Rove returns as ARIAs host

Rove McManus will host the 2007 ARIA Awards.

It is a return to the role for him after a three-year break.

His co-hosts for the evening will be James Mathison and Hamish and Andy.

The ceremony on Sunday October 28 kicks off at 8:30pm. TEN will also screen the ARIA Red Carpet from 7pm with an 'Australian Made' theme for Australian Idol sandwiched in the middle in its usual 7:30 slot. In previous years this has been pre-recorded to allow the contestants and judges to attend the event.

This week Rove told The Age he often thought about being over-exposed. "That's why I haven't said yes to the ARIAs for the last couple of years. I thought that people were getting a bit sick of me. So I tried to step out of the limelight for a little bit."

Roving Enterprises will again produce the event, which has generally received industry acclaim. As McManus' contract comes up for renewal with TEN later this year, the host can look back on 2007 as a year of highs and lows. Following the death of wife Belinda Emmett, Rove took 6 months off, bounded back with a renewed tonight show, won Logies, appeared twice on Jay Leno's show and has had a strong launch with Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?

So far the answer is yes. Read more...

All at sea for MIPCOM

Nine boss David Gyngell has moored the Packer yacht within sight of MIPCOM's TV trade fair, reportedly to show Seven and TEN he means business.

MIPCOM is being held in Cannes and ends tomorrow.

Gyngell is said to be buying up big on game shows for the network in 2008.

He also has programming boss Michael Healey, head of production Andrew Backwell, factual entertainment boss John McAvoy and LA-based program buyer Andrea Keir and Jo Horsburgh at his side. Ten has Grant Blackley, David Mott and Rick Maier and Seven has sent Tim Worner, Brad Lyons, Angus Ross and Graeme Hill.

Nine already has the game show Power of Ten in the pipeline, and has all but forgotten about another, Show Me The Money, it announced as part of its 2007 line-up.

Checkout a floorplan and exhibitors at MIPCOM here.

Sources: The Australian, news.com.au, mipcom
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Out of the Arena

Foxtel took over the management of the Arena Channel from XYZ Networks earlier this month and it has opted not to continue Kathryn Eisman's role as a channel presenter.

Eisman was a reporter for the Xclusive showbiz programme.

"We are developing a new slate for Arena and unfortunately Kathryn doesn't fit in with those plans," a spokesperson told the Daily Telegraph.

But Eisman was upbeat. "From my perspective nothing has changed - I'm still contracted to XYZ and I respect that, I'm excited to be working with them," she said.

"We're just seeing how everything falls after the change." Read more...