Media Flash - Mar. 19, 2001

Media Flash - Mar. 19, 2001 - Mail Batch No. 057

Media Flash and Australian Media Job Directory

Australia's Media Independent E-Newspaper - Updated Continuously

Last Updated: Sunday, March 18, 2001

For full graphics, click on at www.mediaflash.com.au

E-Mail: mediaflash@yahoo.com

Phone: 1-800 231 311 l Fax: 1-800 231 312.

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BREAKING NEWS

What Is Happening At News?

* JOHN HARTIGAN'S troops at News Limited seem to be having a crack at each other, and largely at their own expense.

* TERRY McCRANN, Associate Editor at the Herald Sun, firmly suggested on Friday that senior News colleague (and former Herald Sun Editor) PIERS AKERMAN not 'wander into business matters he doesn't understand'. This was after AKERMAN reported on NRMA affairs; on Thursday PIERS was adjudged by a NSW jury to have defamed NRMA Director ANNE KEATING in his Daily Telegraph column.)

* AMANDA MEADE, talented Australian media columnist, lost her column simultaneous with a reference to her boss RUPERT MURDOCH as a 'foreigner', and after rattling the cage of ABC boss JONATHON SHIER. This week Oz columnist MARK DAY predicted SHIER would not last another year at the ABC; we predict DAY will, however, keep his column ... by the way, he co-owns a farm with HARTIGAN.

Amanda's Final 'Diary' Column

* AMANDA MEADE wrote on Thursday: 'Melbourne's Herald Sun reported as a front-page lead last week that foreign investors were soon to own $1000 billion of assets formerly owned by Australians. Under the headline 'Australia Sells Out' MATTHEW PINKNEY wrote, 'Some of Australia's best-known brands including Vegemite, Four 'N' Twenty Pies, Arnott's Biscuits and Sherrin footballs are among those lost'. To that list PINKNEY and his editor, PETER BLUNDEN, could have added their own newspaper, the Herald Sun, owned by that well-known foreigner RUPERT MURDOCH.'

$11 Mil. Sting Hits Village Roadshow

* BEN HILLS, Sydney Morning Herald, reported on Saturday that entertainment company Village Roadshow has been robbed of at least $11 million in a complex series of frauds. The sting - 'until now not specifically disclosed' - involved unauthorised transfers masde by ROSS ANDREW HENRY, a 40-year-old Sydney accountant and CFO of the company's Los Angeles subsidiary. 'He drew on a bank line of credit which was supposed to be for dilm production expenses.' HENRY transferred $29 million in four transactions; he will be sentenced on April 5.

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BREAKING NEWS

Messenger: 50 Year Anniversary

* ROGER BAYNES' dream to start The Messenger newspaper at Port Adelaide on March 11, 1951, has been remembered with souvenir editions across a 661,000-circulation network now managed by TOM MILOSEVIC for News Limited Community Newspapers, led by GENE SWINSTEAD. MICHAEL ROBINSON complied the anniversary edition with material collected by KIRSTY DOWNWARD.

* ROGER BAYNES, a former Sydneysider with a local courier company (hence the name Messenger), worked with partner LEN CROKER, and expanded the company in 1954 with another newspaper, The Woodville Times. Another title, The Standard, covering Enfield, Prospect and North Adelaide, joined the group, with BAYNES borrowing £5000 - £1000 from each of five friends - to buy his own printing press in 1957.

* JOHN CARROLL sold four papers from the News-Review group; two papers were purchased from progress associations; and The Guardian at Glenelg from the SMEDLEY BROTHERS. The rapid growth demanded major financing, provided by Advertiser Newspapers with a 49 per cent interest in 1964; and the other 51 per cent in March 1983, just prior to his death. Chairman BRIAN SALLIS said: 'Dear old ROGER, he didn't believe in bricks and mortar. It was presses and people he invested in.'

Messenger Alumni Roll-Call

* PETER WYLIE, The Advertiser MD, was a Messenger Newspapers journalism graduate. Others include CAROLINE KELLY, Managing Editor of the Australian Women's Weekly; CAROL ALTMANN, Bureau Chief for The Australian, with reporter REBECCA Di GIROLAMO; AMANDA HODGE, Environment Writer for The Oz; PAUL STARICK, Chief-of-Staff at The Advertiser; football writer ANDREW CAPEL; PAUL McCARTHY, reporter/radio newsreader for the ABC on 5AN; MIKE SMITHSON and JOHN RIDDELL of Channel 7 News; and Channel 10 reporters JEREMY PUDNEY, MARK ADDINALL; and LEONIE MELLOR. The most three recent Chiefs of Staff have been ANN STYLES, CAROL ALTMANN and MEGAN LLOYD.

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Paul Barry Chases ABC

* PAUL BARRY, Sydney Morning Herald writer, has filed a complaint with the new South Wales Industrial Relations Commission over the conclusion of his contract with the ABC late last year, after 12 months as host of Media Watch. His barrister PETERIS GINTERS said ABC MD JONATHON SHIER may be called as a respondent, according to an AAP report. The case will start in June.

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Jost Named As 3AK CEO

* JOHN JOST has been officially named as Chief Executive Officer of Melbourne radio station 3AK. The announcement was made by Data & Commerce Company Secretary CHRISTINE McQUEEN on Tuesday (March 13), following the departure of GREG FLOOD on the previous Friday (March 9). CLYDE SIMPSON was named as 'Station Manager'.

* 'The company has optioned 95 low power open narrowcast licences covering numerous regional Victorian markets,' said the March 13 release (first released by Media Flash on March 12). 'The company is contemplating the business case for delivering radio material prepared at 3AK for narrowcast in these markets. The Company will only exercise these options should it be entirely satisfied with the business case and regularly environment.'

* FOOTNOTE: The station's new website, as at Sunday (March 18), still lists GREG FLOOD as CEO. The Australian Broadcasting Authority requires commercial radio stations with current affairs programs to have a link on their home page to a register of broadcasters' interests. It would therefore appear that no 3AK presenters have other commercial involvements requiring declaration.

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News 'Style'

* QUEST NEWSPAPERS reports: 'You may notice some minor changes to the way we spell in the Northside Chronicle from this week. Quest Community Newspapers, which publishes the Northside Chronicle has adopted News Limited's new national approach to style. The most notable of the changes will be the return of 'u' in words like colour, harbour and neighbour. Many of the changes are so small you may not even notice them. Our standard reference for spelling will remain the Macquarie Dictionary.'

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Round 6: 'Age' Honcho Slaps Blunden

* NIGEL HENHAM, Director of Communications at The Age, writes: 'Dear Ash, One would have expected that the editor of the Herald Sun would make sure he got his facts right before bursting into print. PETER BLUNDEN'S misleading claims cannot go unanswered. The facts are these : * i. BLUNDEN claims that 205,000 more people earning over $50,000 and 50,000 more people earning $80,000 read the Herald Sun. Look again, PETER. Even on a net weekly basis (Monday to Sunday), The Age reaches 16,000 more readers earning $50,000+ and 26,000 more readers earning $80,000+ (Roy Morgan - December 2000). * ii. How does BLUNDEN arrive at the figure of 207,000 more ABs than The Age ?Only by confusing two different markets - Victorian (Herald Sun) and national (The Australian)! According to Roy Morgan over a 7 day period the breakdown of AB readership in Victoria is as follows : The Age (524,000), Herald Sun (418,000), and The Australian (130,000). Even if one were to use BLUNDELL'S (sic) confused logic and combine The Age and the Australian Financial Review nationally, The Age still reaches 30,000 more AB readers than the Herald Sun and The Australian. * iii. According to the last ABC audit for the period July-December 2000 The Age's weekday circulation year on year fell by 353 copies compared to the Herald Sun's decline of 4,149 copies. * iv. According to the latest Morgan readership figures (December 2000), The Age's weekday readership for the last quarter was steady at 669,000 whereas the Herald Sun lost 12,000 readers (the Herald Sun also lost 21,000 readers on Saturdays and 19,000 readers on Sundays). * I presume from BLUNDEN'S silence on other issues to mean that he admits that the Herald Sun has lost 80,000 sales since 1991, The Australian has lost around 20,000 sales in Victoria since price cutting began in 1998, and that The Age has 88% of job classifieds, 66% of cars and 80% of real estate classifieds. * The HWT can squeal all they like about circulation figures. Low ad yield and revenues and spending millions of dollars in promotions (e.g. scratch tickets, medallions, and other trinkets) to prop up circulation won't be enough. That's why RUPERT MURDOCH was so desperate to get his hands on The Age a few years ago. Regards, NIGEL.'

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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, The Flier, House & Land, New Homes & Land

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Asia-Pacific Wire

* MA CHING-KWAN, former Chairman of the Oriental Press Group, ruled the company like an emperor presiding over his feudal kingdom, the Court of First Instance was told on Thursday. SARA BRADFORD of The South China Morning Post reported Eastern Express Foreign Editor KARL WILSON made the comments in a civil case where Next Magazine is claimed to have defamed MA.

Overseas Desk

* AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS (US) wants to change the way magazines arrive at their circulation figures, says Mediaweek (US) and The Wall Street Journal. The ABC plans to allow magazines to count copies sold at any price, but compelled to report their title's average sale price.

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Sydney Siders

* JOHN ENGISCH'S Torch Publishing Group will move back to headquarters at Allingham Street, Condell Park, currently housing Fairfax Community Newspapers (NSW), after FCN completes its move next month of 190 staff to Liverpool.

* WIZEGIRLS MAGAZINE was launched last week by the Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE and women In Adult and Vocational Education.

* AAP reports on Saturday said there is a 'truce' between News Limited and Fairfax that will see a postponement of the launch of commuter tabloids in Sydney. Meanwhile, the March 2 North Shore Times (News Limited Community Newspapers) reports that both companies have approached Willoughby Council over the rights to distribute two new newspapers in Chatswood Mall: 'Council staff believe the companies are both gearing up to launch a new title - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. They are expected to be aimed at the young commuter market. The four transport hubs of Chatswood, North Sydney, Parramatta and the city are likely to be the main distribution points. Council was told that two days' notice would be given before a product was launched.'

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Melbourne Memo

* ALICE ARCHER is now Editor of Valley Life, the monthly 24-page short-tabloid in Melbourne's Diamond Valley, published by Creative Media Solutions (a division of NEIL COLLYER'S Fairfax Community Newspapers). Sub-Editor is PAUL GILDER; Sales, JOHN McGAW; Creative Director, TONY VELLA.

* 'Move over, STEVE PRICE,' is the lead paragraph in a Dandenong Journal item about DAVID LENTIN and LYNNE CAZALY fronting a current affairs program on community station 3SER-FM in Casey (south-eastern Melbourne). 'The pait have been broadcasting for a few weeks during which they have managed to have a pile of dirt removed which was left by a developer in Sonya Street, Narre Warren,' says the paper.

* SYLVIA BRADSHAW heads Leader Community Newspapers which publishes the Manningham Leader, formerly Doncaster - Templestowe News. The paper, edited by NIGEL McKAY, managed by SUE RUEFF, included a retrospective marking the paper's start as The Great Eastern on May 9, 1962. The paper had this masthead for one issue only, before changing to the East Yarra News: 'We have made this change in order that this newspaper should not be confused with any other newspaper and we assure readers that we have neither the necessity nor the desire to be so confused.'

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West Wire

* DAVID BIGNOLD, Group Sales and Marketing Manager at the Community Newspaper Group, has been on an executive search for a Promotion and Marketing Manager to handle the 14 publications, to work from Northbridge. kelly.igglesden@communitynews.com.au

South Aussie Snips

* DES RYAN, Editor-in-Chief at Messenger Newspapers (who took over from PENNY HADLEY - nee HOBB, NEILL), had his own memories of company founder ROGER BAYNES in this past week's 50th Anniversary souvenirs: 'In the credit squeeze of the early '60s, which hit the Port Adelaide businesses harder than most, Old ROGER refused to pursue the debts of those who could not afford to pay their advertising bills, even though he could ill afford it himself. In some cases, individual debts were allowed to float six months or more, and some probably were never collected in full. The Port never forgot. Every Messenger reporter who covered Port Adelaide lost count of the number of interviews that began with, 'I know old ROGER BAYNES ...' By the time of his death in 1983, his rough-diamond virtues were as legendary as the Black Diamond Corner.'

* LEN CROKER was first General Manager at Messenger. Other GMs were BRUCE CHAMBERS, GENE SWINSTEAD, JULIAN SWINSTEAD, ALEC MATHIESON and TOM MILOSEVIC. Marketing chiefs have included RON MITCHELL, ADRIAN FROST, CHAS BARTER, ROBERT WOOD, KEVAN SCRIMSHAW, MAURICE UVA, LEANNE SAMMUT and KATE KEATING.

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Air Waves

* JONATHAN WRIGHT, 2BH/Hill FM Program Director, has resigned to take up an on air position with DMG at the Albury Hub. STEVE BAKER returns to the Program Manager/Music Director position in Broken Hill.

* STEVE BLOCK has a fascinating promotion for his 2AY (Albury-Wodonga, NSW-Vic.) breakfast program, offering a $3000 '60 Second Challenge' of '10 Easy Questions'. 'Just get through and STEVE will give you $50 cash,' says the full-page advertisements in the Border Mail.

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Your ABC

* TONY DELROY, ABC Nightlife host, will broadcast his 9pm-11pm program from Hobart on Friday. 'The audience must be seated by 8.30pm,' reports a breathless Hobart Mercury.

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Big Names Dept.

* ROWAN ATKINSON, aka MR BEAN, was caught definitely unsmiling by Courier-Mail photographer ADAM WARD at Coolangatta Airport, for filming of Scooby Doo.

* JOHN MARSDEN, fiction writer, will be guest speaker at the Banyule Festival Business Brekfast, at The Centre, Ivanhoe (Vic.) on Tuesday, March 27. He has sold 1.5 million books worldwide. Phone (03) 9457 9931.

Smaller Names Dept.

* JASON MATTHEWS of Sea FM, and DAVID BURTON of Gold FM, featured in a Weekend Gold Coast Bulletin Careers feature on Saturday. BILL GATES of the Bond Radio School also had an article: his CV includes 2UW, 2UE, 2MW, 4BU, 4BH and 4BK (now B105).

* KRISTINA LECKENBY'S name now appears as Sales Manager at The Flier newspaper, Frankston (Vic.), part of the Fairfax Community Newspapers network. She leads a sales team comprising BRONWYN COBURN, JOHN DALL, LEANNE SNOW and BRETT HUMPHREY to assemble a paper currently at 32 pages.

Absent Friends

* JOE BROWN, ABC racecaller, died on Saturday, aged 81. His first Melbourne Cup call was in 1948, and his career extended until 1981. Friend and colleague GREG MILES said BROWN was keen and alert to the very end.

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Movers And Shakers

* JANE MARQUAND has been appointed as a new member of the Australian Broadcasting Authority for a period of three years beginning this week. MARQUAND takes the position vacated by JOHN RIMMER,

* GLENN STANAWAY has been promoted to the position of Deputy Editor of The Sunday Telegraph.

They Said It ...

* THE FIJI TIMES editorialised this past week: 'There is a widening gap between the chiefs and the people particularly the urbanised Fijian young people who increasingly feel that chiefly tradition has diminishing attraction especially if you're not a chief.'

* DERRYN HINCH, 3AK, claimed on Friday: 'In my case, without going into too much detail, I managed to pay off four million dollars in debts. It took a long time. Forced me to leave Melbourne in search of work. And meant selling off a lot of precious assets. But I didn't wear the bankrupt tag and never will. And now don't owe anybody a cent.'

* PETER WILMOTH, The Age, speculates that MAX WALSH is to step down as Editor-in-Chief of The Bulletin: 'After having vowed two years ago to try and make the crusty old magazine either profitable or relevant, as requested by JAMES PACKER, MR WALSH is to be replaced by current editor PAUL BAILEY, according to insiders.' Both men's names appear as Editor at the mag's website.

And Now In Sport ...

* EDDIE McGUIRE'S Footy Show (AFL, Nine Network) had a glitch with its telephone system on Thursday night. CAM WARD of The Geelong Advertiser reports that the local Cats football club's membership push was seriously harmed when the telephone system couldn't cope with the flood of calls. About 150 members were signed.

* GARY ABLETT, former Geelong star, is to appear in a tell-all TV interview, says the Geelong Addy: 'Channel 7's Today Tonight is believed to have secured an interview with the reclusive star.' ABLETT has recently been a witness at a Coronial inquiry following the death of ALISHA HORAN. MARK DUNN'S Hobart Mercury story says 'offers for the story reached more than $100,000'.

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The Local Report

* BRUCE LONEY, Editor-in-Chief of the Cumberland Newspaper Group (NSW), has been promoted to Commercial Editor, News Limited Community Newspapers.

* BRIAN CRISP, Sunday Times (WA) Editor, wll take over as Editor-in-Chief of Cumberland Newspapers. Saturday's West Australian billed the story as 'Sunday Times Editor Replaced'. Sunday Telegraph Deputy Editor BRETT McCARTHY takes the chair in Perth.

* TONY WHITING'S Border Mail was quick on the streets on Saturday morning with the story about the '$100,000 Washout' when Friday night's Essendon - Richmond AFL practice match was called off at 7.20pm, 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start, because of heavy rain storms.

* LARA O'TOOLE, Community News (Fairfax) reporter, ghost-wrote RACHELLE SPLATT'S new book on drag racing published by Graffiti Publications (owned by mum and dad MARY and LARRY O'TOOLE). Book is $32.95, (03) 5472 3653.

Glass House

* 'AMANDA MEADE and MARK DAY cover Media every Thursday.' Junior full-page 'house ad' in The Australian on Friday, one day after it was announced MEADE was losing her Diary column ... with it being nothing at all to do with the description of the newspaper's chief proprietor RUPERT MURDOCH as a 'foreigner'.

* STEPHEN MAYNE, Crikey website publisher, is performing a high-voiced session in 3AK's breakfast show on Fridays. It is unlikely he will be recruited to the 3AW drive program, just at the moment. CHRISTOPHER WEBB reports in The Age that AW'S STEVE PRICE has widened a statement of claim against MAYNE, with hurt and distress suffered made worse by 'a deliberately sarcastic apology published on MAYNE'S website'. In other news, MAYNE sent an E-mail on Friday afternoon to subscribers, advising of his new political party, and touting for seven board members 'to give us a kick start'.

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Editor's E-Mail (In Tray Only)

* ARTHUR HAWLEY, one-time One Nation candidate, writes to Media Flash about 'Political Correctness' in newspapers, particularly The Oz:

* 'The Australian would sell better, without any discounting, if you reduced the Political Correctness in all the editorial and opinion pieces. You are now the most PC Victorian paper, since I apparently altered the Melbourne Age editorial policy single handed.

* 'In a series of letters, some printed in the Melbourne Herald-Sun, I complained of the continual PC debauchery carried out by The Age, every news and opinion story full of turgid blame games and guilt trips. I suggested that The Age's poor sales were due to the loss of many white skinned Christian hetrosexual (sic) meat eating readers. Also that The Age should supply whips to any such remaining readers, so they could flagelate (sic) themselves as they read. The general perception of their editor being a Zionist propagandist and zealot, also didn't help sales. Further, I suggested that the age was doing poorly amoungst (sic) the non Christian vegeterian homosexual PC readers, the very poor sales figures suggesting that even they had become tired of the constant sermonising, turgid promotion of homosexuality and censorship out of all opposing non PC views.

* 'The effect was remarkable, overnight the PC vanished and is only slowly returning, but in a much more restrained form. They still won't print any anti PC letters or opinion pieces. I imagine the Age journos and opinion writers are in a collective state of coitus interruptus, after their engagement in such a long PC debauch. The Australian needs a similar PC rollback, people get tired of your constant PC propaganda and sermonising. You always rubbish and ridicule non PC people and causes, always being strictly PC in playing the man but never playing the ball.

* 'All One NAtion supporters are racist disfunctional gun hugging redneck subhumans in your PC world. the question of whether we should reduce free trade and go back to more protectionism of course, you never mention. Consider the huge sales and good profits of the Melbourne Herald Sun, a paper that isn't very thick and doesn't seem to employ many editorial staff. They are under the same MURDOCK (sic) pro PC multi cultursalism (sic) and globalisation policy instructions as you are, but they quite often also print anti PC stories and opinion pieces, their editorial stuff has a sense of humour and is entertaining to read, guilt trips and PC sermonising is only occasional, and as such, quite bearable. their letters page is full of all sorts of contrasting opinions, its (sic) thought provoking and entertaining.

* 'They even take on the Zionist lobby, something you and the age would never dream of doing. I don't know of any Aussie PC debauched papers that sell well, if you reduced your PC, and allowed some balancing anti PC opinion pieces to be published, You would gain your readers respect, and have an entertaining, thought provoking and far more desirable paper. I strongly suggest such a policy change would also result in more respect and patronage from your advertisers.

* 'Sincerely, ARTHUR HAWLEY, 4 Punari Ct, Seaford. Melbourne. 9782 5890.'

Stix And Stones

* STEVE STICKNEY, Editor at The Manly Daily, looks at Fire: down below, out there, in the wrong hands, in his belly.

* 'I guess I could have become the next Monica, but I kept my mouth shut'' - GEORGE W BUSH'S drinking pal, Aussie tennis icon JOHN NEWCOMBE, kept his head down in the days before the US presidential election when media muckrakers were seeking his version of DUBYA'S driving conviction after a grog session in 1976. Sun-Herald.

* 'It was a good three or four minutes before these so-called non-flames were out''- passenger MARK STANLEY response to an Ansett claim that flames coming from an engine during an aborted Sydney-Melbourne flight did not necessarily mean it was on fire. The Australian.

* 'My job is to throw bombs and burn houses' - 14-year-old Protestant villager ARJUN UNAWEKLA, who has been shot in the wrist and foot since he began fighting at age 12, explains his raison d'etre in the Moluccas, the Indonesian Spice Islands. Los Angeles Times.

* 'Bad!' - media king RUPERT MURDOCH'S succinct response to a question about what it feels like turning 70. Manhattan business conference.

Trewistle - Unplugged

trewistle@gov.au * Cyber impressario MILTON TREWISTLE'S TT Corporation is to move into government. Trewistle Technology is about to launch an e-takeover of the public sector. * "I don't know why we didn't think of it before," said a reserved TREWISTLE at a media launch. "The bloody government has more money than anybody I know of, unless you want to count Kerry. It's the biggest scam in town." * The TT strategy is to link to the 4,657 government websites around the country and pick up referrals from Jobsearch, Health Dept., Veterans Affairs, ASIO, ACAC, AFL, G&L Liberation, and other official bodies. * The resulting clients would be referred, for an audited fee, back to the correct social service department. * Trewistle deflected queries about his ambition to be President or Prime Minister or something. "I'm just here to keep the bastards online," he averred.

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John Pasquarelli

is collecting Papua New Guinea Tribal Art again.

Please contact me at P.O. Box 139, Yarraville, Victoria 3013.

Ph (03) 9314 4120. Fax (03) 9314 5914, Email: kojak@alphalink.com.au

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Long Shots

By Ash Long, Publisher, Media Flash

* BRETT RAMSEY, Producer-Host of In Pit Lane Melbourne's Channel 31, is excited about the new signal for the station. His news release on Friday said the channel now has a 'two mice-in-wheel improved power transmitter'.

* WAYNE ROGERS heads Renaissance TV which has spent a small fortune in Melbourne's Herald Sun promoting its daytime TV station for seniors. Therefore, no surprise to see the quarter-page for Power Without Glory - '9.00am every Monday'. Trouble is that it goes to air at midday.

* MICHAEL GILL'S Australian Financial Review ran this apology during the week: 'ANDREW THOMSON: On Saturday, March 10, The Australian Financial Review published an item in the Herd Around The Hill column stating that MR ANDREW THOMSON, the federal Liberal member for Wentworth, had spent the weekend before his pre-selection ballot on a pig shooting trip with the Liberal member for Wannon, MR DAVID HAWKER. This was incorrect. MR THOMSON in fact spent the weekend in his electorate. The AFR apologises to MR THOMSON for any embarrassment caused to him.'

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Media Money

* $330: cost of a framed 65cm x 50cm three-illustration collection of DON BRADMAN, including a rare color photograph taken by Melbourne Herald photographer, NEIL TOWN.

* $5000 GRANT from the National Library in Canberra: for volunteers to sift through 3000 negatives of local Leader newspapers (Vic.), including the Mordialloc-Chelsea News, of the 1960s. The negs have been put on a CD at Parkdale Library, and will soon be available on disc to the public.

* $20,000 CASH is main prize for readers of Sydney's The Glebe & Inner Western Weekly - in a competition drawn at 11am Monday (March 19). Why the largesse?

* $1.47 MILLION: rights for a book - A Mother's Gift - penned by pop singer BRITNEY SPEARS and her Mum.

* $200 MILLION: Austar United Communications is receiving a guarantee of this size from its US parent, United-GlobalCom. CEO JOHN PORTER says the company will need funding before it hits positive cashflow, anticipated for 2004.

Bottom Line

* RECESSION? Nil media job vacancies in The Weekend Australian.

* SIX, NOT FOUR. The number of jurors that should be in defamation hearings, says NSW Suprme Court JUDGE DAVID LEVINE. But it won't happen as the proposal will be rejected by the 'economic rationalists', quotes Saturday's Daily Telegraph. He said libel matters brought before the Supreme Court had more than halved in the past decade.

* ROBERT HICKS PTY LTD, former wholesale distributor of Melways street directories, lost its rights to distribute the street directory. The High Court decided on Thursday that Melway was entitled to terminate its distribution agreements without this necessarily constituting a misuse of market power.

The Last Word

* ROBERT HICKS, 3AK breakfast co-host with BERNIE FINN, is understood to have told professional colleagues that station staffers believe JOHN BLACKMAN will soon return to the shift. HICKS may stay as a Producer/Newsman; FINN may be a small unpaid contributor, as before.

* LAWRENCE MONEY had this par in his Sunday Age 'Spy' column: 'Has anyone seen ROBERT HICKS? Spy is worried about the poor wee poor lad. Last we heard was nine days ago when he rang Spy, pleasing for us to go on his breakfast show at cellar-dwelling AK. Could we do a regular spot? Spy was not over-keen (been there, done that on four stations) but agreed to a chat on Monday, cruelly shortening a public holiday sleep-in to take the call at the appointed time of 7.40am. No call then, not a word from BOBBY-BOY since. Where has he gone? Hope he hasn't fallen down that ratings black hole. On second thoughts, hope he has.'

P.S.

* THE BELL TOLLS: ABC-type GERALDINE DOOGUE was described by The Australian's DAVID NASON as a 'VETERAN TV and radio broadcaster'. Dictionary: 'A person who has grown old in ...'

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News Limited Community Newspapers

News Limited Community Newspapers

With more than 90 titles around Australia you can reach over 6 Million people every week with just one number.

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Australian Media Job Directory

Employment

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Advertisement

' Brandmedia, the custom publishing division of IPMG Sydney, is looking for a skilled, enthusiastic Production/Sub Editor to join its successful young team. Email mholland@ipmg.com.au

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* TONY WHITING, Chief Executive Officer of The Border Mail, invites applications for the position of Editor for the 26,000-circulation daily, plus EM, Tuned In, Out & About, Countrymail, Automail and Twin Cities Post. tony_whiting@bordermail.com.au

* HENDY COWAN, Leader of the Parliamentary National Party in Western Australia, seeks a Media Adviser. 'Experience in rural journalism is desirable, but not essential.' $65,069. Contact PETER JACKSON, hrrecruitment@mpc.wa.gov.au

* INDUSTRIAL MEDIA GROUP seeks an Advertising Sales Manager for its Sydney-based B2B pacakges. jeremyn@industrysearch.com.au

* PENNY COSTELLO, Slade Group/Lyncroft, offers the Manager - Communications job for the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. melbourne@lyncroft.com.au

* FRED HILMER'S John Fairfax Holdings calls for applications for an Employee Relations Manager - NSW. GPO Box 506, Sydney, 2001.

* RAELENE TURNER wants a Presentation Co-Ordinator for GTV-9. She also seeks Electronics Technicians.

* PAMELA HOOPER, Courier Newspapers (NSW), is looking for a Sales Executive to join wM, the lifestyle magazine in Sydney's eastern suburbs. phooper@couriernews.com.au

* MARGARET ABOODY at Northern Rcruitment offers a superannuation-industry career for a Marketing Communications Specialist, to be based in Brisbane. northernrecruitment@thehub.com.au

* TOM DERRIG at R.P. DERRIG & CO., Sydney, chases an Operations Manager for a commercial printing company in Law and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

* TRACI WHITAKER at Margot Davis and Company advertises the Public Affairs Manager job, with $90,000 package plus bonus, for a Top 30 publicly listed company. mdavis02@magna.com.au

* STEVE JAMES is seeking an Advertising Executive for 'well established Eastern Suburbs based titles. His e-mail address is: steve_james1@hotmail.com ... his PO Box is the same as Courier Newspapers - PO Box 3150, Alexandria, NSW 1435.

* HAZEL EDWARDS, Branch Manager at Mountain View Mail, Healesville (Vic.) notifies a vacancy for a 'senior experienced journalist'.

* WARNER BROS. want an Assistant Accounting Manager for Movie World (Qld). hr@movieworld.com.au

* KEN JENKINS, boss at The Northern Times, Kerang (Vic.), is recruiting a Cadet Journalist. Nearby, The Swan Hill Guardian wants a senior scribe for the tri-weekly.

* GRAHAM WARNER, Master Control Supervisor at ATN-7, seeks an Operator to work at Epping (NSW).

* LAURA SAVILLE seeks a Journalist (News/Foreign Editor) for NW Magazine. jsaville@acp.com.au

* PAUL STEVENS, CEO at Gold Coast City Council, advertises for a Media/Communications Officer. Up to $49,369 pa. Contact TREVOR JEWELL, (07) 5582 8223.

* SMASH HITS is recruiting an Editor for the teen music mag. Emap Australia, 187 Thomas St, Haymarket, NSW.

* GOANNA PRINT want a full-time Mac Operator for their Fyshwick (ACT) plant. prepress@goannaprint.com.au

* JOHN CARSON, Editor, Stock & Land (Vic.), is recruiting a Journalist for the agricultural weekly. editor.stockandland@ruralpress.com

* ELIZABETH PONDEKAS, at Bloomberg, is recruiting a Senior Sales Executive for the Sydney office. epondekas@bloomberg.net

* COLLEEN RUMBLE is taking applications for a Vice President - Public Affairs and Communications for American Express, based in Singapore, with a regional role including Japan, Asia, Pacific and Australia. GPO Box 1582, Sydney 1131.

* BARBARA ROUX at IDP Education Australia, Canberra, seeks a Corporate Writer (12 month contract) and Web Writer (12 month contract). Karen.Coombes@idp.edu.au

* ZOE FALSON and RHONDA HAWKINS at the University of Western Sydney are fielding inquiries for the Director, Marketing and Communication vacancy. z.falson@uws.edu.au

* NEVILLE BETTS at Seven Affiliate Sales, South Melbourne, requires a Media Sales Assistant.

Work Wanted

* Advertise your 'Work Wanted' notice in Media Flash. We'll print your 'Work Wanted' ad for free. Simply E-Mail it to us by 5pm Friday at mediaflash@yahoo.com

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If you are looking for someone who can create advertising copy, write media releases and proofread in a single bound (well almost) then I'm your woman. I'm a freelance writer with a variety of government and private sector clients. My career in both the media and education goes back 25 years. If you want effective words and you want them quickly and at very reasonable rates then call Alison Grahame (that's me) on 02 4324 3328 or fax 02 4324 0061.

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Access to multiple markets with one media buy

As a media professional you understand the value of a highly targeted and effective media buy. The Courier Newspaper Group provides an unparalleled opportunity to reach single or multiple markets with a diverse range of quality newspaper publications - locally, regionally and globally via the Internet. Whatever your target market, there's a Courier publication that reaches it.

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Sydney Weekly - circulation 90,500*, readership 181,000* Covering the North Shore corridor from the harbour through Hunters Hill, Chatswood and Mosman to Wahroonga.

City Weekly - circulation 60,000*, readership 120,000* Recognised for its vibrant lifestyle and entertainment content and authoritative employment section, covering the CBD and North Sydney.

wM (Weekly Messenger: Anything but average) - circulation 51,000*, readership 89,000. A brand new lifestyle publication with the look and feel of a contemporary weekend magazine, wM covers the key areas of Sydney's South Eastern suburbs.

9 to 5 - circulation 60,000, readership 250,000* Packed with Sydney's hottest jobs, news, entertainment and lifestyle information, 9 to 5 gives Sydney's busiest people a great start to their working week. Hand delivered to CBD commuters and pedestrians.

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www.couriernews.com.au providing links to: www.search4it.com.au From real estate and entertainment, to employment and trade directories - find what you need fast. Search all the Courier classifieds in one go - all in one place. www.propertypath.com.au In just a few clicks you'll find all the information you need to buy, sell or invest in property. www.sydneyis.com.au The ultimate local guide to entertainment and things to do in Sydney. Searchable information on Sydney's best restaurants, outdoor recreation, cinemas and movie times, music venues, CD reviews, retail shopping, the arts, galleries, theatres and performance.

To get your message to the right market call: 9353 9999

*Publisher's claim

© Scoop Media