Channel Seven wins legal injunction to stop Mel B moving to Nine Network for new Australia's Got Talent series

Source: news.com.au

 

Holly Byrnes and Amy Dale, The Daily Telegraph, report

An ugly TV court battle has erupted over Channel Nine's new signing Mel B after her former employer Channel 7 won an injunction against the Spice Girl appearing on another network before next year.

Still smarting after being side-swiped by the defection to Nine’s reboot of Australia’s Got Talent, Seven took the celebrity judge to the NSW Supreme Court, crying foul over the pop star's poaching by Nine just weeks after she gave her notice.

In Seven’s successful claim today, it was alleged Scary Spice, aka Melanie Brown, was under a conditional contract preventing her from signing with any person or company other than Seven until January 31, 2014.

The terms of Brown’s X Factor deal were thought to have expired after Nine inked its new contract with the singer to join its new panel of judges, alongside British comedian Dawn French and Sydney radio host Kyle Sandilands, on a revamped version of the talent search series the network had secured after it was shelved by Seven.

Seven were clearly taken by surprise by Nine’s announcement this week that it had secured Brown’s services, after she told them she would not be returning to this year’s series of The X Factor for family reasons.

She has since left Sydney and taken up a role as a judge on the US reality series, America’s Got Talent, but now faces a fight to join the Aussie version of the global TV franchise.

The court ruled Brown was “restrained from entering into or performing any agreement with any person other than (Channel 7) for her to appear on television in Australia at any time before 31 January 2014.”

It also ordered her husband Stephen Belafonte against "assisting, inducing or otherwise procuring (Brown)” to enter into a deal with any network other than Channel 7.

The court heard the Nine Network will be added as a defendant alongside Brown in the case, when it returns for further hearings on March 25.

A spokeswoman for Channel 7 was tight-lipped, telling News Limited: “The court needs time to explore the facts and we await its decision.”

Her opposite at Nine publicity was more optimistic, stating: “We’re really excited to be working with Mel B on the bigger and better Australia’s Got Talent. We’re surprised Seven has taken this action.”

Time for a change on Channels Seven, Nine and Ten

The X Factor judges throw the term 'star' and 'superstar' too much, says Colin Vickery.

Colin Vickery, The Daily Telegraph, reports

It is time for Australia's TV bosses to make some New Year resolutions - and I'm not talking losing weight, quit smoking or giving up alcohol.

This year I want Channels Seven, Nine and Ten to promise to cut out the shonky practices that make watching commercial television such a frustrating experience.

Resolution number one should definitely be 'we promise to screen all of our programs at the advertised time'.

2012 was filled with TV shows that ran late. That is guaranteed to make disgruntled viewers hurl the remote control at the screen.

Tune in to Channel 7 at 7.30pm to watch The X Factor and you would be forced to see the final few minutes of Home and Away.

It took psychic powers to predict when shows such as Nine's Tricky Business or Ten's Can of Worms would start. Often it was at least ten minutes after their scheduled time.

Network programmers make sure programs run overtime because they hope it will stop viewers switching to rivals.

Other New Year resolutions should be 'we will not anger viewers with too many advertisements' and 'we will not cheese people off with endless repeats'.

I'd also add 'no last minute program changes', 'no inappropriate ad breaks' and 'no showing episodes out of sequence' to the list.

Just to add salt to the wound, TV networks frequently mix first-run and repeat episodes of favourites – think NCIS and Modern Family - to confuse viewers.

Media analyst Steve Allen reckons network bosses are treating viewers with contempt. I agree.

''The biggest gripe is programs running overtime because it pushes the whole schedule out,'' Mr Allen says.

''It is taking the public for granted.''

The most annoying thing right now is the constant barrage of on-air promotions for My Kitchen Rules, The Block All-Stars and MasterChef - The Professionals.

These shows have been flogged to death since the first week of December - two months before they go to air.

TV personalities need to make major New Year resolutions too.

I want Ronan Keating, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Guy Sebastian and Mel B to promise to stop using the words 'star' and 'superstar' to describe contestants on this year's X Factor.

I need Scott Cam to promise to stop those annoying variations on The Block (block-tastic, seven-o-block).

I want Hugh Sheridan to concentrate on Packed to the Rafters after that dud I Will Survive.

I'd also like Lara Bingle and Brynne Edelsten to promise to take a year off TV. Being Lara Bingle and Brynne: My Bedazzled Life still cause nightmares.

The most over-used word on TV these days is 'event'. All the networks use it to juice up promotions for upcoming shows. Let's get this straight. The Olympics is an event. A double episode of The Big Bang Theory is not.

One of my New Year wishes would be for Ten to put Before the Game back on in Melbourne on Saturday nights.

Another would be for networks to resolve to stop cloning successful shows.

Ratings hit MasterChef Australia has already spawned My Kitchen Rules. In 2013, networks are set to plate up Recipe to Riches, The Great Australian Bake-Off, and The Taste.

Talk about indigestion.

The success of Nine's The Block led to Ten making ratings dud The Renovators. Now Seven is trying to get in on the act with new renovation show House Rules.

How many times can you see a nail hammered into a piece of wood and call it entertainment?

Fortunately, Seven, Nine and Ten have some exciting new programs lined up for 2013.

The Batavia mini-series based on Peter Fitzsimons' best-seller, Never Tear Us Apart: The Untold Story of INXS, and Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch story all sound compelling.

The ABC will weigh in with a new Chris Lilley project, the Cliffy telemovie about Aussie ultra-marathon runner Cliff Young, and a re-vamped Spicks and Specks.

Let's hope that network bosses have the guts to end the annoying tactics that so often undermine the TV viewing experience.

It is a turn-off at a time you would think TV networks should be begging for every viewer they can get.

The internet and social media have cut into TV audiences – so why add to the exodus?

Channel 7 celebrates Sunrise's strongest start in five years

Sunrise's Mel and Kochie are a rating winner before the oficial ratings season even begins. Picture: Adam Taylor Source: Sunday Herald Sun

The Daily Telegraph reports

The official ratings season may be a month away but it hasn't stopped a few champagne corks popping over at Channel 7 with Sunrise enjoying its strongest start in five years.

Ratings figures show the morning staple, which is currently being hosted by David Koch (pictured) and Sam Armytage while Melissa Doyle is on leave, has opened the year with a 40 per cent national advantage on Nine rival Today and almost double the figures of Today in Sydney.

This Wednesday's episode of Today, hosted by David Campbell and Alicia Loxley in the absence of Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkinson, was thrashed by Sunrise, attracting a measly 250,000 to Sunrise's figures of 359,000 nationally.

In Sydney just 66,000 viewers tuned in, compared to 118,000 watching Sunrise.

And surprisingly Today's new EP Neil Breen yesterday gave a frank assessment of Today's dismal start, admitting Seven's decision to keep its regular hosts on air throughout the summer break was a smart one.

"I think Seven have played it well. They had Mel Doyle on air right up to Christmas and then they brought David Koch back right after that ... they've done the hard yards over the summer," Breen told Confidential. "Channel 9 has made the decision to let Karl and Lisa have a break. I've been on the job for five weeks and in that time Karl hasn't been on air at all."

Breen confirmed Today would have its entire "A-team" back on deck on January 28, but admitted he faced some serious competition from Sunrise given it has won every ratings year since its arrival back in 2002.

"They have won every year for a decade for a reason. They are good," Breen said.

Plugging Sydney on Screen shamelessly on Channel 7’s The Morning Show

Sydney on Screen on Channel 7's The Morning Show

Promoting the Sydney on Screen walking guides on Aussie TV 

The Morning Show, Channel 7 / Sydney, Friday 14 October 2011