Photograph by Geordie McRae
If you’ve just watched this segment and then hopped on the intertubes, you’ve probably found your way here. Welcome to Catallaxy, and do take the time to look around.
This segment was recorded in December last year, when I was visiting Sydney - among other things - for a very enjoyable blogbash. I couldn’t tell people exactly what I was up to (the joys of being a ‘Mystery Guest’ and all), so now fellow blogbashers know.
Where are they Now? is the first time I’ve ever done what some people like to call ’soft-focus’ television, and it was an interesting experience. Many people in the intelligentsia like to delude themselves that people like Mel and Kochie (and other media popularizers) are idiots. This is about as far from the truth as it’s possible to get. Many of their questions (not everything went to air) were exceptionally astute, and far more insightful than things I’ve been asked on the likes of ABC or SBS. There was a stronger focus on the emotions - ‘how did you feel about x, and why?’ - which is no bad thing, and has its place.
Apart from that, there was also a hint as to why Channel 7 is zooming up the ratings, and rapidly cleaning up Channel 9 in the popularity stakes. Not only was everyone exceptionally well organised and professional, but there was a complete absence of cant. Never before have I encountered media people who understand markets so intuitively. More to the point, there was no hint of disdain, of the ‘we only do this for the Plebs with nothing better to do on a Sunday night’. I’ll never forget being told - years ago now, by a journalist from one of the stuffier networks - that ‘competition is not what we do’. Channel 7 suffers from no such delusions.
There are some other things on which I’d like to comment, but I’m currently suffering with the dreaded lurgi and not feeling particularly sharp. I’ll do my best to add some updates tomorrow.
For those interested in some more photographs, go here.
34 Comments
From December last year? I knew they were pre-recorded, but didn’t realise it took them that long to air. For what it’s worth, I thought you did pretty well.
It’s very similar to the publishing process - incredibly drawn out. I suppose they’re banking on that crucial difference between ‘news’ and ‘entertainment’. One is supposed to have no lead time, the other, lots.
SL why didn’t you advise us to watch it?
She did - for those of us in Perth. Two hour delay is sometimes useful.
Whoops, I forgot about that. I was the ‘Mystery Guest’, and figured that telling Cat readers in advance would be stealing Mel & Kochie’s thunder rather.
I’ll see if I can get a vid from Channel 7 and stick it up on YouTube or something.
Dreaded lurgi? again? Listen SL, you get a glass, pour in two fingers of OP Rum, some lime juice, sugar……
I was watching the program but then switched off. I should have stayed tuned for the mystery guest.
Bugger, Terje. Sorry about that. If you’d all been on Facebook I could have sent out a ‘friends only notice’ or something. It’s a bit tricky otherwise.
Missed it. Nice pic of you. Please don’t join the Sunrise Family, that’s all I ask.
SL:
I would like to move an amendment to Rog’s motion on Post No,6 that “two” be amended to “four fingers”. [Seconded] All those in favour say “Aye”.
b.t.w. Never thought Mel & Kochie were idiots, far from it.
SkepticLawyer:
].
Got to see the part of your interview that went to air. [My thanks to Dr Who who kindly took me in his "Tardis" back to yesterday evening to see the program. Gee, the "Tardis" is a lot bigger inside than it looks on the outside .....
What didn’t go to air [and wonder if it was in the raw interview takes] was that although you did upset the humourless, pompous “Establishment”, you certainly did win hearts among older migrants who got through those complex and troubled times alive.
Their own incredible, horrifying, edifying stories have never been told outside their circle of family and friends and now, sadly for many, will never be told.
“Yes. That’s what happened”. or “No. It was different in my town”.
If “The Hand That Signed The Paper” was fiction then so too was “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and “All Quiet On The Western Front”.
I was saddened that you had dumped to draught of what would have been your next novel but can understand your motive in doing so..
Good on you. Happy packing.
I suspect that if they publish a transcript it will be here:-
http://au.blogs.yahoo.com/where-are-they-now/577/episode-10
SL: “I was the ‘Mystery Guest’, and figured that telling Cat readers in advance would be stealing Mel & Kochie’s thunder rather.”
Well you did not need to tell what will be there. Just recommend to watch this segment.
True enough - suppose I could have done that. I’m not sure whether that would still have been giving the game away, though.
“that would still have been giving the game away, though. ”
Maybe
I doubt many people think Kochie is an idiot. He always seem to come across as fairly intelligent on air. Ponce maybe, but not an idiot.
He’s actually personally very pleasant, although struck me as less of a natural interviewer than Mel - he doesn’t sit still enough. If there’s one rule about telly, it’s that you have to sit like a graven image. Radio announcers, by contrast, hop around like a cane toad about to wear a No 2 Wood - all in an effort to get you to liven up a bit on air.
S.L., Suggest you read ‘Who Killed Channel 9?’ by Gerald Stone which looks at part at the competition between 9 and 7.
7 ‘won’ in large part because of the skills of Mel and Kochie. They are definitely not idiots - nor are the program managers. They are just attractive, intelligent people.
As you say its all about understanding markets. Kerry Packer dis - his son and John Alexander didn’t.
Is David Koch kneeling in this photo?
Or are you atop a vaulting horse?
No, I’m very tall, and Mel is wearing 4 inch heels.
No, I’m very tall, and Mel is wearing 4 inch heels.
Which Me?
umm
Which Mel?
I’m in the middle. Mel is on the left. David is on the right. If you visit my Facebook pics (linked above), you’ll see that her big heels make her look taller than me, but she’s not. I’m a shade over 6ft, but don’t look it until you stand next to me (like David has here). Needless to say I always played centre forward in hockey teams. Dainty I ain’t.
Which would leave me puzzled. Since when is the cartesian plane about emotions?
Phooey to you, Jacques
SL [23]:
Why not? The Canadian dancer Margie Gillis would tower over you. Gracefulness and tallness are not mutually exclusive
Happy packing …..
Channel Seven not deluded about competition in the television media? According to Glen Dyer they’re more interested in profit than actually competing on a ratings basis. I’ll stick to the ABC thanks all the same.
Niall
To make a profit they have to have an audience.
I’ll edit your last sentence as it will make more sense.
“I’ll stick YOU with the ABC thanks all the same.”
I don’t know that Channel 7 can be credited with too much knowledge of markets, they certainly benefit from the regulatory advantages of having the limitation of the licencing of a mere three free-to-air stations, which is hardly a competitive environment (particularly with the mismanagement at Nine assisting in Seven’s rise). They’ve certainly also been helped by the incumbent government killing off of a possible fourth FTA station, and resisting narrowcasting for many years, and the anti-siphoning rules also provide the FTAs with a big advantage over their competitors.
But even within this seemingly favourable environment free-to-air is losing considerable viewers to pay-TV, and is also losing some to other mediums (DVDS, computer games, internet). I think the test of how reactive FTA stations are to viewers needs will come in the next five-ten years, when Television on Demand and multi-channeling becomes more prevailent, when the internet transcends many of the boundaries imposed upon entrants into the media market. It will be an interesting time to see how the media landscape hopefully evolves.
Stephen {29}
On this last point - it’s interesting to note how late to the game the TV stations here where when it came to taking the Internet and digital media seriously.
PBL hopped into bed with MSN to give us NineMSN - one of the most trafficed sites in Australia, though I’m willing to bet a fairly hefty part of that is a result of the exit page for Hotmail being the NIneMSN home page. The TV side of the business has only really gotten it’s Internet strategy up and running in the last year or so.
Ch10 - this is a bit of a surprise. Their demographic would surely have been the most eager to adopt an online offering.. but again, only in the last 6-9 months have their gotten serious about online.
Ch7 - with MSN alreayd married and Google playing the happy batchelor/batchelorette the world over, Ch7 hitched up with Yahoo to form Yahoo7… which hasn’t been a complete faiulure IMHO. Ch7 have also made some smart investments of late - in particualr buying into Engin , which they will be leveraging next year to bring TiVO to the Aus market.
I thought Melissa Doyle looked appalled at your very existance. When you batted away the Robert Manne thing you got away with murder (figuratively, not literally, which is where I disagree with Manne’s hype). They had to ask you the soft-focus stuff because you’ve already been done on the hard stuff. When you say things like “you have to sit like a graven image”, you give the game away.
Have you gotten to the point where you realise that Dame Leonie and her MFP crew did you no favours?
Great comment as always, Andy
So you’ve learned how to accept a duchessing and duck a challenge Helen - you have learned a lot from the MSM :p
Andrew, did I run over your cat or something?
You’re an excellent blogger and a thoughtful commenter around Ozblogistan - I always try to include your latest piece in Missing Link because I know it’ll be good. But for some reason I irritate you - even though we’ve never met, and probably aren’t likely to.
What is it?