In Australian media news this week, the BBC’s global arm has gained significant ground on CNN for the title of most popular global news site; Southern Cross Austereo has celebrated success in the ratings and announced some restructuring in its partnership venture; Digital radio penetration has reached a five-year high; Western Australia gets a local footy show on Nine; Instagram has a new app; and, the MFA has revealed the finallists for its 2014 Media Federation Awards.

 

BBC battles with CNN to be top global news site

New stats from ComScore put the BBC’s global audience 73.4 million unique browsers – just 200,000 short of CNN’s 73.6 million. That represents growth of 30% since 2012 for the Beeb.

The BBC puts its sustained growth down to a program of product investment, enhanced feature content on BBC.com, the increasing popularity of the BBC’s suite of language sites and its continued commitment to first-hand reporting.

Separate research shows that the BBC is by far the most shared news brand on Twitter – its stories were shared 3.5 million times in July, over a million more than its nearest competitor.

 

Lots of news for Southern Cross Austereo

GfK’s fifth radio survey, released last week, found that Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) is leading audience numbers nationally, reaching over 5.2 million people.

SCA also announced, on behalf of its shareholders in Digital Music Distribution (DMD), Sony Music Entertainment Australia (SMEA) and Universal Music Australia (UMA), the rebranding and refocus of DMD, which will now be known as Songl Solutions.

Finally, Grant Tothill will move into a new Melbourne-based national role as director of joint ventures and music partnerships. Tothill had been managing the DMD partnership on behalf of SCA, while also managing the Get Outside Group, a joint venture with Matthew Hayden’s company, The Hayden Way. The Get Outside Group is an Aussie celebrity talent-led content creation agency. Alongside these two ventures, and other new offerings soon to be announced, Grant will be the central point at SCA to oversee all music partnerships.

Digital radio penetration reaches five-year high

Official data relating to DAB+ digital radio in Australia was released by Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) last week in the ‘2014 Digital Radio Report’, showing that 97,177 new vehicles have been sold with a DAB+ digital radio.

CRA also says digital radio listening is at an all time high with 21.4%, or almost 2.8 million people, tuning in each week in the five metropolitan capital cities.

In the five years since the launch of DAB+ digital radio in metropolitan Australia, 1.677 million digital radio devices have been sold and, when combined with the vehicles fitted with a DAB+ device, PwC has reforecast digital radio household penetration to 23.3%.

WA gets a local footy show

Channel Nine Perth announced it has a new AFL show, Footy WA. Produced by Crocmedia for Nine Perth, Footy WA kicked off yesterday (31 August) at 10:30am immediately after the Chevron City To Surf For Activ, then each Sunday at 11.30am ongoing on Nine Perth and throughout WA on WIN TV.

The show will focus on the West Coast Eagles, Fremantle Dockers, WAFL teams and local amateur footy with in-depth discussion of games, teams and issues surrounding the code in a vibrant and provocative style.

The show is the latest content offering from Crocmedia into Western Australia, which includes radio shows Sportsday, The Locker Room, Off the Bench as well as Off the Bench TV, and live broadcast of AFL each weekend through regional Western Australia.

Instagram launches ‘Hyperlapse’, a new app for capturing time-lapse video

Enough said, really.

Check out which brands are testing out Hyperlapse already.

 

Finallists for 2014 Media Federation Awards announced

Judges for the 2014 Media Federation Awards have chosen 56 finalists to battle it out for the honour of winning an MFA Award in the program’s 16th annual year.The 2014 Media Federation Awards finallists are:

Automotive

• Coles, One Direction, Powered By Nine
• Energy Australia, The Block, Powered By Nine
• Priceline Pharmacy (API), What’s your Health Age? Seven West Media RED

Pro-Bono / Cause Marketing Incentive – In Recognition of Pam Lane

• Cancer Council New South Wales, Making SPARKS Fly, Match Media
• Smiling Mind, The Smiling Mind of OMD
• The Van Wright Foundation, Starcom MediaVest Group

Best Strategic Launch Campaign – Sponsored by SBS Media

• Boost Mobile, Stay Living: Boost Mobile Relaunch, The Monkeys
• Mastercard, Locally Famous, UM
• Motor Accident Commission, Promoting an Artist not an Ad, MEC
• Optus, RockCorps 13/14, Starcom MediaVest Group

Best Integrated Media Campaign – Sponsored by Multi Channel Network

• Mastercard, Locally Famous, UM
• Proctor & Gamble, The Kiss Debate, MediaCom

Best Use Of A Small Budget (Up To $300,000) – Sponsored by Outdoor Media Association

• Aspen Pharmacare, Bonnington’s Flu Tracker, Bohemia Group
• Department of Social Services, Australian Government, XTL, UM
• Foxtel and Eurosport, #Vueltaskelta, MediaCom
• Nando’s Australia, #MangoGate, Match Media

Best Media Innovation – Sponsored by Nine Entertainment Co.

• Department of Social Services, Australian Government, XTL, UM
• Kia Motor Corporation, Game On, Initiative

Best Demonstration Of Results

• 20th Century Fox, The Book Thief, ZenithOptimedia
• Tourism New Zealand, Every Day a Different Story, Mindshare
• Proctor & Gamble, Ambi Pur: Helping Housemates Breathe Happy, MediaCom
• Toyota Motor Corporation Australia, Megafactories Toyota Australia: Built by People, DrivingConsideration, TMS

Best Leverage of Data – Sponsored by Emma powered by IPSOS

• IKEA, A Data Matching Love Story, Match Media
• Qantas, Data Driven, ZenithOptimedia
• Muffin Break, Your Daily Cup: Data Intelligence, Slingshot

Media Owner of the Year

• JCDecaux
• Multi Channel Network
• Nine Entertainment Co.
• Seven West Media
• Val Morgan

Marketing Team Of The Year – Sponsored by AANA

• Meat and Livestock Australia, #back2back
• Officeworks, Team of the Year
• Peters Icecream, Peters Making Ice-creams Australians want.