Industrial Strength: December 13

CBAA APPLAUD DIGITAL ROLLOUT IN DARWIN, HOBART, CANBERRA

Community radio has applauded plans by Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) to roll out permanent digital radio services in Darwin and Canberra in 2017and Hobart in 2018, in association with the ABC and SBS.

This is the first time that digital radio has a permanent presence outside the five major capital cities where it was launched in 2009.

Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA) CEO Jon Bisset said that two-thirds of community radio stations are located in regional and rural areas.

Community radio would continue to work with other radio sectors through the Australian Communications and Media Authority-chaired Regional Digital Radio Planning Committee.

This would be “So that community radio is maintained as an essential part of the mix of broadcast services available in these areas. This will be critical as digital radio listenership grows in these areas, as it has in the five capital cities where it is currently available.”

Latest figures, released by CRA last week, show that 3.6 million Australians, or 27% of the population listen to digital radio via DAB+ devices each week.

Commercial broadcasters Capital Radio and Canberra FM have been running trial digital radio services in Canberra for some years. Grant Broadcasters has also been on air in Darwin on a trial basis.

QUEENSLAND TO KEEP LOCKOUT SCHEDULE

NSW might have relaxed some of its lockout laws but the Queensland Government is still playing tough. Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath says that he second part of the state-wide lockout, the 1 am lockout, will roll out as planned on February 1.

This is despite the fact that venue operators were informed that one of the provisions of the new laws, installing ID scanners, would be pushed back because of “technical” difficulties.

It’s also a cause of alarm for some nightclub operators who assumed that public backlash would see the Government pull back. They’ve been using up their six-a-year special late hour opening in the first six months.

Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls is calling for the Government to look at a “sensible approach” to the legislation rather than a “one size fits all” model.

NSW LABOR PUSHES FOR LATER OPENING HOURS

While NSW’s fun police might have been enraged by what it sees as “betrayal” by Premier Mike Baird for loosening venue trading hours, it turned supa-apoplectic when NSW Labor leader Luke Foley suggested later opening hours for some venues.

Foley’s idea is that under a licensing scheme being prodded by his party, venues outside the lockout zones that have live music (or other entertainment) should be able to trade longer. The Oxford Art Factory on Oxford Street already works on that condition.

“There’s a direct linkage: you encourage live performance, and longer licensing hours can flow from an increased focus on live performance,” Foley said. Labor also pushes for a night mayor to promote late-night business and a review of red tape for venue licensing.

RADIO AD REVENUE UP IN NOVEMBER

Ad revenue for commercial radio in the five capital cities was up 5.5% to $72.41 million in November, according to Deloitte. Sydney had the biggest growth, with a 11.11% rise to $23 million.

Brisbane followed with a 5.4% rise to $11.3 million, Melbourne up 4.63% to $21.6 million and Perth expanded 0.32% to $10.1 million. Adelaide however dropped 0.89% to $6.4 million.

In a broader picture, the first five months of the 2017 fiscal year saw a revenue rise of 0.23% to $336.5 million, with Melbourne leading by rising 1.43% to $104.3 million.

TASMANIAN CREATIVE PRECINCT GETS $5M DONATION

The University of Tasmania’s long-awaited creative and performing arts hub moves a step forward after getting a $5 million donation from the major philanthropic organisation Ian Potter Foundation.

The hub’s budget has blown out from $75 million to $90 million. In February the State Government threw in an extra $15 million. Construction will start soon on the vacant site next to the Theatre Royal, which UTAS has bought. The hub includes a studio theatre, recital hall and education spaces.

INDONESIA CLOSES DOWN AUSSIE PUNK DOCO

A screening of the Australian made award-winning documentary Punks For West Papua was closed down by Indonesian authorities. Ironically the screening was on December 10, coinciding with International Human Rights Day. It was for film students in Manado, Northern Sulawesi Province. Several West Papuan students were taken away for questioning. No one was detained.

CLUBS ACT TO SELL PROPERTY AFTER CAMPAIGN

Clubs ACT is selling one of its $400,000 Deakin units to pay for its failed election campaign against pokies in the casino. The Canberra Times reported the association spent $240,000 campaigning against the return of the Labor Government and funding Richard Farmer’s team of candidates. At stake was the loss of ACT clubs’ monopoly on the lucrative poker machine trade.

The campaign deeply divided members of Clubs ACT. In the end, Farmer’s team polled poorly, Labor returned, and the casino got 200 poker machines (although it had asked for 500). However Labor has promised smaller clubs $10,000 grants and a tax break.

BOWIE DEATH BIGGEST MUSIC EVENT ON FB IN AUSTRALIA

The death of David Bowie was the most talked about music event for Facebook Australia’s 15 million followers. It listed at #4 in Facebook’s Year in Review data, and was the only music-related event of the year.

Top of the list were the US elections, followed by Malcolm Turnbull and shark attacks. At #10 were the Olympics.

JAM SPACE SETS UP FOR NZ BIZ

Three Auckland musicians have set up a new online platform, Jam Space, to provide a one-stop connecting point for the New Zealand music industry. Noel Mohandoss, Matt Insull and James McCully created six categories – recording and rehearsing, musicians wanted, buy and sell, lessons and tutoring, gear hire and artist services. Jam Space had 1000 listings in its early days.

REPORTS: STREAMING IS AN AUSSIE FAMILY ACTIVITY

Streaming is increasingly becoming a family activity, says a report by PlayStation Australia. Based on an experiment with a family of 18 (with 16 children), it found that 74% of parents stream movie and TV content (at a rate of two hours a day), with 57% saying they stream more than they did a year ago. 52% admit that streaming has led to them staying at home to watch, than go out for the evenings or catch up with friends.

One in five parents (21%) watch with their children. Up to 17% use a PlayStation to watch catch up and stream video on demand (SVOD) services. The remote control is usually controlled by fathers (46%) and mothers (32%) with children choosing only 19% of the time. But it’s the kids who stream the most at home (49%) with dads at (26%) and mums at (21%).

It’s a Christmas season campaign for the PS4’s entertainment services, which includes Netflix, Stan, Foxtel Play, ABC iView and Spotify for Playstation music. 69% of parents are unaware of this.

AMA LAUNCHES INAUGURAL SYDNEY DRUM SHOW

The Australian Music Association (AMA), which represents the country’s music products industry, is staging the inaugural Sydney Drum & Percussion Show on May 27 & 28, at Rosehill Gardens Grand Pavilion. It’s teaming up with Australian Musician and Drumscene.

Aside from an exhibition of the latest products from the major brands, there’ll be information seminars, demonstrations, and live performances from high profile names. AMA CEO, Rob Walker predicts it will be a hit, “If our Guitar Show in Melbourne is any guide.”

MULTI WINNERS AT DOLPHINS

The 9th NCEIA Dolphin Awards, covering the NSW Northern Rivers region, had a number of multi-winners. Lismore based Luke Vasella took out Songwriter of the Year for his song Mountain Blue, Music Video for Shine A Light, the Country category for Casino and the Adult Contemporary category for In A North Coast Town. The latter is the title track of his ninth album, recorded in halls in Lismore.

SCU music lecturer Leigh Carriage’s Weaves, titled after her parents’ occupations, was voted Album of the Year while the track Backstepping took home the Jazz trophy. Lismore bassist and composer Angus Stuwe Graham’s song Unclouded Eyes won Best Production and Best Devotional/Gospel with additional triumphs with Misguided Existence (Protest) and Smile (Rock).

Byron Shire teenager Grace Hickey’s Cactus Flower headed Female Vocal and Youth. Matt Rogers won Male Vocal while Walk To The Water was Song of the Year. Dirk Terrill trumped Urban/ Hip Hop/ Funk while Break And Enter was voted Best Instrumental.

Other winners were Hannah Parrington (Pop), Marshall Okell (Blues), David Moss (Folk), Cate McGuillen (Children’s) and Tupenny Opera (Alt/ Indie).

ALL IN MEDIA SOLD

Chris Gould and Jason Malaure’s Sydney/London based All In Media, which has created 500 apps for radio stations around the world has been sold. Tessera Holding audio tech subsidiary DTS Inc is the new owner.

PHIL RUDD ANNOUNCES EUROPEAN TOUR

Former AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd is heading back on the road, with UK/European dates from next March to May behind his recently-reissued 2014 album Head Job. One of the shows is a headliner at the April 28 BonFest event in Kirriemuir, Scotland, which sees fans from around the world gather in Bon Scott’s former home town to celebrate his life and music.

SNACKABLETV LAUNCHES

SNACKABLETV is a new digital youth broadcast network with a focus on short form – provided for free without ads or subscriptions. Co-founded by Kate Edwards and Shae Constantine, its seven channels cover Culture, Film, Gaming, Music, Podcast, Style and the best-of-the-net What’s Hot.

Its podcasts are co-produced with Melbourne’s Sans Pants Radio and short films from students at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS). Its creative team includes musicians Client Liaison, Sleepmakeswaves and The Jezabels, and former Channel [V] presenter Danny Clayton who presents an interview-format show Baffle.

QUEEN, STONES, FOR ABC’S SUMMER

Among ABC-TV music summer highlights through December and January are the premiere of the new documentary Queen: From Rags to Rhapsody followed by an encore of Queen: Live at the Odeon.

On Boxing Day come The Rolling Stones with The Stones in Exile and Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones. Other specials are on Crowded House, Leonard Cohen and Joy Division,

AND A FEW OTHER THINGS…

Kylie Minogue has gone into the retail business… sort of. As part of a two-night residency at London’s Royal Albert Hall last weekend, she opened up her pop up store. It stocked merchandise, homeware, festive decorations with costumes from Minogue’s previous tours on display, including the lips prop from 2014-15’s Kiss Me Once Tour. These were her only two UK headline shows, coinciding with the release of A Kylie Christmas. One of the tracks, a cover of Rozella’s Everbody’s Free (To Feel Good) features in Boots’ Christmas ad campaign.

Cohen but never forgotten: Steve Kilbey, Jack Ladder, Holiday Sidewinder (Bridezilla), Spectres of Love, Broads, Elana Stone (All Our Exes Live In Texas) and Lindsay ’The Doctor’ MacDougall are among those performing at a Leonard Cohen tribute show at Meriton Festival Village on February 14.

Relocating to Los Angeles won’t stop Caleb and Georgia Nott from following a family tradition – Christmas lunch with mum and dad. They’re back in NZ, from which they’ll launch Broods’ nine shows in Australia and NZ.

Two Melbourne bands announced changes in their lineups. Electro-pop band Miami Horror’s singer and guitarist Aaron Shanahan leaves after seven years to focus on a more electronica project Sunday, while The Cactus Channel are losing sax/flute player Kate Charlwood and trumpeter Daniel Sutton.

Perth contemporary music teaching community for young people, Rock Scholars, has launched a new battle of the bands called Scholarpalooza! for musicians aged 18 and under to be held in their own venue Garage. The first of four heats are held on January 12.

Among the spectators at Sydney’s Musica Copa charity football match was Mirik Milan, the Nightlife Mayor of Amsterdam, who was in town for the Electronic Music Conference.

ABC Managing Director Michelle Guthrie has appointed former Murdoch executive Jim Rudder and change management expert Debra Frances as consultants to review the broadcaster and identify ways it can be modernised.

NSW EDM band Parcels, back in the country to tour after an extended stay in Berlin, are heading back to Europe in 2017. They open for Two Door Cinema Club on their tour there, and do their own festival and headlining club slots.

NSW Central Coast tech production company Entertainment Installations has changed its name to EI Productions.

We still love our carols: 10,000 tickets for Hobart Carols by Candlelight sold out under 15 minutes.