Transmission… coordinates, 27.4698° S, 153.0251° E: Brisbane Australia, logging into the ride of your life. Hope someone out there can find us, in the cosmos beyond. 3742-4756-6782. CONTACT.
Welcome to Project Ether… A brand new day, a brand new era: at the dawn of Kuttsywood’s Couch’s tenth birthday. The child born of TV Tonight, and one Brett Debritz’s blog is hitting the tin milestone, with many great initiatives, in the year to come. The first of these, has already launched. You are seeing it right now.
PROJECT
ETHER: A NEW LOOK FOR A OLD FRIEND.
Our new brand logos and headers for our existing sites.
Our new social media logos: (Lost TVQ, Twitter and generic)
A sleek reimagining of our current “kw” mark, along with brand new looks (right down to the font) for all our sites, for a major tenth birthday gift to the readers and fans of this site and it’s spinoffs over the last ten years. I hope you enjoy the change: as much as I have enjoyed making it happen.
PROJECT ETHER: AND SPEAKING OF NEW LOOKS…
We also are announcing today, a brand new initiative, to make Kuttsywood’s Couch, a part of your life, regardless of where you are. We are intending to launch a “merchandise store” on Redbubble in the near future. Redbubble, is a print on demand website, and we are aiming to use it to embellish our image on anything. Our two key lines initially:BrandKW: 10th anniversary and general site merchandise.
01.07.65: Lost TVQ: Expo Fever merchandise, eventually extended to other factors of Lost TVQ
PROJECT ETHER: KNIGHT KLEANER.
Knight Kleaner, is our brand new attempt to deliver a best of the lighter side of the week. The name is based off our heavily popular tweets, from the last few years always referring to the unnamed night cleaner, at 4BC, who is somehow employed to clean studios that have lay dormant, for up to 21hrs a day. Visit us from Feburary 13: aka World Radio Day at knightkleaner.tumblr.com, and send us your stories to, @lybaskw on Twitter, or Kuttsywood’s Couch on… Facebook. You give us 105hrs every week, Knight Kleaner will give you the works.
Highlights of Knight Kleaner include:
THE NOT SO GOLDEN YEARS OF TELEVISION: GOES INTERNATIONAL.
“You know, there could be a mini-series in the works in the really bad telly from the US inc. local morning newscasts: Stay tuned…” TNSGYoTV 1.14 “Rewind and a Steel Drum” Dec 2015.
It is back. #TNSGYoTV is coming to Knight Kleaner in 2018, with a international series, not just focusing on the local morning newscasts of the US, but some of our picks of the crop.
e.g: 16p a day for the Beeb (the UK’s version of the ABC’s 8c a day), Knoxville’s Hot Peacock, I Mean, Potato: 10yrs, three different affiliates for NBC, BP’s Stars and Stripes…
MODERN LIMERICK.
It was such a hit during the QLD election,
The limerick revival will get it’s own section,
The biggest news story of the week,
Will be given a five line tweak,
A unique twist on news and it’s reception.
PROJECT
ETHER: KUTTSY’S PITCH X and KUTTSY’S PITCH: #BRIS3XIT.
Based off the success, of the Kuttsy’s Pitch IX/Kuttsy’s Radio Pitch weekend in
September 2017: the landmark tenth edition of Kuttsy’s Pitch and the third
Kuttsy’s Pitch spinoff, based on improving the role of local government in the
south-east corner: beginning with a BCC reorganization, will be on the same
weekend in 2018.
Kuttsy’s Pitch X:
A deep look at how far we have come in a decade, from a series that has been
the talking point, since Extra’s end. A feature we can confirm today will be:
that for the next two years (Kuttsy’s Pitch X, and (working title) Kuttsy’s
Pitch XI in 2019) Kuttsy’s Pitch will feature, a phantom pick from the past…
The Lost Doug Murray Memorial Melbourne Cup Tip.
Kuttsywood’s Couch has been doing Melbourne Cup tips in memoriam for Doug
Murray since his passing in 2014 (and for a couple of years beforehand, minus
the memorial tag), and for numerical sense to apply to it, in 2017 we moved to
numbering reflecting a what if, around this site: simply, what if Extra hadn’t
been axed in June 2009: meaning 2017
would have been it’s 25th year
on air. But, when we looked at doing the numerical change, I realized, that
2009 and 2010 had no Murray picks, due to 1. No Extra, and 2. No interest in
the concept. Thus the concept of the “lost” Murray picks was born. Based off
the idea, of the Lost Man Booker Prize, the two lost Murray picks, will pick a
trifecta, that only Dougie himself could have devised.
Kuttsy’s
Pitch: #BRIS3XIT.
Ever
imagined, how interesting it would be to develop a political masterpiece:
looking where a modernized local government system in the southeast would take
us. #Bris3xit will be that journey, with all the Kuttsy’s Pitch trappings, that
has made the two Kuttsy’s Pitch spinoffs, not just some of the more popular
variants of the Kuttsy’s Pitch concept in the last few years, let alone some of
the most popular posts on Kuttsywood’s Couch in recent years, period.
But there is a warning ahead…
But there is a warning ahead…
PROJECT
ETHER: 10forTEN: THE TEN BIGGEST QLD TV/RADIO STORIES OF THE LAST TEN YEARS.
We want to launch shortly, a petition (via change.org) to Adam Lang, COO of Macquarie Media Limited (and also chairman of the commercial radio industry body: Commercial Radio Australia) to simply state, that:
-4BC needs a 80% local program content guarantee at minimum, including local breakfast and morning products restored to that station: and the QLD regional stations that currently carry Hadley in full: (Townsville community station 4K1G, 4GR Toowoomba and Fraser Coast Triple M 103.5) will have the choice individually to move to any new 4BC-produced mornings product, or simply stay with a 2GB relay.
-New, separate, locally focused formats for 4BH, 3EE and 2UE, instead of the Talking Lifestyle mess that is drawing ratings equal to an emergency backup tape in Melbourne and Brisbane.
And finally, -Writing into the Commercial Radio Code of Practice, a facility to regulate a percentage of content sourced in market on metropolitan stations, in addition to the strong ACMA facility for regional radio.
Also, we want our politicians to actively get involved: not just the federal House of Reps members in Brisbane, but potentially QLD’s federal senators, BCC councillors, and state politicians. The more pollies we can get on board for a wholesale 4BC boycott (we know some politicians won’t have a bar of it, just ask Peter Dutton) the more we can squeeze MRN into changing in Brisbane, just so it doesn’t lose access to Queensland’s newsmakers.
We will also look for support with letters also being sent to some notable interstate senators, inc. former talkback king, Derryn Hinch, and most critically, Communications Minister, Mitch Fifeld himself.
After all: we still remember, that Adam Lang signed a press release alongside a swathe of other media executives, supporting the removal of licence fees based on revenue (replaced by fees based on transmitters) on May 31 2017 that was subsequently passed by federal parliament.
A look back, on what we believe are the ten biggest stories to have faced
Queensland’s television and radio industry in the first decade, of Kuttsywood’s
Couch’s existence, whether it be good or bad. Expect it to be a trip down
memory lane, and see it after the Commonwealth Games: what will be 2018’s
biggest TV story in QLD... for about three months.
PROJECT
ETHER: LOST TVQ: EXPO FEVER.
A first: a spinoff from “The Dial” series from 2013-14
(Moving Up The Dial/Shaking Up The Dial), under the now well established Lost
TVQ brand, “Lost TVQ: Expo Fever” is a celebration of the 200+ days TVQ spent
presenting news/other programming on the World Expo 88 site, within the
Queensland Pavilion, and the two and a half years of preparation that led into
it, the people behind it: and answers a critical question: where are the TVQ
Expo 88 tapes today? A moment in time, that is as unmissable: as the Munich Festhaus,
“Lost TVQ: Expo Fever” is Kuttsywood’s Couch’s contribution to the 30th
anniversary celebrations, of World Expo 88.
PROJECT ETHER: SARGENT, TAYLOR, POWER AND MILLER: THE 6:30 WAR (or how local current affairs became big business in Brisbane)
Celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the end of This Day Tonight on the ABC, with a look at how it’s demise, led to six and a half years of competition, in the Brisbane commercial sector within the local current affairs field: something that was unprecedented, in Australia, let alone overseas. How it began, how it thrived, and how it ended: with a little help from the ABC re-entering the local current affairs field, along with a newshour kicking goals, with it’s new lead-out.
And finally: PROJECT
ETHER: #LOCALRADIOMATTERS📻.
And how can we not close our 2018 launch, and
our launch to the future, without a look back at the post that has led to a
Kuttsywood’s Couch renaissance. Kuttsy’s Radio Pitch, as of January 1, has become
the highest viewed post in such a short timeframe, on this site, since Kuttsy’s
Fare Pitch in late 2014.
And that’s something this site wants to build on. And this mantra will be
inspired, by the rise of the #localradiomatters📻 hashtag throughout
2018. But it won’t just be a hashtag.We want to launch shortly, a petition (via change.org) to Adam Lang, COO of Macquarie Media Limited (and also chairman of the commercial radio industry body: Commercial Radio Australia) to simply state, that:
-4BC needs a 80% local program content guarantee at minimum, including local breakfast and morning products restored to that station: and the QLD regional stations that currently carry Hadley in full: (Townsville community station 4K1G, 4GR Toowoomba and Fraser Coast Triple M 103.5) will have the choice individually to move to any new 4BC-produced mornings product, or simply stay with a 2GB relay.
-New, separate, locally focused formats for 4BH, 3EE and 2UE, instead of the Talking Lifestyle mess that is drawing ratings equal to an emergency backup tape in Melbourne and Brisbane.
And finally, -Writing into the Commercial Radio Code of Practice, a facility to regulate a percentage of content sourced in market on metropolitan stations, in addition to the strong ACMA facility for regional radio.
Also, we want our politicians to actively get involved: not just the federal House of Reps members in Brisbane, but potentially QLD’s federal senators, BCC councillors, and state politicians. The more pollies we can get on board for a wholesale 4BC boycott (we know some politicians won’t have a bar of it, just ask Peter Dutton) the more we can squeeze MRN into changing in Brisbane, just so it doesn’t lose access to Queensland’s newsmakers.
We will also look for support with letters also being sent to some notable interstate senators, inc. former talkback king, Derryn Hinch, and most critically, Communications Minister, Mitch Fifeld himself.
After all: we still remember, that Adam Lang signed a press release alongside a swathe of other media executives, supporting the removal of licence fees based on revenue (replaced by fees based on transmitters) on May 31 2017 that was subsequently passed by federal parliament.
Macquarie Radio
Network: Brisbane and Queensland simply asks: where will any savings made from the removal of revenue-based licence fees for 4BC/4BH
go?
I won't be surprised if the answer is simply: the savings made won’t be used at all to add more local announcers to 4BC/4BH: like it should be: in keeping to the following line in the joint press release, previously mentioned:
All Australians benefit from having a competitive and independent media sector that is able to deliver checks and balances in a healthy democracy. Australian media needs to be empowered to continue to reflect Australian values and tell Australian stories.
Excerpt from May 31 2017 joint press release on media reform by various media owners, and industry bodies FreeTV Australia, ASTRA and Commercial Radio Australia.
It’ll be used to keep Alan Jones and Ray Hadley in cheque... I mean check, with very little passed on to the remaining workforce at 4BC/4BH, who have worked their guts out, for the last two years, as the revolving door continued to spin. How is there independence, and balance at 4BC, while you have shifts coming from Sydney 21hrs a day, with very little input from Cannon Hill, to not just try to make it somewhat relevant to existing listeners of the station, but most importantly, attract new listeners in a attempt to reverse the very obvious aging of 4BC's audience.
A relevant 4BC and a relevant 4BH are far more important to the whole balance of Brisbane's media, in this day and age: than it was two decades ago.
It is up to us all, to unite, to take the steps needed (writing to pollies, signing the petition or even just supporting the cause), to send the message to MRN, that simply, enough is enough. Queensland separated from NSW in 1859. It is now time to do the same for our talkback radio. It is time, once again, that MRN realised, simply: #localradiomatters📻.
This now ends our look at the year to come, for this site, now marching into it's second decade, with vigour and new goals. Enjoy this site not just for what it is, but what it has and will become. I'll be watching closely. No doubt about that.
All Australians benefit from having a competitive and independent media sector that is able to deliver checks and balances in a healthy democracy. Australian media needs to be empowered to continue to reflect Australian values and tell Australian stories.
Excerpt from May 31 2017 joint press release on media reform by various media owners, and industry bodies FreeTV Australia, ASTRA and Commercial Radio Australia.
It’ll be used to keep Alan Jones and Ray Hadley in cheque... I mean check, with very little passed on to the remaining workforce at 4BC/4BH, who have worked their guts out, for the last two years, as the revolving door continued to spin. How is there independence, and balance at 4BC, while you have shifts coming from Sydney 21hrs a day, with very little input from Cannon Hill, to not just try to make it somewhat relevant to existing listeners of the station, but most importantly, attract new listeners in a attempt to reverse the very obvious aging of 4BC's audience.
A relevant 4BC and a relevant 4BH are far more important to the whole balance of Brisbane's media, in this day and age: than it was two decades ago.
It is up to us all, to unite, to take the steps needed (writing to pollies, signing the petition or even just supporting the cause), to send the message to MRN, that simply, enough is enough. Queensland separated from NSW in 1859. It is now time to do the same for our talkback radio. It is time, once again, that MRN realised, simply: #localradiomatters📻.
This now ends our look at the year to come, for this site, now marching into it's second decade, with vigour and new goals. Enjoy this site not just for what it is, but what it has and will become. I'll be watching closely. No doubt about that.
No comments:
Post a Comment