel and the ACMA, where he played pivotal roles in shaping regulatory frameworks and advocating for industry interests.
Free TV CEO, Bridget Fair said: "I am thrilled to welcome someone of Michaelâs exceptional calibre to the Free TV team in the newly appointed position of Director of Public Policy. His extensive experience and strategic approach to policy and regulatory affairs will be invaluable as we continue to navigate the evolving media landscape and advocate for the interests of our members and audiences.
âMichael joins us at a critical time for the future of television in Australia and the ability of all Australians to share in the moments that bring us together as a nation. The immediate focus for Free TV is ensuring free local television services are available and easy to access on connected TVs, and that all Australians can continue to access free sports broadcasts through the Communications Legislation Amendment (Prominence and Anti-Siphoning) Bill 2023 which is currently the subject of a Senate Committee review. I canât think of anyone better than Michael to help deliver these important outcomes for the Australian public and to further the interests of Free TV broadcasters in 2024 and beyond."
Michael Coonan said: âI am excited to join Free TV Australia at such a pivotal time in the industry. I look forward to working closely with Bridget and the Free TV team to address the challenges and opportunities facing commercial television broadcasters and ensure that our industry continues to thrive in the digital age.â
Access to local TV services and free sport under threat unless laws are strengthened
Millions of Australians will be unable to watch the biggest sporting events or find free TV services on their smart devices if crucial changes are not made to a federal bill, according to Free TV.
The peak body for free TV broadcasters, including Seven, Nine and Ten, said the Prominence and Anti-siphoning Bill must be strengthened to achieve its intended outcomes.
âIn its current form the bill does not guarantee the availability of free sporting coverage for those who are reliant on the internet for their free TV viewing and sets an unnecessarily long timeframe to secure the availability of free local TV services on smart TVs,â said Free TV CEO Bridget Fair.
âThese two major oversights must be fixed to protect the free universal access of local TV services and sport for every Australian.â
The bill prevents subscription streaming services such as Amazon, Apple and Disney from buying exclusive terrestrial broadcast rights to iconic sporting events like the Olympics, AFL, NRL and cricket, but they can still acquire exclusive digital rights and lock out the millions of Australians who watch free sport on services such as 7plus, 9Now and 10 Play.
âAs the proportion of households watching TV online grows to half by 2027, the anti-siphoning list will be fundamentally undermined if it does not apply to digital rights,â said Ms Fair.
âBidding for sport will become commercially unviable if free-to-air broadcasters can only acquire a narrow range of terrestrial rights, leaving paid services to acquire all sporting events.
âThis is exactly the nightmare scenario the government is trying to avoid with this bill - so it must be amended to reflect modern viewing habits.
âMany new homes do not even have antennas installed. All Australians deserve access to the great sporting events, trusted news and great entertainment programs that bring our nation together, regardless of their income or whether they have an antenna on their home.â
Meanwhile, the bill only requires the free apps of local broadcasters and a Live TV tile be available on new smart TVs that are manufactured 18 months after the legislation receives assent.
âThis needless delay will mean millions of people who buy new TVs will unnecessarily miss out on the benefits of this bill.
âThere is no good reason to delay enforcing the rules beyond six months after they become law at the absolute maximum,â said Ms Fair.
âThe government should also apply the new rules to existing TVs - not just new ones - with expert analysis showing software can easily be updated to benefit people who already have a smart TV. The problem of not being able to find local TV services is something people are experiencing already. If we wait until 2026 to even start addressing the problem it will simply be too little too late.â
Free TV is calling for the following changes to the bill:
Prominence
- Reduce the implementation period from 18 months to a maximum of six months
- Extend the rules to existing TVs that receive software updates
- Ensure that viewers are presented with both free and paid options when searching for content
- Require electronic TV guides to include local free TV services
Antiâsiphoning
- Require that both the free broadcast and free digital streaming rights be acquired by a free broadcaster before the event can be acquired by a pay TV or subscription streaming provider
- Do not extend the automatic de-listing period from six to 12 months as many sporting events are acquired within this timeframe
Free TV Submission regarding the Communications Legislation Amendment (Prominence and Antiâsiphoning) Bill 2023 â link here.
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Seven, Nine and Ten CEOs unite to support access to Free TV
The CEOs of the Seven, Nine and Ten networks will make a rare joint appearance at a Senate inquiry, to argue the importance of access to free TV for millions of Australians.
The commercial TV executives will appear today alongside Free TV Chair Greg Hywood and CEO Bridget Fair before the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee to call for the prominence and anti-siphoning bill to be strengthened.
Free TV Chair Greg Hywood said: âWe welcome the Governmentâs intention to make free local TV services easy to find on connected TVs and to stop global streaming giants putting our major sports behind a TV paywall. But this Bill contains some significant oversights that we will be highlighting to the Committee today.â
The bill prevents subscription streaming services such as Amazon, Apple and Disney from buying exclusive terrestrial broadcast rights to iconic sporting events like the Olympics, AFL, NRL and cricket, but they can still acquire exclusive digital rights and lock out the millions of Australians who watch free sport on services such as 7plus, 9Now and 10 Play.
In another oversight, the bill only requires the free apps of local broadcasters and a Live TV tile be available on new smart TVs that are manufactured 18 months after the legislation receives assent, meaning millions will miss out in the interim.
Seven West Media Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, James Warburton, said: âLive sporting moments bring our nation together and must remain free and accessible to everyone regardless of their income.
âThe Matildas proved the importance of free, accessible content last year when they smashed TV audience and streaming records. The Matildasâ FIFA Womenâs World Cup games brought millions of Australians together and truly united the nation. With more and more people watching sport online, excluding digital rights from these new laws is a serious mistake, one that means the laws fail to keep up with modern viewing habits.
âWe also urge parliament to adapt the prominence framework to better ensure Australians can easily find free content through their smart TVs,â he said.
Nine Chief Executive Officer, Mike Sneesby, said: âAll Australians deserve free access to the sporting events, trusted news and entertainment programs that bring communities together.
âFor free to air broadcasters to continue to provide these world class services we need the ability to provide them on all the platforms and delivery systems available to our audiences. Itâs critical the Government provides the regulatory support required to ensure we can do the commercial deals that are necessary for us to provide these services,â he said.
EVP of Ten, Beverley McGarvey, said: âNo other platform or service has the ability to reach Australians and unite Australians like Free TV can. Millions of homes turn to us day and night because they trust us, whether that be to deliver local shows their friends and family are talking about or to stay informed and safe during crises. Only local free TV can deliver all that.
âWe canât let guaranteed access to free TV only be for those who can afford a new TV in 18 months time, particularly when families are feeling the pressure on their budgets.â
âThe government should not delay the implementation of prominence rules because in our experience, these changes can be implemented much faster on new TVs and even for existing TVs that regularly receive software updates.
âThatâs why weâre asking the Government to reduce the delay in implementing this change that could benefit millions of Australian households before the end of this year,â she said.
Free TV Chief Executive Officer Bridget Fair said: âThe government has rightly acknowledged that Australiansâ access to free TV is under threat - but there are some crucial gaps in the bill.
âWith just a few simple changes, it could become an excellent piece of legislation that fulfills its purpose and safeguards Australiansâ access to free TV for years to come,â she said.
Free TV is calling for the following changes to the bill:
Prominence
⢠Reduce the implementation period from 18 months to a maximum of six months
⢠Extend the rules to existing TVs that receive software updates
⢠Ensure that viewers are presented with both free and paid options when searching for content
⢠Require electronic TV guides to include local free TV services
Antiâsiphoning
⢠Require that both the free broadcast and free digital streaming rights be acquired by a free broadcaster before the event can be acquired by a pay TV or subscription streaming provider
⢠Do not extend the automatic de-listing period from six to 12 months as many sporting events are acquired within this timeframe
Free TV Submission regarding the Communications Legislation Amendment (Prominence and Antiâ siphoning) Bill 2023 â link here.
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Seems like a good way to get a swath of TVs to stop getting software updates.
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What do you mean?
I think what JCK98 means is that TV manufacturers may consider stopping issuing software issues, to avoid having to comply with the new prominence laws. That way, the subscription platformsâ apps will remain at the front of the screen, for the life of the TV set.
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Pretty much this, not necessarily just because they want to keep making advertising dollars from subscription apps but could be that they donât want to put development resources into redoing their home screen for the Australian market on TVs theyâre not going to make money off of again (outside of advertising).
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âThe last time I got a TV in my office, which was an LG TV, it took me 45 minutes to find the 10Play app, so our entire point to the prominence conversation is to remove the friction, so thatâs what weâre trying to do,â she said.
âI had to get an engineer.â
I bet the TV required an update first
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