Kerry Stokes being from Perth might have something to do with Seven’s huge investment in Telethon?
Mind you, that still doesn’t explain why the Seven News set over there is just about the worst of any major Australian TV station.
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Evening set is dreadful.
As much as I like the Good Friday Appeal, this year has been a bit of a let-down.
There’s obviously been some change behind the scenes but it hasn’t been for the better.
And we’re not the only ones to have noticed it:
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Maybe not anymore? If it affects one market, another for a very similar (if not same) event can’t be immune.
I did the usual route around my area this morning to donate at intersection collections, strangely, the three I went through didn’t have any sign of collectors.
Exactly my thoughts.
The spectacle just seems to be lacking. They used to have the desk in front of the tally room which had a little more liveliness. I don’t like the coloured chairs and the red curtain, the lighting is really dark. It doesn’t have a telethon feel, it keeps reminding me of an Andrew Denton talkshow for some reason. It just felt flat.
Was Deeksy part of this year’s? He’s been on forever
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This year’s total raised: $18,175,467. Another record, higher than 2018’s $18,043,251.55
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Just! 
And weak ending, no talk about the total raised with the chief of the appeal like usual when Jen Keyte did it. Just abruptly ended right on 11:30pm after some streamers and highlights montage for an encore of a show that bombed in the ratings earlier this week.
Wouldn’t surprise me at all (and could be totally wrong) but if there is more to come in regards today and maybe even a falling out of some sorts and a new network were to commit?
Welcome to Andrew Denton’s Good Friday Appeal.
Playing the devil’s advocate, could Seven have kicked in a few hundred thousand dollars to top the tally up with money they’d have saved from the shorter and lacklustre coverage and still ended up in front financially?
We will read more about it in the Sunday Herald Sun this weekend (Fiona Byrne guest hosted Nightline on 3AW from the Appeal tonight). I also think there will be a review of today’s broadcast, ranging from the omission of morning session coverage on TV to guest lineups.
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The fact Seven are being hush hush even to press sends alarm bells
Just handball it to 9. Bec is good at this stuff. Would be a good chance to expose the Today team also.
Was Mel Doyle on this year?
Mel Doyle wasn’t on this year. Eddy, Beretts and Sam Mac from Sunrise were on (Beretts manning the country board), but I didn’t seem to see any Home and Away actors.
Nine showing the Appeal will create complications because the Good Friday AFL match also raises money for the Royal Children’s Hospital. Any change to Appeal broadcaster will have to wait until 2023 when the new AFL broadcast deal comes into effect.
Well then 7 better get their act together!
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If the Good Friday Appeal moved to Nine (who if we’re being realistic, is probably the only network that’d take the GFA if Seven were to ever give it up), I actually think they’d be more likely to further reduce the airtime than increase it. The Gold Telethon only replaces inconsequential daytime programming on the Queens Birthday public holiday here in Sydney, while I think QTQ’s Telethon is only a few hours during primetime on a Saturday night?
Either way, all the posts I’ve been reading here today suggest that what was once quite a fun tradition on Seven Melbourne has been severely affected by a further reduction in airtime and possible cutbacks.
Obviously the AFL will remain on Seven until 2023 but unless there’s something in the contract which ensures that the GFA will continue to air on the network in Melbourne, surely the appeal organisers should be free to change networks if they feel that Seven isn’t doing a good job?
Despite it being a bit flat this year, and it is still claiming a record total, I think it’s far too premature to just declare it to be handed to Nine who, in all fairness, might not even be interested. While the telethon has a certain halo effect, it isn’t ratings gold.
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I do know activeTV produces it now outside of Seven. I think this was their first year though I may be wrong but the EP has done it before. Strange that it didn’t end at midnight as usual so not even 12 hours
Edit actually 4th year activeTV has done it
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