Network Ten: Acquisition ready
The frugal programming slate unveiled by Ten last night is that of a network ready for an injection of cash and programming from new owners, writes Alex Hayes.
There’s a saying that necessity is the mother of all invention, and Network Ten certainly got inventive at its upfronts last night.
Ten’s priorities for 2015
Firstly to Ten credit where it’s due – they got the tone of the big bash at The Star in Sydney bang on. Humble was not far from the lips of most media buyers I spoke to, although there was a hint of desperation in the voice of sales boss Louise Barrett when she said during her presentation there was no need to “excessively compensate the opposition”. There was none of the bombast you see from their free-to-air rivals.
Cricket is played on a pitch, not a paddock.
Alex – well crafted article. Ten has delivered shallow ratings, revenue and promises in the past few years.
It was two years ago that management re-set and charged towards consistency. However, the opposite is true and that never eventuated – and as markets tumble so did Ten. It is not funny or sad – it is pathetic that shareholders put up with this style of management and underperformance.
The fact that Shoebridge gets upset that people don’t embrace Shark Tank, Celebrity Get Me Out of Here is more a reflection on him and the Network rather than the scribe or reader.
I couldn’t list the extensive series of failures that Ten have delivered in the past two or three years but it is a long list. I also suspect we will add to that list this year creating more uncertainty, doubt and trouble for Ten. Wake up Ten – not literally of course (that was another expensive casualty).
Ten have been in the wilderness since they failed to bid on the AFL.