Archives: Media Releases

Dominique Loudon is set to make a return to the 9Network, rejoining 9News Queensland as the new weekend sports presenter alongside news presenter Mia Glover.

“Dom”, as she is affectionately known, spent the majority of her 15-year media career at the 9Network, first joining 9News Gold Coast in 2011 as a news reporter. Showing her passion for sport reporting, she soon became the Gold Coast’s weekday sports presenter, becoming a leading voice in sports journalism.

Returning to 9News Queensland is a welcome home for Loudon with extra significance, having filled in on the weekend news desk as the sports presenter on many occasions.

She said: “This is a full-circle moment for me. Returning to 9News feels like a homecoming, and I’m over the moon to be returning to the newsroom where my deep-seated passion for delivering news and love of sport really flourished.

“Growing up on the Gold Coast, I share Queenslanders’ enthusiasm for the thrill of sport across all codes, so having the chance to cover the big sporting stories and moments that matter is something I will never take for granted. 

“This role has me written all over it, and I cannot wait to renew my connections and establish new ones with 9News Queensland’s loyal audience.”

Nine Queensland Director of News, Amanda Paterson, said: “We all know Queenslanders love their sport and Dom is as passionate as they come, so it’s wonderful to welcome her back to where she belongs.

“Dom’s in-depth understanding of the sports landscape will allow her to continue to deliver Queensland with top-notch sports coverage every weekend, while radiating her trademark warmth and compassion. 9News Queensland’s weekend presenting duo will be unstoppable.”

The change comes as Michael Atkinson steps away from the 9News Queensland desk to pursue a full-time presenting role for Stan Sport.

Dom Loudon will join the 9News Queensland weekend bulletin, alongside Mia Glover, at 6.00pm from this weekend.

For further information, please contact:
Lucy Charles
Publicity Assistant, Nine Queensland
lucy.charles@nine.com.au 

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times are proud to announce a prestigious new annual essay prize for young writers.

The essay prize, which is supported by Dymocks Books and Tutoring, is an exciting chance for budding writers to share their ideas and unique perspective with a vast audience as the winners will be published by the mastheads. 

Winners in each state will receive cash prizes totalling $12,000 courtesy of Dymocks, 12-month digital subscriptions to The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times, plus an invitation to pitch up to four additional opinion pieces in the following 12 months. 

James Chessell, Nine’s Managing Director – Publishing, said: “This is a terrific opportunity for young Australians to showcase creativity and we couldn’t be prouder to launch this project with the support of Dymocks. Our mastheads are the home of Australian public interest journalism and are built on a foundation of uncompromising, high-quality writing. We hope this essay competition gives young people a platform to be thought provoking and inspiring.” 

Mark Buckland, director of Dymocks Group, said: “For almost 150 years Dymocks through Dymocks Books and Dymocks Tutoring has been committed to the written word and the impact it can have on society. We’re incredibly proud to support The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times in this inaugural essay competition. We hope that the competition amplifies the voices of todays’ young writers and encourages them to share through the written word their aspirations and vision for the future.”

Entries are invited in two age categories, 14-18 and 19-24 years, on a choice of essay topics. The essays will be judged by senior editors at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times, as well as special guest judges in each state – award-winning authors Tara June Winch (NSW), Maxine Beneba Clarke (Victoria) and Ellen van Neerven (Queensland).

The judges will be looking for original, compelling content that has not been previously published (in school newspapers or other competitions); that demonstrates excellent writing skills; has an engaging voice and style; that makes a compelling argument; that is topical and thought-provoking.

Writers are able to incorporate first-person narrative in their persuasive argument; creativity and innovation will be given special consideration.

Entries are due by October 2. In mid-November each masthead will announce a shortlist of writers in each age category, then the winners and runners-up will be announced in late November.

The Essay Prize joins Nine Publishing’s other highly respected writing awards – The Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Australian Novelist Award, and The Age Book of the Year Award (fiction and non-fiction).

Entry forms for the essay prize can be found here for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times.

High res pics of authors can be found HERE

For further information, please contact:
Adrian Motte
Senior Communications Manager – Trade & Publishing
amotte@nine.com.au 

Monday, August 28, 2023

It’s the last hurrah for a Grand Slam tennis title in 2023 when the US Open begins LIVE and FREE on 9GemHD and 9Now on Tuesday, August 29.

Nine’s exclusive broadcast will run for 14 days straight with coverage across 9GemHD and 9Now from the hard courts of Flushing Meadows, New York.

In the men’s singles, Aussie Alex de Minaur (world No.13) is up against the current top five of Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud and Holger Rune plus Greek hero Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The women’s singles title is wide open in a field featuring world No.1 Iga Świątek, Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova and top 10-ranked American big names Coco Gauff and Jess Pegula. Australia’s Alja Tomljanovic will join the mix to boost herself up the rankings after injury. 

A strong Australian contingent will join de Minaur and Tomljanovic in the main draw when Thanasi Kokkinakis, Jordan Thompson, Jason Kubler, Daria Saville, Max Purcell, Alexei Popyrin, Chris O’Connell and Aleksander Vukic line up along with wildcards Storm Hunter and Rinky Hijikata.

Todd Woodbridge, Jelena Dokic, Brenton Speed and Brett Phillips will provide expert commentary for Nine’s Wide World of Sports on 9GemHD and 9Now for each day of play.

Every match will be available to stream live and ad-free only on Stan Sport with Centre court in 4K UHD. Stan Sport is also the only place you can catch all the action with replays, mini-matches and highlights available on demand. Plus Grand Slam Daily with Chris Stubbs and Wally Masur.

US OPEN BROADCAST SCHEDULE

#9WWOS
 LIKE Wide World of Sports on Facebook
 Follow @WWOS on Twitter and Instagram

US OPEN TENNIS
TUESDAY MORNING, AUGUST 29, 
ON 9GEMHD AND 9NOW

STREAMING LIVE AND AD-BREAK FREE ON STAN SPORT

Friday, August 25, 2023

Nine Radio and 9Podcasts have received a record 37 finalists across 18 categories at the 34th annual Australian Commercial Radio Awards (ACRAs), which were announced today – surpassing the previous record of 29 nominations for the network in 2019. 

The nominations are a resounding endorsement of Nine’s live and local strategy, building trust and loyalty with listeners as the unrivalled destination of news, sport and opinion.

The full list of nominees is here, with highlights including Melbourne’s No.1 station 3AW nominated for Station of the Year, and fresh of his 150th consecutive survey win, Ray Hadley nominated for Individual Talent of the Year. 

Ben Fordham (2GB), John Stanley (2GB), Neil Mitchell (3AW), Ray Hadley (2GB), Sofie Formica (4BC) and Tom Elliott (3AW) are all up for the coveted Best Talk Presenter award, and Nine’s talk radio newsreaders Amie Meehan (2GB), David Armstrong (3AW), Erin Maher (2GB) and Natalie Peters (2GB) guaranteeing the network a win with their complete domination of the Best News Presenter AM category.  

In the sports categories, Darryl “The Big Marn” Brohman (2GB) and Paul “Fatty” Vautin (4BC) are nominated for Best Sports Presenter, and The Continuous Call Team has been nominated in the Best Sports Event Coverage for the 2022 State of Origin Decider. 

9Podcasts has also been recognised, with Stories of Origin nominated for Podcast of the Year, Phil “Gus” Gould (Six Tackles with Gus) for Podcast Host of the Year, Billy Slater (The Billy Slater Podcast) for Best New Talent – Podcast, and Matt White (Stories of Origin) and Sam Stove (Anatomy of a Scam) nominated in the Best Podcast Producer categories for both Show and Audio. 

Head of Content at Nine Radio, Greg Byrnes, said: “A record number of nominations across 18 categories is wonderful recognition for the tireless effort that goes into creating Australia’s best live and local content. Across the network, our teams work to make a difference to the lives of our listeners, so to be awarded a record haul of nominations is really humbling.”

The ACRA winners will be announced at the ceremony in Sydney on October 14, with 2GB’s Ray Hadley and 4BC’s Sofie Formica forming part of the hosting lineup. 

For futher information, please contact:
Caitlin Lynch
Senior Communications Manager, Nine
clynch@nine.com.au 

Thursday, August 24, 2023

NRL on Nine begins with the battle of the west tonight, and ends with the match of the round when Prince Ponga and his proud Knights defend their kingdom on Sunday, on Channel 9HD and 9Now.

PANTHERS V EELS: BATTLE OF THE WEST TONIGHT
GAME OF THE ROUND: KNIGHTS V SHARKS MEN’S AND WOMEN’S FROM 1.45PM

Kalyn Ponga has taken the Knights to new heights as he dances his side into the finals in a Knights Old Boys day joust for the ages. But Nicho Hynes will be out to dethrone him when he parks the Sharks in Steel City for a sensational serving of Sunday Arvo Footy. 

The girls will start the Sunday battle royale in Knights v Sharks NRLW from 1.45pm live and free, leading into the NRL coverage from 3.30pm. 

Tonight, on Thursday Night Footy, the Panthers’ premiership march rolls into a bitter local derby against the Eels. 

The Eels, who are out of finals contention, have won three of their last five games against the Panthers. With the bye next week, they want to go out all guns blazing in their final game of the season, while a win will take the Panthers closer to securing the 2023 minor premiership. 

The Cowboys take on the supercoach Sheriff when Wayne Bennett and his Dolphins feature in an all-Queensland clash on Friday Night Footy. 

Then an NRLW triple-header begins a big day of Saturday games on Nine from 11.00am, before “Reece Lightning” Walsh and the bucking Brisbane Broncos descend on Canberra for Saturday Night Footy at 7.00pm against Ricky Stuart’s Raiders. 

BROADCAST SCHEDULE

Thursday, August 24

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTY – PANTHERS v EELS
Sydney/Brisbane        7.30pm LIVE on Channel 9HD and 9Now
Melbourne                  7.30pm LIVE on 9GemHD and 9Now
Adelaide                     7.00pm LIVE on 9GemHD and 9Now
Perth                          5.30pm LIVE on 9GemHD and 9Now

Friday, August 25

FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTY – DOLPHINS v COWBOYS 
Sydney/Brisbane       7.30pm LIVE on Channel 9HD and 9Now
Melbourne                  7.30pm LIVE on 9GemHD and 9Now
Adelaide                     7.00pm LIVE on 9GemHD and 9Now
Perth                          5.30pm LIVE on 9GemHD and 9Now

Saturday, August 26

11.00am – NRLW EELS v COWBOYS 
12.30pm – NRLW DRAGONS v TITANS 
2.30pm – NRLW WRAP
3.00pm – NRLW ROOSTERS v TIGERS

7.00pm – NRL SATURDAY NIGHT FOOTY: RAIDERS v BRONCOS 
Watch: Channel 9HD Syd/Bris, 9GemHD Melb/Adl/Perth – Stream on 9Now

Sunday, August 27
THE SUNDAY FOOTY SHOW – from 11.00am with Billy Slater, Andrew Johns, Brad Fittler and Danika Mason.

NRLW – BRONCOS v RAIDERS from 12.00pm 
NRLW – KNIGHTS v SHARKS from 1.45pm
CHEMIST WAREHOUSE SUNDAY ARVO FOOTY – KNIGHTS v SHARKS from 3.30pm
Watch: Channel 9HD Syd/Bris, 9GemHD Melb/Adl/Perth – Stream on 9Now

Monday, August 28 – 100% FOOTY on Channel 9HD Syd/Bris

THIS WEEK ON 9NOW AND WWOS DIGITAL
Click on images to watch

SIX TACKLES WITH GUS

FREDDY AND THE EIGHTH on 9NOW

THE BILLY SLATER PODCAST

NRLW WEEKLY

QLDER on 9NOW

STREAM NRL FOR FREE ON 9NOW
FROM THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 7.30PM

Thursday, August 24, 2023

The Nine Telethon will return in 2024, in support of Mater Little Miracles, helping to give our littlest Queenslanders the best possible start to life.

The Nine Telethon will spotlight how Mater, Australia’s busiest maternity care provider, improves the health outcomes for mothers and babies by being a leader in neonatal critical care and maternal foetal medicine, while showcasing how Queenslanders can help.

Each year, over 2,000 seriously ill and premature babies have to call Mater’s Neonatal Critical Care Unit (NCCU) home, relying on cutting-edge specialist care, life-saving equipment and world-leading research. For many of them, just breathing is a struggle, with as many as six babies on mechanical breathing support at one time.

With the generosity and support of Queenslanders, the Nine Telethon will ensure Mater Little Miracles can continue to help the most vulnerable little lives and support their loved ones, now and into the future. 

They include little lives like Lameck Rugato, who was born premature at just 23 weeks in a critical condition, weighing a tiny 610 grams and diagnosed with a chronic lung disease. 

Lameck’s mother, Night Rugato, who has spent over 100 days with her newborn son in Mater’s NCCU, said: “You never imagine this situation until it happens, and you pull on every bit of strength, like a superpower, to get through it.

“We had to move little Lameck to Mater for the NCCU’s specialist equipment and care and their support has been incredible. We are grateful that Lameck is in the safest hands possible and we’re taking each day as it comes.”

Managing Director of Nine Queensland and Nine Northern NSW, Kylie Blucher, said: “It’s wonderful to have the Nine Telethon marked in the 2024 calendar, ready to rally behind our tiniest yet toughest little Queenslanders.

“Compassion, generosity and unwavering connection is deeply woven into Nine Telethon’s DNA, and we look forward to having Mater Little Miracles at the heart of it all. How special that the spirit and support of the Sunshine State can help save the lives of those facing the unimaginable.”

Mater Foundation CEO, Andrew Thomas, said: “The Nine Telethon is a miracle in the making for Queensland’s sickest and smallest babies, and their families. We’re looking forward to sharing these real stories and celebrating the work of our talented and dedicated clinical teams who continue to deliver life-saving and life-changing care.

“With Nine Queensland’s incredible support, we achieved a record-breaking $1.9 million for Mater’s recent Giving Day to deliver life-saving medical equipment, research, education and healthcare throughout Queensland. 

“Now, coming together for the Nine Telethon means our mission in delivering compassionate critical care to at-risk newborns, discovering ground-breaking maternal foetal medicine treatments and developing innovations through research and technology will enable us to reach new heights.

“Creating hope for the babies and their families is a special opportunity. The sky’s the limit and the countdown is on.”

The date for the 2024 Nine Telethon, in support of the Mater Little Miracles, will be announced early next year.

#9telethon
#materlittlemiracles
Follow @9NewsQueensland on Instagram and Facebook
Follow and @MaterQld on Instagram and Facebook 

For further information, please contact:
Claudine Blondeau
Communications Manager, Nine Queensland
cblondeau@nine.com.au

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

9News Queensland presenter Melissa Downes and producer Jess Lodge won the Award for Outstanding Podcast at Friday night’s Kennedy Awards, dedicated to excellence in Australian journalism, in a gala ceremony at Sydney’s Royal Randwick Racecourse.

Their entry, Hannah’s Story, which topped Australian podcasting charts and is nearing one million downloads, was recognised for excellence in podcasting as a compelling account of one of the worst acts of domestic violence Australia has ever seen – the day Hannah Clarke and her three children were set on fire and killed in their car in a quiet Brisbane street by their father, Hannah’s estranged husband, Rowan Baxter.

Over six episodes, Hannah’s Story gives a powerful voice to Hannah’s loved ones, the first responders on the scene, witnesses, domestic violence experts and political leaders, as it delved into the shocking murders to ignite a community conversation about coercive control and spotlight the need to identify red flags in friendships and relationships to prevent more domestic atrocities.

Melissa Downes said: “What an incredible night! With three decades in journalism including fifteen years at the 9News Queensland news desk, the experience of podcasting was an exciting shift. Hannah’s Story allowed us to shed light on the answers we were all grappling for since 19 February 2020, a devastating day etched in Australia’s history that has stuck with me ever since.

“Making the podcast with Jess was an honour, and a perfect avenue to magnify the incredible work of Hannah’s parents, Sue and Lloyd, through Small Steps 4 Hannah.”

Jess Lodge said: “I’m incredibly grateful that Hannah’s Story has received this recognition from our peers. Most of all, I’m proud knowing that its growing audience now has a deeper understanding of coercive control and the signs to look out for. I cannot thank Sue and Lloyd Clarke, and everyone who was involved, enough for allowing us to tell their stories.”

9News Queensland News Director, Amanda Paterson, said: “Proud is an understatement. Melissa and Jess, alongside podcast editor Adam Buncher, told Hannah’s Story with the grace, dignity and empathy that Hannah and her three children, Aaliyah, Laianah and Trey, deserve.

“I saw first hand how much Melissa and Jess poured their heart and soul into this podcast, all while delivering 9News Queensland’s leading news bulletins. Their resounding success and last night’s Kennedy Award win not only validates their hard work but also sets the stage for an exciting era of future 9News podcasts.”

Listen to Hannah’s Story everywhere you get your podcasts.
Spotify | Apple Podcasts

For further information, please contact:
Claudine Blondeau
Communications Manager, Nine Queensland
cblondeau@nine.com.au

Monday, August 21, 2023

The Australian Financial Review is the country’s most read premium business masthead recording a cross platform readership of 3.4 million people, according to Total News readership figures released by Roy Morgan today.

More than 1.1 million people have read a print edition of the Financial Review in the last four weeks, with the masthead experiencing its fourth consecutive quarter of growth, and a year-on-year increase of 9%. Meanwhile, The Australian has seen an annual drop of 13% for the same period.

The Monday to Friday print edition recorded massive annual growth of 50% year-on-year, and quarterly growth of 10% for an average issue readership of 245,000. 

With the AFR Weekend Saturday print edition readership of 192,000 once again posting huge annual growth of 67%, and 7% in the last quarter, the weekend and weekday print editions have recorded their fifth consecutive quarters of growth and their highest quarterly result since December 2018. 

The Australian Financial Review Magazine continues to dominate Australia’s monthly magazine insert figures, with a print readership of 495,000, which has seen quarterly growth of 3% – its third consecutive quarter of growth – and annual growth of 16%. It’s the AFR Magazine’s highest quarterly growth since 2018.    

Nine’s Total Publishing assets reach a de-duplicated audience of 16.4 million* Australians across print and digital.

The Financial Review’s Editor in Chief, Michael Stutchbury, said he was encouraged by the solid recovery in print readership, particularly for AFR Weekend. 

“While the big growth in digital readership during the pandemic has eased back amid the cost-of-living crunch, the Financial Review’s digital-only readership still lags that of only The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age among newspaper brands.

“All this was consistent with another 8 per cent growth in premium subscriber numbers for the Financial Review over the financial year,” Stutchbury said.   

The Total News readership figures are produced by Roy Morgan for ThinkNewsBrands. 

Source: Roy Morgan Research, All People 14+. All audience data is based on the last 4 weeks averaged over the 12 months to June 2023. *This figure includes: Nine.com.au, SMH Print & Digital, The Age Print & Digital, AFR Print & Digital, Brisbane Times, WA Today, Domain Digital, Good Weekend VIC & NSW, Sunday Life VIC & NSW, Domain NIM VIC & NSW, AFR Magazine

For further information, please contact:
Adrian Motte
Senior Communications Manager – Trade & Publishing
amotte@nine.com.au

Monday, August 21, 2023

The Age has once again maintained its lead as Victoria’s most read masthead, with a cross platform readership of 5.1 million, according to Total News readership figures released by Roy Morgan today.

The Age has cemented its place as the nation’s second most read news brand after The Sydney Morning Herald and is ahead of its main competitor The Herald Sun by more than 800,000 people.   

The Monday to Friday print edition recorded annual growth of 17% year-on-year, and quarterly growth of 7%, recording a readership of 301,000. The Saturday edition of The Age saw quarterly and annual growth, marking four consecutive quarters of growth.

The Sunday Age print edition also saw annual growth of 5% and is read by 403,000 people every Sunday. In the last four weeks 1.3 million people on average have read a print edition of The Age.  

Across The Age and the Herald, the prestigious Good Weekend continues to be Saturday’s most read magazine insert, attracting an average issue print readership of 770,000, which is up 2% quarterly. Similarly, the Lifestyle/Content delivers a cross platform readership of 2.62 million, while cross platform Sport content grew 3% year on year, with an audience of 2.29 million. 

Sunday Life recorded an average issue print readership of 411,000, while Domain once again defied a softening real estate market, seeing annual growth of 12% and quarterly growth of 5%, to record an average issue print readership of 564,000. 

Nine’s Total Publishing assets reach a de-duplicated audience of 16.4 million* Australians across print and digital.

“These results make it clear that Victorians want in-depth and rigorous journalism, which they can only find in The Age,” said the publication’s editor, Patrick Elligett. 

The Total News readership figures are produced by Roy Morgan for ThinkNewsBrands.  

Source: Roy Morgan Research, All People 14+. All audience data is based on the last 4 weeks averaged over the 12 months to June  2023.

*This figure includes: Nine.com.au, SMH Print & Digital, The Age Print & Digital, AFR Print & Digital, Brisbane Times, WA Today, Domain Digital, Good Weekend VIC & NSW, Sunday Life VIC & NSW, Domain NIM VIC & NSW, AFR Magazine

For further information, please contact:
Adrian Motte
Senior Communications Manager – Trade & Publishing
amotte@nine.com.au

Monday, August 21, 2023

The Sydney Morning Herald remains Australia’s most read news brand with a cross-platform readership of 7.5 million readers, according to the Total News readership figures released by Roy Morgan today. 

Cementing its place as the country’s most read masthead, more than one in three Australian readers choose the Herald to stay informed. The Herald nearly doubles The Daily Telegraph readership (7.54 million versus The Telegraph’s 4.01 million) in Total News, in the latest figures in the 12-month period ending June 2023. 

The Monday to Friday print edition recorded an average issue readership of 417,000, displaying impressive annual growth of 15% year-on-year, while quarterly growth remained steady. Saturday’s print edition recorded quarterly growth of 2% and annual growth of 9%.  

The Sun Herald print edition increased its quarterly readership, up by 4% and is read by 440,000 people every Sunday. In the last four weeks, 1.8 million people on average have read a print edition of the Herald.  

Across the Herald and The Age, the prestigious Good Weekend continues to be Saturday’s most read magazine insert, attracting an average issue print readership of 770,000, which is up 2% quarterly. Similarly, the Lifestyle/Content delivers a cross platform readership of 2.62 million, while cross platform Sport content grew 3% year on year, with an audience of 2.29 million. 

Sunday Life recorded an average issue print readership of 411,000, while Domain once again defied a softening real estate market, seeing annual growth of 12% and quarterly growth of 5%, to record an average issue print readership of 564,000. 

Nine’s Total Publishing assets reach a de-duplicated audience of 16.4 million* Australians across print and digital.

The Total News readership figures are produced by Roy Morgan for ThinkNewsBrands.  

Source: Roy Morgan Research, All People 14+. All audience data is based on the last 4 weeks averaged over the 12 months to June  2023.

*This figure includes: Nine.com.au, SMH Print & Digital, The Age Print & Digital, AFR Print & Digital, Brisbane Times, WA Today, Domain Digital, Good Weekend VIC & NSW, Sunday Life VIC & NSW, Domain NIM VIC & NSW, AFR Magazine

For further information, please contact:
Adrian Motte
Senior Communications Manager – Trade & Publishing
amotte@nine.com.au

Monday, August 21, 2023