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2011 a year of Executive change

Just eighteen months ago six men were directly steering our TV networks. By January 1st the winds of change will have finished sweeping in six more.

Just eighteen months ago six men were directly steering our TV networks.

By January 1st all of them will have been replaced or initiated management restructures that shift others into the driver’s seat.

The landscape used to look like this:

David Gyngell CEO Nine Network
David Leckie CEO Seven Network
Grant Blackley CEO Network TEN
Kim Dalton, Director of Television ABC
Shaun Brown, Managing Director SBS
Kim Williams CEO Foxtel

Within a matter of weeks the final shake-up will settle as:
Jeffrey Browne, Managing Director Nine Network
Tim Worner, CEO Seven Network
James Warburton, CEO Network TEN
Brendan Dahill, Channel Controller ABC1
Michael Ebeid, Managing Director SBS
Richard Freudenstein, CEO Foxtel

David Gyngell is CEO of both parent group Nine Entertainment Co. and Nine Network, but he is known for remaining very hands-on with Nine’s schedule. As the son of Bruce Gyngell, the first face on Aussie TV, and intimately connected to the Packer family, he has Nine in his DNA. Jeff Browne joined Nine in 2005 following a career as a commercial and media lawyer. He was appointed Managing Director of GTV9 in 2007. They work with Nine’s quiet-achiever, Director of Television Michael Healy. 2012 will be a tough year financially for Nine but the signs are positive about key features of the programming slate.

David Leckie remains CEO of parent group Seven West Media. It will be fascinating to see how much of the reins he can relinquish to Tim Worner. Worner has guided Seven’s rise in the ratings, overtaking longtime rival Nine and his inevitable appointment last week for the top job was well-received.  Young gun Angus Ross is tipped to be firmed as Head of Programming. Seven is widely tipped to lead 2012 ratings but a few exciting announcements wouldn’t go astray in Programming rather than a straight up “rinse and repeat.”

Former Seven Media Group sales chief James Warburton joins TEN on January 1st following his much publicised legal battle with former employers, Seven. All eyes will be on the new TEN boss following Lachlan Murdoch’s cost cuts, as well as going head to head with former colleague Tim Worner. But he arrives with considerable confidence from industry, ready to work alongside long-term and successful programming chief David Mott, plus Beverley McGarvey. After its annus horribilis, you have to feel for the TEN team as they bid goodbye to 2011 once and for all.

Kim Dalton remains Director of Television for ABC TV but an internal restructure sees Brendan Dahill now directly responsible for overseeing ABC1, with Stuart Menzies helming ABC2, Tim Brooke-Hunt responsible for ABC3 and Gaven Morris as Head of Continuous News on ABC News 24. Dahill was Director of Television for BBC Worldwide Channels, Australasia, and his track record at ABC1 so far has been a good first innings.

Since his appointment earlier this year Michael Ebeid has been busy at SBS dealing with the financial limitations of the public broadcaster, lobbying Canberra and rejecting notions of a merge with ABC. The former ABC exec is yet to make his mark following from Shaun Brown, but it’s still early days and replacing Director of Television Matt Campbell is a first test. Significantly, Ebeid is also the first openly gay boss at the top of an Aussie network, but isn’t looking to make it define his role. Will 2012 be a make or break year for the multicultural broadcaster?

Richard Freudenstein replaces Kim Williams at Foxtel after a 10 year stewardship. He arrives from News Limited where he was CEO of the digital business, overseeing the Murdoch newspapers combat the digital age. But he has had senior roles with both Foxtel and BSkyB before, and shares Williams’ appreciation of the Arts. He will be backed up by Foxtel’s aggressive Director of Television Brian Walsh, who has been with the Subscription TV provider since its inception. All eyes are on the takeover of Austar, still awaiting approval from the ACCC.

Finally, a note on US-born John Porter, who as Austar CEO remains one of the highest-salaried media execs in the country. For 2012, everything rests on the Foxtel takeover.

2012 won’t be a dull year, that’s for sure.

8 Responses

  1. David wouldn’t it have been easier to say that other than Seven which is ahead by spades in programming, commissioning and market intelligence the rest of them are still on trainer wheels. And many of these people have been in these jobs for some years. If they don’t improve the performance and quality of their networks this year then they should or will be moved on. But it is the nature of TV that many senior executives are on high salaries which they could never make elsewhere and have to be pushed and usually when it is too late. It is only when the shit hits the fan that women are brought into the boy’s club.

  2. That’s a great summary and a very interesting way of giving us some context for next year’s maneuverings. it will be worth following up in a year’s time and give each of them a report card! I, for one, am very glad to see these major changes because our industry needs fresh ideas and people who are prepared to take a few risks. Good luck to all of them! There is one glaring oversight of course – no women in these executive seats and it is well and truly time we had a few.

  3. The ABC positions seem to be as they have been all this year. Kim Dalton Director TV, Brendan Dahill controller ABC1, and Stuart Menzies ABC2 – how is that a change?

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