V8 Supercars 2008 broadcast grid

The Seven Network has released broadcast details of its V8 Supercars coverage.

It begins this weekend with the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide.

The 2008 broadcast schedule rectifies a clash with AFL last season meant some races weren’t scheduled on television in South Australia until later that night.

“We have fixed that problem as part of the overall learning process of last year,” V8 Supercar Television Executive Producer Murray Lomax said.

“In all there are lots more new features in store for 2008 but in all the most important objective is improving the telecast year on year to give the viewer the best possible package.”

Press Release:

Australian television viewers and particularly those in South Australia are guaranteed even more live action than in the record-breaking 2007 following the release of the Seven Network broadcast schedule.

Following on from a record 22 million total viewers across the season last season, the Seven Network promises to deliver an even better product in the coming season.

The coverage begins with the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide this weekend when the sport returns for 2008. Aside from the television viewers more than 280,000 people will attend the Clipsal 500 over four days.

The 2008 broadcast schedule rectifies an unavoidable situation for South Australian viewers where a clash with AFL last season meant some races weren’t scheduled on television until later that night.

The situation drew strong criticism from the massive V8 Supercar support base but despite every effort Seven and V8 Supercars were unable to resolve the situation.

“We have fixed that problem as part of the overall learning process of last year,” V8 Supercar Television Executive Producer Murray Lomax said.

“In all there are lots more new features in store for 2008 but in all the most important objective is improving the telecast year on year to give the viewer the best possible package.”

Seven was delighted with the first year of broadcast and in particular the stunning ratings increase from the previous year.

“We are delivering, and there’s more we will do,” Seven Network Head of Sport Saul Shtein said.

“Like the sport itself, our coverage is all about continuous improvement, finding that extra element that further strengthens our coverage across every round of the Championship.

“We move into 2008 with plans to further expand on our commitment to V8 Supercars, the fastest growing sport in Australia.

“In 2008, Seven will be doing even more with our plans to broadcast more than 160 hours of V8 Supercars and the sport’s support categories – the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series, V8 Utes, Carrera Cup and Formula Ford – along with the second season of our dedicated television program focusing only on V8 Supercars.”

The 2008 Broadcast Schedule:
Date Event SYDNEY MELBOURNE BRISBANE ADELAIDE PERTH
Feb-23 Clipsal 500 1300 - 1730 1300 - 1730 1300 - 1730 1230 - 1700 1300 - 1730
Feb-24 Clipsal 500 1300 - 1730 1300 - 1730 1300 - 1730 1230 - 1700 1300 - 1730
Mar-08 Eastern Ck 1630 - 1800 1630 - 1800 1530 - 1700 1600 - 1730 1430 - 1630
Mar-09 Eastern Ck 1300 - 1730 1300 - 1730 1300 - 1730 1300 - 1730 1300 - 1730
Apr-19 Hamilton 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730
Apr-20 Hamilton 1200 - 1500 1200 - 1500 1200 - 1500 1300 - 1600 1500 - 1730
May-10 BigPond 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730
May-11 400 1300 - 1730 1300 - 1730 1300 - 1730 1300 - 1730 1300 - 1730
Jun-08 Sandown 1600 - 1730 1330 - 1500 1600 - 1730 1200 - 1330 1630 - 1800
Jun-09 Sandown 1300 - 1730 1300 - 1730 1300 - 1730 1300 - 1730 1300 - 1730
Jul-05 SKYCITY TC 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730
Jul-06 Darwin 1300 - 1730 1300 - 1730 1300 - 1730 1300 - 1730 1300 - 1730
Jul-19 Queensland 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730
Jul-20 Queensland 1200 - 1500 1200 - 1500 1200 - 1500 1200 - 1500 1200 - 1500
Aug-02 Winton 1330 - 1700 1400 - 1730 1330 - 1700 1400 - 1730 1130 - 1500
Aug-03 Winton 1130 - 1300 1200 - 1500 1130 - 1300 1200 - 1330 1200 - 1500
1600 - 1730 1600 - 1730 1630 - 1800
Sep-13 L&H 500 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730
Sep-14 Phillip Island 1200 - 1730 1200 - 1730 1200 - 1730 1200 - 1730 1200 - 1730
Oct-10 SCA 1300 - 1600 1300 - 1600 1300 - 1600 1300 - 1600 1300 - 1600
Oct-11 Bathurst 1200 - 1700 1200 - 1700 1200 - 1700 1200 - 1700 1200 - 1700
Oct-12 1000 0700 - 1800 0700 - 1800 0700 - 1800 0630 - 1730 0500 - 1600
Oct-25 Coffee Club 1200 - 1800 1200 - 1800 1200 - 1800 1130 - 1730 1100 - 1700
Oct-26 Challenge 1100 - 1800 1100 - 1800 1100 - 1800 1030 - 1730 1000 - 1700
Nov-07 Desert 400 2330 - 0100 2330 - 0100 2330 - 0100 2330 - 0100 2330 - 0100
Nov-08 Bahrain 2230 - 0130 2230 - 0130 2230 - 0130 2230 - 0130 2230 - 0130
Nov-09 Replay 1400 - 1700 1400 - 1700 1400 - 1700 1400 - 1700 1400 - 1700
Nov-22 Falken TC 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730
Nov-23 S Plains 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730
Dec-06 Oran Park 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730
Dec-07 Grand Finale 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730 1400 - 1730
# Times are correct as at release date 19/2/2008

Some key facts from 2007 (Source OzTam):
• The average age of a viewers is 42 and the median is 38 (AFL average age is 47 and median is 44).
• Probably the youngest-skewing mainstream sport on television.

• 7 out of 10 Australians watched V8 Supercars at some stage in the year.

2007 viewing summary (Source: Mitchell Media)
Total People Metro – 000’s
Year to date Rounds 1-14
2006 2007 % Growth YOY
Metro – Sat 4,081 5,530 36%
Metro – Sun 7,005 8,575 22%
Total 11,086 14,105 27%

Total People Regional– 000’s
Year to date Rounds 1-14
2006 2007 % Growth YOY
Regional – Sat 2,087 3,115 49%
Regional – Sun 4,351 4,707 8%
Total 6,438 7,822 21%

Total People – 000’s
Year to date Rounds 1-14
2006 2007 % Growth YOY
Metro/Regional – Sat 6,168 8,645 40%
Metro/Regional – Sun 11,356 13,282 17%
Total 17,524 21,927 25%

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MTVAs revamp and drop the glitz

The MTV Australia Awards will strip back the glitz and glam for its 2008 ceremony in April, and "leave the bling to the ARIA Awards."

Instead it will abandon traditional auditorium seating and focus on an industrial, urban feel for its big night, to be staged at Australian Technology Park.

The music channel has also varied its 10 categories to incorporate Best Sportsperson, Best Movie Star, Best Television Moment and Good Karma Award. 5 are devoted to music.

Seven categories will be viewer-chosen with voting to commence early March. MTV will decide the Best International Act, Best Sportsperson and Best Movie Star Award.

A 'Remake Award' award will be given to a viewer who uploads and submits a video re-enacting some of the year’s unforgettable pop culture moments.

The revamp follows a partnership with ARIA, no doubt necessitating a point of difference from the ARIA Awards.

“With the newly formed partnership with ARIA, and our involvement with the ARIA awards, we felt we could take this opportunity to broaden the scope of our own show,” said Dave Sibley, Managing Director, MTV Australia. “The MTV Australia Awards will not simply be the Australian version of the U.S. based VMAs – it has evolved to become a totally individual & different awards show concept, tailored for our Australian audience.”

MTV Australia Awards air Saturday April 26 on MTV and repeated on FOX8.

Press Release:

MTV Networks Australia today announced plans to world-premiere a re-designed MTV Video Music Awards concept, radically changing the format and content of the fourth local version of MTV’s annual awards telecast which will broadcast live exclusively on MTV and repeated on Fox 8.

On Saturday, 26 April 2008, the first MTV AUSTRALIA AWARDS will break the VMA mould by expanding into award categories honouring music, FILM, television and sporting stars. The MTV AUSTRALIA AWARDS will also debut a viewer-winning award category, and will be staged in a revolutionary new format at the Australian Technology Park (ATP) in Sydney.

A first for Australia, MTV viewers will be eligible to win a trophy during the MTV AUSTRALIA AWARDS. The “MTV Remake Award” takes interaction to a new level by allowing viewers to upload and submit videos re-enacting some of the year’s unforgettable pop culture moments. The winner of the “MTV Remake Award” will be the first member of the viewing public to receive an MTV award in Australia.

The first-ever MTV AUSTRALIA AWARDS will set new standards for the award show concept by creating a truly unique event especially catered to the Australian MTV viewer.

With its new home within the Australian Technology Park, the MTV AUSTRALIA AWARDS’ creative design will be blended amongst the refurbished locomotive workshops, combining the industrial design with the event’s glamourous party atmosphere. Instead of resorting to traditional auditorium seating like most awards, the 5,000 guests of the 90-minute show will be treated to an innovative and fast-paced mix of performance, design and staging unlike any awards show to date.

“MTV’s audience expects us to shake things up and move away from what’s expected in award shows,” said Dave Sibley, Managing Director, MTV Networks Australia at the network’s press conference today. “The MTV AUSTRALIA AWARDS does just that with this new blend of party, performance, unprecedented viewer interaction and expanded award categories.”

The MTV AUSTRALIA AWARDS will feature eight live musical performances and ten awards presented across music, film, television, sport, viewer-generated content and topical popular culture moments. Seven categories will be viewer-chosen with voting to commence early March. The remaining three categories – favourites in sports, film/tv actor and international music act will be selected by MTV Australia as a way of acknowledging those who have had a significant influence on the Australian MTV audience.

“The interesting thing about this approach is it allows us to have a point of view,” Sibley commented.

The opportunity to create a new version of MTV’s awards show evolved through the recently announced partnership between MTV Networks Australia and the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). This partnership provided MTV Networks Australia with an abundance of music related on-air and on-line content, including the annual ARIA Awards. The MTV Australia Video Music Awards (AVMAs) were launched in 2005.

“With the newly formed partnership with ARIA, and our involvement with the ARIA awards, we felt we could take this opportunity to broaden the scope of our own show,” said Dave Sibley. “The MTV AUSTRALIA AWARDS will not simply be the Australian version of the U.S. based VMAs – it has evolved to become a totally individual & different awards show concept, tailored for our Australian audience.”

The MTV AUSTRALIA AWARDS will air live and exclusively on MTV Australia on Saturday April 26 and will be repeated on Fox 8.

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Is this the end for Prison Break?

The season finale for the strike-affected third season of Prison Break airs in the US today. As we all know, the drama is king at putting its characters in seemingly-impossible situations, only to find a way out. Could it be a metaphor for the show itself?

There is no clear picture on whether the show will continue on.

FOX is yet to greenlight a fourth series.

TVGuide guru Michael Ausiello reports that its status is "T.B.D." And by the looks of things, some critics are hoping for the end.

The Boston Herald says the show should have ended at Season One: "If ever there was a series that outstayed its welcome, it’s Prison Break. There’s only so long you can string out its premise, and by rights, it should have reached its end when the boys broke out......Fox should pardon its viewers and give them early parole. We’ve done our time. We don’t need any more of this crime."

But show writer Nick Santora is more optimistic, saying, "A fourth season of Prison Break has not been officially picked up yet. But our next season is NEVER picked up this early in the year, so that doesn’t mean much. I disagree with Ausiello. I believe we will be picked up for a 4th season. I can’t guarantee it. I just feel it will happen. So don’t worry about rumors from reporters … if the show is getting cancelled, as soon as I know, I will tell you guys. But like I said, I don’t think it is going to happen. I have faith."

Failing any new production soon, Seven Network will have 5 new episodes to air....at some point.

Source (spoiler warning): Boston Herald Read more...

TV1 shuts down House

Pay TV channel TV1 advises House Season 2, which was due to premiere on Sunday March 2, has been removed from schedule.

The new line-up for Sunday from March 2nd will be:

10:20am - NCIS (S1)
11:10am - NCIS (S2)

and

7:30pm - NCIS (S1)
8:30pm - NCIS (S2)

A new start date is yet to be determined. Read more...

KITT drives a lemon

Knight Rider has now driven back onto to US television as a telemovie starring Justin Bruening, as the son of Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff). And yes The Hoff made an appearance.

Check out some of the morphing by the new high tech car.




Reviews for the show have been less than glowing, perhaps helping to explain why NBC didn't send out previews to media.

Or maybe they were still tweaking the post-production given there was a last minute switch to Val Kilmer as the voice of KITT.

Variety: "NBC didn’t make this movie revival/backdoor pilot available in advance, and on that score its instincts were right. Val Kilmer was a last-minute substitute as the voice of KITT the talking car, and David Hasselhoff has a nostalgic cameo as the original driver, but after that the two hours mostly amount to watching two people that once dated drive around together in a conspicuously product-placed Ford Mustang. And yes, that’s just about as much fun as it sounds."

Cinema Blend: "Unfortunately, Knight Rider not only failed to live up to the hype, but it didn’t even come close to what I was hoping it would be.....The car’s flying through the mountains at 100 mph and at the same time, chatting with Sarah about her relationship with Mike. Seriously?.....There are definitely some major improvements that need to be made in terms of the writing, direction and character set-up if the series gets picked up and NBC wants people to keep tuning in once the novelty of new-KITT wears off."

TVGuide: "Fasten your seat belts. It’s going to be a forgettable night—unless you enjoy the rubbernecking spectacle of watching a network slip further into the abyss of cultural irrelevancy....this was about as old-hat as TV gets, a creaky jalopy tricked out with wooden lead actors, leaden pacing and abysmal writing."

Screenrant: "Let's get just get straight to the punch line: NBC's Knight Rider TV movie (or pilot, depending on what you'd rather call it) was not nearly as awful as I had anticipated.... I will admit that soap opera actor Justin Bruening wasn't nearly as bad as I thought he'd be based on the brief clips that were released about a week ago. I think that if this gets spun off into a weekly series he'll probably do all right. What is there to say here? It was your pretty typical mid-level TV show. Not at the level of say, Journeyman, Lost or Battlestar Galactica, but it was better than Bionic Woman. Read more...