General

A New Zealand Navy barge hit a reef after their national day celebrations.  When quizzed on it by local media, Lt Col Bronwyn Heslop offered up this pearl of wisdom.

Please post what questions you ask your favourite TV personality in the comments below

Some friends of ours in Sydney have launched a new comedy site.  Check out some of the videos from Red Humpy.

And a couple that are NSFW

Screen NSW has today launched its Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), which outlines how the organisation will play its part in closing the gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and their fellow Australians.

The Screen NSW RAP has been prepared in collaboration with Reconciliation Australia, the federal body set up in 2000 to build and promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians for the wellbeing of the nation.

“Our RAP has been developing since Screen NSW began a strategic review of its activities in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander screen practitioners and industry. The Screen NSW RAP incorporates many of the thoughts collected over this period and is a plan that will continually evolve to ensure that we remain relevant and responsive in a changing screen industry landscape,” said Tania Chambers, Chief Executive of Screen NSW.

The Screen NSW RAP is based on the three key areas outlined by Reconciliation Australia: Respect, Relationships; and Opportunities.

Actions planned by Screen NSW include:
• A 10% increase in funding applications received per year across all programs that include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander key creative personnel.
• Increased visibility of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the Screen NSW website; in its enews; and publications.
• Guaranteed funds for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander projects and stories, that is reviewed annually.
• The establishment of a Screen NSW internship for six months each year.

“Screen NSW aims to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, languages and interests are accurately represented in the projects Screen NSW funds and the work that we do,” Ms Chambers said.

“We will strive to strengthen partnerships and networks between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other Australian screen practitioners as an important pathway to building respect and understanding. Through the RAP, we hope to foster a positive environment of collaboration and support.

Here are some interesting stats from the latest OzTAM data.

Daily TV viewing (Metro): 3h09m

This figure is an increase of 7 minutes on last year, 5 minutes of which is growth in free-to-air.

Total TV viewing (Regional): up 20 minutes per day, 17 minutes of which is growth in free-to-air.

By the end of 2010, free-to-air TV’s share of primetime metro audiences had risen to 65.8% thanks to the boost from the new digital multi-channels.  That figure was a small increase of 0.8% while Pay TV dropped 0.4% to 15.5%.

The free-to-air regional share grew to 57.9%, an increase of almost 2%.

Data: Weeks 1-19, 2010 v 2011, total people, average time viewing, 2am – 2am

OzTAM is pleased to release new information on the take-up of digital terrestrial television (DTT*) technology in Australia’s five metropolitan markets+.

While OzTAM has published quarterly DTT penetration estimates since the first quarter of 2009, additional detail now available includes:

• A trend line illustrating monthly take-up estimates over the past year~
• Households able to receive High Definition (HD) DTT services (access to up to 16 DTT channels)
• PVR households (homes that have a Personal Video Recording device with a hard drive, e.g. FOXiQ, MyStar, TiVo, T-Box, consumer PVRs)

OzTAM CEO Doug Peiffer said: “This additional data provides a more complete picture of DTT-capable households for OzTAM subscribers and will enhance our clients’ analysis and forecasting capabilities in a rapidly changing media environment.”

Among the findings:

• DTT penetration across the five metropolitan markets has risen to 89 per cent, up from 69 per cent just one year ago
• 52 per cent of metro homes are now completely DTT capable, meaning every working television set in the home can receive DTT 
• 82 per cent of metro homes are HD-capable (60 per cent in March 2010)
• Across the five cities, PVR penetration is now 40 per cent, compared to 28 per cent in March 2010

The data also illustrates the differences between markets. For example:

• DTT penetration is highest in Perth (92 per cent) and lowest in Sydney (84 per cent)
• Perth and Adelaide have the highest number of HD-capable homes (85 per cent in each city)
• PVR penetration is highest in Sydney (42 per cent) and lowest in Adelaide (38 per cent)

OzTAM will continue to update these figures monthly to illustrate the extent to which DTT technology is advancing.

The following table provides the estimate of the percentage of homes that are completely DTT capable; it will also be updated each month: 

Percentage of homes that are completely DTT capable (as at 19 March, 2011)
Sydney 49.2%
Melbourne 51.8%
Brisbane 52.4%
Adelaide 52.9%
Perth 55.3%
Five cities 52.0%

+ Source: OzTAM, five mainland metropolitan Television Audience Measurement (TAM) panels.

* DTT homes can receive digital free-to-air television (Standard Definition and/or High Definition) over the air. These homes may also have access to Subscription Television. 

~ Estimates are as of the last day of each four-week survey period. Most recent figures as of 19 March, 2011.

The Australian Government has helped 25 000 households convert to digital TV through the Household Assistance Scheme, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, announced today.

Senator Conroy was on hand for the 25 000th installation at the home of Mr Kenneth Howgate in Wendouree, Victoria.

“Regional Victoria will be switching to digital-only free-to-air television on 5 May 2011 and the government’s Household Assistance Scheme is helping ensure that all Victorians, including the elderly, people with disabilities, and their carers, are ready for the switchover,” Senator Conroy said.

“The switchover to digital TV is a historic change to the way free-to-air TV is broadcast in Australia,” Senator Conroy said. “Through this Scheme people such as Mr Howgate will be able to enjoy all of the benefits of digital TV, including greater program choice from more channels, and better sound and picture quality.”

Mr Howgate said he was pleased to be part of the switchover to digital TV.

“I am very happy to now be fully hooked up and to have made the switchover to digital television. The choice of programs and also the quality of sound and picture that comes with digital TV is wonderful and I particularly look forward to all the sport that the new digital channels will be showing,” Mr Howgate said.

Member for Ballarat and Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing, Catherine King MP, said the Household Assistance Program had proved to be hugely successful in ensuring that vulnerable Australians did not miss out on the benefits of digital television.

“A person is eligible for the Scheme where they do not already have access to digital TV and they are in receipt of the maximum rate of the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment, Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) Service Pension, or DVA income-support supplement payment,” Ms King said.

“The Government is committed to ensuring people without other means of support are fully assisted to enable them to continue to enjoy their favourite TV shows – and access a great range of new channels – after the switch off of analog television signals,” Ms King said.

Senator Conroy said approximately 120 000 households across Regional Victoria were eligible for assistance through the Scheme, which provides eligible households with a high-definition set top box and completes a full installation and demonstration at no cost to the recipient.

Potentially eligible households in Victoria will have received a letter from Centrelink inviting them to participate in the Scheme. These people can apply for assistance by calling Centrelink on 1800 55 64 43.

The Household Assistance Scheme will continue to be available in regional Victoria until one month after the switchover date of 5 May 2011. The Scheme opens to eligible households in each switchover region six months before the switch off of the analog television signal.

Mr Howgate’s installation was performed by Mark Curwood from Techlife who is an endorsed antenna installer engaged by Hills Industries, the master contractor for the delivery of the Household Assistance Scheme in South-West Victoria.

Senator Conroy said that more than 2500 households in Mildura/Sunraysia, and more than
10 000 households in Regional South Australia and Broken Hill, have been helped in switching to digital TV through the Household Assistance Scheme since its commencement in January 2010.

Further information about the switch to digital-only television, including the timetable for analog switch off, is available at www.digitalready.gov.au or by calling 1800 20 10 13.

Below is a list of broadcasters, producers and people who work in the TV industry in Australia that we’re compiling.  If we’ve missed you or anyone you know off this list who should be on it, please let us know.

Please retweet this and help us build the most comprehensive twitter list possible.

If you haven’t already done so, please add us: @throng_au

Channels:
111 Hits – @111HITS
31 Digital – @31Digital
7 – @SevenNetwork
9 Adelaide – @9Adelaide
ABC – @ABCTV_australia
ABC News – @abcnews
ABC News Melbourne – @abcnewsmelbrne
ABC News Queensland – @abcnews_qld
ABC News Sydney – @abcnewsSydney
ABC Rural – @ABCRural
ABC South East NSW – @ABCSouthEastNSW
Aurora – @AuroraTV
Channel 31 – @Channel31
Channel Ten Press – @ChannelTenPress
Channel V – @channelv
Comedy Channel – @ComedyChannel
Fox Sports – @FOXSPORTSAus
Fox Sports AFL – @FOXSPORTSAU_AFL
Fox Sports Breaking – @FOXSPORTSAU_BRK
Fox Sports Cricket – @FOXSPORTSAU_CRI
Fox Sports Football – @FOXSPORTSAU_FOO
Fox Sports NRL – @FOXSPORTSAU_NRL
Fox Sports Rugby – @FOXSPORTSAU_RUG
Fox8 – @fox8tv
Foxtel – @FOXTEL
Fuel TV – @FUELTVOZ
GO! – @GO_TV
MTV – @MTVAUSTRALIA
Nine – @channel9
NITV – @NITV
One – @onehd
SBS – @SBS
SBS Documentary – @SBSDocumentary
SBS News – @SBSNews
Sky News – @SkyNewsAust
Sky News Business – @BusinessChannel
Sky News Sport – @SkyNewsOzSport
STVDIO – @STVDIO
Ten – @channelten
Ten – @channeltenpress
UKTV – @UKTVaustralia
WIN – @WIN_TV

Producers:

Shows:
4 Corners – @4corners
60 Minutes – @60Minutes_Nine
7 News Melbourne – @7NewsMelbourne
7 News Perth – @7News_Perth
7 News Queensland – @7NewsQLD
7 News Sydney – @7newssydney
9 Gold Coast News – @9GOLDCOASTNEWS
ABC 3 News – @ABC3News
ABC 730 Report – @abc730report
ABC Big Ideas – @ABCBigIdeas
ABC Breakfast – @BreakfastNews
ABC Hunger Pains – @abchungerpains
ABC Landline – @abclandline
ABC Open – @abcopen
ABC South Australia NFL – @abcsanfl
Agenda – @SkyNewsAgenda
At The Movies – @abcatthemovies
Australia’s Next Top Model – @ausntm
Australian Idol – @australian_idol
First Tuesday Book Club – @1stTuesBookClub
Foreign Correspondent – @ForeignOfficial
Good Game TV – @GoodGameTV
Good News Week – @GoodNewsWeekT

en
Hey Hey it’s Saturday – @HeyHeyOffice
Hey Hey it’s Saturday – @heyheysaturday
Hungry Beast – @hungry_beast
Insight – @insightSBS
Lateline – @Lateline
Living Black – @livingblacksbs
MasterChef – @MasterChef_Aust
Nine News Brisbane – @9NewsBrisbane
Nine News Melbourne – @ninenewsmelb
Nine News Perth – @NineNewsPerth
Project Next – @Project_NEXT
Project Runway – @ProjectRunwayOZ
Q&A – @abcqanda
Rage – @rage_abc
RocKwiz – @RocKwiz
SBS Worldview – @SBSWorldView
So You Think You Can Dance Australia – @sytycda
Spicks and Specks – @SpicksSpecksABC
Sunday night on 7 – @sundaynighton7
Sunrise – @sunriseon7
Ten News Qld – @tennewsqld
Ten News Sydney – @TenNewsSydney
The 7pm Project – @7pmproject
The Chaser – @the_chaser_
The Circle – @thecircle_ten
The Gruen Transfer – @GruenHQ
The Morning Show – @morningshowon7
The Today Show – @thetodayshow
Video Hits – @VideoHitsTV
Yartz – @YartzC31

People:
- @paperbagged
Aaron Smith – @the_aaron_smith
Airlie Walsh – @AirlieWalsh
Alan Sunderland – @asunderland
Aleisha McCormack – @leishamccormack
Alex Hart – @alexhart7
Ali Russell – @thealirussell
Alison Fletcher – @AliFletch9
Amanda Meade – @meadea
Amelia Adams – @AmeliaAdams9
Andrew Greene – @AndrewGreeneABC
Andrew Gunsberg – @_andrew_g
Andrew Hansen – @andrewjhansen
Andrew Kos – @AndrewNKos
Andy Lee – @andy_lee
Angela Bishop – @AngelaBishop
Ann Chesterman – @annchesterman
Anna Coren – @amcoren
Anthony Callea – @AnthonyCallea
Ben Fordham – @BenFordham
Bianca Dye – @BiancaDye
Brad Hodson – @bradhodson
Brett Mcleod – @Brtmc
Brian Mcfadden – @BrianMcnugget
Cal Wilson – @calbo
Carrie Bickmore – @carriebickmore
Cathy Border – @Tencb
Charlie Pickering – @charliepick
Chas Licciardello – @ChasLicc
Chloe Maxwell – @chloemaxwell
Chris Allen – @callen9
Chris Brown – @BondiVet
Chris Leben – @chrisleben
Chris Martin – @chrismartin7
Chris Uhlmann – @CUhlmann
Clint Stanaway – @cstanaway
Clive Pugh – @clivepugh
Corey Cooper – @CoreyCooper
Courtney Gibson – @courtney_gibson
Craig Reucassel – @craigreucassel
Dan Rizzo – @TheDanRizzo
Daniel MacPherson – @DanMacPherson
Dannii Minogue – @DanniiMinogue
Danny Clayton – @DannyJClayton
Danny Weidler – @Danny_Weidler
Daryl Somers – @darylsomers
Dave Callan – @davecallantwit
Dave Hughes – @DHughesy
Dave Zwolenski – @davezwolenski
David Heimann – @davidheimann
David Koch – @kochie_online
David Speers – @David_Speers
Delta Goodrem – @delta_goodrem
Dominic Knight – @domknight
Dylan Leach – @leachitup
Emma Griffiths – @EJGriffiths
Erin McNaught – @Erin_McNaught
Fenella Kernebone – @fenellak
Gary Kemble – @garykemble
George Roberts – @George_Roberts
Grant Denyer – @grantdenyer
Guy Sebastian – @GuySebastian
Hamish & Andy – @HamishandAndy
Hamish Fitzsimmons – @hamishfitz
Hayden Cooper – @haydencooper
Helen Tzarimas – @Tzarimas
Jacqueline Freegard – @Jfreegard
Jacqui Maddock – @Jacqui_Maddock
James Tobin – @james_tobin
Jane Henschke – @tenjh
Jason Coleman – @dancejudgejason
Jayne Azzopardi – @JayneAzzo
Jessica Lawrence – @JesssaRae
Jessica Mauboy – @jessicamauboy
John Bergin – @theburgerman
John Burgess – @thejohnburgess
John Kerrison – @jkerrison
John Safran – @safran_john
Jonathan Holmes – @jonaholmesMW
Jonathan Pease – @jonathanpease
Josh Bavas – @joshbavas
Josh Murphy – @josh10murphy
Josh Newman – @iamjoshnewman
Justin Rodski – @justinrodski
Karen Barlow – @KJBar
Karen Middleton – @KarenMMiddleton
Karl Stefanovic – @realkstefanovic
Kate Donnison – @KateDonnison
Kate Rodrigues – @KateRodrigues
Kate Scanlan – @katescanlan
Kathleen de Leon Jones – @KathleendLJ
Kathy Noval – @kathy_novak
Kellie Connolly – @Kellie Connolly
Ken Sutcliffe – @Ken_Sutcliffe
Kevin Wilde – @KevinWilde
Kieran Ricketts – @kieranaway
Kyle Linahan – @KyleLinahan
Kyle Sandilands – @kyle_sandilands
Laurie Oakes @LaurieOakes
Lee Holmes – @LeeHolmes67
Leigh Radford – @LeighRadfordABC
Leigh Sales – @leighsales
Lincoln Lewis – @lincolnlewis
Lisa Creffield – @lisacc
Liz Cantor – @lizcantor
Louise Milligan – @LouLouMilligan
Marc Fennell – @marcfennell
Margueritte Rossi – @MargRossi
Mark Beretta – @MarkBeretta
Mark Calvert – @MarkCalvert1
Mark Debono – @markdebono
Mark Scott – @abcmarkscott
Matt Lee – @MattGLee
Matt Preston – @MattsCravat
Maude Garrett – @maudegarrett
Melissa Doyle – @melissadoyle
Michael Rowland – @mjrowland68
Michelle Ainsworth – @Ainswort
Michelle Bridges – @MishBridges
Mike Bowers – @mpbowers
Mitch Wall – @mitchwall
Monique Schafter – @MoniqueSchafter
Morag Ramsay – @MoragRamsay
Myles Barlow – @MylesBarlow
Nacho Pop – @nachopops
Natalie Bassingthwaighte – @NatBass
Nick Etchells – @netchells
Nick Hayden – @NickHayden_
Nick Whitehead – @whiteheadnick
Nicole Madigan Everest – @NMadiganEverest
Paul Akkermans – @paulakkermans
Paul Lamond – @paullamond
Peter Helliar – @pjhelliar
Peter McEvoy – @petermcevoy
Peter Overton – @firston9news
Petter Helliar – @pjhelliar
Phil Goyen – @PhilGoyen
Renee Bargh – @ReneeBargh
Richardo Goncalves – @ricjgoncalves
Ricki-Lee Coulter – @THErickilee
Robin Parkes – @RobinParkes
Rove McManus – @Rove1974
Ruby Rose – @RubyRose1
Ryan Shelton – @Ryan_Shelton
Sal King – @salstar76
Sam Moran – @sammoran
Sandra Sully – @Sandra_Sully
Sarah Harris – @SarahHarrisNews
Sarah Murdoch – @SarahAMurdoch
Scott Richardson – @richocam
Simon Westaway – @tvwesty
Sonia Kruger – @SoniaKruger
Stephanie Anderson – @skateanderson
Stephanie Bendixsen – @hexsteph
Steve Brossman – @SteveBrossman
Steven Bajo Odonnell – @bajopants
Suheil Damouny – @SuheilDamouny
Sylvia Jeffreys – @SylviaJeffreys
Tahnee Atkinson – @Tahnee_Atkinson
Tara Moss – @Tara_Moss
Tess Woolcock – @TessWoolcock
Tim Leslie – @Tim_Leslie
Tony Jones – @TJch9
Tracey Grimshow – @tracygrimshaw
Tracy Vo – @Tracy_Vo
Valerio Veo – @ValerioVeo
Veronica Milsom – @vmilsom
Virginia Haussegger – @Virginia_Hauss
Wendy Kingston – @Wendy_Kingston
Wes Carr – @Wes_Carr
Wil Anderson – @Wil_Anderson

Other:
ABC iView – @abciview
CBAA – @CBAAustralia
Ice TV – @icetv
MCN – @_MCN
MediaWeek – @MediaweekAUS
Reality Raver – @realityraver
Sky Multiview – @SkyMultiview
Televised Revolution – @TV_Rev
The Tube – @woTHETUBE
TiVo Australia – @TiVoAustralia
TV Tonight – @tvtonightau
TV Week – @TVWEEKmag
Unseen TV – @unseentv1

Sydney sisters Joanne and Alanah Argyrou have set a new world record after watching 87 hours of uninterrupted television.

The football-mad pair outlasted other contestants while watching live matches of the World Cup, replays and soccer documentaries and beat the former Dutch record of 86 hours held by Efraim van Oeveren.

The accomplishment, monitored by a group of officials who ensured that their eyes didn’t leave the screen for more than five seconds, was achieved with only breaks of 5 minutes per hour and no more than 5 cups of coffee per day.

As well as making the record books, the sister won an entertainment package worth AU$7600 and the chance to compete against former Socceroo Steve Corica in a virtual penalty shootout.