Letter to the editor: Network Ten defends programming schedule
Network Ten’s director of corporate and public communications Neil Shoebridge has penned a letter to the editor in response to an opinion piece by Alex Hayes on Friday on Ten’s upfront presentation the previous evening.
Dear Alex,
The column you posted on November 14 described Network Ten’s 2015 programming slate as “frugal”, “lean” and “minimalist”. That description is inaccurate, misleading and puzzling.
At our Upfronts 2015 presentation on November 3, we laid out a full 12-month schedule, including eight new local productions:
What a bizarre response.
A classic case where the battles are so fierce because the stakes are so small.
It’s weird a guy who worked in the media for so long treats the media with the contempt he does.
“there is no way Ten’s 2015 line-up can be described as “frugal”, “lean” and “minimalist””….
Based on the laid out a full 12-month schedule, including eight new local productions… yes it can and yes it is.
Neil is dreaming if he thinks the “new” line up will increase Ten’s audiences…
Alex – spot on. The line up is frugal and this response stinks of desperation. Goodbye channel 10 – no advertisers for you.
Why, oh why, would a seasoned journalist like Neil fan the flames and reignite a piece that people had long since forgotten. very odd.
to push that share price lower so Uncle Rupert can buy 🙂
Deck chairs on the Titanic.
You don’t like what a journo said about your brand? You take it on the chin. Sure, you can hate them as much as you want, but never show it. Always smile. Always thank them for their coverage and perhaps clarify some points.
NEVER look desperate and defensive. Too late for Mr Shoebridge, who insists on further hurting a brand that is already struggling without his ‘communications’.
The gentleman doth protest too much, methinks.
Alex, you should have just got to the point and used the word “cheap”…
This does seem like a strange response. I wonder if he knew the letter would be published?
Hi Beau,
This is a version of an email Neil sent me on Friday afternoon in response to my piece.
This morning he came back and asked if we’d publish it as a response, and so he sent us this version to use, and has had full vision on it all.
Cheers,
Alex – editor, Mumbrella
What’s a “a broad and deep programming slate” and how does the term make it into a letter from a director of corporate and public communications?
His letter was almost as cheerful as his portrait photo.
Good on you Alex for publishing Niel’s letter. You Seriously Ten-ate me Niel….!!!
MRDA: He would say that, wouldn’t he?
NIC…Deck chairs on the Titanic is completely apt!
As a now “viewer”… that line up is why we will not watch TEN anymore… I would call it unbelievable rubbish…sell the business to Foxtel and stop wasting advertisers money.
It’s not the first time he reacts to criticism.
When an Adelaide columnist criticised The Biggest Loser, Mr Shoebridge sent a letter to the editor:
‘To insinuate that Network Ten has been involved in creating and perpetuating a cycle of bullying is a very serious and defamatory accusation with legal implications, which Ten strenuously denies. ‘
I don’t really know how it can be a ‘defamatory’ accusation, considering that, in Australia, corporations with 10 or more employees can’t sue for defamation. Who was being defamed in the original column?
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/en.....851491ffdc
as some mentioned, to imagine (after a career as a journalist) that you should somehow limit the freedom of speech afforded to journalists and their right to an opinion is moronic.
There’s a job opening in Tony Abbot’s office – Head of Climate Change PR
Who knows what will happen next year, other than sports and news are near ratings dead sets. So you will all have to wait before passing judgement.
What amazes me is that the TEN Network , showing “frugality” , has crept up to circa 23-24% of all people and doing circa 27-28% of under 55’s . And TEN play looks like it is #1 or #2 in the TV commercial TV networks catch up sites.
So how did Hamish do it when he never ran a TV network before?
Can we have some enlightenment on this please?
never read the first opinion piece published by Alex – but I read this one – and now know what the other one said.
Haters are gonna hate eh. Sure, why should anyone support TEN, just abuse them, it make much more sense – we would prefer to only have two stations to chose from – who likes choice ? Dont dare encourage growth in your tiny tiny TV market, nah, put a end to producing content locally which might help you survive the impending takeover once netflix enters your market – whats netflix I hear you say – your not even looking out for it. The Americans can do it better anyway, so why even try eh…..go ahead and hate.. God you people need to work overseas so hopefully you could then understand your own stupidity.
Yep its the Aldi program line up. Limited choice, strange products, lower cost and speed delivery and then there’s re-runs of MASH and GET SMART. What a line up!
Zoe, that line up is rubbish no matter how you cut it. TEN is relying solely on old and outdated programming, and the rest is local versions of overseas formats. Nothing is exciting, everything has been seen before.
I also think the reason people are passionately bagging TEN out is because, like me, they used to love watching them. No one wants them to fold and for it to become a 2 horse race; people want them to be the edgy, innovative risk takers they used to be and serve up some shows that are a bit left of centre, not just some lukewarm leftovers…
Zoe A, you make some great points…having said that, the audiences are voting with their set top boxes and not choosing ten.
Yes we could advertise and even pay a premium on shows that no one watches, not sure how that will increase audiences coming to watch the show.
Can you explain your thinking behind this statement?
[Edited under Mumbrella’s comment moderation policy] What a complete waste of time and money. Ten put forward a series of low rent programming ideas that are highly vulnerable.
The fact that TEN also asked agencies and clients for their fair share of revenue is arrogant and selfish. Like every other business in Australian – “why don’t you earn it”.
TEN has been unreliable, lacks any momentum and their ratings and revenue have fallen through a distinct lack of leadership – suck it up!
What’s even weirder.. is that TEN’s line-up is the only one considered by these bloggers to be lacking in ideas… and yet SEVEN is serving up 2 rounds of My House Rules, 1 MKR and rehash of My Restaurant Rules.. NINE’s serving up 2 Blocks, The Voice, possibly 2 Voices, maybe Big brother if they have guts to go again…
And tumbleweeds from you lot?
I agree with Zoe, you guys are just harsh for harsh sake. bunch of trolls.
Thanks Ditto,
An interesting comment from a Network Ten IP address.
Cheers,
Alex – editor, Mumbrella
Oh snap, that is embarrassing.
Does Howcroft still run ten?.. is he aware of this kind of response?
I like ten and even watch some shows on there 🙂 but, wow, really? this is how you deal with media publications?
Good Luck ten, lets face it, youll be a news ltd company by the end of 2015 then we can look forward to 24/7 Andrew bolt/Fox news styled shows.
No need to worry about the 2016 upfronts.
Ugh, comment 27 is everything that is wrong with this site, so childish.
https://pr.netflix.com/WebClient/getNewsSummary.do?newsId=1751 FYI – Take stock
@Tommy.
I disagree, re comment 27. For me, it’s that type of transparency that I value about Mumbrella.
The Bachelorette is my “Lock of The Season”
…..will Sam Frost make a solid comeback??!!
….. will old mate Marcus make a cheeky guest appearance??!!
Stay tuned!
….same Bat-Time, Same Bat-Channel!
I feel Neil did have a point to make. While I get the headline and story sounded good in light of the interest by Discovery and other suitors in Ten – the fact is there is no evidence their programming slate is frugal. Yes, they need to buddy up to another media organisation to bolster their chances of acquiring their sports rights, but this wasn’t the crux of the article. Perhaps the author didn’t see this as a slight, but I can see how Ten would take offence to it, especially from a media-focused publication.