David Gyngell not “over-excited” with FTA offerings

Nine Entertainment Co chief executive David Gyngell was the special guest on the Easter Monday edition of ABC TV's Media Watch last night.

Gyngell talked to host Paul Barry about the future of FTA TV in a world with increased video viewing options.

When asked about the challenges from players like Netflix, Stan and Presto, Gyngell said: "I’d love 1993 again. I’d love to be back before Foxtel was here. I’d love to be back with three networks. I’d love to be sitting here, and who cares if the audience complains and who cares if we put a bad show on, they have to watch it anyway. That was the world, but the fact is that, that’s not the world [now]. That’s not the world in any industry."

Speaking about the content offerings from the FTA broadcasters, Gyngell said: "I look across the spectrum of free-to-air television at the moment, whether it’s the ABC, whether it’s Nine or Seven or Ten, and I’m not particularly over-excited at what we’re putting up, so when I see an audience drop occasionally, I might say, ‘It’s a reflection of us in management and us, the people who are running these businesses. Are we giving them want they want?’ Because they’ve got choices to go and find out lots of different things so we’re going to have to adjust as people in the industry, to provide the consumer because they’re not going to tolerate mediocrity any more."

Listen to the interview with Gyngell here.