Foxtel Moves The Goal Posts

The arrival of pay TV in Australia was a real cultural shock to most Aussies brought up on a staple diet of three commercial television networks and the ABC.  Of course then came SBS to broadened our choices.

The birth of subscription television with Galaxy 1993 gave us two things – a lot more choice in what we watched – be it mainly re-runs of past favourites – and commercial free viewing.

Galaxy later folded in to Foxtel but the service continued

The monthly subscriptions fees  weren’t cheap when compared to many overseas services, but there were many channels to choose from and lots of sport and movies.

And NO commercials.

What happened?  Tune in now to Foxtel and they run ad breaks every bit as long as the commercial channels.

They have now tapped into a revenue stream that was illegal in their first years of operation

But has there been a commensurate reduction in your subscription fees? I think not.

The only way the fees have gone in recent years is up.

With the proliferation of new free to air channels I can see why Foxtel subscription numbers are faltering.  Why pay to watch Ads?

I’ve even heard if you call Foxtel and say you’re considering cancelling your subscription they’ll “sweeten” your deal.

If you’re having second thoughts about keeping up Pay TV – give them a call and let me know what happened.

Happy viewing.

Radio – The Heartbeat Of The City

I’ve just completed a two week stint filling in for Leon Byner on 5AA’s morning show.

If you ever want to feel the pulse of a city sitting behind a microphone and listening to what people have to say is a wonderful way of doing it.

Subjects ranged far and wide from Riverland irrigators unable to take water from the Murray because they used their quotas – despite record flows running past their properties, to fears over the proposed $2 billion Buckland Park development on the Gawler Flood Plain.

Of course everything paled into insignificance when the floods took hold in Queensland. The pictures each day were overwhelming and emotionally draining, but in an instant South Australians rallied to the cause and came up with unique ways to help the flood victims -many that didn’t involve cash donations.

It’s tragedies like the one that has befallen Queensland that draw us together as one nation and not a collection of self interested and self absorbed States as appears to be more often than not the case.

It beggars belief that as the Nation throws its full support behind Queensland flood victims there’s still bickering between Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia over a water agreement drawn up at the height of the drought.

The eastern states claim SA irrigators have used their allocation and can’t take any of the desperately needed water out of the swollen Murray.

All the irrigators are  asking for is less than two days supply from the Murray which is running at 20 year highs and will go much higher.

The SA government stands condemned for not supporting the irrigators. They should be  saying just take the water we’ll deal with the interstate governments.

The sooner the feds take control of the River the better off we’ll all be.

So the curtain has come down on my return to radio. My brain is buzzing with great story ideas. I case they’ll just have to wait for another time.

Television – It’s Just A Passing Fad

Watching a recent rerun of The King the Graham Kennedy story brought back some wonderful early memories of the birth of television in Australia.

My kids laughed when they saw old black and white pictures of people gathering around a shop front watching demonstration TV’s through the window. But that’s just what we did.

Only the wealthier families could afford a TV set back then. However, in a symbol of a long gone era families in the street with a TV set would invite the less fortunate neighbours (like us) to come and watch television with them one night a week.

Our night was Thursday- Bob Dyer’s Pick a Box, I Love Lucy, 77 Sunset Strip. We’d arrive at 7 o’clock and at 9.30 after  Efrem Zimbalist jnr and Ed “Kooky” Byrnes had done their stuff on Sunset Strip we’d head home.

I couldn’t wait for the next Thursday night to roll around.

Louie the fly’s Mortein , Victa lawnmowers, “Don’t wait to be told. You need Palmolive gold” The ads were as enjoyable as the shows.  We were pretty easily pleased back then.

It was a couple of years later before we got our first TV set, a Rank Arena an unknown brand at the time among the 17 inch HMV’s and Astors.

School days were spent dreaming of getting home by four o’clock in time for Rin Tin Tin and The Cisco Kid and  Cassidy.

Television had begun test transmissions for the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games.

I remember seeing some of the events via this exciting new medium, at my grand parents home.

The winds of media change were positively howling.

The entire Olympics were covered by two Outside Broadcast vans using just six cameras.

One van was based at the MCG for the athletics – the other went from event to event with its three cameras.

As there was no way to transmit the pictures over long distances only the two percent of homes in Melbourne with TV sets were able to see the Games live

Forty four years later the Sydney Olympics were covered by 800 digital cameras beaming their pictures to almost four billion people around the world.

Despite some prophets of dooming forecasting television was just a fad that wouldn’t last those of us out in suburbia knew differently.

Life Is What Happens When You’re Busy Making Other Plans.” – Top Ten Observations For 2010

Another year dawns – 2011 already. Only yesterday it was 1983. As John Lennon wrote. “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”

Observations:

• The older I get the less I’m prepared to put up with crap.
• Life’s getting too short to have negative, boring people around.
• Take time to be grateful for all the good things in life.
• Whenever the life seems overwhelming I jut think of my battle with cancer. I beat that. Everything else is a minor inconvenience.
• Stop taking myself too seriously.
• Cherish the special moments when all the family are together. As the kids get older with their own lives and interests. those times are fewer.
• Don’t sweat the small stuff
• You can’t take it with you so enjoy what money you have now.
• Every day’s a good day.
• I intend to live forever — so far so good.

Feel free to add your observations.

 

Derryn Hinch – The Human Headline Tackles Cancer

Little good comes from a cancer diagnosis – your life change forever.  The best case scenario is you’ll make a complete recovery.

The worst case, the premature end to your life.

Most cases fall somewhere between – recovery, but life is never quite the same.  That’s when being grateful for just surviving plays a big part.

If you keep asking “why me?” and saying “my life is ruined” it most surely will be. But if you look on victory over cancer as a new beginning, life can be just as good, if not better than before – with some modifications.

The news over the past year that radio talkback host Derryn Hinch had liver cancer probably didn’t surprise a lot of people.  Derryn has had running health issues for a number of years most recently cirrhosis of the liver and almost dying from septicaemia four years ago.

The less charitable might suggest The Human Headline was up to his old tricks, keeping his name on everyone’s lips. Just some sort of publicity stunt to boost his ratings.

However, as time would reveal this was no stunt. Derryn did have cancer  and even if the bouts of chemotherapy do there stuff he will still need a liver transplant if he’s to survive.

In typical Hinch style all this has been carried out in full public gaze on his radio program on 3AW in Melbourne and his blog My Liver, My Life.

Now where is the good you mentioned earlier? I can hear you ask.

Well it’s in the fact that Hinch has been so public about it. The benefit to the tens of thousands of people going through cancer treatment is immense.

In my many talks to cancer support groups relating my cancer journey the feedback is constant “thanks for sharing your story,” or “you’ve given me renewed hope” or “now my husband might have a better attitude to his treatment.” “I never thought to ask my doctor those questions.” etc

Knowledge is power and the more cancer survivors can network and share experiences the better off we’ll all be.

Many fighting cancer withdraw to fight a very personal battle privately, and it is their right.  But for those who look beyond their immediate circle can gain valuable support, knowledge and companionship. As psychologist Doctor Darryl Cross said on the DVD Cancer – What Now? “A problem shared is a problem halved.”

I wish Derryn well on his quest for a new liver. Certainly if a positive attitude counts for anything he’ll be still making headlines for years to come.

The Day I Gate-Crashed The Evil Empire – Golden Daze Of TV 2

A great mate of mine Gary Campaniello owns Portside Mitsubishi in Adelaide.

He’s one of the most generous people I know and he also happens to have one of the best wine cellars in Adelaide.

Friends like these are to treasure.

A few years ago Gary rings me and says he’s got some tickets to a One Day Cricket International at Adelaide Oval am I interested?  Silly question.

It’s a sponsors’ show so after the cricket we adjourn to Jolley’s Boat House restaurant on the banks of the Torrens, me thinking it’s probably a Mitsubishi function.

The alarm bells should have started ringing when I saw a big Channel Nine banner outside Jolly’s front door, but I just thought, well 9 do the cricket so they’re just supporting the sponsors show.

Gary and I go inside where we’re given name tags ( mine hastily written up).

I see  familiar faces – Rob Kelvin – 9 Newsreader and a couple of other 9 identities.

When 9’s sales manager strides up to me and has a brief chat an uneasy feeling starts in the pit of my stomach.

That feeling quickly departs as fine wine and plates of food are brought to the table.  Radio legend Tony Pilkington is seated with us and the conversation is free and easy, and with Pilko in fine form, very humorous.

He asks me a few loaded questions about how did I enjoy the cricket and how did I come to be here at Jolly’s.

“Compliments of my dear friend Gary from Portside “I replied.

Shortly after Pilko rose to his feet as he’s was to be the MC for the function.

Then I broke into a cold sweat as Pilko began.  “Good evening everyone and welcome to the Channel Nine program launch for 2008.”

As I started to squirm Pilko singled out different identities for special mention.

I knew my time was coming.

“And I’ve saved the biggest news for last.  As you’ve no doubt seen Channel 7’s Graeme Goodings is with us and I’m pleased to say he’s quitting 7 and joining 9 in the new year.

A collection of gasps and sideways looks from 9 management followed and me looking for the nearest exit to beat a rapid retreat.

My old pal Gary oblivious to it all. He had not seen how politically incorrect it was to have a 7 network’s personality at a Channel 9 program launch revealing the stations lineup for the upcoming year.

Everyone was very good about it but there was a perceptible level of tension in the air.

I thought, well I’m here now better make the best of it and went round to all the 9 execs and sponsors I knew and wished them the compliments of the season and all the best for the upcoming year.

As soon as possible after that I suggested to Gary it might be time to leave.

The embarrassment didn’t quite end there. In the next day’s Confidential section of The Advertiser  there was  a picture of me with the Channel 9 sales manager and the caption ‘7 News Presenter Graeme Goodings seen at the Channel 9 program launch.’

7 management took it in good humour although I don’t know that my explanation sat too well with them.

I’m still at 7 so that must mean something.

Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff – One Thing Cancer Teaches You

I had the great pleasure of addressing the Myeloma Foundation SA this week and chairperson Ian Driver reminded me that I first spoke to the group back in 2006.

The significance of that was that it was the first time I’d “gone public” since being diagnosed with bowel cancer in late 2004.

Those six years have passed remarkably quickly and more importantly on the health front incident free.

I have spoken to dozens of support groups since so it was a welcome return.

I told the Myeloma group how much I enjoy getting out and telling my story. Not that it’s anything unique. Sadly tens of thousands of Australian are going through the cancer ordeal every year.

The difference with me is that as a public figure, someone most Adelaidians feel they’ve known for over thirty years, my story is of interest to them.

Some use me as a barometer as to how they’re going dealing with their own cancer.  One man a few years ago came up to me and said. “G’day Graeme. I’ve been following your progress very closely. I got bowel cancer a year after you did, and I figured if that bloody bloke on TV can beat cancer, so can I.” We both had a good laugh.

I find talking about my cancer journey in public and the making of   Cancer – What Now?* helps people in a similar situation realise there is hope, that plenty can be done, but you must be pro-active and positive in dealing with it.

As I said to the Myeloma group if my talk helps them they must realise it bounces back and helps me too.  I always leave talking to cancer support groups envigorated and re-newed.  It’s a great feeling.

For those who have pre-conceived ideas as to the atmosphere at a support meeting as being gloomy and depressing I can I assure you the exact reverse is the case. There’s optimism and a positive vibe and most importantly there’s humour.

These people touched by cancer whether it be as patients, carers or family and friends have learnt how precious life is and to treasure every moment.

It’s  a real message for all fit, healthy and able-bodied amongst us to enjoy life for what it is and not to lose sight of what is really important. Don’t sweat the small stuff

It’s a lesson I learned after being diagnosed with cancer. A wonderful lesson, but a “bloody” tough way to learn.

*Cancer – What Now? is the DVD I produced in co-operation with the Cancer Council to help cancer patients, families and carers deal with cancer.

Available at National Pharmacies and online at www.cancerwhatnow.com.au