Tom Ballard Bids Tonightly Farewell: ‘Cherish The ABC, It’s Under Threat’
Tom Ballard has farewelled Tonightly, in a tongue-in-cheek, emotional goodbye.
Equal parts cynical and grateful, Ballard thanked all who had had a hand in creating Tonightly, included everyone at the ABC.
In his final address, Ballard called the broadcaster “incredible” and admitted the show could not have happened on any other channel.
Ballard said: “I want to say a huge thank you to the ABC, we made a few jokes about them tonight but we have a fundamental love of this place and we’re so lucky to have made this show happen at all.
“ABC, I think you’re incredible.”
He added: “It couldn’t have happened anywhere else, maybe SBS but with half the budget of the shit budget we have here.”
Getting teary, Ballard then praised the broadcaster and warned the broadcaster was “under threat” and encouraged viewers to fight for it.
“We have to value the ABC, this place is incredible and it’s under threat.
“But I’m so thankful for the ABC as a viewer and Australian, this place is vital for our culture and country and if you love the ABC please let people know about it, please defend it and cherish it,” he said.
Though, Ballard then commented: “But, a bit of feedback, please do not stop making things like this, risky and subversive and fun and batshit crazy and boundary pushing stuff.”
“Keep taking risks. It’s not happening anywhere else, please keep making shows like this for young people.”
Ballard added: “The truth is, Tonightly was a good TV show, sometimes it made a lot of shit, I’ll take the blame for that.
“But every once in a while I thought we were extraordinary.”
The ABC announced it would be axing Tonightly in mid-August.
Following the announcement, the ABC said in a statement, the show “deliberately pushed boundaries to inform and entertain”.
It added, “Attracting younger audiences requires bold approaches and we continually experiment with new content and new formats particularly on digital platforms.
“We remain committed to exploring and developing projects that connect with different demographics.
“We are proud of the program and its role in supporting some of Australia’s best emerging comedy talent.”
Latest News
Swinburne University Of Technology And FourthRev Help Students Gain Hands On Digital Skills
Swinburne University of Technology has launched a series of Bootcamp Graduate Certificate courses, developed in partnership with FourthRev. The courses, an Australian-first, will upskill career changers and provide students the capabilities required to thrive in the digital economy. They are available on-campus and through its online arm, Swinburne Online. Alongside completing projects which will emulate […]
PayPal Partners With Welcome To Country
PayPal has partnered with Welcome to Country, Australia’s first Indigenous-led not-for-profit marketplace, which showcases businesses that support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Welcome to Country launched in 2019, providing an online platform for Indigenous experience providers across tours, day treks, scenic flights, bush food, festivals, art and cultural experiences. When the pandemic hit, the […]
Former Deputy PM Julie Bishop Now Has Her Own Barbie Doll
Former liberal politician and female icon Julie Bishop has further cemented her celebrity status by scoring her very own Barbie doll. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Barbie creators Mattel, created the Barbie doll in Bishop’s likeness to honour her achievements. Unfortunately, the Julie Bishop Barbie won’t be for sale. Instead, the one-off doll was […]
The Brag Media Refreshes Look For Three Titles, Makes Two Hires
The Brag Media has given its mastheads a spruce and a spring clean. One staffer even suffering a dust mite allergy.
Christiano Ronaldo Removes Coke Bottles From Presser, Stings The Brand $5.2 Billion In Marketing
To be fair to Coke, it's like water just with biphenol-A, phosphoric acid, aspartame, sucralose & acesulfame potassium.
ABC Radio Host Jon Faine Calls Out Peter Dutton For Constantly Trying To Sue Him
You'd be right in thinking the government's relationship with the ABC was starting to resemble an episode of MAFS.
WPP’s Comms Man Toby Hemmings Departs After Just Nine Months In The Role
WPP's local newsagent raking it in on leaving cards as yet another high-profile staffer heads for the exits.
Two-Thirds Of Vehicle Owners Fear They Won’t Have Transportation Flexibility In The Future
R/GA unveils its 'Future of Mobility Report'. Once again, no signs of flying cars, jet packs or teleporting.
Underwear Subscription Brand Knobby Shares Loyal Customers’ Stories In New Campaign
Here's some important underpants news if the state of your own Y-fronts or knickers have forced you into celibacy.
Digital Marketing Agency Whitehat Debuts New Website
Full-service digital marketing agency Whitehat Agency has launched its new website and branding, with the end-to-end project delivered by its own team of experienced in-house website designers, developers and UX specialists. After a challenging 2020, Whitehat Agency has experienced a very positive 2021 to date, onboarding nine new clients including The Dog Mum, Handpicked Wines, Compost […]
Thrive Homes Targets Broad Audience In The Property Market With ‘Clever Choice’ Campaign
Award-winning house and land provider, Thrive Homes has launched a new brand campaign to encourage homebuyers worried about the complicated process of building a new home to say 'no' to stress and 'yes' to an efficient, more affordable new home without compromising quality by making 'The Clever Choice' and choosing Thrive.
NRL Beanies For Brain Cancer Launches For 2021
This remains a top initiative by the NRL. Unlike the mid-strength beer at games and the exorbitant ticket prices.
Fintech Start Up DiviPay Bolster Team With Head Of Accounting
Fast-growing fintech startup DiviPay has announced the appointment of one of Australia’s most influential and reputable public figures in the accounting world, Trent McLaren, as its head of accounting. The move will enable Divipay to expand its reach into the accounting industry, with the aim of growing its business customer base. DiviPay, Australia’s first virtual […]
ABC Set To Move Staff To Parramatta
Airs a QAnon story on Monday, gets moved to Parramatta by Wednesday. You do the maths people, you do the maths.
Reporter Stalked By Creepy Neighbour From ‘Home Alone’ While Reporting On Murderer Who Killed With A Nutribullet & Sheep Sedatives
This will be the best thing you read all day. Although it could also be the worst thing such is the unhinged reporting.
Adhesive Wins PR For Domain Group
Independent agency Adhesive has been appointed the public relations agency of record in Australia for the Domain Group, a leading property technology and services marketplace. The appointment will see Adhesive support PR & communications and campaign media activity for Domain, across consumer, corporate and B2B market remits. Adhesive will work closely with Domain’s in-house communications, […]
New Podcast ‘Come Out Wherever You Are’ Launches On LiSTNR For Pride Month
Sean Szeps is a gay father and a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community who believes he does not know enough about those within his community that have different gender and sexual identities to his own. Feeling compelled to explore the unique experiences of every member of the community, Szeps’ new podcast, Come Out Wherever […]
Façon Magazine Celebrates Powerful Women In Femme Issue
Visitors to B&T will always see the latest Façon in reception. We use it to hide New Idea and Boat & Trailer magazine.
Triple J To Launch New First Nations Show ‘Blak Out’
This headline may appear riddled with typos, but it's actually not. The actual body copy we're far less confident about.
Tuesday TV Wrap: Celebrity Apprentice Winner Announcement Tops Entertainment Charts
Celebrity Apprentice has been run & won for another year, meaning we must be due another reality cooking show very soon.
Thinkerbell Unveils Trio Of Spots In First Work For Bupa
These health insurance ads have a distinct Gen Y feel about them. Stops short of mentioning avocados on sourdough.
Carrefour Partners With LiveRamp To Deliver Next-Generation Retail Offerings
Carrefour may sound like a character from Beauty and the Beast, but fear not, this is still a tech story.
Broadcaster Forced To Apologise After Reporter Threatens To Beat Up Heckler
B&T first aired this story on Monday, so it does come with a whiff of 3-day-old leftovers in the back of the fridge.
Can Data Sharing Marketplaces Take On The Tech Giants?
Data marketplaces are just like your local farmer's market, just without the gozleme or giant orange juice machine.
A Road Map To The Right Marketing Combination
Here is a road map to the right marketing combination that'll be of no use whatsoever for a road trip to Coonabarabran.
LiSTNR Announces Collaborations With Apple Podcast Subscriptions
Good news this morning for podcast enthusiasts. Not so good for podcast advertisers, however.
10 ViacomCBS & Football Australia Announce $300 Million Socceroos & Matildas Broadcast Deal
Who doesn't love watching the Socceroos crush footballing powerhouses such as Palau and Tuvalu.
A Home For Marketing: How Medibank Centralised Its Marketing Operations For An Agile World
It's an insightful look at the marketing operations of Medibank that doesn't reveal the code to its stash of emeralds.
Ron Ramaiya Joins The Lab As Head Of Data Science
Ron Ramaiya joins The Lab as head of data science. Although he could've also played a cop in Starsky & Hutch.
No Measurement, No Worries? What Apple’s Latest Privacy Changes Mean For Marketing
Privacy added to the list of reasons why Apple can charge you $2,000+ for an iPhone.
