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Vic govt ends Logies backing

Will the 60th TV Week Logies move to Brissy or BrisVegas?

The TV Week Logie Awards have lost the financial backing of the Victorian Government and are tipped to relocate from Melbourne to Brisbane or the Gold Coast for their 60th event in 2018.

Tourism and Major Events Minister John Eren told the Herald Sun: “We’re proud to have been home to the Logies for more than 30 years, but it’s time to pass on the baton.

“No matter where the Logies go next, Victoria will remain the cultural and events capital of Australia.”

Rumours of the event being hijacked by Sydney or Brisbane have surfaced in recent years, but the loss of funding from Melbourne could prove to be the deal breaker. Bauer Media will ultimately decide where the event is next staged, but could still keep it at Melbourne if it chose to incorporate the shortfall or cut costs.

Melbourne is the traditional home of the Logies, having hosted 54 of the 59 events, including at Crown Palladium (since 1997), Hyatt, Hilton, Radisson, Southern Cross hotels. Sydney last hosted it at the State Theatre in 1986.

“The Logies belong in Melbourne,” perennial host Bert Newton said.

“Some shows work best in one city and the Logies have always worked best here in Melbourne as it’s always been the home of live television.

“They’ve tried them interstate a few times and it wasn’t successful.

“In my mind it’s like losing the AFL Grand Final or the Melbourne Cup.”

Despite some cheeky campaigns to relocate the event -including to Dubbo, NSW- a shift to Brisbane will also represent a hefty travel bill for networks given most casts are based in either Sydney or Melbourne.

Gold Logie winner Kate Ritchie added: “The Gods have been threatening a move to Sydney for a long time now. I’m not sure the Logies will be the same without a weekend away for us Sydneysiders in Melbourne, or the trepidation about making it elegantly up the black marble staircase at Crown Towers upon arrival!”

10 Responses

  1. I see Karl Stefanovic is threatening to boycott the Logies. Let’s hope he’s true to his word – one less drunken mess at the Logies would help things significantly.

    1. Specially as he called the Premier Kevin Andrews instead of Daniel. Oops. I didn’t realise the Logies were always held in Melbourne, although I’ve not seen much of them in recent years. I doubt it makes any difference as far as tourism is concerned. No one else outside Australia would be the slightest bit interested. And apart from participants, no one else would come here specially. Probably couldn’t get in anyway.

  2. The Logies are such a quintessentially Melbourne thing though, like hook turns or Hey Hey or organised crime murders. I don’t know if Queensland could really match that relationship, though I’m sure the Fraud Squad – which is more a possessive title than an oppositional one – would be happy to assist in the move.

    Maybe the Logies could move somewhere where almost every journalist would kill for the scoop, & would also be a PR coup for any celebrity. Manus Island, anyone?

    ‘Major Events Minister John Eren said the event was never profitable for the state and it was only funded for sentimental reasons … “I would say that it’s just not worth it anymore”‘. Geez, John, can you dial back on the hard sell a bit?

  3. Well the Gold Coast has better weather, it’s beautiful here in April/May. The Commonwealth Games are here next year at Easter time so it would be perfect to have the Logies here too.

  4. Great news for Victoria. Thanks to Dan Andrews and his team for saving us $1 million dollars. It is nothing but a waste of tax payers money , time to make it someone else’s problem.

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