Missing the point. Writer and disability and appearance activist Carly Findlay went on Jon Faine’s ABC Melbourne radio program yesterday to talk about microagressions she and other disabled people face daily. What she faced, instead of a thoughtful and respectful discussion, was an interview full of the microagressions she was on to talk about. As Findlay has since written on her blog:
I feel I did a good job, even when Jon Faine suggested my face would be good at Halloween … even when he asked me whether I can have sex, even with him justifying unwanted prayers, and even with his reducing of me to a medical condition.
In a statement, ABC Radio said Faine “intended no offence to Carly, but accepts that a number of his questions and comments were insensitive and sincerely apologises for any distress that she has felt as a result of the interview.”
Has Nine grabbed tennis rights? The Nine Network may have successfully bid for rights to the tennis for the next five years, Fairfax is reporting, ending Seven’s long-running hold on the rights. The current agreement between Tennis Australia and Seven ends after the 2019 Australian Open.
Competitive neutrality inquiry details revealed. The terms of reference for the ACCC competitive neutrality inquiry into the ABC and SBS have dropped, with a panel to report to the government by July on whether the ABC and SBS are “operating in a manner consistent with the general principles of competitive neutrality”.
SBS — which has been singled out by Nine for outbidding it for content — has responded this morning with a statement from managing director Michael Ebeid saying it would “participate fully”, “noting that existing, robust accountability frameworks governing SBS are operating effectively and we continue to operate within our relevant legislative frameworks to deliver on our Charter.”
Cosmo too risque for checkouts. Walmart, America’s biggest retailer and the leading outlet for magazine newsstand sales across the US, has banned Cosmopolitan from its front checkout counters. The magazine will be moved to more obscure parts of its thousands of stores.
Though Walmart has labelled it a “business decision”, the move comes after campaigning efforts from conservative groups, who claim the “racy” covers that are inappropriate for placement next to checkouts. The New York Post reports that the activists are religious conservatives, and the campaign has been spearheaded by Victoria Hearst, one of the heirs to magazine giant Hearst, which owns Cosmo.
It’s a big problem for Hearst — US media analysts say Cosmo is its most profitable title for the publisher. At the end of 2014 it was selling 576,550 copies a month on newsstands and at checkout counters. By December of last year, its single-copy sales had slumped a staggering 67%, to 190,487.
That is an experience not unique to Cosmo — all US magazines and newspapers have experienced something similar. Much of this is due to the falloff in single-copy sales from young women nationally. — Glenn Dyer
‘Notorious’ paintings. The ABC News channel’s story yesterday on an exhibition in South Australia featuring works from Paris’ Musee d’Orsay didn’t explain this strap — what is “notorious” about the French impressionist paintings?
Glenn Dyer’s TV Ratings. Seven’s night, but a hollow victory because audiences were down 20% or more as Easter and weak offerings on Seven, Nine and Ten in non-AFL markets turned viewers right off. The AFL Footy Show on Nine saw its audience retreat to 367,000 nationally and 205,000 (but higher than the first two weeks on a Thursday). Seven’s Front Bar did OK — 300,000 nationally and 153,000 in Melbourne — considering it is a much cheaper program than the multi-million dollar production that is the Nine offering.
Ten again ran fourth, well behind the ABC. In fact, it was the national broadcaster that was the real star last night. By maintaining quality programs, the ABC in fact was the top network for two hours from 7pm to 9pm as the news (1.07 million), 7.30 with 865,000, Hard Quiz with 961,000 and Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell with 896,000 dominated the commercial opposition.
In regional markets, Seven News topped the night with 505,000, Seven News/Today Tonight was second with 457,000, Home and Away was third with 392,000, the 7pm ABC News was fourth with 359,000. The 5.30pm part of The Chase Australia was fifth with 319,000. Tonight and over the break, footballs of all shapes — NRL, AFL, Rugby, A League and other soccer — will dominate viewing. — Read the rest on the Crikey website.
Can anyone suggest which programs where SBS outbid Nine? Great British Railway Journeys?
It was probably the hugely successful Handmaid’s Tale – for which the commercials did not bid.
Like the ridiculous treatment of West Wing by 9 which judged, presumably correctly, that it was too intelligent for its audience, faffed its scheduling around and basically gifted it to ABC where it soared to a ratings winner.
Faine needs to be sacked forthwith.
The fuss about Faine is a classic example of people jumping on a bandwagon who have no idea of context. Carly Findlay seems to be the type who likes nothing better than being offended. Not only did she agree to the talking points before appearing but it was her that brought up the “sex” comment which Faine responded to. The opening by Faine comparing her to a burns victim was an attempt to visualise her to his radio audience. How could you get offended by that? Findlay has previously appeared on ABC TV show “You can’t Ask Me That”. It appears she has taken that literally when appearing on ABC Radio.
As the sun sets on Jon Faine’s long and pretty-well unblemished tenure on ABC Radio 774, he appears to be slipping somewhat. What’s the back-story, because this is a disappointing twist to a distinguished broadcasting career?