THIS week we announce the winners of the inaugural Charlie Awards, but before that, the biggest winner is Australia.
It's been an incredible year. We've been through a downturn, but nothing like most of the Western world.
The advertising industry has fallen by about 7 per cent, as bad as it has been since 2001, the year of September 11. But the signs are that we are on the way back.
Consumers are feeling very good again, which means 2010 will be a year of consolidation and will lead us into 2011 with every sign of great growth.
The 2009 winners of the Charlie Awards are:
1. Kerry Stokes Continued to chair the most successful TV network plus a magazine group that's going places and at the same time use some of his spare cash to buy back into the media in "jumping" Western Australia. Still had time to run a big business in China, go deep-sea diving and ski. What a life.
2. Roger Corbett Took on the top job at Fairfax and immediately got the team lined up behind him. Suddenly, peace in our time. Also served on the board of the Reserve Bank and Walmart's board in the US. Louise always likes someone who can tell the Americans how to run things, especially going shopping.
3. Rob Morgan Runs Australia's most successful advertising agency, the Clemenger Group, at a time when world companies have melted around him. Took time out in the downturn years to get married for the first time and happily start a family, at a stage in life when most people are settling their second divorce.
4. Stephen Conroy The Communications Minister pulled off the impossible and set us up for the 21st century with plans for modern broadband. Gave Telstra a bit of a headache along the way.
5. Mark Scott The ABC head with government funding behind him is managing an organisation that people used to say was unmanageable. He also managed to take a potshot at Rupert for being out of date, and still kept his job.
6. Wil Anderson As compere of the highly successful ABC show The Gruen Transfer, he made the mysteries of advertising a little easier to understand for the ordinary folk, and won the ratings.
7. Peter Harvie Boss of Austereo, the Triple M and Today networks, he continued to secure big ratings. Reined in Kyle Sandilands but importantly came to peace with the Jewish community. Taught us all something about being patient and understanding.
8. Daryl Somers Mr Hey Hey It's Saturday returned to the top of the charts with two standout shows and more to come next year. Reminded us that the good old days weren't so bad after all.
9. Paul and Andrew Bassett The creators of Seek have shaken up the internet world as a truly Australian company. Saw early shareholder James Packer leave their shareholder base with a few hundred million in his pocket. Thanks, boys.
10. Kim Williams So competitive and successful that the world sometimes finds it easy to hate him, but he's turned Foxtel into a real force that will dominate into the future.
Congratulations to all the winners. Next year will be great, with signs of boom times returning in 2011. How do I know? Charlie told me. From Louise, Charlie, Wilcox and me, have a wonderful holiday.
Harold Mitchell is the executive chairman of Mitchell Communication Group.
