THE RATINGS GAME

Back to Emma's island home

By MATT BYRNE

FOR Port Lincoln's Emma Forster, joining Nine's Out of the Blue program last year has finally meant a return to her teenage island home - Thistle Island, off the Port Lincoln coast.

On Saturday, June 19, at 5.30pm, Emma takes the two Michaels - Keelan and Angelakis - on a nostalgic tour of SA's second biggest island, to show them the sights and bites.

Whether Emma was catching a 68kg Australian record Eagle Ray at age 11 or catching a ride on her mother's plane across to Port Lincoln to go to St Joseph's School, she says life was never dull.

"From beautiful beaches to rugged cliffs, a seal colony, an ocean full of fish and a small community of people who love this place, Thistle Island is unique," Emma says.

"I was so lucky to spend my teenage years here."

See the Mikes cook up a mess of fresh fish on the beach for next week's episode.

Popstar new on charts

30-year-old Kayne Taylor, a former postal worker from Melbourne, has been chosen as Australia's newest Popstar.

Seven's Popstars Live may have been one of the biggest PR disasters and ratings disappointments of recent times but one hopes it will produce two new music stars.

Winner Kayne Taylor has a $1 million recording contract and his single Heartbreaker is ready for release, as is runner-up Miranda's single That Girl.

Both were co-written with Universal Music's Trevor Steel.

New Movie show hosts

AFTER recovering from the shock of former Movie Show hosts Margaret Pomerantz and David Stratton jumping ship to go to the ABC, SBS has announced a new panel.

Sydneysiders Megan Spencer, Jaimie Leonarder and Fenella Kernebone are the new movie reviewers, and Marc Fennell will host a new DVD review segment.

So expect a new look, a fresh approach and no Christmas cards for Margaret and David!

Beatlemania on Seven

THE unforgettable 1964 visit of the Beatles to Adelaide changed a city forever and Seven has produced a 30-minute special, Yesterday - The Beatles in Adelaide, to recall that heady time.

Grant Cameron will host the show, also to feature recollections from petition organiser Bob Francis, singer Bev Harrell, Graham Cornes, Jan Beasley, Anne Wills, Graeme Goodings, John Riddell and journalist Mike Hughes, who attended the Beatles' press conference at the old South Australian Hotel.

Each one has a different story to tell about the day 350,000 fans welcomed The Fab Four for their world famous appearance at the Town Hall balcony.

Francis, now Adelaide's top-rating evening announcer sums it up: "Beatles music will be played in 40 years time, and I don't think today's music will be played in 40 years time. I loved that day 40 years ago."

True Blue Conlon

KEITH Conlon shows his true Double Blue colours in this week's Postcards (Sunday, June 13, at 5.30pm) when he examines the history behind the Sturt Football Club at Unley.

Michael Keelan, from Out of the Blue, travels to Polish Hill River in the Clare Valley to explore Polish settlement and comes out with a story about Ned Kelly.

The show also takes a trip to the Nullarbor to see a rare white whale calf, and spreads some famous fig jam from the Glen Ewin Estate.

Dame Edna goes palatial!

WATCH out for Dame Edna's latest outrageous outing when the Moonee Ponds housewife superstar goes Buckingham for Dame Edna - Lives at the Palace on ABC-TV on Thursday, June 17, at 8.30pm.

Australia's loudest export invites some fabulous guests to stay with her, including actors Jeremy Irons, former Spice Girl Mel C, Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood and The Osmonds who refuse to leave!

MIX rocking on

MIX 102.3 continues to rack up the ratings, clearly establishing itself as Adelaide's No. 2 FM commercial station.

With Triple M abdicating its rock role to successfully snatch the younger pre-NOVA crowd, MIX has gone on the attack with some entertaining billboards around town.

It's now the station people turn to for a mix of classic and contemporary rock and pop music in Adelaide.

Rookie Medicos

SEVEN will debut its new medical reality series M.R. - Medical Rookies this Thursday, June 10, at 7.30pm.

The show follow the lives "medical rookies" - everyone from interns, surgeons and nurses to specialists, as they take their first steps in their chosen fields at Sydney's Westmead Hospital, the largest teaching hospital in Australia.

These are real patients, real lives and real risks as we see their progress inside and outside the hospital and the effect of the job on their family and friends too.

Hutt Street Rumour

WHICH radio executive has been besieged by phone calls from prospective staff, especially from rival radio stations?