David Mott quits Network TEN
“I am proud of the bold programming decisions we have made .....It’s been a great ride, and I’ve loved every second of it."
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under News, Top Stories
Statement from Network TEN:
TEN Programming Chief David Mott has resigned after 16 years with the network.
The move follows the repeated failure of new programmes and TEN’s ratings falling behind the ABC last week.
“David has had an extraordinary career at TEN over the past 16 years,” Network Ten Chief Executive, James Warburton, said.
“He has been a fantastic asset for the network and we are sorry to see him go. David’s legacy at Ten includes landmark television programs such as MasterChef, Australian Idol, Rove Live, The Biggest Loser, Thank God You’re Here, The Project and Big Brother, and – more recently – Offspring, Puberty Blues, MasterChef All Stars and Bikie Wars: Brothers In Arms.”
Mott said: “It’s a sad day when you say goodbye to friends and colleagues, and leave a place you hold so dear. But it’s a great day when you take stock on what has been achieved over 16 fantastic years.
“I am proud of the bold programming decisions we have made at Ten over that time, because without risk there is less chance of success.
“In a job where you live and die by the numbers, perhaps I’ve been luckier than most. It’s been a great ride, and I’ve loved every second of it. I leave behind a focused and committed creative team and I wish them all the best for the future.”
Mott had always been perceived as the public face of TEN, despite other CEOs including Grant Blackley above him, regularly quoted in media interviews alongside other network CEOs.
His ability to create bold programming reached a peak with shows like MasterChef when the industry questioned a cooking show as a replacement for Big Brother.
But in the last 18 months a new board and new management has challenged TEN’s programming direction.
Mott remained at TEN under new CEO James Warburton and acting CEO Lachlan Murdoch despite an overhaul of executives across the last 12-18 months.
Beverley McGarvey continues as Head of Programming and assumes Mott’s responsibilities on an acting basis.
This post updates.
87 Responses
The problem with the youth market is that it has had a structural shift. Young people today view media very differently. Their main screen is their smartphone. The uptake in smartphone use among this demographic has exploded in the last 2 years. This screen comes between their eyes and the TV so it has priority. Watch any kid watching TV, their smartphone is in their hand all the time checking their newsfeeds on social media. Not only this but with all the digital channels a lot of the TEN audience has gone all over the place. And when internet TV and the NBN take off the game will change again. It will not be long before ABC TV will come third in the ratings permanently. They really have no competition in what they do. Nine use to do serious news but gave it away years ago, leaving ABC with this to themselves. We can blame Mott, Murdoch or whoever but the reality is TEN have nowhere to go but become a low cost network. Rely heavily on cheap imported shows and try to get a few local hits.I don’t like this idea but they will bleed otherwise.
@Jezza the first – ha ha fair call. I may have overreacted myself a bit there.
Clearly, those involved in the industry are aware that Lachlan Murdoch and James Warburton are responsible for the problems at Ten. Rather than allowing the programming & executive teams do their jobs, these two have got involved in day to day decisions in areas where they simply have no expertise at all. Just because you own a television, doesn’t mean you know how to program and create television. The bigger problem is that Lachlan is on the board so nothing will change until he finally realises “It’s time to go”. David Mott is a widely respected and classy operator, his departure from Ten is a true loss.
I’m surprised to read that there are still TV executives who dismiss feedback via social media as worthless. They are simply fools who have their heads buried in the sand. Social media is free market research for them, they should be embracing and paying attention to it.
Ten has been in the ratings hell doldrums before. If my memory serves me correctly, they were a cigarette paper width away from bankruptcy about 20-odd years ago, but they got through it. I am sure they will right this sinking ship, but it is going to take loads of resolve, a complete rethink of their young skewing reality show strategy and some possible rejigging of the people in charge of the show. I have faith in them, they have delivered in the past and they will do so again.
It’s about team effort,everyone wanting what’s best,doing their best and working together for the greater good.Lessons need to be learnt from past mistakes and have the best interests of the viewers at heart.Hopefully there will be plenty of vision and diversity to bring Ten into a positive new light.Finally,I wish David Mott and his successor all the best.
Can I throw in this observation…?
With the rise of the internet and digital channels, the younger demographic (always one for change – the MTV generation, right?) is so easily distracted and lose interest very quickly.
Which is where TEN’s target demo have gone – elsewhere. The youth really appear to have no brand loyalty.
Look at the continual rise of ABC News in the 7pm slot – the viewership of more than 1M viewers on Sat nights to known ABC shows (eg: Doc Martin – Midsomer Murders – Poirot etc.) – an evening the commercial programmers ignore because they reckon “the target demos are out partying”…
If the younger demos continue to stray, we might see FTA TV start programming towards us Baby Boomers again.
That would be a nice change… and one that would bring about some “brand loyalty” from this end of the age bracket.
channel ten was the younger generations channel, Murdoch came along and brought with programs from foxtel and more news than we needed. this year has almost been a disaster, in fact except for a few exceptions this year has been a massive fail for the network, they not only continued to change things they cut the Circle sacking around 60 people, they have screwed up breakfast and show that prior to actually going to air sounded promising. I have no experience in programming nor do i work in television, but I reckon i could do a better job and have channel ten on top.
with the exception of Puberty Blues, Can of Worms, The Project, Late News and a handful of other shows, watching Channel Ten just doesn’t feel like Channel Ten anymore. Now with David Mott leaving it is hard to see it ever returning to the station we know and loved. While they were never the number one network l, it didn’t really matter because they absolutely nailed their target audience between 2000-2010. These latest shows are neither fun, funny, sexy, clever or cool.
@ TM…’ the vierwer suffers’… relatively and in the context of the thread….please consider a course in the nuances of the English language rather than a dictionary definition…thank you
@TM: Murdoch is not just a shareholder he’s the Chairman of Ten Network as well.
Not sure if Rinehart has a spot on the Board? She probably does. I think Bruce Gordon (WIN) does with his 14% stake.
Not sure of this is going to be good for 10 or not. All I know 10used to be home for me, but in many ways it hasn’t felt as homely as it should during this year.
If he is truly responsible for the project, big brother, Australian idol and rove as well as programs from working dog then I thank him heaps and am sad at his leaving. As it is those neighbours, rush and secret life of us (not towards the end though) and GMA with Bert that made 10 my home channel.
It’s a miracle! We all knew he had to go – let’s be honest, most people feel disengaged with the way the network presents itself to the viewing audience. TEN no longer has character that you can associate with. The whole network needs an overhaul – promo’s, logo, presenters, graphics, branding.
Let’s be honest he might’ve had a few good hits over the last 16 years, but c’mon – if you throw enough mud at a wall, some of it has to stick.
Mott overstayed his welcome by about 3 months, and then stayed for another 5 years more.
he obviously feels he was about to be pushed and rightfully so, people seem very quick to forgive and forget. I think it is unfair to pin it on Murdoch, he has only been with the company for a year ten’s programming has been on a downward spiral since well before that. i’m not denying that there was a time in the past where Mott was an asset, and i’m not denying that masterchef was a good move on his part. but there is only so far that former glory can get you. at the end of the day he had final word on programming decisions and they hadn’t launched a successful new show since masterchef.. that was 4 years ago now, his successes were way to few & far between. his time was up.
how quickly we forget that when blackley was boned everyone though he was a scapegoat for Mott’s poor performance and that the wrong person was on the chopping block.
Come on, get a grip – it’s only television. @jezza the first original one – ‘the viewer suffers?’ – please. go and look up the definition in a dictionary. Then visit a place where people are actually suffering and get some perspective.
@rick2: I said the exact same thing about the “Ten Empty” film, to myself earlier this week.
It’s like watching a rerun of Nine implode. Incredible how destructive a regime can be in such a short period of time.
Meanwhile, Elisabeth Murdoch delivers the James McTaggart Memorial Lecture at the Edinburgh Television Festival. Poor Ten – they have the wrong Murdoch on their board. And I now understand why Seven was so reluctant to hand James Warbuton the keys to the corner office.
Finally – there seems to be a lot of love around for David Mott. I’m sure he’ll turn up at one of the other networks after a well earned break.
Isn’t James Packer and Gina Rinehart on the board too? Or are they just shareholders? Just wonder why all the baying for blood is directed solely at Murdoch, if this is the case.
With Ten shares @ 41cents we could all buy shares here and take over and oust Lachlan murdoch and still have change left over lol
Anyone else spot the ironic movie scheduled late tonight on 10? ‘Ten Empty’…
Sounds like the wrong head rolled there…
Bettestreep: last week.
David, it’s looking very likely that Ten will end up fourth for the whole week -well behind the ABC.
Their top program will be Puberty Blues which didn’t even hit 900K.
Has there ever been a time when Ten has been fourth for an entire week?
I think this could be an almighty first for the network.
And I agree with the majority of comments posted here today – Murdoch and Warburton should go as well – and the Board needs an almighty shake up too.
I feel sorry for Mott, but I really feel for the employees at Ten.The morale over there must be awful.
Well, sad to see David go, but as has been said before they were only in real trouble after Murdoch took over.
Has anyone read the book “Who killed Channel Nine” interesting points and maybe the same kind of things about print medi and TV media being completely different. The bean counters do not really think about whether they are passionate about TV or whether the bottom line can be turned around by sacking great people or making it uncomfortable them to stay, so they leave of their own accord. As I think was it made too uncomfortable for David to stay ?
It was only a week or 10 days ago that most contributors on here were questioning the madness of ch10s programming dept and how their schedule was in total disarray.So there is little sympathy for someone who is fairly good at the tv exec ‘BS,’ deciding to quit ( or otherwise). No one is ever totally bad and there is some success along the way, but it is fair to say decisions made by the prog dept over the past couple of years have been dire……and who suffers most?….yeah us the viewer
All programmers make poor choices, Mott is no different to when Seven was in the doldrums, or Nine’s slump in the last few years. Programming is a tough job, and personally I think Mott was great at taking chances that mostly worked. The legacy you leave is always the one you depart on sadly.