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“Bugger off!”: Sunrise cops Oscars red carpet ban

Exclusive: Seven is denied red carpet accreditation for the Oscars because it is not a rights-holder in Australia.

EXCLUSIVE: Sunrise has been denied Academy Awards red carpet accreditation this year because they are not the broadcast rights-holder in Australia.

Select TV shows from Australia, Germany, Canada and Argentina will all be without accreditation this year, amid increasing tensions for red carpet access.

Last year there were suggestions that Seven was shuffled off the carpet at the last minute with the Academy exerting its muscle over non-rights holders.

Whilst fees to broadcast from the red carpet reportedly range from US$75,000 to $500,000 for a full show, organisations gathering snippets of interviews are limited to no more than five-minute segments.

Nine denied its LA bureau exerted any pressure on the Academy for a Sunrise ban but Darren Wick, Director of News & Current Affairs, told TV Tonight, “My view on that is pretty black and white. They’re not a rights-holder. In the words of Barnaby Joyce, ‘Bugger off.’

“If Nine Programming has paid for the Academy Awards then my expectation as Head of News is our guys should have premium access on the red carpet. If we are exclusive rights holders -which we are- we’re in a position to block the other guys, fine. Do it.”

Sunrise, which has had successive wins against Today on Oscars day, is still promoting red carpet coverage with Edwina Bartholomew in LA this Monday.

12 Responses

  1. The selective enforcement is a bit of a worry. Surely Seven can use its news relationships in the US to get pictures (ideally for them coverage from E!)

  2. If overseas networks are denied red carpet accreditation because they don’t have broadcast rights, shouldn’t the same apply to US shows like E! and Entertainment Tonight given they are non-rights holders as well?

  3. This hasn’t mattered in the past, why is it suddenly an issue? Was it the Oscars last year that a lot of the celebrities snubbed her? She was trying to interview them & they just walked past. I felt embarrassed for her. Does this apply to Angela Bishop too? She’s usually on the red carpet.

  4. Can someone explain to me why they watch any form of red carpet / pre-award arrival coverage at all?

    Serious question. I just do not get the appeal.

    I know it rates for Brownlow etc, so someone must be watching…

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