Steve Price: Those dancing on grave of ‘woke’ The Project expose their own ignorance

Melbourne and Australia lost something unique this week – a live TV show with passion, courage, humour and a heart. Those dancing on its grave are ignorant.

People dancing on the grave of Ten’s The Project ending its sixteen-year run on prime-time TV are ignorant.

It means that virtually all live television, bar some AFL panel shows, and some comedy programs and the 6pm news are now run out of Sydney.

Melbourne is the big loser today and the city will never get back what it had – ever again.

The Sydney based Ten network is said to be replacing The Project with a loosely described show hosted by ex-Channel 7 staff with the word investigative in the title.

Good luck to them but it sounds to me like an extension to the hour-long existing news service and a cheaper version of what really has been a groundbreaking TV program.

I’ve sat on the end of The Project desk for around 15 years.
Starting back in 2010 with Carrie Bickmore and Charlie Pickering as anchors and Dave Hughes as the programs comedian we were called the 7PM Project and ran for a half an hour.

Waleed Aly, Gorgi Coghlan and Steve Price on the panel. Picture: Channel 10.

During 2010 the show was extended to an hour starting at 6.30pm and renamed The Project.

As the longest serving panel member and a conservative old white guy, how I lasted for one year let alone fifteen has been a miracle.

I’ve worked with two full time female hosts, Carrie and the wonderful Sarah Harris plus two permanent male hosts Charlie and the remarkable Waleed Aly, plus fill in hosts like Hamish McDonald, Peter Van-Onselen and Georgie Tunney plus comedians swapping chairs

after Hughesy left.

The concept of The Project was largely a brave brainwave from Roving Enterprises’ Craig Campbell.

The idea was to combine a news program with comedy and opinion.

Original and groundbreaking the show won awards, made national TV stars out of its hosts and gave visiting musicians, rock stars, authors and sports people a night-time vehicle to plug concerts, movies and books and tolerated politicians also pushing their own barrows.

I went to Queensland and interviewed Pauline Hanson and Peter Dutton in separate interviews because they said they didn’t trust the other hosts and would only talk to me.

I supported Donald Trump the first time around and was almost hounded off the show for doing so.

Price logged 15 years on The Project desk. Picture: Channel 10

I nearly got cancelled and had to apologise to former New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern for something I’ve long forgotten I said.

At one point I was fearful of losing my house over a loose remark made about one of the Corby family who threatened to sue me personally. Ten stepped in and saved me.

Those ignorant people doing the “glad they got sacked” dance over the cancellation called the show woke and leftie – hello, I am the exact opposite of that description – and have been there from almost the start.

Show me that sort of political balance on any ABC TV show – you can’t.

The human face of this decision is what troubles me the most.

The Project was the best resourced media show I have ever worked on.

Behind the scenes was a gifted, hardworking crew of young producers, comedy writers,

editors, journalists, camera operators, make-up artists and wardrobe assistants.

Most if not all these talented crew are now out of work as the replacement show moves to Sydney.

Economic times are tough, I know that, and free to air TV is in a battle with global streaming services to survive.

Melbourne and Australia has lost something unique this week – a live TV show with passion, courage, humour and a heart.

It’s sad.