Thumbs ready, set … Privacy is one thing, but urging our boy Shane on in his career with English county cricket side is another. Which, presumably, is why this morning’s  9AM with David and Kim let slip Warnie’s mobile phone number. Of course, it was all in the context of Simone Callahan’s accusation that her Shane was enjoying the attentions of another woman. Or, maybe producers thought the spinner of leg could use some homegrown messages of support from fans during this trying time.

 

Geared up media sector is “fully priced”. As reported in today’s Australian , Foxtel has lifted borrowings $200 million, to an unknown level to enable Telstra ($100 million), News Ltd and PBL ($50 million each) to receive their first distributions from the company. Foxtel shareholders agreed in July that instead of spending heavily on further expansion (with the digitisation of the platform all but complete), the business would now be run for cash, much like a water or power utility. The decision was taken after Foxtel failed to reach agreement with the major shareholder of rival Austar, US media magnate John Malone, to bid for the regional Pay TV group. Malone wanted $2 a share, Foxtel wasn’t willing to pay more than $1.80-$1.85 a share. As a result Austar implemented plans to boost its borrowings and distribute $300 million to shareholders later this year and Foxtel followed suit soon after. The Pay TV operator will now be run on the basis of lifting debt to three times its operating profit (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) each year and distributing the extra cash to the shareholders. EBITDA hit $237 million in the June 30 year and is projected to top $300 million this financial year as subscriptions gradually rise. Apart from Fairfax and News Ltd, all of Australia’s major media businesses are now being run for cash as the owners either gear up, or pay down, billions of dollars of debt. And in a note to clients today brokers Merrill Lynch said that the Australian media sector was looking “fully priced”:

The Australian media sector is currently trading on a 1-year forward P/E of 18.2x, which represents an 11% premium to its long-term average of 16.4x and implies that the sector is 85% through its long-term average trading range of 13.8-19.0x. Therefore, whilst value may be evident for particular stocks, the overall sector is looking fully priced.

But Merrills said it saw value in News Corp and Fairfax.  — Glenn Dyer

More fines handed out for UK competition rorts. Media commentators often hold up British media, especially the BBC, as exemplars when criticising Australian TV and newspapers. And it’s true there are some fabo British TV productions in all genres, but let’s not kid ourselves, from the BBC to the various commercial channels, there’s a stench of corruption, poor management, bent rules and numerous examples of the public being ripped off. The BBC has already been exposed for falsifying contests for children’s TV, radio and other programming. And last week it was found to have rigged the naming of the new cat on the long running children’s TV program, Blue Peter . The latest inquiry also found three other examples of consumer deception, which brings the total to 10 at the BBC. Commercial broadcasters Channel 4 and Channel 5 have also been involved in rorts, but now, in the most serious breach of all, GMTV (Good Morning TV) has been implicated in a four year long scandal that cost viewers involved in contests an estimated $A46 million or so (£20 million) — as The Guardian reports: “The premium-rate phone regulator today issued a record £250,000 fine over fraudulent phone-in competitions on GMTV that 18 million callers entered but had no chance of winning. Regulator Icstis imposed the maximum penalty on phone company Opera Telecom, after it found the revenue generated by callers who could not have won appeared to be more than £20m.” One thing is certain in all of this, Britain’s media regulators are not afraid to regulate with a biggish stick. — Glenn Dyer

Last night’s TV ratings
The Winners: Twelve programs with a million or more viewers on a night when Seven’s programming was mixed but successful. Border Security was tops with 1.549 million, though it didn’t air in Adelaide or Perth due to the time difference and the 8pm start for the Brownlow Medal. Seven News was next with 1.544 million, followed by  Today Tonight (1.544 million) and the Brownlow Medal broadcast, which averaged 1.396 million (it started close to midnight in Sydney and Brisbane). A Current Affair averaged 1.307 million, Nine News had 1.255 million and the Brownlow red carpet special averaged 1.245 million. Home And Away was next with 1.243 million, then Temptation  (1.226 million), the 7pm ABC News (1.173 million), Ten’s Law And Order SVU repeat (1.065 million) and the Australian Idol verdict ep (1.065 million). The Force aired in Sydney and Brisbane at 8pm and averaged 778,000, Californication averaged 806,000 and  Enough Rope had 763,000.

The Losers:  Given what Seven had last night, it’s a bit wrong to call programs losers. For example Nine’s new observational doc, RFDS wasn’t a loser even though it was slotted into the 9.30pm slot and averaged 561,000. It was well told and well shot but like RPA it will be the doctors, nurses and especially the patients which will make or break this series. Nine’s 7.30pm to 8.30pm programming was occupied by Commercial Breakdown (762,000) and Just For Laughs (728,000): very, very average, as was 1 vs 100 at 8.30pm with 798,000.

News & CA: Seven News again won nationally and in every market but Melbourne as did Today Tonight . Ten News averaged 881,000; the Late News/ Sports Tonight , 292,000. The 7.30 Report , 816,000; Lateline , 271,000; Lateline Business , 130,000. SBS News, 213,000 at 6.30pm and 140,000 at 9.30pm. 7am Sunrise 435,000; 7am Today , 261,000.

The Stats: Seven won with a share of 40.5% (34.7%), from Nine with 19.3% (21.1%), Ten with 18.5% (21.2%), the ABC with 14.8% (16.2%) and SBS with 6.9% (6.7%). Seven won all five metro markets (48% share in Melbourne!). Seven leads the week 33.7% to 25.1% for Nine and has won the week. In regional areas, a similar result with Prime/7Qld winning with 35.6% from WIN/NBN with 22.9%, Southern Cross (Ten) with 19.4%, the ABC with 14.1% and SBS with 8.0%. The Brownlow didn’t make the top 10 in the regional rankings. Seven’s normal Monday line up won the day because of the dominance of NSW and Queensland regional viewers in the numbers.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: I know the kudos (and the profits) of broadcasting the AFL Grand Final are supposed to be main prize which is why Seven and Ten will split the broadcast over the next five years but looking at the way last night’s Brownlow Medal extravaganza simply crushed the opposition (with “only” 1.396 million people, overwhelmingly in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth), you’d be entitled to wonder if that’s right. Seven got a national share of 40.5% off the Brownlow and winning efforts from its strong Monday night line up in Sydney and Brisbane. Nine and Ten were swept aside and Seven went from trailing 31.1% to 26.6% to a winning 8.6% lead with Dancing With The Stars to add more tonight. Ten has the Grand Final this Saturday of course but it won’t help them much because it falls outside ratings being an afternoon game (hence the urge to get a night or twilight GF). Ten will make money because of the big audience, but in strategic terms its a bit of an isolated win.

Source: OzTAM, TV Network reports