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Paul Barry
Thursday, 28 June 2012
There is much ado at The Australian this morning following the discovery that News Corporation's head honcho in Australia, Kim Williams, was not the only one to receive a Murdoch summons to New York over the weekend.
Stephen Bartholomeusz
Friday, 13 July 2012
When Harold Mitchell decided two years ago to sell the media buying business he had spent 34 years building he did something quite brave and, it transpires, very clever.
Bernard Keane
Tuesday, 07 August 2012
Media policy statements from major party politicians should always be vetted against mogul-centrism, for that is their key purpose. Yesterday’s venture into media policy by Tony Abbott was no exception.
The Power Index
Tuesday, 05 June 2012
The one agency of media regulation in this country with genuine powers seems determined not to use them. Journalist and former Media Watch EP David Salter examines its latest finding against the Nine Network.
James Thomson
Monday, 25 June 2012
Seven Group chief Kerry Stokes is looming as the wildcard in the battle for Australia’s pay TV industry, with reports today suggesting Stokes could take on Rupert Murdoch by launching a counter offer for James Packer’s pay TV group, Consolidated Media.
Matthew Knott
Thursday, 14 June 2012
An ABC apology to Coalition front-bencher Scott Morrison over claims he pandered to racist attitudes towards asylum seekers has re-launched debate about the public broadcaster's forays into opinion and commentary.
Paul Barry
Thursday, 11 October 2012
Next week's annual general meeting of News Corp shareholders in Los Angeles, at Hollywood's Daryl F. Zanuck Theater will see formidable forces ranged against the might of the Murdochs.
Paul Barry
Friday, 02 December 2011
Some are traditional owners; some are the hired help. Some are so good they've ended up owning a fair bit of what they run. But all have power to affect what we read, watch, hear or are subjected to in the media.
The Power Index
Thursday, 23 February 2012
Ten Network's profits have plunged – and so have Lachlan Murdoch's, James Packer's and Gina Rinehart's investments. The trio of media moguls have suffered heavy losses as Ten's first half revenue has slumped by 14%.
Leigh Josey
Wednesday, 27 June 2012
In a statement given to Four Corners, Gina Rinehart described Andrew Bolt’s The Bolt Report programme as “very popular in country areas.” Statistics beg to differ.
Paul Barry
Wednesday, 02 May 2012
Rupert Murdoch has two straws to cling onto after he was savaged by British MPs overnight in a devastating report on the News of the World phone-hacking scandal.
Paul Barry
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
If angelic superstar soprano Charlotte Church is to be believed, Rupert Murdoch's newspapers may not have just offered favours to politicians for doing the right thing. They offered the service to singers as well.
Matthew Knott
Monday, 12 December 2011
Kim Williams had better watch out. The word around Holt Street is that domineering New York Post editor Col Allan, best known for taking Kevin Rudd to a New York strip club, could be heading back to Australia to run News Limited's print division.
James Thomson
Friday, 06 July 2012
Gina Rinehart isn’t known for olive branches, but that appears to be what she’s extended to the Fairfax board.
Glenn Dyer
Thursday, 01 November 2012
Nine’s apparent debt free status looks like being a temporary situation. There are no free lunches with hedge funds, just as there are no free lunches with private equity.
Paul Barry
Thursday, 21 June 2012
Kim Williams' video to staff yesterday, announcing radical surgery at News Ltd to keep the patient alive, displayed a brilliant bedside manner, especially when it came to telling staff that some of them would regrettably have to go.
Matthew Knott
Thursday, 13 September 2012
At their best newspaper campaigns bring important issues to light, motivate the public to engage in the democratic process and force politicians to improve public policy. At their worst they blur fact and opinion, silence alternative points of view and lead to news being manufactured rather than reported.
Matthew Knott
Monday, 18 June 2012
Risky, long overdue and a threat to democracy: that's the verdict of former Fairfax editors on the dramatic overhaul of Fairfax's metropolitan newspapers announced this morning.
Paul Barry
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Where is Rupert Murdoch when you need him? His favourite editor and surrogate daughter, Rebekah Brooks, has been charged with three counts of phone hacking at the News of the World and we don’t get a peep out of him.
Andrew Crook
Monday, 18 June 2012
Fairfax Media will move The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age to a tabloid and sack 1900 staff — including 380 journalists — as part of a massive cost-cutting drive to save the media giant from corporate oblivion.
Matthew Knott
Thursday, 12 July 2012
Our “If I ran Fairfax” series continues with a Johannesburg-based journo, a Liberal party election campaign veteran, a leading ad-man, and a former editor of The Age weigh in with their ideas.
Glenn Dyer
Thursday, 13 September 2012
New research on TV audience share for August states Ten had the worst since the turn of the century and that more people watched Foxtel during the Olympics. There's more to it than that.
The Power Index
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
ABC managing director Mark Scott has stood by the broadcaster's dumping of former political reporter Glenn Milne. Scott says Milne's case is entirely different to that of re-employed journo Peter Lloyd, who lost his job when he was arrested for drug possession in Singapore.
Paul Barry
Tuesday, 26 June 2012
Yesterday, Fairfax's top editors resigned as the company continued its push into the online era. That's created a new power triumvirate of Greg Hywood, Garry Linnell and Jack Matthews.
Paul Barry
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
Since its inception, Rupert Murdoch has never been out of the Guardian's media power top 10. But this year the 81-year-old tycoon has been relegated to #11, where, woe of woes, he suffers the indignity of being one spot below the man running Britain's powerful press inquiry, Lord Leveson. Oh, how are the mighty fallen.
Paul Barry
Tuesday, 20 March 2012
Paul Barry presents part one of an examination into the allegations against James Murdoch.
Stephen Bartholomeusz
Monday, 18 June 2012
The radical, brutal restructuring of Fairfax Media's metropolitan mastheads that was unveiled today is an inevitable and unavoidable, and belated, acceptance of the new media realities. It's also Fairfax's last desperate chance of saving two once-great Australian mastheads.
Paul Barry
Friday, 24 August 2012
After all that's happened to the Murdochs in Britain this year, it’s extraordinary that one of Rupert’s immediate family could be cheered onto the stage at a major media function and clapped off at the end to rapturous applause. But that's what happened to Rupert’s second daughter Elisabeth when she rounded on her family last night.
Matthew Knott
Tuesday, 14 August 2012
If Gina Rinehart ever gets her way and wins a spot on the Fairfax board, there's one person she should ring for advice: Ita Buttrose.
Paul Barry
Wednesday, 04 April 2012
Another day, another defeat for James Murdoch, who quit yesterday as executive chairman of the family's pay TV business BSkyB after nine years in charge.
James's empire at News Corp—where he is technically third in charge, behind his father and Chase Carey—has now shrunk to only the Italian and Asian pay TV operations.
Paul Barry
Thursday, 22 March 2012
James Murdoch maintains that he did not pick up the 'smoking gun' documents that showed phone hacking was rife at News of the World.
Paul Barry
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
The House of Commons committee investigating phone hacking at the News of the World is already three months overdue with its report because members have been arguing about how hard to whack James Murdoch. So will they brand him a liar or settle for chump? And just what is the evidence against him?
Paul Barry
Thursday, 03 May 2012
Poor Kerry would be turning in his grave, again. The word on the street – according to News Ltd reports – is that James Packer has decided to sell out of the media and spend his money on buying more casinos.
Tom Cowie
Friday, 13 January 2012
Influential current affairs magazine The Monthly has chosen a new editor to take the reins from the departing Ben Naparstek, appointing journalist John van Tiggelen to the role.
Matthew Knott
Tuesday, 28 August 2012
Five years ago, Ten -- thanks to its focus on the advertiser-friendly young demographic -- was the country's most profitable network. Now it's the least profitable. So who's killing Channel Ten?
James Thomson
Monday, 03 September 2012
It’s easy to focus on the bad news out of the media sector at the moment but on the weekend we also saw a bit of very good news emerge from the Murdoch family camp.
Paul Barry
Tuesday, 31 July 2012
If Lachlan Murdoch is banking on boy wonder Adam Boland to come over to Channel Ten and save his struggling Breakfast program, he may well be disappointed.
Paul Barry
Friday, 25 May 2012
The more we hear about the Murdochs' cosy relationship with British politicians the more astonishing it becomes. And nowhere is the story more scandalous than in the attempt to take over BSkyB.
Glenn Dyer
Thursday, 20 September 2012
How many people does it take to run the Ten TV network? Or rather, how many chiefs? That's the question with the hiring of ad man -- and rival network star -- Russel Howcroft.
The Power Index
Monday, 16 April 2012
ABC supremo Mark Scott will have been smiling over his cornflakes this morning after the national broadcaster was a surprise winner at last night's Logie awards.
Paul Barry
Thursday, 15 December 2011
Our Media Maestros must be rubbing their hands in glee this morning to hear that Australia's cross media laws are destined for the dustbin.
Matthew Knott
Monday, 20 August 2012
Kim Williams has seen the future — and it’s got a tattoo, a handlebar moustache and a CV long enough to stretch from one end of Holt Street to another.
Paul Barry
Thursday, 06 September 2012
So, has young Jimmy been sacked, demoted, or shown the door for the phone hacking that took place at News International? Well, no. He’s been promoted and awarded a US$5 million cash bonus for having such a great year.
The Power Index
Thursday, 09 February 2012
It was all hands on deck for one of Australia's most powerful families last night, as Dame Elisabeth Murdoch celebrated her 103rd birthday at the Melbourne Recital Centre.
Paul Barry
Wednesday, 27 June 2012
If Rupert Murdoch goes ahead and cuts his newspapers adrift from the hugely profitable movie and cable-TV business at News Corp, there will be big changes, which will put yet more pressure on journalists and journalism.
Paul Barry
Friday, 21 September 2012
Good news and bad news for the Murdochs this morning. The good news is that Britain’s powerful TV regulator Ofcom says BSkyB can keep its valuable pay-TV licence. The bad news is the watchdog has given Rupert’s youngest son, James, a mauling for his failure to act on the News of the World phone-hacking scandal.
Matthew Knott
Thursday, 07 June 2012
Labor MPs are calling for tougher media regulation and new privacy laws after revelations that Channel Nine aired an ex-prostitute's claims against Craig Thomson even though she had recanted from her story.
Andrew Crook
Thursday, 19 July 2012
Billionaire mining heiress Gina Rinehart has scored a coup in her slow-burn bid for control of Fairfax, after her closest adviser and confidante accepted an invitation to join the ailing media giant’s board.
Robert Gottliebsen
Monday, 27 August 2012
At some point Roy Hill bankers have to put it to Gina Rinehart that no matter how tempting Fairfax is she needs to make a choice between being a miner and a media proprietor. It's unlikely she'll take kindly to that suggestion.
Matthew Knott
Monday, 02 July 2012
Former editors of The Age have rubbished Gina Rinehart's provocative claim that Fairfax chairman Roger Corbett and his predecessor Ron Walker overrode the paper's charter of editorial independence by instructing an editor how to do his job.
Matthew Knott and Tom Cowie
Friday, 15 June 2012
Mining magnate Gina Rinehart's bid to score a seat — or two — on the board of Fairfax Media looks increasingly likely after she lifted her stake in the company to over 15% overnight. So just who would director Rinehart be dealing with in the boardroom?
Andrew Crook
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
Besieged media octogenarian Rupert Murdoch has commenced his three-week tour of his Australian backwater and Holt Street Kremlinologists have been busy piecing together his likely agenda.
Paul Barry
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
Despite the hype, no one really expected the News Corporation annual general meeting in Los Angeles this morning to sack Rupert Murdoch or transform the way he runs the company. But few could have predicted such a farcical affair.
James Thomson
Thursday, 28 June 2012
Many will admire the Fairfax board's stand to block Gina Rinehart. But from a business standpoint, the board is now in a very difficult position and has raised some really big questions.
Paul Barry
Wednesday, 20 June 2012
If you ever wondered how much the Packers made from winning the Super League war in the 1990s, you need look no further than today’s $1.97 billion bid by News Ltd to take over Consolidated Media Holdings.
Tom Cowie
Monday, 21 November 2011
The Sydney Morning Herald has launched a new ad campaign aimed directly at its competitors, including News Limited, declaring it is free from 'one person's influence'.
Lucy Clark
Thursday, 01 December 2011
An extensive study examining coverage of the carbon tax debate has found that News Limited papers crossed the line from reporting to campaigning.
Matthew Knott
Friday, 22 June 2012
Fired-up Fairfax journalists are recruiting celebrities, sports stars and political heavyweights in their last-ditch battle to force major shareholder Gina Rinehart to commit to refraining from influencing the company's editorial content if she wins seats on the board.
Paul Barry
Thursday, 26 April 2012
The real story of Rupert Murdoch's appearance before the Leveson Inquiry in London's High Court is the old fox is alive and kicking. Rupert may be 81, but he's still sharp, funny and a force.
Alan Kohler
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
The basic problem with the media's business model is that they've been giving their products away for free for so long the market price of most journalism has been reduced to zero.
Matthew Knott
Tuesday, 11 September 2012
Daily Telegraph editor Paul Whittaker's place in News Limited's power structure has received a major boost this morning following the departure of Sunday Telegraph editor Neil Breen after six years editing the country's top-selling paper.
Paul Barry
Thursday, 05 July 2012
Exactly one year after The Guardian blew the lid off the News of the World hacking scandal with its story on murdered teenager Milly Dowler, the man who organised the hacking for the Murdochs' paper, private eye Glenn Mulcaire, has been ordered by Britain's Supreme Court to name names -- and he has said he will do just that.
Glenn Dyer
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
The Ten Network debuts two important more programs tonight. It needs them to be hits, after the disaster of Everybody Dance Now. The flops are hurting the bottom line significantly
Matthew Knott
Friday, 06 July 2012
WikiLeaks has now teamed with a bankrupt Spanish publisher, a French web upstart and a newspaper accused of bias towards the Assad regime as media partners for the release of 2.4 million Syrian government emails.
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