Experienced news man gone from Nine. The bonings continue at the Nine Network in Sydney. Much surprise at news senior director Ian Jobsz being made redundant on Friday. Production staff and studio people were shocked, and so far no explanation. That’s one less experienced person Nine will have to carry on the move to the new facilities at French’s Forrest on the edge of Sydney’s northern beach suburbs.

The move will add an hour or more to staff travel times each day. Those who live in Sydney’s west or south-west, and on the central coast, will be really disadvantaged. According to the Willoughby whisper, the network was looking to move to Ingleburn, in Sydney’s far south-west, while the bean counters also looked at relocating the playout facilities to either New Zealand or India. Both would have been an act of stupidity and probably a breach of the licence.

Rudd’s airport debate. Spotted: Kevin Rudd on QF959, the 7pm flight from Brisbane to Canberra last night — missing out on watching the leader’s debate (and MasterChef).

Job moves at Aunty. Having advertised the role of Head of History at the ABC approximately 12 weeks ago, an email was sent to applicants 2-3 weeks ago to say the process was delayed. Today an email was sent to say the job was being withdrawn. In the new structure of the ABC the ABC2 Controller job was advertised on what appeared to the industry to be an unusually low salary. This deterred a number of applicants.

There’s something fishy in the way the new jobs at ABC are being advertised and appointed and if the ABC cannot work out if they need a head of History and have wasted people’s time and resources in advertising this position and the position as advertised for ABC2. It diminishes ones confidence in their ability to commission and to manage.

DJs not cashing in on Kerr. David Jones spent millions on its new season campaign shoot with Miranda Kerr, yet she won’t be in Australia this season to capitalise on it. Worse still, when they shoot Autumn/Winter later this year she will likely be more than six months pregnant so another waste of investment. Who will be the face ?

That is why DJ’s fashion boss Collette Garnsay tried to secure Jessica Hart, but she too was snatched from under their noses by the PR machine at Myer. DJs is apparently  considering a re-shoot of the Summer campaign using Megan Gale or one of the models it is bringing out from overseas and then rushing it into stores. DJ’s management knew something was up when it commissioned invitations to its Melbourne store opening, where it struggles for air with the Melbourne-based Myer brand, with  a portrait of Megan and n0t Miranda.

Myer and DJ’s go head-to-head the same week with their fashions show in Sydney in early August. DJs has quickly secured some prominent Aussie models living overseas, but they don’t have Jen Hawkins, Jessica Hart and new Dad Kris Smith, along with a rumoured big international star that will be sitting front row for the Myer show. But DJs is again a morning tea frock fest while Myer continues with its now famous fashion parties — the hottest ticket in town. First it was Mark, then Miranda and now Myer. There are a few nervous PR people at DJs.

Who’ll step forward for Julia’s Assembly? Check out an organisation called Issues Deliberation Australia — they may well be behind the Citizens’ Assembly. The not-for-profit is run by Adelaide-based social entrepeneur Pam Ryan, who’s conducted several similar assemblies called deliberative polls. The first was on whether to become a republic, held just before the referendum, the other was on reconcilation in 2001 and a few years back there was one on the cultural divide spurred by the Cronulla riots. Ryan is from Adelaide, with close ties to state and federal Labor, including Hawke.

A University of Melbourne insider reports: All quiet on the Arts Faculty front, with what remains of the humanities licking their wounds. But then there’s this announcement below, announcing the appointment of Hispanic Studies specialist Professor Alfredo Martinez Exposito as the Head of Languages, which sounds great until you remember we don’t teach Spanish any more! We gave it to La Trobe (and took their French; they’ve now restarted French, but at the moment there’s no plan to re-start Spanish at Melbourne past first year anyway).

From:
Date: 20 July 2010 5:01:54
To:
Subject: FW: Important Announcement from the Dean

Dear Colleagues

Re:         Director (Head of School), Asia Institute
Head, School of Languages and Linguistics

I am very pleased to announce we have made appointments to these two senior positions in the Faculty of Arts.  I am sure you will join me in welcoming the appointees to the Faculty.

Director (Head of School), Asia Institute – Professor Pookong Kee

Professor Kee will be joining us on 4 October 2010.  He has a PhD degree from the Australian National University, a First-Class Honours BA Degree in Psychology and a BA with triple majors in Economics, Politics, and Psychology from the University of Adelaide.  His strong inter-disciplinary training is reinforced by a professional career that spans across academe, government service, and international organizations in North America, Oceania, Southeast and Northeast Asia.  Professor Kee will be joining us from the Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Japan where he is currently Professor in the Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies.

Head, School of Languages and Linguistics – Professor Alfredo Martinez Exposito

Professor Martinez Exposito will be joining us on 1 February 2011.  He is an eminent academic in the field of Hispanic Studies including cinema studies and has an outstanding record in teaching and learning, research and leadership.  He has been at the University of Queensland since 1992 where he has served as Head of the School of Languages and Comparative Cultural Studies.

In both selections we had very strong fields and the short listed candidates were of the highest quality. These two appointments will add further strength to the leadership groups in both Schools at a time when that will be of great benefit to their plans for the future.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Professor Jill Wigglesworth and Professor Abdullah Saeed who are completing their terms as heads. Both have made outstanding contributions to their Schools and to the Faculty.

Regards

Mark