Channel Seven has just announced that The Matty Johns Show will launch on Thursday, March 25 at 7.30pm. A media release says Johns "will tackle the new season’s big issues as well as entertaining audiences with a family-friendly mix of sporting stars, special guests, live performances, music and comedy." It quotes Johns as saying: “I grew up watching league on Seven with Rex Mossop. Thirty years later for it to be me on Seven with a rugby league show is great.” Several "fun new characters" will debut in the show, including gardening guru Don Kirk, who has appeared in teaser ads already, explorer Alby Sandals and 10-year-old Steven the Big Kid . Johns will be joined on air by Shane Webcke for Controversy Corner. Unspecified stars of the game will be part of the studio panel each week. “I think were heading into a fantastic era for the game,” Johns says. The 7.30pm timeslot indicates that Seven expects big things from the show - and it means league tragics can watch both his program and Nine's The Footy Show without having to know how to set a DVR.

On the subject of Doctor Who (see last item), here's the opening credits of the first episode of the fifth season, which introduces new Doctor Matt Smith. As mentioned on Spencer Howson's b612ABC breakfast show this moning, the program will screen in Australia on April 18, two weeks after its debut on the BBC, and will feature on the ABC's iView service from late on April 16:

And here's a BBC teaser for the new series:

The Courier-Mail is predicting this morning that Nova 106.9 will look outside Brisbane to find a replacement for Ash Bradnam, who has officially parted ways with the former No.1 station. I reckon that would be a big mistake. There is plenty of talent in this city, and now's the time for Nova to make a fresh start by grooming a local rather than trying to parachute in a "star" from elsewhere - especially since anchor Tim Blackwell has been in town for less than a year. I'd suggest the powers that be spend a bit of time listening to other radio stations (commercial, community and the ABC), visiting comedy clubs and scouring the net.
PS: On 612ABC, Spencer Howson and I spoke about Lara Bingle, Doctor Who and stealing stationery. The audio has been posted here.

The Channel 9 Today show's "March with Magda" is coming to Brisbane on Monday, March 15. If you want to follow Magda Szubanski around New Farm Park for an early morning constitutional, be at the Rotunda at 6.45am on the day. It's part of the Jenny Craig/Women's Weekly "Australia's Greatest Weight Loss Challenge", with the aim of getting Australians to lose one million kilograms. In a Nine media release, Today co-host Lisa Wilkinson says: "Every time Magda is on the show, we get huge feedback from viewers who are inspired by her story, and want to take action themselves."

DMG's Vega stations are to be renamed Classic Rock 95.3 and Classic Rock 95.1, according to a report in Media Week.

Meshel Laurie has confirmed on Twitter that Ash Bradnam has left Brisbane's Nova 106.9. Laurie replied "Yep" when asked by Twitterer @iMatt93 if this was the case because only she and Tim Blackwell now appeared on the station's website. Bradnam only rejoined the station's breakfast program recently after a hiatus in which he entered rehab following his arrest and subsequent conviction for drink-driving last year. Nova's breakfast show lost its long-held No.1 spot to B105's Labby, Camilla and Stav in the first ratings survey for 2010. Laurie said via Twitter direct message that she could comment no further.
Disclosure: Brett Debritz is heard on 612ABC's Breakfast with Spencer Howson program, which is joint No.1 in breakfast with B105.

Rather than shave his head, 612 ABC's Spencer Howson is raising funds for the Leukaemia Foundation, via Sandgate High School, by threatening to wear a mankini if Members of State Parliament don't collectively cough up $1000. You can hear the audio here or donate directly to the Shave for a Cure campaign here.
Disclosure: Brett Debritz is heard on 612ABC on Friday mornings at 6.50am Brisbane time. You can listen online (if you have Windows Media software) here.

Is it time for the media to lay off Lara Bingle? Sure she's done her best to be famous, but is there any reason now for blow-by-blow coverage written by journalists who are apparently being paid to trail her every step. And do the public really care that much?

In the UK, commercial radio stations are licensed to provide a certain service. If they want to change their format, they have to apply to the regulator, Ofcom. The Guardian reports that a station in Wales, Nation Radio, has received permission to play "credible rock and avoiding 'manufactured' pop". Well done, Ofcom.

One of the first things journalists learn is how to write an attention-grabbing intro. I suppose it helps to do this when you work in the Northern Territory, where out-of-the-ordinary events (often involving crocodiles and alcohol) are commonplace. Take today's NT News story, bylined Alyssa Betts, that begins:

A MAN who pleaded guilty to his 11th drive unlicensed charge believes his troubles began when he was stabbed in the back while having sex.

But wait, there's more! Those who choose to read on - and who wouldn't? - discover that the stabbing occurred while the defendant was "having sex and trying to organise a three-way orgy". Apparently he invited a 19-year-old woman, who was watching the act, to join in. Instead, she stabbed him in the back with a kitchen knife. The NT News reports that the man "paused in his sexual activity and noticed the knife sticking out of his back". As you would ...

It's inevitable that we will be soon asked to pay for certain content on news websites that have hitherto been free. The Australian reports this morning that Rupert and James Murdoch and senior News Corp executives (including News Ltd managers) attended a meeting last month to discuss plans to charge for online content. The paper reports:

News Limited (publisher of The Australian) has undertaken a research study into the types of content for which Australians are likely to pay, although it's understood the company has no plans to release details.

And, of course, that's the key. What will people pay for? I'm assuming that the News bosses realise much of what is already on its websites is not worth paying for -- not because it's not informative, but because the same stories are mostly accessible elsewhere for free. This puzzles me, because I would have thought that if you were going to start, apparently imminently, to charge for a product, you'd be doing your best to make the free version so outstanding that many people would have no hesitation in paying when asked to do so. This leads me to the thought that it's not the exisitng news websites that News intends to charge for, but new, targetted sites or subsites yet to be unveiled.

Given Richard Dawkins was in Australia last week, plugging his new book, I think it appropriate that this weekend's video features a South Park-style animation of him answering the "most simplest" question: "What if you're wrong?"

PS: My other favourite of the week is the Taiwanese TV station's animated version of allegations about bullying by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The video, via British TV show The Bubble, is here.

Don't say you haven't been warned: The Footy Show is returning to Channel 9 next Thursday night at 9.30. This year it will face competition from a new show on Seven fronted by former Footy Show star Matthew Johns and featuring Shane Webke. It will premiere sometime this month. To misquote Roy and HG, sometimes too much sport is more than enough.

If you missed me on Spencer Howson's program on 612ABC, the audio has been posted here. We spoke about the possibility that I will run as an independent candidate for Lord Mayor of Brisbane -- on the grounds that local government decision-making in the city is far too politicised (and has been since 1955). I also asked: since when is 60 "elderly"?