Media briefs and TV ratings

Sue Howard: ABC MD contender? With the Federal
Government having seemingly chosen the new chairman of the ABC, it’s time to look
at the search for the new managing director. The ABC board has
appointed Strategy and Communication director, Murray Green as an acting MD
until a replacement for Russell Balding is found. Some on the board and in
the Howard Government want a head kicker, a Jonathan Shier clone to settle a few
scores. But what about an
internal candidate with a bit of attitude? I hear that the head of ABC radio,
Sue Howard, is being urged to toss her coronet into the ring. Initially it was
believed that she’d like to act in the position and add the experience to her
CV. Now to the amazement of senior staff in the organisation it is said she will apply for the
gig. She has strong
support from players such as media buyer, Harold Mitchell through to the most
important player of all, Chairman Donald McDonald, although given the events of
this week, that support may no longer be so vital. Despite being widely
disliked outside of Melbourne in ABC Radio, Howard has gone from
strength to strength by keeping a low profile, giving most of her interviews
(a handful in eight years) to Victorian journos and
avoiding national scrutiny. Something that might count against her
is the poor publicity generated by her continuing use of US
radio consultant, Valerie Geller, to help train on air presenters at a cost of
hundreds of thousands of dollars over the last few
years. – Glenn
Dyer

Where have all the woman gone at Nine? The departure of Sandra Levy
and the absence of any women from the hosting roles on the telecast of
the Commonwealth Games has again called into question the Nine
Network’s commitment to women. For a while in 2003 and 2004, Nine had
more females in senior roles than its competitors with at least five
women in senior operational and service managerial positions, but they
all left in 2004 and early 2005 as Nine’s blokey culture re-asserted
itself (Seven and Ten still have at least one or two). Levy’s
appointment last November changed the make-up, but now her departure,
controversial as it was, again leaves Nine without a significant female
executive area. Posie Graeme Evans departed last year as head of Drama
soon after Levy was appointed, but the two moves were unrelated. The
appointment of GTV producer Cos Cardone to be Nine’s
Director of Light Entertainment will only add to
that blokeyness when he arrives in Sydney later this year. He is close
to Nine CEO, Eddie McGuire. Unlike Seven which used the like of Joanna Griggs as a studio
host for the Olympics, Nine hasn’t slotted a women into a hosting role
at the Games. Nine has female commentators in some sports, with Nicole
Livingstone the stand out and one who should have been used in the
studio as a session host. – Glenn Dyer

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