TV technology dominates print coverage: It seems that many print journos at Beaconsfield are a bit gobsmacked
at all the technology TV networks are now deploying for live
broadcasts: trucks, dishes, cameras, lights, mobile autocues and
travelling egos. It used to be the print journos who ruled at these
stories, now it’s the networks and the likes of ACA and TT. – Glenn Dyer

Daily Tele v Naomi Robson: The Daily Telegraph and its editor, Dave Penberthy,
are rapidly becoming clones of Peter Blunden and his Herald Sun in Melbourne: feral attack dogs
who know little and try to monster all who stand up to them. Take
Today Tonight host Naomi Robson. She earns a lot of money for fronting a program that at times
leaves me speechless, but this week she and her A Current
Affair rival, Tracy Grimshaw, have done good work in hosting
their programs from Beaconsfield. But our
Naomi has upset people in Beaconsfield it seems and on Wednesday the Tele‘sConfidential column publishing a sledge at her about a make-up truck and how her princess-like
behaviour had upset the locals. Trouble
is Confidential got that from a Nine Network source, hardly the most responsible
of contacts for information about a Seven Network star. Wednesday night Naomi took a gentle punch back
at Confidential, which returned the spray today with these comments: “A bad week turned worse for Today
Tonight host Naomi Robson yesterday as viewers tuned out and those
blooper emails began circulating again. Angry comments to
The Daily Telegraph website followed a story earlier this week
about reports of Robson’s “princess” behaviour at the Beaconsfield mine
rescue effort, where she skipped a crucial press conference to have her
hair and makeup done.” Like all News Ltd entertainment writers they are
long on verbiage but short on facts. On Wednesday night, 1.5 million
people watched TT – no turn-offs, in fact the audiences for TT
are slightly higher this week than last week. – Glenn Dyer

Mike Munro firms for Millionaire gig: While quite a few people in the TV industry believe that
with Eddie McGuire gone Nine will retire Millionaire
permanently, there’s a growing suggestion that Mike Munro has firmed in the
betting to take the hosting chair. Munro
remains in favour at Nine, despite failing at A
Current Affair: he’s reading the 4.30pm news, backing
up the Sydney 6pm news this week with Mark Ferguson down at Beaconsfield and
also reads some weekend news, especially Sunday nights. His
other gig, This is Your Life has been dying, slowly. Nine claimed they had run out
of people whose lives are worth celebrating – after last year’s effort of
celebrating Qantas’ 85th year, that was a given. So
with Munro now without a prime time light entertainment gig, there’s a growing
chance that he will be dropped into Eddie’s chair later this
year. The
official line from Nine is that Millionaire is “resting” and will emerge from this hibernation early in the second half of the
year. People
in TV land say killing off the game show would save Nine
around $4 million a year and replacing Eddie has proven to be tougher than anyone at
Nine thought and the Network and its CEO are in a bit
of a cleft stick. Nine
might have to re-start Millionaire simply because its program inventory is pretty
threadbare at the moment and it needs as many programs as possible for the primetime schedule. The
irony is that Cold Case is now adding viewers in 8.30pm Monday timeslot. In fact
the 1.7 million people who watched Cold Case on Monday night this week was a
much bigger audience than for all but a handful of Millionaire episodes over the
past few years. – Glenn Dyer

Last night’s TV
ratings

Get Crikey FREE to your inbox every weekday morning with the Crikey Worm.

Email Sign up

By subscribing you are agreeing to our terms and conditions