Tim Worner

This interview originally appeared in the MIPTV 2012 issue of World Screen.

 

 

WS: What have been Seven’s programming and scheduling strengths?

WORNER: The big event franchises have served us very well, especially shows like Australia’s Got Talent, The X Factor and My Kitchen Rules. They have allowed us to build a really strong platform in the early part of prime time on weeknights and it’s tough for the opposition to pull back that advantage. When you have Home and Away there five nights a week and My Kitchen Rules booming straight out of it four nights a week, you have the very best launchpad for the rest of prime time. My Kitchen Rules has now dominated for three series and has actually grown from each series to the next. It amazes me that broadcasters around the world have basically ignored it.

 

WS: What have viewers come to expect from Seven?

WORNER: I think our group has a really strong understanding of what our brand is, a really clear idea of what belongs on Seven. In development meetings, it’s really common to hear an idea described as “not a Seven show” or “a really Seven show.” We don’t take ourselves too seriously as a brand, we’re a bit irreverent and we like to have fun and we think viewers have responded to that. But the main thing is we are different from the opposition.

 

WS: How important are original productions?

WORNER: They are absolutely critical. If you look at the top performing programs in Australia they are almost all, with the notable exception of Downton Abbey, Australian productions. This is not to say that U.S. or U.K. product has become useless. That is far from the case. But it is to say that you cannot make strides—with either audiences or advertisers—without really strong local productions. Because you control them, you do control the way they shape your brand. And because you control them, you do control the way you integrate your customers into them. The days of selling 30-second spots are over. Customers want more and unless you can deliver you will get left behind.

 

WS: A number of international program buyers no longer want volume deals with the Hollywood studios.

WORNER: I can see situations where output or volume deals make great sense. I think if you have good partners who are able to deliver consistently and take the time and trouble to really understand your business, they can work well enough. If you’re not getting a steady stream of bankable shows, it is going to become obvious pretty quickly that the sums do not add up. And they can be considerable sums.

 

WS: What have you learned about how viewers are watching Seven’s programming from your catch-up TV service?

WORNER: We’ve learned there is a lot of love for our serialized shows. Shows like Home and Away over-perform in this area. The other phenomenon we’ve seen is the watercooler effect becoming far more pronounced far more quickly. If there is a major controversial incident on one of these reality franchises and it attracts a lot of morning radio or social-media comment, the catch-up TV numbers for that episode will spike instantly and steeply.

 

WS: When you are launching a new show, how do you give it maximum exposure?

WORNER: We have changed the way we operate in a big way. We used to use our own airtime and some radio and that was about it. Those days are long gone. Now we look under every rock and stone for potential viewers and that means taking advantage of Yahoo!7, our online joint venture with Yahoo! The sneak peek has become a very powerful weapon. Having said that, nothing is anywhere near as powerful as a superbly executed promo on your own channel—nothing even comes close to it.

 

WS: What kind of increases are you seeing in streaming shows online, and is this incremental to the viewing on Seven’s linear channels?

WORNER: I wouldn’t say that there has been a steep or a sharp increase in the streaming of shows online. Our catch-up service numbers are growing but I wouldn’t say the growth is getting away from us. Or that the acceleration of the trend is alarming. All too often this growth seems to be reported with almost breathless hysteria along with the inference that conventional television is dead. I don’t think so. In fact, working together both platforms have the potential to become more powerful.