Warburton looking to add depth to TEN schedule
New TEN boss James Warburton wants a Ratings improvement on the main channel and less reliance on Reality programmes.
- Published by David Knox
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In his first interview since taking the CEO chair at TEN, James Warburton is making some positive noises.
He gives every indication that 2012 will prove a fascinating television landscape.
Warburton indicates that Ratings improvement on the main channel is an absolute priority, with too much reliance on Reality programmes.
Junior MasterChef and The Renovators are both expected to be chopped -but the market has been expecting this outcome regardless.
“We’ve got to do more than that, and have more of a connection with the viewer on multiple fronts throughout the course of a week,” he told News Limited.
“I want to steel some attitudes. TEN, in my eyes, has taken a bit of a back seat and let the agenda be run by others. I’d like much more of a fiercely competitive internal and external organisation.
“What we need to do is get back to the broadcasting fundamentals of ratings and revenue. Lachlan set the vision and made a lot of the painful decisions. For him to step in and effectively fill those months when I’ve been restrained – I owe him a great debt and, of course, I plan to repay him.”
He can repay him best by lifting shares -the ratings shares and TEN’s share price on the stock exchange.
He also wants the schedule to be strengthened with more appointment viewing.
But these are positive comments from the new boss, who had his first day in the office yesterday, despite the public holiday. Warburton was held back from work for TEN until January 1, following a much-publicised court case with former employees, Seven.
That’s given him plenty of time to assess TEN shows as well as their rivals, and research online opinions.
“But not a day has gone past since accepting the role that I haven’t been itching to get to the helm of TEN.”
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- Tagged with Junior Masterchef, The Renovators
40 Responses
Ten chased this fellow and Seven tried to keep him so he must have a bit of talent.
Lets just give him a good old Aussie go. Let us not forget TV is a business and while the majority of us watch stupid shows like aca and today tonight, that is what we are going to get. Its not science but mathematic$.
If they can sort out programming and stop stuffing their viewers around, as well as establish a couple of well written, acted and directed local dramas they’ll go a long way to restoring some credibility.
TEN really needs to get back and see what the people want. Cut back on 90 minute news. And stop the insulting Perth weekend news read from Sydney news desk.
Its a shame that Renovators didn’t work as I liked some of the format, but they only have themselves to blame for that.
Stop repeating movies!! There should be atleast 12 -18 months bewteen showing the same movie!
Online opinions? i.e TV Tonights comments section lets hope…
I agree with him that a Network can’t rely on a ‘tentpole’ reality TV format throughout the entire year but fact is reality TV has been workings as of late. Just not on TEN. X Factor and AGT on 7 with The Block, CA and now Big Brother on 9 have been huge successes
If the ABC continues to out perform TEN each night then the answer is simple.. Just poach All the content from Aunty. Perhaps Graham Norton was just the start..
“He can repay him best by lifting shares …”
David, you’ve still got it!
Welcome to 2012. We have a Packer with vested interests in 10, Warburton calling shots for 10,Channel 9 doing Big Brother, …. the world is definatley upside down!
Warburton, bring back some decent Aussie drama. I’m not talking fluffy telemovies and 8 part series. I’m talking big budget powerful drama on par with Water Rats and Stingers that all Australians will watch. Other networks are running scared from these sorts of productions, so now’s your chance to get some great dramas estabilshed.
I agree with bindi. Channel 10 keeps all the reality programs and kills our dramas like rush, which means our actors have to go overseas for work. Come on ten keep them Australia .
Support aussie productions and give them more funding ( not taxed as much) so they can continue here at home.
Aussie Aussie aussie
The Lost list – just a starter list, but what do the following all have in common – AFL, The X Factor, V8 Supercars, Melbourne Cup, Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Thank God You’re Here, Big Brother, Ellen Degeneres, Olympic Games, NRL, Aria Awards – anyone care to add to the list? There are plenty more!! Then there’s the Gone or Wrecked list – Australian Idol, Good News Week, So You Think You Can Dance Australia, The Panel, Talkin’ About My Generation etc. Then there’s the New list – It’s A Knockout and Andrew Bolt!!!! My God!
Less reality shows? That prospect is music to my ears.
Masterchef, at least, should get back to basics. All this swanning around the world was all very nice for the contestants, but for the viewers it was bored city. And the series is too long.
Ditto Junior Masterchef, which I really liked, the kids are delightful. But once again, carting them off to Disneyland et al. Tedious.
Well to be honest, his first comments are not going to be negative and the previous bloke allowed a disaster to unfold on his watch. Still a new person in the top job, he should hit the ground running and deserves 6 months to get things moving in the right direction at Ten. However he should be judged on where the network goes and viewer numbers……and not on his first interview.
Sorry but i think 2012 will just get even worse for Ten. Their programmers are clueless and any show that’s successful they do all they can to kill off. Modern Family is the best comedy on tv, but they destroyed its success with timeslot/day changes constantly and then switching back and fourth with repeats. Your Gen was huge for Ten, then they changed it’s time/day several times and ratings dropped. Glee was rating well, again moved timeslots and day. Even NCIS is not the hit once was cos repeats have taken over. Ten’s programmers don’t seem to understand stability gets you stable ratings.
The Renovators was a good show, better than the block, but again programmers decision to smack it in middle of Masterchef killed it’s chances from the start, then they played it in one timeslot for a week, and then moved it.
And Masterchef this year i think will see a massive drop cos if people are like me, then the last season killed it. I won’t be watching again. YTT won’t save them either.
Ten have the best list of shows, but there’s just no point watching them on their channels cos you never know if the timeslot / day will change the next week, if a repeat will be on instead of a new ep, or if it will get taken off without warning.
“What we need to do is get back to the broadcasting fundamentals of ratings and revenue”
But that is what TEN has been doing all along. If a show does not rate then it gets removed. Or moved to another channel that not everyone has access to.
So it’s a case of SSDD for The Encore Network in 2012.
Good luck with that! The only way from here is up. Programming depth (or lack thereof) is exactly what is wrong with Ten. It will take him most of 2012 to begin to build that depth, no quick fixes when the cupboard is so bare.
Okay, lets start by finding a better time and day for Graham Norton, or perhaps giving it back to ABC2 – the home of GN.
Then look at Ringer, move it to Tuesdays at 8:30pm on Eleven, and with AHS finishing soon, follow it with Melrose Place (2009).
Scrap all the news, enough already – I am sick of putting on the TV and seeing news all the time! Just have the 5pm-6pm shift, and bring back The Simpsons to weeknights 6pm on either TEN or Eleven.
all this talk about profits & revenue. I think neighbours will be next on the hitlist. He needs to make a move, either axe it or move it to the main channel where it can get drama points and plug that 6:00 hole. keeping it where it is, it is just a white elephant that the new CEO will probably notice sitting in the room.
Hopefully this is the change TEN needed; they definately need more investment in local content, more drama, more fun, more factuals?!
Ten need to keep the tentpoles in Biggest Loser and Masterchef.
Hope he decides what Ch 10 wants to be and what ONE HD is supposed to be as well. Good luck, you’ll need it.
He owes Lachlan Murdoch a great debt for setting the bar so low that he can’t possibly lose. What better place to start from than rock bottom!
Change your logo too Ten.
Something of a poisoned chalice one would think. Good luck to him but he is only a salesman after all – not exactly a creative genius. If I were him, I would be taking the Japanese lolng term view – success in 5 – 7 years. Of course he’ll be dumped long before that time expires. Still tv is littered with plenty of failures who kepp their jobs – 10’s programming department for instance.
Heard this promise before. It’s up to advertisers to support it for it to work and I guess you can promise it now and claim “we tried” when it fails to save your butt. Where is all the content going to come from given they are in cost saving mode??
I’m all for less reality and more quality drama. Although I had already found plenty on 10 and 11 before the ratings season stopped, they were my most watched channels, even with avoiding reality shows.