Television

Ten's clearer vision for HDTV, Big Brother   Author: eNews staff and agencies | Sep 19, 2007, 09:57

By some accounts the Ten Network has fought off Seven's attempts to snare Big Brother for next year, and could reveal the re-signing shortly.

Whether that cost Ten extra money is not known, but it is known that for a day or three last week Seven and Nine found a way of exerting a lot of pressure on Ten.

Nine's involvement was transitory: Seven's was part of a continuing campaign to monster Ten because of arguments over contracts, suggested deals and the AFL broadcast partnership that has seen Ten's lucrative hold in the finals split, to Seven's enormous benefit.

Coverage last weekend of the new High definition TV channels from Ten and Seven missed the point of the near simultaneous release of the news on Friday evening: that relations between Seven and Ten are poor.

Ten management have become immune to the insults and name calling but last week Ten's decision to put pressure on Endermol Southern Star to agree to a revised Big Brother deal for 2008, nearly came unstuck when the network threatened to 'walk' from the negotiations.

That allowed Nine and Seven to launch attempts to snare the deal, and Seven in particular to try some mischief by letting it be known that it had made a $40 million offer.

Seven can't really afford Big Brother: its costs would rise 12% in 2007-08 if it paid the $40 million figure Seven has been batting around the market.

Analysts and media buyers remain bemused at Seven's interest in Big Brother and its impact on the network's already rising cost base.

Ten had been planning to launch its new high definition multi-channel business in two-three weeks' time, starting with strategically-placed leaks yesterday, but Seven learned of the move and rushed out a quick statement Friday to selected print journalists after learning a far more detailed statement was coming from Ten Friday evening.

Ten has spent the best part of 9 months and $10 million on this project with around 30 people involved: it also announced last November an additional $15 million to digitise content for the new HD channel, and quietly hired 20 staff several weeks ago for the December launch.

Seven's hurried statement said nothing, apart from the news that the channel will start in December: it was an announcement long on promise and very, very short on detail.

"Seven’s multi-channel is a further element in its strategy to create a vibrant digital platform and follows the announcement of Seven’s partnership with TiVo earlier this year.

"The branding and content for Seven's new multi-channel service on its digital platform will be unveiled in the coming months."

Contrast that to what Ten said in its release: it had a name for the new channel in TEN-HD, it had programming information (in broad detail, ideas and strategy)

"For substantial periods of the day, TEN-HD will break away from TEN's primary channel, offering alternative programming and themed events focusing on, for example, Live Sport, Entertainment, Movies, Documentaries and Science Fiction, Even better, TEN-HD's signature programs will be in stunning, full HD, delivering the highest possible picture and sound quality to viewers at home, 50 hours per week of programming viewers won't see on the main TEN channel, 11 hours of time-shifted programming per week, including TEN's 5pm News, Natural extensions of TEN's big-event franchises, such as The Biggest Loser, Australian Idol, Big Brother and So You Think You Can Dance; Themed nights such as "Sci-Fi Saturday"; Showcasing the wonderful HD content from National Geographic (high-end documentaries)"

Seven had none of that detail and have only been working on its idea for the past month at most. CEO David Leckie wants the HD channel to start as soon as possible, but programming and production are said to be nowhere near advanced as Ten is.

Seven had been planning a big launch for its HD channel to coincide with the Beijing Olympics next year.

Seven technical staff have been concentrating on the V8 Supecars at Sandown yesterday and coming up at Bathurst where Seven is planning some major new ideas. This has occupied a lot of time and effort and technical staff at other networks report that Seven people say they are nowhere near as advanced in planning for the new HD network as Ten.

Ten and Seven (if it happens on time) will be second into the market as the ABC has had ABC2 running now for more than a year and gradually building viewers, thanks to the former head of the channel, Chris Winter, who was punted by ABC management in a 'restructuring' three months ago.

Ten though has 50 hours a week of original programming planned for its second channel and it will have product from National geographic, Fox and CBS Paramount, as well as the 5pm news and from next year, material from The Biggest Loser, Idol, So You Think You Can Dance and Big Brother (assuming it is re-signed). Some of the material will be new; others will be 'timeshifted' from the main FTA channel.

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