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Sam Newman: Nine execs “couldn’t care less”

Sam Newman lashed out at Nine Sydney execs yesterday for barely mentioning The Footy Show at its Melbourne Upfronts.

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Sam Newman lashed out at Nine Sydney execs yesterday for barely mentioning The Footy Show at its Melbourne Upfronts on Wednesday.

Nine execs fronted an hour-long presentation to advertisers at Myer Mural Hall, much of which focussed on client opportunities with Bauer Magazines, Mi9, Powered, and various digital opportunities. The final ten minutes or so comprised the 2013 showreel of new TV content.

As Group Sales & Marketing Director, Peter Wiltshire, thanked guests for attending, he added one final surprise: The Footy Show would be moving to 8:30pm next year in its 20th season.

But on SEN Radio yesterday Newman said, “As they said, ‘Thanks very much for coming.’ The bloke said, ‘By the way, The Footy Show‘s going from 9.30 to 8.30.’

“They did not show an excerpt, a snippet, a promo, nothing, and I thought, ‘Well, they couldn’t give a stuff if we’re on or not.’
“They’re from Sydney. So I reckon they’re just going to suck it and see and if it’s no good in a month they’ll just cancel it.”

“I have no idea why we’re on at 8.30. I’m not sure why it is. I don’t know what they’re doing.

“Just if they could have mentioned the longest-running television show of its timeslot . . . of its style in the world . . . that would have been good, it would have given us a bit of heart. But I honestly don’t think they give a stuff if we go on or not. In fact . . . I have a feeling they hope we fail.

“I tell you what: for the amount of promo they’ve given us, I reckon Andy Maher and Before the Game will give us a belting.

“They’ve got a swagger on them. Did they wander down from Sydney? . . . ‘Great to be here,’ they said . . . They couldn’t have given a stuff if they were here or not. Just the imposition of getting on the plane and flying down and speaking to the great unwashed down here . . .

“I know you think I am joking but to not even pay lip-service to The Footy Show . . . I think they’ve got a different agenda; I don’t think they could care less.”

Newman was sitting at the same table as me on Wednesday and was polite but restless during the hour-long presentation.

I share his frustration that the TV content was a long time coming. But it’s the way of the world these days. I get that these kinds of presentations are to give clients (and not media) the lowdown on advertiser opportunities, but I still think TV is the lead brand and that’s what gives you cachet.

The Melbourne presentation didn’t include David Gyngell, Jeffrey Browne, Michael Healy or Andrew Backwell. Call me old fashioned but I do think it could have benefitted from having one there to tell us why they were excited about their new shows, but maybe they had other commitments.

And a proper nod to The Footy Show and Nine News as local achievers was probably in order.

Source: The Age

17 Responses

  1. @william if TEN got the rights to cricket im fairly sure they would not similcast on ONE. They stopped doing it with the afl for monetry reasons.No commercial network is going to similcast on their HD channel, We are just going to have to wait until the analogue switchover is complete.

  2. pietro- Nine promises it but it never get done. It’s next to slim for nationwide. CA listen to your viewers as we rather TEN showing it in HD than Nine gives us bad pictures and makes it hard to see the ball

  4. I found it interesting that Newman considers Before the Game a real threat. It’s sensible to offer your rivals respect, but to consider that rival a threat to the ratings in that time slot is definitely noteworthy.

  7. Good on you Sam stick it up them! strange after all these years we are still there,lets see what happens if they tried to sack you.By the way the best times was when GEM started and Nine had both the NRL & AFL on at the same time at least we get in a hour earlier in NSW next year or do we ??

  10. I’m usually not one to agree with Sam Newman, but I think he has a point here. For a stuttering performer like Nine to not acknowledge one of its few continuing success stories seems very odd.
    Maybe Sam’s right: they could be considering shelving it and looking for it to fail.

  12. This just typifies tv execs all over. They are just so far up themselves.

    As for Sam, he is quite right. Whether you like him or not, at least he has some character and is not just one of these bland, dull, cheesey hosts who are ten a penny and probably cloned from one original tailors dummy

  13. Because he is a Fossil that makes a show worth watching,look what happened when they suspended him.
    The Man is good at what he does and most of the viewers know this even if they pretend not to like him.
    I do not particularly like AFL and have always been a NRL supporter but I could not sit through any more than 5 minutes of the NRL Footy show but even though in Queensland stay up late to watch the AFL Footy show.
    I find myself saying this again but he has the”Courage of his convictions” and as Billy Connolly would say in this “Beige” environment we live in it is refreshing to have someone dare to be politically non correct.

  14. He has a point. The footy show is coming into its 20th year, always wins its time slot with good ratings unlike the other one where ratings havent been great and just gets mentioned at the end.

    Anyway sams still sam and he wouldnt give a toss what people htink of his opinion.

    Actually when he isnt being stupid on the footy show he can actually make some very good points.

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