Media Flash
and Australian Media Job Directory
Monday, October 23, 2000
With Flash Updates at www.mediaflash.com.au
E-Mail: mediaflash@yahoo.com J Phone/Fax: 1-800 231 311
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Flash Points
a.. COWLEY BLASTS SHARE ACTIVIST: PMP Chairman Hits at Mayne
b.. JOHN B. FAIRFAX: 'Olympics Was Like January'
c.. $1.5 MIL. 'MISSING' AT ISIS: Plus $5 Mil. Lost On Sponsorship
d.. OLYMPICS - NEWSPAPER STYLE: Worth The Bother?
e.. WANTED: National Opinion Maker. SMH's New Leader Writer
f.. RAWARDS: All The Winners From Saturday Night
g.. KA-BOOM: Suburban Chiefs Slug It Out In Their Columns
h.. THEY'RE RACING: Now It's The Virtual Melbourne Cup
Regular Features
a.. ASIA-PACIFIC: Opposition Searches For Alternate Media
b.. YOUR ABC: Revolt At AM, PM and The World Today
c.. AIR WAVES: Melbourne Radio Identity Back At The Microphone
d.. STIX AND STONES: The Brawler, the Sprawler, the Drawler, and the Mauler
e.. MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Don Evans Is New Boss At Aust. Posters
f.. LONG SHOTS: E-Books Soon, Followed By E-Newspapers
g.. GOING RATES: What They're Paying At Text Media Group
h.. A LONG STORY - DOUBLE EPISODE: Newspaper Legend Don Brown
i.. AUSTRALIAN MEDIA JOB DIRECTORY: Dozens Of Career Opportunities
Our Major Advertisers
a.. BYRON SHIRE ECHO: 'Australia's Most Sophisticated Market'
b.. FAIRFAX COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS (VIC.): 20 Vibrant Melb. Newspapers
c.. FAST BOOKS: 2nd Independent Publishers Book Fair
d.. FORMAT: Monthly Newsletter For Publishers of Formatted Publications
e.. JOB DIRECTORY: Dozens Of Australian Media Jobs
f.. NEWS LIMITED SUBURBANS: More Than 90 Titles Around Australia
g.. Quadrant MAGAZINE - Australia's Leading Independent Review of Controversy
h.. SUBS PLUS - The Subscriptions Management System
i.. THE BRISBANE REPORT TV PROGRAM: Brisbane's Lifestyle TV Program
j.. THE SYDNEY REPORT TV PROGRAM: Sydney's Lifestyle TV Program
To advertise in Media Flash, send your ad by 5pm Friday. $110 for 200 words.
EARLY DEADLINE THIS WEEK: Ads need to be in by 5pm Thursday, October 26.
Fax: 1-800 231 311. Or E-Mail: mediaflash@yahoo.com
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BREAKING NEWS
$1.5 Mil. 'Missing' At Isis
* ADAM RADLY'S Isis Communications is launching an investigation into the disappearance of almost 10 per cent of its
plant and equipment, worth $1.5 million, from its premises in Melbourne, according to TONY BOYD of The Australian
Financial Review. The broadcasting equipment has been written off, after advice from company auditor Ernst & Young. The company expects to lose $29.7 million in the year to December 31, and its shares have slumped from 27 cents
to 18.8 cents. The company lost more than $5 million with last month's sponsorship of World Reconciliation Day,
featuring NELSON MANDELA. Chief Operating Officer PETER COLBY has taken over day-to-day running of Isis from Radly.
* DISCLOSURE: Isis Communications initiated discussions earlier this year, with the view of a web publishing joint
venture with Media Flash. No deal was completed.
Ken Cowley's Straight Shot
* KEN COWLEY, long-time RUPERT MURDOCH-lieutenant, easily maintained his position as Chairman of PMP Communications this
past week, despite speculation of disruption of the company's Annual General Meeting by 'shareholder activists'.
According to The Australian Financial Review, Cowley said the Shareowner.com.au activists were not interested in company
matters, but 'themselves'. 'Their agenda isn't about the company, their agenda is about themselves, so that irritates
me,' he grumbled. 'It's not good for the shareholders to have these people in the meetings making this noise.'
* STEPHEN MAYNE, Publisher of Crikey.com.au and Shareowner.com.au, is planning a schedule of attending Annual General
Meetings. Mon. Oct. 23: 11am, ASX Ltd (standing as Board candidate), at Sydney ASX Centre. Thurs. Oct. 26: Commonwealth
Bank (standing as Board candidate). Mon. Oct. 30: 11am. Text Media Group Ltd, at 342 Swanston St, Melbourne. Tues., Oct.
31. 10am. Paperlinx, at Melbourne Convention Centre. Thurs., Nov. 2. 3pm. WA News (standing as Board candidate), at
Parmelia Hilton. May not attend. Thurs. Nov. 2. 7pm. Fox Studios, Sydney. Fri. Nov. 3. 11am. PBL, at Sheraton On The
Park, Sydney. Wed. Nov. 8. Spotless Group, in Melbourne. Thurs. Nov. 9. 10am. Westfield Holdings (standing as Board
candidate), at Sydney Hilton.
Olympics: Worth The Bother?
* JOHN B. FAIRFAX, Chairman of Rural Press Ltd, says September trading 'was like the January holiday trading period due
to the staging of the Olympic Games in Sydney'. He told Friday's AGM, at North Richmond (NSW), that results for the
first 15 weeks of the current year are at about last year's levels. 'Trends for the remainder of the year remain
uncertain but we believe that following the euphoria and success of the Olympics we are well prepared to face the new
millennium.'
* GREG HYWOOD, Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, says stable circulation figures over the six months including the
Olympic Games, were 'very positive and against the industry trend'. Saturday edition sales dropped 2.78 per cent to
385,000. STEVE HARRIS' Age dropped 4.99 per cent on Saturday to 318,273, with weekday sales up 1.1 per cent to 194,640.
Generally, GST and Olympics softened newspaper sales. See below for all metro daily figures.
Wanted: National Opinion Maker
* FRED HILMER'S Sydney Morning Herald has taken the unusual step of advertising for a 'Leader Writer'. 'The position
demands a strong background in feature writing or analysis in one or more specialist areas, such as politics, economics,
the law, or as a foreign correspondent. Leader writers must also be able to extend to other interest areas, such as the
arts, or the environment.' The 'ideal applicant' is expected to present a reasoned opinion forcefully and clearly, by
assembling arguments, based on well-researched facts, in an orderly way. Requirements of the position are to be able to
research and write quickly the equivalent of a short feature a day. Applications close Friday, November 3.
Virtual Melbourne Cup
* BERT BRYANT, late Melbourne racecaller, where are you when we need you? Sports gfraphic company Pineapplehead and the
Ten Network will broadcast a virtual Melbourne Cup, before the real race gets underway on Tuesday, November 7. The
hi-tech animations will show the race from the jockey's perspective, predicting place getters. The commercial agreement
covers Ten's coverage of four major Flemington race meetings. Pineapplehead's virtual system was also adopted last week
by KERRY PACKER'S Nine Network.
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Advertisement
Fairfax Community Newspapers
Victorian Head Office: 142-144 Frankston-Dandenong Road, Dandenong, 3175.
Phone: (03) 9238 7777. Fax: (03) 9238 7682.
Publishers of: Dandenong Journal, Monash Journal, Knox Journal, Maroondah Journal, Yarra Ranges Journal, Whitehorse
Journal, Footscray Mail, Altona-Laverton Mail, Williamstown Advertiser, Brimbank Advocate, Melton Express-Telegraph,
Bacchus Marsh Express-Telegraph, Macedon Ranges Telegraph, Sunbury Telegraph, Werribee Banner, Community News - Moonee
Valley, Community News - Moreland, Frankston-Longbeach Flier, Mornington Peninsula Flier, House & Land, New Homes & Land
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Ka-Boom: Suburban Snipers
* NEIL COLLYER, Victorian State Manager, Fairfax Community Newspapers (Vic.), told readers of his Frankston-Longbeach
Flier and Mornington Peninsula Flier that opposition Publisher FELIX GANDER had accused Collyer of being unable to
substantiate circulation claims. Gander is MD of the Independent Newspaper Group which publishes the Frankston
Independent, Hastings Independent, Cranbourne Independent, Chelsea Independent, Mornington Mail and Southern Peninsula
Mail.
* GANDER was said to write that Collyer is 'either misleading newspaper readers and businesses or he hasn't checked (or
understood) the circulations of his competitors'. COLLYER replies: 'Well, I wonder who is misleading who, Mr Gander?'
* COLLYER is basing his claims that the FCN Flier is the 'largest circulating single newspaper' in the region with a
print order of 62,546. It is re-plated. GANDER'S Independent Group claims a combined circulation of 108,000 newspapers.
His website claims 153,000 group circulation. SYLVIA BRADSHAW'S Frankston Standard (Leader Newspapers) CAB audit figure
is 55,930.
* DISCLOSURE: Fairfax Community Newspapers (Vic.) is an advertiser in Media Flash.
Soft Circulation Figures
* PETER BLUNDEN'S Herald Sun lost 6077 copies (1.08 per cent) in the Audit Bureau of Circulations April-September 2000
figures, released on Friday. The Australian Financial Review, Monday-Friday figures, Apr-Sept. 2000, 95,500 (Apr-Sept.
1999, 92,000), +3.80 per cent. The Australian, 135,000 (131,499) 2.66 per cent. The Age, 194,640 (192,500) 1.11 per
cent. Sydney Morning Herald, 229,000 (229,000). Mercury (Tas.) 49,716 (49,882) down 0.33 per cent. Herald Sun, 554,800
(560,877) down 1.08 per cent. Northern Territory News, 23,474 (23,767), down 1.23 per cent. Courier Mail, 217,830
(221,000), down 1.43 per cent. Advertiser (SA) 203,440 (208,557) down 2.45 per cent. Daily Telegraph, 417,500 (431,847),
down 3.32 per cent. Canberra Times, 38,506 (39.931) down 3.57 per cent. West Australian, 210,260 (218.298) down 3.68 per
cent.
The RAWARDS Winners List is lengthy.
Click here to go to next news item.
RAWARDS Winners
* All the results from Saturday night's RAWARDS presentation dinner:
Brian White Memorial Award
* Metropolitan: NEIL MITCHELL, 3AW. 'A Little Girl's Tragedy Wakes A Community'. Also Nominated: STEVE PRICE, 3AW.
Heroin On The Streets Of Footscray; KIERAN GILBERT, 2UE, Sydney Interlaken Canyoning Tragedy; JOSH MURRAY, 2UE, East
Timor Conflict; JUSTIN KELLY, UE, Glenbrook Train Disaster.
* Country: LYRELLA COUZENS, 1521 QN. 'Deniliquin Water Crisis'. Also Nominated: PETULA SHAW-DENNIS, 2MG Mudgee, Vintage
In Trouble.
Best Talk Personality
* NEIL MITCHELL, 3AW, won Best Talk Personality in the RAWARDS held on Saturday night. STEVE PRICE, 3AW. ALAN JONES,
2UE.
* Provincial: KATHY BEDFORD, 3BA-FM. JOHN MacKENZIE, AM846. GRAEME GILBERT, 1206 2CC.
* Country: JANICE McGILCHRIST, Stereo 2BS. GRAHAM ROBINSON, 2RE. SUSANNAH WILSON, 3WM - Horsham. RICHARD DANIEL, Far
West Radio 2BH.
Best Program Director
* Metropolitan: STEVE PRICE, 3AW. Also Nominated: REX MORRIS, B105. DUNCAN CAMPBELL, 96FM.
* Provincial: DEAN PICKERING, B104.9. ADAM JOHNSTONE, 99.5 SEA-FM. JON VERTIGAN, 1242 3TR.
* Country: EMILY CANNING, 3WM - Horsham. MARK LITTLER, 96.5/98FM. DAVE KIRWAN, 97.7 SNOW FM.
Engineering Excellence Award
* Metropolitan: MAX CARTER, 2KY Racing Radio. Also Nominated: STEVE DAYNE, ADRIAN HARPER, ANDY COLE, ROB LIERSCH, RMFM
92.9 Football System; FRED HAYWARD, RYAN VAN DER MEER, SCOTT THOMPSON.
* Provincial: CAMPBELL SWINTON, 4SEA FM, Satellite Data File Transfer Project. TIED with STEVE ADLER/TIM ENGLISH, DMG
Radio Australia Engineering, Townsville and Albury Network Hubs.
* Overseas Study Scholarship Winner: CAMPBELL SWINTON.
Best Sales Promotion
* Metropolitan: Triple M Sydney, Club Veg, Race To The Rock In a Rav 4. Also Nominated: Triple M Sydney, Living On The
Web; 3 FOX-FM, Fox FM's Star Car.
* Provincial: 92.7 Mix FM, Sunshine Coast Radio Centre, Live In It To Win It. Also Nominated: PAULA PRICE, 92.5 GOLD FM,
The Running Of The Sheep; 100.7 Sea FM Live, Townsville Radio Centre, Free On Sea.
* Country: 2BS/B Rock FF 99.3. Bathurst Broadcasters. You Can Bank On Giro Post. Also Nominated: Radio 2NZ, HONG YUEN'S
Centenary In-Store Broadcast; Radiowest 6KG.
Best Station Program
* Metropolitan: Triple M Sydney. Triple M's Whirl 'Til You Hurl. Also Nominated: TRACY & MATT In The Morning, FOX-FM, Pet Stars; TIMBO AND BEDDERS, Triple M, Melbourne, Love Triangle; BRAD STOREY, MIX 106.5,
Love Lyrics.
* Provincial: NXFM, KIRSTEN WILLOUGHBY, NXFM'S Cuffed Couple. Also Nominated: PADDY GERRARD, HOT FM, Coffs Harbour,
Around Australia In 14 Days; HEATHER MILLARD, 1053 2CA, Millennium Bug. WIL BRAKELS, 100.7 CFM, Show Us Your Pierced
Bits.
* Country: 3HA. Dave's Hot Date. Also Nominated: DARYL & KAREN EGAN Classic Rock, 102.5, Southern 80 Ski Race. PETER CADDEY, GEM FM, The G-String Run.
Best Sports Event Coverage
* Metropolitan: 3AW. 3AW Football Commetary Team. 1999 Preliminary Final: Essendon v Carlton. Also Nominated: Triple M
Football, AFL Grand Final. 2UE Sports Department, 1999 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. 2UE, Continuous Call, 1999
Rugby League Grand Final.
* Country: 2BS, PHIL COLE, BRIAN NIGHTINGALE, CHRIS WOTTON, PAUL MARINELLI, Bathurst Tourers 300. Also Nominated: DARYL & KAREN EGAN Classic Rock, 102.5, Southern 80 Ski Race.
Best Current Affairs Commentator
* Metropolitan: STEVE PRICE. 3AW. 1999 State Election - Denise McGill. Also Nominated: HARVEY DEEGAN, 6PR Perth, A
Mother Looks Forward. NEIL MITCHELL, 3AW. ALAN JONES, 2UE.
* Provincial: KATHY BEDFORD, 3BA FM. Also Nominated: GRAEME GILBERT, 1206 2CC. LUKAS JON AVGERINOS, SUN-FM Popstars.
* Country: DIANE COVENY, 2RE/MAX FM, The Coveny Report.
Best Sports Presenter
* Metropolitan: REX HUNT, 3AW. Also Nominated: EDDIE McGUIRE, Triple M. RAY HADLEY, 2UE.
* Provincial: JUSTIN VEIVERS, Sea FM Balls 'n' All. Also Nominated: DEREK BARGWANNA, NXFM. LUKAS JON AVGERINOS, SUN-FM,
Zoo Sportshow.
* Country: PHIL COLE and DAVID SCOTT, 2BS, Friday Free For All. STEVE WELSH, 882 3YB, Sports Today.
Best News Presenter
* Metropolitan: STEVE BLANDA, 2UE. Also Nominated: ALISON DROWER, 104.9 Triple FM, Sydney. SANDY ALOISI, 2UE. JOHN
CRITTENDEN, 4BC.
* Provincial: HEIDI MURPHY, 103.1 HOT FM. ROWEN ALLEN, 92.7 MIX/91.9 SEA FM, Sunshine Coast. CAROLYN GARNER, KO FM/NX
FM. LOUISE SAUNDERS, 100.9 TT FM.
* Country: ANDREW BIRD, HOT 105.5 Coffs Harbour. DIANNE COVENY, 2RE/MAX FM. SUSANNAH WILSON, 3WM Horsham. CATHY JUBB,
1134 MIX FM Colac. PETER JINKS, 2BH.
More RAWARDS
Best Documentary
* Metropolitan: GARY O'CALLAGHAN, TRENT KNUDSEN, STEPHEN MOLCHANOFF, Radio 2UE, Celebrating 2UE's 75th Anniversary. Also
Nominated: TRACY AND MATT In The Morning, 3FOX FM, East Timor Special; DAVID WHITE, 2 DAY FM, The Pulse Of The Planet
2000; DEAN MACKIE, 2UE, PAUL HARRIGAN Retirement Tribute.
* Provincial: WARREN MOORE, KRISTIE ATKINS, 2HD, Newcastle Earthquake, Ten Years On. Also Nominated: 2GO FM Central
Coast, Millennium's End. RICHARD MONK, 2CS, Coffs Harbour, Remembrance Day.
Best Music Special - Metropolitan
* Metropolitan: Radiowise Media Networks. Barbra Streisand: A Timeless Journey. Also Nominated: BOB ROGERS, 2CH,
Reminiscing - A Tribute to Frank Sinatra; The Ugly 99 Awards, 2DAY FM; The Popstars Hour of Power, 104.1, 2DAY FM.
* Provincial: SEA FM Central Coast: Fiften Formats In Fifteen Days. Also Nominated: JIM MORRISON, NXFM, An Hour of Power
- Killing Heidi; ANDREW BIRD, 105.5 HOT FM, Coffs Harbour. Killing Heidi.
* Country: 93.1 Real FM. GREG HINKS. The Choirboys Classic 9 at 9.
Best Newcomer On-Air
* Metropolitan: COREY LAYTON (a.k.a. CAPTAIN TURNTABLE), 101 TT-FM. Also Nominated: KATE NEUBAUER, 104.1 2DAY FM;
SHARINA O'HARE, 2UE, Sydney Psychic Encounters; CHRIS BENNETT, GOLD 104.3.
* Provincial: ZARA GROSE, TONY SWINDELLS, 91.9 Sea FM, Sunshine Coast Radio Centre. Also Nominated: CHRIS MONAHAN, 990
4RO Drive Time; JIMMY DEAN (MARK HILL), 105.3 NEW FM, Best Newcomer On Air; JO LAVERTY, 98.7 SEA FM.
* Country: SUSANNAH WILSON, 3WM, Horsham. Also Nominated: TOM BOURNER, 98FM; NICK LOWTHER, 2MG.
Best Newcomer Off-Air
* Metropolitan: MELISSA BOWEN, Radio 6PR, Perth. Also Nominated: LUKE BOLLAND, PMFM 92.9/Mix 94.5; ANDREW SULLIVAN,
SA-FM; KATHARINE KEREKES, 6PR Perth.
* Provincial: LISA ROBBIE, 92.7 Mix FM/91.9 Sea FM, Sunshine Coast Radio Centre. Also Nominated: LYN GRIFFITHS, 99.5 Sea
FM, Cairns; DION CLEWETT, NXFM/KOFM; LEE-ANN GOTTANI, MIX 106.3 and 100.7 Sea FM, Townsville Radio Centre.
* Country: JENNY VAN DOOREN, 3HA. Also Nominated: SARAH JANE TUNKIN, 2BH; DILHANI ROBINSON, 2BS; DANIEL UNDERHILL, 6KG
Radio West/97.9 HOT FM.
Best Music Personality
* Metropolitan: BRENDAN JONES, 2MMM. Also Nominated: STEVE FITTON, 96 FM; SIMON DIAZ, TT FM; CRAIG HUGGINS, GOLD 104.3;
RICHARD 'LOVEGOD' MERCER, MIX 106.5 FM.
* Provincial: BIANCA DYE, RG Capital, The Nitemix Across Australia. DIANA SYMONS, 90.9 SEA FM; BRETT 'NOZZ' NOSSITER,
TTT FM'S Hot 30 Countdown; NIGEL JOHNSON; KATE ECONOMOU, CFM; PHIL GRAY, 7TTT FM.
* Country: GREG HINKS, 93.1 Real FM, Hinskey
Best Station Produced Commercial
* Metropolitan: JOSH ROBERTSON, ANDREW SIDWELL, Engineer: CRAIG JANSSON, 3FOX-FM, Moorabbin Flight Training 'Fly'
* Provincial: ROBBIE BRAMMALL, FRED RABITSCH, Mix 101 HO-FM, Capri Body Fashions: Proud Supporters of Women's Breasts
* Country: GREG BAKKER, 3HA, Finchett's Heating
Best Syndicated Program
* Metropolitan: IRS/GRACE GIBSON Productions. Century of Sound.
Best On-Air Team
* Metropolitan: The ANDREW DENTON Breakfast Show. Triple M Sydney.
* Provincial: JOHN & RUBY Breakfast Show. 864 4GR.
* Country: PADDY GERRARD, NATALIE MILNE. HOT FM Coffs Harbour. Paddy and Nat's Hot Breakfast.
Even More Rawards
Best Station Produced Comedy Segment
* Metropolitan: The ANDREW DENTON Breakfast Show. Triple M Sydney. The Fifth Sense.
* Provincial. TROY SWINDELLS, ZARA GROSE. 91.9 Sea FM. Fish Tales.
* Country: RICHARD MONK. 2CS Coffs Harbour. ATM 2000.
Single Major Specific Community Project
* Metropolitan: 5AD FM 102.3. Convoy For Kids.
* Provincial: FM104.7 Canberra. Money For Millie.
* Country: NOELA SIKORA, 2BS, Christmas Miracle Appeal.
Full Year's Community Service Work
* Metropolitan: PAUL DUTTON (posthumously), 101 TT-FM, Royal Children's Hospital.
* Country: 2BS. Our Year of Community Service.
Best Achievement In Production
* Metropolitan: MATT NIKOLIC, 3FOX FM
* Provincial: JOHN FIELDING, 4GR/CFM, Darling Downs Radio Centre
* Country: JOHN SPELLING, MIXX-FM, Horsham (Vic.)
Best Promotions Director
* Metropolitan: SAMANTHA THOMPSON, 3FOX-FM
* Provincial: PAULA PRICE, 92.5 GOLD FM
Best Station Sales Achievement
* Metropolitan: SA FM Sales Team
* Country: 93.5 Eagle FM
Best Music Director
* Metropolitan: IRENE KANARIS, FOX FM (Winner of The Music Network Scholarship)
* Provincial: PHIL GRAY, 7TTT FM
* Country: JONATHAN WRIGHT, 106.9 HILL FM
Click Here For More RAWARDS Results
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Overseas Desk
* AL GORE and GEORGE W. BUSH, US Presidential candidates, have accepted an offer of free airtime on the FOX Network.
RUPERT MURDOCH says he is committing an hour of free time, 8pm to 9pm, Eastern Time on Friday (October 27). Each
candidate will have approximately 30 minutes to respond to the question: 'Why Should Americans Vote For You?'
* BARNES & NOBLE, the biggest US bookseller, tells Bloomberg that it will offer free unlimited Internet access, as part of a
marketing agreement with Yahoo.
Asia-Pacific Wire
* WAN HAMIDI HAMID reports in The Straits Times that the opposition PAS has an ambitious four-year plan to wire its
800,000 members, make them Internet dependent for news, and wean them off mainstream newspapers. Stage One will bring
PCs to the dsitrict and area offices of the party. A further step involves Web TV.
* HALIM ARSHAT, 58, former permit holder of Harakah, in a defamation suit against a TV station, is telling the High
Court in Kuala Lumpur that the PAS newsletter has never published an article allegeing that Prime Minister DR MAHATHIR
MOHAMAD is an apostate. - The Straits Times.
* JIMMY CHEUNG of the South China Morning Post says a draft broadcasting code of conduct has been attacked as a
restriction of free speech. The Hong Kong Journalists' Association says the code is an attempt to give officials
unnecessary powers and would curb media freedom.
* TSUNEO WATANABE, Chairman of the Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association, says the nation's media
organisations would maintain a ban on newspaper discounts to preserve the home delivery system.
* SIRIKUL BUNNAG of The Bangkok Post says the Education Ministry is filing a 27 million baht civil suit against three
publishers for printing text books without authorisation.
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Advertisement
2nd Independent Publishers Book Fair
See a wide range of books: unusual, great, niche, business, poetry, multicultural from Australia's independent book and
magazine publishers. NSW Writers' Centre - Friday, Saturday, Sunday - October 27, 28 and 29. 10am - 4pm daily. Free.
Also: book launches, celebrities, refreshments, entertainment. NSW Writers' Centre, Rozelle Hospital Grounds, Balmain
Road, Rozelle. Further info: 02 9555 9757.
At the Book Fair, Friday, 11AM, Fast Books launches its new series of Getting Started booklets: 9 brief but informative
guides which can help you take the first steps to preparing a book which will be economical, attractive and
professional. These booklets are about fonts, type sizes and page layouts: poetry, family history, memoirs, children's
books, non-fiction, fiction. These booklets cover relevant issues such as good design and layout, copyright, etc: cover
layouts, photographs, copyright & ISBN.
-------------------------------- ------
Melbourne Memo
* JIM LAWRENCE'S intelligent Editorship of Community News (now a Fairfax paper) has seen SYLVIA BRADSHAW'S local paper,
Moonee Valley Gazette, undergo a facelift this week. The Leader Group's Gazette says reader surveys show people want
more sports coverage, so they've added a four-page liftout ... just like Community News. There are more color photos ...
just like Community News. And there is an expanded entertainment section ... you know the rest.
* JOHN WESTWOOD, Age journalist, did the 'puff' for a Real Estate Institute of Victoria feature page on its 2000
Copywriting Awards. Clever Sunday Age sales reps sold a broadsheet page of ads to agents' prize-winning copywriters.
* CLAIRE GORMAN, Werribee Banner journalist, points out that The Golden Local Sampler advertising book claims to contain
'over $1800 of free goods and services', yet many traders are refusing to honor the vouchers. Local reader LAURA GANGUR
was said to say that the book was 'a waste of money'. Sampler manager BRUCE PELL 'said his company had posted
replacement vouchers and a letter to all Werribee customers'.
West Wire
* WANEROO TIMES COMMUNITY hit back as rival publishers criticised it for its ownership links of RUPERT MURDOCH: 'Some of
the most strident criticism of Community's links with the Murdoch empire has come from the camp of the Joondalup City
Times, which trumpeted its 21st issue last week, only to announce its closure yesterday,' said 'The Editor' on October
10. 'It gives us no pleasure to see any business close, with the resultant job losses and other unhappy consequences ...
unlike some publications, we do not indulge in sensationalism or an aggressive in-your-face approach.'
-------------------------------- ------
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The Brisbane Report
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In A Great Time-Slot: 5.30pm-6.00pm. Thursdays On Briz 31.
The Station Now Watched By 70,000 Viewers Nightly
For Advertising Inquiries: Phone 1-800 231 311
www.brisbanereport.au.com
E-Mail: brisbanereport@hotmail.com
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This Week In Byron Bay
* BYRON BAY FOLLIES: Shock resignation of Byron NYE organisers; Dinner at Fins Restaurant raises $30,000 for cancer
charity; MUNGO MacCALLUM says Reith's escape shows govt's double standards; LARRY ANTHONY MP praises child support
package; Learning from a Down Syndrome child; Byron Bay police enlist soldiers to handle Nomad biker invasion. THE BYRON
SHIRE ECHO is an independent locally-owned free weekly covering Australia's most sophisticated rural market.
Check it out on www.echo.net.au. Advertising enquiries to geoff@echo.net.au or ring (02) 6684 1777.
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Press Gang
* NEIL JILLETT, journalist for 48 years, reveals the agony and ecstacy of Arts Reviewing, in an interview contained in
the September issue of The Australian Writer.
* JOHN B. FAIRFAX of Rural Press has congratulated CHUCK ROTH who succeeds ALLAN JOHNSON, as President of (US) Farm
Progress. Mr Fairfax commented on Internet: 'Your company has taken a thoughtful approach to the rapidly changing
developments in this area and we believe we have benefited from that strategy. We are not in a position to say we have
got it right, but with our portals in Australia and the United States and our various developments for our regional and
rural publications, we feel we are adequately protecting our mastheads and the communities they serve. We are an old
economy company which is certainly taking advantage of new economy technology, techniques and opportunities.'
PR Department
* SUSAN JOHNSON, of The Age Saturday Extra, speaks next week (7pm, Tues., Oct. 31) at Eltham Bookshop (Vic.) on her
book, A Better Woman. elthambookshop@bigpond.com
-------------------------------- ------
Advertisement
Quadrant
Keith Windschuttle exposes the falsification and invention of frontier massacres of Aborigines - Reg Marsh on how Fraser
betrayed the Aboriginal elders -Alex Buzo on humour in history - Clem Semmler's last review - Judge Ian Callinan on
cricket - David Foster on reading literature "in context".
Quadrant is a magazine that has always been identified with searching out the truth, making sure that one orthodoxy is
not mistakenly replaced with another. One of the great roles of Quadrant has been its questioning of political
correctness. And when I reflect . on the idleness of so many in academia and, despite some notable and well-known
exceptions, on the shameful assault on the reputation of Geoffrey Blainey, you will have in mind the sorts of things
that I think are relevant to the role of Quadrant. - John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia.
Quadrant Magazine - Australia's leading independent review of controversy, ideas, literature, poetry and the arts. Ten
issues a year, $59.40 (inc. GST), US$80 overseas. PO Box 82, Balmain, Sydney 2041, Australia. Telephone (02) 98181155;
fax (02) 98181422. Email quadrantmonthly@ozemail.com.au . Editor P.P.McGuinness; literary editor Les Murray.
-------------------------------- ------
Air Waves
* ROSS CAMPBELL, known over many years as presenter of 3AW's The Good Life food, wine and theatre program, resurfaced on
radio on Friday morning on JOHN BLACKMAN'S 3AK breakfast show.
* JOHN BLACKMAN is taking a week's leave in New Zealand. On-air partner ANNA PINKUS appeared on Perth television at the
weekend for the Appealathon.
* DENNIS DONOGHUE (CONNELL) will host the 3AK breakfast program over the next week.
* SIMON OWENS, panel operator for DERRYN HINCH (Nightline on 3AW and ACE-relays), is on leave, touring Italy.
* MAL GARVIN, 3AK Director, is touring the US, and being replaced on-air by DAVID STOKES.
TV Guide
* LINDA FULLER (Today, Nine) and TIM CLEARY (News, Ten) join ROB OLNEY'S Seven News Melbourne from today, replacing JOHN
GIBSON, described by the Herald Sun's ROBERT FIDGEON, as taking 'early retirement'.
* KERRY STOKES' Seven Network escaped serious reprimand from the Paralympic organisers after filming footage of KYLIE
MINOGUE at the Opening Ceremony rehearsals. The footage was shown in a promotion, but pulled from the bulletin.
Your ABC
* JOHN HIGHFIELD, ABC presenter, is quoted in The Weekend Australian, as attacking far-reaching changes proposed for the
AM, The World Today and PM radio programs. Highlfield is quoted by ERROL SIMPER: 'These proposals basically reflect the
views of a minority coterie who reside outside Sydney and who somehow seem to feel that all news and current affairs
evil resides here.' PM presenter MARK COLVIN says that any interference with news production is 'equivalent to
advertising or circulation managers telling a newspaper editor what to put on the front page'.
* TONY WALKER, ABC Melbourne, is taking applications for the position of Program Director - ABC Victoria Regional Radio.
Reference: AVR040021.
* CLYDE RICHES, ABC Brisbane, has four Technical Officer positions, paying from $33,864, as high as $51,323.
Refernce:OQD40104.
* GUY DUNSTAN, ABC Sydney, for further information about the Head Program Development Planning (ANZ040310) and Deputy
Director Program and Content Development (ANZ040309).
So, This Is Showbiz
* CARYL PERRY - a.k.a. SPARKLES THE CLOWN - received a full profile by MURRAY JOHNSON in yesterday's Sunday Herald Sun.
The piece traces the history of mother PHYL PERRY'S entertainment agency ... but no mention of father JACK PERRY - a.k.a
ZIG - the disgraced TV clown, who lost the Moomba Monarch crown, after admitting assaulting his grand-daughter.
-------------------------------- ------
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Big Names Dept.
* PROFESSOR KENNETH RICHARD McKINNON, 69, is new Chair of the Australian Press Council, according to a profile by MARK
DAY in Media (The Australian). Over at the APC website, www.presscouncil.org.au, PROFESSOR DENNIS PEARCE is still listed
in the post.
* CATHERINE LIVINGSTONE'S appointment to the Board of Rural Press Ltd was announed on Friday. It takes effect in
December. She has been Managing Director of Cochlear Limited, and was on the Accounting Standards Sub-Committee of the
Securities Institute of Australia. STEVEN HIGGS has taken IAN HOLMES' Rural Press Board Room seat.
Smaller Names Dept.
* MICHELLE VAN RAAY, known as a Segment Producer for BERT NEWTON'S Good Morning Australia, appears as KING HEROD'S wife
in the Whitehorse Players production of Jesus Christ Superstar.
* PAT MURPHY was re-elected as Eastern FM (Melbourne) President last week, as were Treasurer ROD HARRIS and Public
Officer JOHN MILLARD. Two other members, ANDREW CONWAY and RON WELSH, were not successful. The station broadcasts
'pleasant music', mostly nostalgia and community information. Says one observer: 'The target audience is senior citizens
although the management says it is a community station - but not many people under 60 are into the music of the 1930's
and 1940's.'
-------------------------------- ------
Movers And Shakers
* DON EVANS has been appointed by APN News & Media as Chief Executive of Australian Posters. JOHN SMALLWOOD, his 'predecessor' (as described by ROCHELLE BURBURY of
The Australian Financial Review), becomes CEO of Asia Posters, based in Singapore.
Writers' Block
* JANE and GLENN McGRATH (test cricketer), co-authors of A Love For Life, assist Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD launch
Australia's Breast Cancer Day this morning (7.30am) at Sydney's Westin Hotel. The couple have published a book through
Random House, and today launch the McGrath Breast Cancer Foundation. BENYTHON OLDFIELD is handling publicity.
boldfield@randomhouse.com.au
* MARIO PENNISI celebrates the fourth birthday of The Australiasian Powder Coater Painter - Fabricator by launching a
website: www.powdercoater.org The paper now also has a liftout: Australasian Fabricator & Sheet Metal Worker.
-------------------------------- ------
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The Local Report
* CATHY STANISLAWSKI assembled a moving front-page tribute to the West Gate Bridge disaster and rescue, of 30 years ago,
in last week's Footscray Mail (Vic.), edited by JOHN SAMPSON.
Absent Friends
* JAMES PACKER, BRIAN HENDERSON and RAY MARTIN were amongst those to pay tribute to the life of TV man BRUCE GYNGELL at
a Memorial Service held in Sydney on Friday. Gyngell's signature tune, The Pink Panther, was rendered by GEOFF HARVEY at
the conclusion of the service.
* RON BOND, once known on air with MADELINE BURKE, at 3UL, Warragul (Vic.), has passed away, 71. He was heard on 3XY and
seen on Young 7 (HSV-7).
Glass House
* COL ALLAN, Editor-in-Chief of Sydney's Daily Telegraph, featured in a Sunday profile yesterday on the Nine Network. A
central theme was the 'fear' in which Allan is supposedly held. Interviewees included NSW Premier BOB CARR, Sydney Lord
Mayor FRANK SARTOR, media commentator MARK DAY, ad man JOHN SINGLETON, broadcaster ALAN JONES, journalist-wife SHARON
BOWDITCH, barrister STUART LITTLEMORE, MP ANTHONY ALBANESE, journalist DAVID LESER, DAVID HUMPHRIES of the Sydney
Morning Herald, plus Crikey Publisher and former Tele staffer STEPHEN MAYNE.
* STEVE HARRIS' Age newspaper is sponsor of Melbourne's new Museum. But did a newsganecy poster 'Museum Opens Today'
help sell copies of Saturday's edition? The Sunday Age front-page headlined: 'Birth of a Cultural Landmark: Museum Opens
A Path To The Future' over a very small 'Mid-East's Bloody Day'.
* BOB YEATES, Publisher of The East Gippsland News (Bairnsdale, Vic.), has a 'Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down' column where
author 'TOM' says all items must be signed and include the address of the writer: 'This information is not for
publication but required under the Newspaper Act.' What requirement? What Newspaper Act?
Stix And Stones
* STEVE STICKNEY, Editor at The Manly Daily, presents the brawler, the sprawler, the drawler, the mauler, and (somebody
else is) the caller.
* 'Some Party supporters idolise PAULINE HANSON to the point they would help her hide the bodies of their children if
she had murdered them'' - DAVID OLDFIELD'S political marriage exhibits just a few tiny cracks. Daily Tele.
* 'Mr Carr said he doubted whether he or the Prime Minister would make crowd-surfing a regular feature of their
political repertoires in future' - What? No more mosh-pit appearances for Bob and John? Sydney Confidential.
* 'More and more of our imports come from overseas' - incisive observation from GEORGE 'DUBBYA' BUSH, the man who would
be king. Slate Magazine (US).
* 'Andrew will fight by the rules as long as he can. After that, he'll do what he has to do'' - Polish boxing trainer AL
CERTO reveals his charge ANDREW GALOTA'S strategy against ear-muncher MIKE TYSON during their upcoming bout. World At
Large.
* 'This card ended up like a telephone booth on a street corner with the whole neighbourhood knowing they could make
free calls' - Workplace Relations Minister PETER REITH explains how giving his phonecard to his son PAUL and getting a
$50,000 bill was really someone else's fault. Sunday Tele.
Long Shots
* E-BOOKS are part of the News Limited strategy, shareholders were told this week. 'They are remarkable devices, about
the size of your annual report, which can be downloaded from the telephone. At the moment, it can only be done by
radio,' reported Chairman RUPERT MURDOCH. 'There are 65 books which can be read extremely easily, being unencrypted as
the page comes up in front of you. We see beyond that to the delivery of periodicals and magazines and perhaps even one
day newspapers.
* MURDOCH continues: 'We have just put these E-Books into production. Production is licensed to ICA Thompsons and there
will be some hold-up certainly before they are available in Australia. The first few hundred thousand will be available
in the US market in the next 12 months. We see a startling future for this new business. The point is that in this
format, the book doesn't come to your personal computer so that you have to sit up and read it in bed. It is in tablet
form which can be read even in the dark, very easily.'
Going Rates
* $325,123 is the FYE2000 package of Melbourne Weekly Magazine General Manager ANTHONY McDONALD, according to the just
released Text Media Group Annual Report. It comprises $155,000 base salary, $159,282 bonus, $7067 superannuation and
$3774 other benefits. www.textmedia.com.au/downloads/TMG_Annual.pdf
* $201,708 was in the pay packet of FRANCES MARSHALL, General Manager - Text Custom Media: $143,750 base, $46,173 bonus,
$7067 super, $4718 benefits.
* $189,681 went to PAUL McNAMARA, Publisher of The Eye (R.I.P.): base salary was $128,506, with a termination benefit
totalling $53,314.
* $159,779 was paid to SEAN BURKE, Production Manager of The Eye: $101,351 base, with part of the balance including a
$49,130 termination benefit.
* $157,025 in remuneration went to GEORGINA BRUJIC, General Manager, Text Corporate Communications: $110,000 base,
$35,657 bonus, $6650 super, $4718 benefits.
* ERIC BEECHER, Text Media CEO, received a $372,235 package. Chair DI GRIBBLE collected $117,619; Executive Director
IAIN HORDEN received $268,579; Lime Digital Chair ANTONY LYNCH draws an annual salary of $250,000.
* EDDIE THOMAS had a salary of $34,475 for July 1999, plus a retirement benefit of $50,392. He is now with MICHAEL
HANNAN'S IPMG.
Media Money
* $670,000: the 'passed in' price of 78 Grange Road, Toorak - home of 3AW's DEAN BANKS. The retiring breakfast co-host
wanted $695,000 at Saturday's auction.
Bottom Line
* 23 PER CENT UP: the performance, operationally, of News Limited's British newspapers. RUPERT MURDOCH told
shareholders, on Thursday: 'Their financial results are up 23 per cent on last year, expressed in local currency, and 36
per cent in Australia, again expressed in local currency ... our circulation continues strong in Britain and our
advertising is running at record levels and well ahead of our budgets.'
* 50 PER CENT: the size of Austar United Communications Ltd' investment in TVSN Ltd
* 41,618: latest monthly circulation for Fifty-Plus News operated by MARGARET and MALCOLM RIDDLE. Production Manager is
SCOTT WHITTLE. Ad rep is ALAN PATTEN - the famed sales wizard from the Melton Mail (Vic.)?
The Last Word
* RUPERT MURDOCH told Wednesday's News Limited AGM in Adelaide: 'We are going through a period of extremely rapid
change, in which technologies of all sorts cause the multiplication of the media, on the one hand, and the shrinkage of
the world and distances, on the other. We feel that, globally, we are in an extremely good position to take advantage of
these trends.'
P.S.
* RUPERT MURDOCH has a word about Sky Global Networks: 'We are strictly limited by guidelines set down by the Securities
and Exchange Commisison in the United States from saying anything more, but I will just say that we are already reaching
85 million homes around the world. This is outside of North America. The aim is to build a great global pipe capable of
delivering broadband television and data into every home in the world.'
-------------------------------- ------
A Long Story - Part 8
* ASH LONG continues his review of some of the various people in his media career. We held over the series during the
Olympics, so a double dose this week.
* DON BROWN, legendary Melbourne newspaperman, was responsible for my return to Leader Newspapers in 1978. It was
substantially different to the heady days of working with the likes of MAXWELL NEWTON. In earlier years, I had worked
part-time with Leader as a Journalist and Correspondent in the Editorial Department of this Melbourne group of 22
newspapers, owned by the MOTT FAMILY. The stable had started on January 21, 1888 with publication of The Northcote
Leader by A.H. RICHARDSON, from the 'Leader' office in Bay Street, Brighton. The one-penny broadsheet was published on
Saturdays, later to be taken over the WHALLEY BROS., who sold to DECIMUS MOTT and Sons in 1924.
* THE MOTT FAMILY had its start in Australian publishing in the 1850's when Londoner GEORGE MOTT arrived in Victoria,
becoming Publisher of the Ovens and Murray Advertiser at Beechworth, today published by HARTLEY HIGGINS. THE MOTTS later
published at Albury, with some of the family moving to Melbourne for the Leader purchase in 1924. We look more of that
family's history in next week's Media Flash.
* DECIMUS (yes he was the tenth child!) MOTT led a lean and hungry family newspaper operation, surviving the Depresssion
of the 1930's, and onslaughts of its suburban newspaper peers. His sons, GEORGE ('G.H.') MOTT, WALTER ('W.T.) MOTT,
ROBERT ('R.R.) MOTT helped grow the group from the original Northcote Leader to include the Preston Leader (later
Preston Post, Northern Times and Preston Post-Times); Whittlesea Post; The Advertiser in Melbourne's Diamond Valley
(until 1938); Brunswick Sentinel; Coburg Courier; then later with The Heidelberger, Diamond Valley News and
Doncaster-Templestowe News. In 1936, they combined the Northcote Leader with the free home delivered Budget, to produce
Melbourne's first free home-delivered paper. The northern suburbs of Melbourne were - and still are - a tough and lonely
way to make a newspaper quid. Few print media had succeeded this as well as had the MOTT FAMILY'S Leader Publishing
Company.
* Around 1971, the MOTT'S chose DON BROWN to lead their eastern suburbs operations, then later to be Managing Director
of the entire Leader Media Group. Don was educated at Melbourne's Wesley College, studied at the University of
Melbourne, beginning his career in the craft as one of SIR KEITH MURDOCH'S team at The Herald, Melbourne, in 1952. He
joined RUPERT MURDOCH at The News, Adelaide, in 1956, as Finance Editor, working closely with Editor ROHAN RIVETT; and
was promoted in 1958 to become Chief Executive of The Barrier Miner and radio station 2BH, Broken Hill. 1961 saw Brown
negotiate the purchase of GREG DICKSON'S Dandenong Journal in the first of the the stable of Cumberland Newspapers
(Vic.) for News Ltd, just as RUPERT MURDOCH led a similar expansion in Sydney. After 10 years, building a network of
nine newspapers (later purchased by RANALD MACDONALD for The Age), Brown resigned ... to join Leader, six months later
(1971), at the invitation of Publisher JOHN MOTT. Next year saw the purchase of PAT HEGARTY'S rival News-Ads suburban
group; a partnership that eventually became Waverley Offset Publishing Group.
Newspaper War
* Central to DON BROWN'S deal for Leader was persuading PAT HEGARTY to sell the group's Waverley Gazette to KEN HEYES
and CHARLIE HOLLOWAY of Progress Press, rather than accept the higher numbers offered by BILL BLAND at The Age. He later
confided that he saw more opportunity for Leader to benefit down the track with the 'like-minded' Progress Press, than
with DAVID SYME. Leader reaped enormous benefit through its acquisition of The Knox News (soon re-badged as
Knox-Sherbrooke News) with a colossal bonanza of election advertising following the dismissal of Prime Minister GOUGH
WHITLAM in 1975. The News was also into headlong competition with MURDOCH'S Free Press, founded post-World War II by the
late JOHN BENNETT, and continued by his wife NELL. Brown repeated his earlier strategy of taking The Dandenong Journal
to bi-weekly publication; at Knox he took the News to three times a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays) - with troops
led by Ad Manager JOHN PRITCHARD. The 'We're Number One' reader surveys featured on Page One ... more to demoralise the
Free Press staff than anything else. In 1978, Murdoch's group surrendered, selling The Free Press to Leader at 'a keen
price'.
* But there was more war to come. PAT HEGARTY was selling his printing too cheap to Leader; it sent his group broke.
Hegarty tried to save his Waverley Offset Printers by offering it to a consortium of Leader, Progress, Standard
Newspapers and PETER ISAACSON. Internal manoeuvering developed; and DON BROWN did an overnight deal with the creditors'
representative, PETER TAYLOR to form Waverley Offset Publishing Group. Soon, BROWN and KEN HEYES engineered a joint
venture for the owners of their respective Leader and Progress Press companies to become Leader Media Group. The merger
prospered, but collapsed within a year, with Leader substantially enhanced with a new offset printing line, and the
acquisition of the Waverley Gazette, Chadstone Progress and Progress Press newspapers. I was able to part of this
corporate excitement. DON BROWN had recruited me in 1978, when as a Shopping Centre Manager, and Publisher of The
Bayswater Villager, I had stepped on to his turf. I was able to rise quickly through the ranks: Manager of Bayswater
News, Manager of The Free Press and Knox-Sherbrooke News; Group Classified Manager; then Manager of Leader's eight
northern newspapers. THE MOTT FAMILY - and DON BROWN - appointed me as a senior executive, all of us relishing a daily
and stimulating challenge for market share. These were the best of times.
* SIR KEITH MacPHERSON'S Herald & Weekly Times launched The Sun Easterly against our eastern newspapers. We won. JULIAN CLARKE'S Standard Newspapers
fought hard, but not well enough, with their Doncaster Mirror and Whitehorse Standard weeklies. We won. A gaggle of
smaller maverick publishers had their shot at our mastheads - including efforts such as JOHN GANNAN'S Mounteasterly. We
won there too. Pivotal was the Chairmanship of Leader's R.R. MOTT; the wisdom of his nephew, Deputy Chairman and
Publisher JOHN MOTT; the introduction of former H finance man DON BOWMAN; the sales drive of GRAEME TRAINOR'S team; as well as Directors including stalwarts MARK
CRAMPTON and DAVID TOMLIN; Company Secretary ANTHONY MOTT; Production Director ROBERT S. MOTT; and Commercial Director
WALTER H. MOTT.
Follow The Leader
* WALTER MOTT had the unenviable task of re-establishing Leader as a viable commercial printing and distribution
company, on knife-edge profit margins, against the Progress Press network, now picked up by RUPERT MURDOCH'S News
Limited. Leader countered with the purchase of CHRIS FISHER'S Westernport Printing, and Brownhall Printing owned by
TREVOR BROWN and RON HALL. With these acquisitions came heat-set presses, and a modern typesetting and composition
business led by JOHN PRINCEN and FRED OLSEN. In my time, other senior people included Press Manager TOM GARDINER;
Editors-in-Chief BILL CUST, JOHN MONKS and JACK GAVEGAN; plus Classified Manager JOY BROWN ('wife of the boss') who also
supervised the move to new corporate headquarters at Blackburn. Aged just 20-something, I rose quickly as a Senior
Executive, involved to the hilt, as a key player and troubleshooter. DON BROWN - as Group Managing Director - thrust me
in to become the company's de facto Marketing Manager, Classifieds Manager, and a Special Projects Manager whose clout
and opportunity defied the euphemism. My 1983 decision to strike out on my own preceded Leader's best times.
* DON BROWN'S Leader launched the upmarket glossy City Extra - arguably a decade before its time, and preceding the
later successes enjoyed by ERIC BEECHER'S similar Melbourne Weekly and City Weekly launches. In 1985, JOHN MOTT and
Brown spearheaded negotiations, with SIR KEITH MacPHERSON of The Herald & Weekly Times Ltd and RANALD MACDONALD of The Age, to form a Melbourne suburban media colossus. Macdonald was later
absorbed by the Fairfax takeover of The Age; MacPherson was replaced by Queensland Newspapers trump JOHN D'ARCY, who
grasped the benefits of Brown's proposals by opting for a $54 million takeover bid of Leader, accepted by shareholders
in September 1986. The takeover proceeded with GENE SWINSTEAD persuaded to become Group General Manager; today he is MD
of all News Limited Suburban Newspapers. Brown's group proposals became unstuck just three months later with RUPERT
MURDOCH'S successful H takeoever. Some 15 months after Murdoch's takeover, News Limited told Brown it didn't want a Board of Directors at
Leader - just himself as Chief Executive and his remaining team. Brown's protest that sacking the other remaining
working executives as Directors, would gut the ethos and morale that had built the company so successfully for more than
the past 60 years, fell on deaf ears. DON BROWN resigned, spent another year as Consultant with Leader, and went farming
at Yea (Vic.) - where, with me as owner of the local Yea Chronicle newspaper, we renewed our acquaintance after a
six-year lapse.
But that's another Long Story.
* NEXT WEEK: Part 9. Bon Motts.
-------------------------------- ------
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-------------------------------- ------
Australian Media Job Directory
Employment
* JULIAN ST CLAIR, of Morgan and Banks Sydney, has the brief to recruit an Equity Research Editor for Credit Suisse
First Boston Australia Equities. You join a team of 50 analysts, managing the publication process in both printed and
electronic format. apply@morganbanks.com
* ANTHEA RENNER, at Hamilton James Bruce, Sydney, is offering a $60,000-package for an Equity Research Writer for a
leading bank. apalmer@hjb.com.au
* ANDRES LOMP, Director, Liaison and Projects, Department of the House of Representatives, has an Assistant Director:
Media and Communications position, offering $58,313 - $62,205 p.a. www.aph.gov.au/house/dept/employ
* GREG HYWOOD'S Sydney Morning Herald is looking for a News Desk Assistant.
* IAN CROWTHER'S Australian Community Newspapers (Fairfax) is appointing an Advertising Sales Executive.
vvenckus@mail.fairfax.com.au
* JANE RYAN is hiring a full-time Sydney-based reporter for the Asia-Pacific bureau of Variety.
jane.ryan@reedbusiness.com.au
* PETER GIESINGER, at the University of Technology Sydney, is offering up to $57,635 pa, for a Media Officer and
Assistant Manager of the External Relations Unit.
* SUSAN VINCENT, Herald Publications, 201 Sussex Street, Sydney, is taking applications for a Retail Advertising
Manager. Position 014/00.
* JERRI CODY and PATRICK FLETCHER at Environment Australia are contacts for a Public Affairs Officer position, paying
$61,631 - $76,611. It involves ciommunication strategies. www.environment.gov.au
* THE BOWEN INDEPENDENT (Qld) is advertising for an Editor. The position also takes in The Weekend Independent. Phone
(07) 4786 1888.
* DAVID BRAY, News Production Services Supervisor, wants a Videotape Editor for the Epping (NSW) HQ of Seven News.
dbray@seven.com.au
* KAREN GRIFFITHS at James Cook University, Townsville (Qld), is accepting CVs for the position of Secionr
Lecturer/Lecturer in Journalism, paying $59,023 - $67,890. Karen.Griffiths@jcu.edu.au
* SHARON DAVIS at Big Color Pages wants a Data Entry Team Leader, and Invoicing Team Leader, Melbourne.
* MARCUS NISKI, Executive Officer of the Fellowship of Australian Writers, is advertising for a Bookkeeper to serve in a
voluntary capacity, for about four hours per week. PO Box 3036, Ripponlea, Vic. 3183.
Work Wanted
* Advertise your 'Work Wanted' notice in Media Flash. During September and October, we'll print your 'Work Wanted' ad
for free. Simply E-Mail it to us by 5pm Friday at mediaflash@yahoo.com
* ASHLEIGH DJACHENKO writes: Journalism student seeks work experience over summer period, Brisbane area. WILLING TO
VOLUNTEER 1-2 days per week. Skills include library, web and database searching, feature writing, proof reading. Mature,
enthusiastic and talented; averaging 90% for uni exams and assessments. Any offersconsidered. Please contact Ashleigh
Djachenko on (07) 3207 1385 or e-mail ashleigh@wisesolution.com.au
* A MEDIA FLASH READER writes: 'Currently I work for a successful regional television station as an Advertising Account
Executive, prior to this role I was employed as the Senior Creative Copywriter/Commercial Producer for 5 ½ years. I'm
young, dynamic and willing to relocate anywhere. Ideally I would like a position as a production assistant or
co-ordinator. In return I offer a hard working, passionate, results orientated and hardworking young creative
professional - with a sense of humour - and an abundance of initiative and energy, who is able to work to deadlines and
still smile. I possess a strong knowledge of the television production process! I have exceptionally strong
administrative, creative writing, organisational and communication skills! I have an excellent rapport with clients! For
a chat and CV please call 0419 863 703.'
-------------------------------- ------
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comment. © Copyright 2000, Ash Long. ARBN No. 91 003 450 207 Head Office: 30 Glen Gully Road, Eltham, Vic. 3095.
Telephone/Fax: 1-800 231 311 Sydney Address: 125 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction, NSW 2002 Brisbane Address: Suite 131,
7/421 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley, Qld 4006 While the information available in this Confidential E-Mail is
obtained from sources believed to be reliable, Media Flash gives no assurances or guarantees that the information is
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(financial or otherwise) of particular recipients, and is not an exhaustive coverage. Appropriate professional advice
should be obtained prior to acting on any information contained herein. No warranty is given as to the accuracy of this
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The Sydney Report TV Program
Sydney's Great TV Lifestyle Program
5.30pm - 6.00pm - Channel 31 - Free-To-Air TV
www.commtvsyd.com.au
For more information, call our office on 1-800 231 311
Suite 131, 125 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction, NSW 2022.
sydneyreport@hotmail.com
-------------------------------- ------
The Brisbane Report TV Program
Brisbane's Great TV Lifestyle Program
5.30pm - 6.00pm - Briz 31 Free-To-Air TV
www.briz31.com.au
For more information, call our 'Brisbane Report' office on 1-800 231 311
Suite 131, 7/421 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley, Qld 4007
brisbanereport@hotmail.com
-------------------------------- ------
Yet Even More RAWARDS Winners
Best Commercial Radio Station Support
For Development of Australian Contemporary Music
* Metropolitan: 2DAY-FM Sydney
* Provincial: 9inety6ix.One, Western Sydney.
* Country: 96.5FM, Geraldton (WA).
Best New Australian Artist On Commercial Radio
* VANESSA AMOROSI
Most Popular Australian Artist On Commercial Radio
* SAVAGE GARDEN