news articles 15 July

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Marcia's Idol pressure
July 15, 2004

Marcia Hines would be a mess if it was up to her to decide the ultimate winner of Australian Idol.

While Hines, along with fellow judges Mark Holden and Ian Dickson, is charged with narrowing down the Australian Idol hopefuls to the final 12, she doesn't have to decide the winner.

"I love this gig so much because I really don't have to vote and if I did I would be a mess," the 50-year-old said as the second series of Australian Idol got underway this week.

Australian Idol's first series spawned the careers of not only the winner Guy Sebastian but runner-up Shannon Noll and finalists Paulini Curuenavuli, Robert Mills and gender illusionist Courtney Act.

Hines, whose daughter Deni is also a well-known singer, said the reason the show had been successful was the industry needed a breath of new life.

"It is the best thing in the world for this industry because we were lacking new fresh blood and lacking celebrities," she said.

- AAP

www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/07/15/1089694466850.html?oneclick=true

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Nine wins tough ratings tussle
By Sally Jackson
July 15, 2004

WITH 20 of the year's 40 television ratings weeks now behind us Ten has declared 2004 "the most competitive ratings year in memory".

The first half of the ratings year began on February 8 and ended on July 10, and excluded a two-week non-ratings period over Easter. It was a clean sweep for Nine, which won all 20 weeks and 121 survey days, with Ten winning 12 days and Seven five days.

But competition is tough within some demographics - which was seen this week when both Ten and Nine sought to claim victory among 16 to 39-year-old viewers, Ten's core audience. While Ten based its figures on the 6pm to 10.30pm period, Nine used 6pm to midnight.

Using Ten's figures, it nabbed a 35.7 per cent share of 16 to 39s watching commercial TV during prime time (down from 36.9 per cent at the same time last year), followed by Nine on 35.5 per cent (up from 35.2) and Seven on 28.8 per cent (up from 27.9).

Among 25 to 54-year-olds, Nine captured 39.9 per cent (up from 39.3), Ten 31 per cent (up from 29.7) and Seven 29.1 per cent (down from 31).

Among all viewers, Nine was on top with 39.2 per cent (up from 38.8), trailed by Seven on 30.8 per cent (down from 32.4), a nose in front of Ten on 30 per cent (up from 28.7).

Ten says it's the first time it has been substantially ahead of Seven among 25 to 54-year-old viewers.

"This result stems from our consistent performance, and the depth of our schedule, week in and week out," says programming head David Mott. He says the network has a strong finish in store thanks to Australian Idol, the AFL grand final and the ARIA and Emmy awards. "We are confident [of] finishing the year number one with under-40s and a strong second in 25 to 54s," he says.

Nine chief executive David Gyngell says he is "very happy" with the result, especially given that the past six weeks have been the network's softest as it has held back final episodes of Friends, Frasier and Sex and the City, until later in the year. "We have started very strong and ... we have a strategy to come home very strong ... because that's when advertisers need you to be the strongest, when they're trying to move their Christmas product."

Seven spokesman Simon Francis says the network has had significant success in rebuilding its under-40s audience, although countering this is an expected loss of some 50-plus viewers. "Our next objective is to build share from 9.30pm. We're more than competitive from 6pm to 9.30pm," he says. "The Olympic Games will provide a circuit breaker and a platform for the promotion of our programming in the final three months of the television year."

www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,10137611%5E7582,00.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

Thou shalt not worship idols
Sydney Star Observer
Issue 722
Published 15/07/2004

NOT THESE ONES ANYWAY, SAYS BRAD JOHNSTON
Oh just stop it. Now. Who said you could sing? Seriously, which family member told you your off-key bleating, Play-Doh face and ill-fitting factory-outlet casuals are just what the public wants?

The new season of Australian Idol began this week. Reportedly, some 50,000 misguided souls applied for an audition, for their chance to show us all just how determined they are to become a star. Determination, you see, is all that matters. Just look at Kasey Chambers. She’s not even pretty enough!

The first episode of auditions was alternately tragic and chilling. While some entrants were clearly after just 15 seconds of fame – a shot of notoriety among their mates – they were greatly outnumbered by those who truly believe two strangled verses of some wretched rock ballad and a bit of fist-pumping are enough to secure a contract.

But for all the nauseating vowel movements, without doubt the worst moment came during the audition of an Asian boy called Flynn. It began with an extended interlude in which the judges struggled with his name: “How do you pronounce that? Flynn. Fling? Flynn! Fling??” Then Flynn launched into a predictably appalling rendition of Michael Jackson’s Beat It, complete with spasmodic dance moves.

What made this a truly embarrassing moment in Australian TV was not that Flynn failed to hit a single note, but rather the cynical attempt by the producers to replicate the novelty success of William Hung, the tone-deaf, Asian, would-be American Idol.

As the show’s own website asks, is this “The New William Hung?” No! Why would you want one? It was painfully apparent that this country is girt by a sea of talentless young people blinded by ambition. There’s no need to orchestrate failure.

As for Flynn himself, I had the strong impression that he decided to abandon his dignity as if it were an impediment to success. He had no chance of becoming an Idol, so he chose Loser. His faux-noble admission of defeat – a cheap facsimile of Hung’s genuine statements after his dismissal – made me want to reach into the television and slap him. Hard. With one of Delta Goodrem’s ARIAs.

As if being force-fed American culture weren’t bad enough, we’re now scavenging for leftovers. Sadly, there’s no shortage of participants eager to share their self-delusion, then embrace their own disgrace.


www.ssonet.com.au/display.asp?ArticleID=3359

[Inside Australian Idol]

Ben through to Idol 's top 100
By Cassie Milner

July 15 2004
Shepparton News

Tatura is officially a breeding ground for singing talent, with the town having two Australian Idol top 100 finalists in two years.

Former Tatura boy Ben Eaton, 26, wowed judges Marcia Hines, Ian "Dicko" Dickson and Mark Holden at the Melbourne audition as seen on the program which aired on Tuesday night.

Ben sang I Heard it Through the Grapevine, a hit for Marvin Gaye in 1968 and originally recorded by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.

Ben's version of the classic had the three judges dancing in their seats.

Following a rare round of applause from the judges, they gave their verdict.

"From me, it's a massive yes," Dickson said. "I'd love to see you come back to Sydney."

"Ditto," Hines said.

"Yeah, trippo," Holden said.

Mr Eaton's mother Gaye said she and husband Darryl were "over the moon" watching their son on national television.

"It was totally weird seeing him on television," Mrs Eaton said.

"I didn't expect to see him on, and when it came up I recognised his shoes."

She said the judges' comments had been great.

"The three of them were pretty impressed, which was nice," she said.

Mrs Eaton said her son had only started performing in the past two years, starting off in a musical in Melbourne before going back to university to study performing arts.

She said his personality had shown through on the show, and many people had approached her yesterday to comment on his performance and good looks.

"He is a very happy-golucky sort, and he loves what he is doing," she said.

"We want him to go all the way."

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