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And the Logies go to ‘tacky’ Gold Coast for next four years

The Australian television industry’s biggest awards night, the Logies, will be held on the Gold Coast for the next four years.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced on Friday that she had secured a major win over her Victorian counterpart after it was confirmed TV’s night-of-nights will be held at The Star casino from next July.

“I don’t think the Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews is very happy at the moment, but it’s coming to the Gold Coast and it’s going to be fantastic,” she told Channel Nine.

“In fact, why don’t we rename it the Goldies?

The Victorian Government announced last week  it would withdraw about $1 million in funding for the Melbourne-based event, first held in 1959 when the first Gold Logie was won by TV legend Graham Kennedy.

“We’ve got the Commonwealth Games coming next year, this will come afterwards and I think it’s going to be fantastic.

“It brings the tourism, it brings the people, it brings the glamour and the glitz – we know Gold Coast can put that on.

“What a great opportunity to showcase the Gold Coast,” she said, adding that the deal will bring $40 million to Queensland over the next four years.

Channel Nine host Karl Stefanovic was outspoken in his criticism of the decision to move the Logies from Victoria, a stance he repeated when pressed by Ms Palaszczuk on the Today Show.

“I am not one of these people, Premier, who floats with the breeze on this,” Mr Stefanovic said.

“(Victorian premier) Daniel Andrews had an absolute shock losing it, you must feel like you have picked up a coup.”

TV Week editor Emma Nolan believed Mr Stefanovic would come around to the idea, and believed celebrities will embrace the new location for the awards.

“Of course Karl’s going to be on the red carpet,” Ms Nolan told AAP.

Last week, God Coast mayor Tom Tate said his city and the Logies went “hand in hand”.

“It’s befitting because it’s a tacky industry coming to a tacky city,” he said.

“All those superstars on television, why wouldn’t they want to come to the Gold Coast and spend their time …. relaxing in the high-quality lifestyle and [walking] along the beach?”

Logie Awards

Samuel Johnson won last year’s Gold Logie. Photo: AAP

The Victorian Government made the decision to pull the funding after “extensive consultation with key stakeholders and a comprehensive event analysis”.

Victoria’s Major Events Minister John Eren earlier said the Logies was never profitable for the state and it was only funded for sentimental reasons.

“I think it’s time to pass the baton. We’re looking at value for money when you spend taxpayers’ dollars and you want maximum return on those dollars,” he said.

In May, the NSW Government lobbied organisers to move the Logies to Tamworth in 2018, with the possibility of taking it to other regional centres like Dubbo and Albury the following years.

He said the government had tried to negotiate a solution with the organisers, but it did not work out.

—with ABC/AAP

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