Cop sues over Jonestown

(Source Strewth)


THE lawyer who warned off the ABC by vowing to sue Aunty’s books division if it published the controversial Alan Jones biography Jonestown has finally made good on his threat. But high-profile Sydney solicitor Mark O’Brien is not bringing a defamation action on behalf of the aggrieved radio broadcaster. Instead, he is representing a former NSW detective with close links to Jones mentioned in the Chris Masters bestseller


O’Brien filed a writ in the NSW Supreme Court yesterday against Masters and publisher Allen & Unwin, telling Strewth the book made allegations “of a very grave nature against Tim Priest based upon significant errors of fact”. Expect more colour today when Priest’s statement of claim detailing exactly what he doesn’t like about Masters’ book – where he features prominently in more than one chapter – is filed in court. Allen & Unwin picked up the project earlier this year, leaving the ABC open to criticism that it wasted $100,000 of taxpayers’ money on the book. So far, the book has sold more than 24,000 copies, putting paid to the ABC’s claim at the time that publishing the book would “almost certainly result in a commercial loss”. O’Brien, meanwhile, brings his first high-profile case to new firm Johnson, Winter and Slattery, after spectacularly defecting from Gilbert & Tobin last month, taking all of his team with him.

New radio deal for SA

The AFL has reached a new three-year agreement for its radio broadcast rights into South Australia with Fiveaa.


 



Fiveaa, which has broadcast AFL football into Adelaide since the inception of the Adelaide Football Club in 1991, will continue to broadcast all Adelaide and Port Adelaide matches through the Toyota Premiership Season and finals series, as well as pre-season NAB Cup and NAB Challenge matches.


AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said Fiveaa will also broadcast other matches into Adelaide each weekend as part of its relay agreements with 3AW and 6PR. 



“The AFL would like to congratulate Fiveaa for again committing to support AFL football in South Australia, and taking the state’s two elite teams to their fans for every match they play during the year, both home and away,” Demetriou said.
“Fiveaa has called every game for both clubs, since they joined the AFL, and their long-standing commitment to SANFL football in South Australia is testimony to the support they provide for our game, and we are delighted they have continued to maintain their partnership with football,” he said.


Under the AFL’s radio rights arrangements for the 2007 season onwards, it is now guaranteed that every team in every state will have radio coverage for every match it plays for premiership points for the first time in the history of the game.


Source AFL

Fairfax returns to radio grabbing Rural Press

Fairfax Media has announced a takeover of Rural Press which will create a combined company with assets worth more than $9 billion.


Rural Press shares were up more than 15 per cent to $13.59 at 2.45pm, while Fairfax shares dropped 19 cents to $5.02 as the markets deflated some of the takeover premium in the stock.


The takeover will create Australasia’s largest integrated metropolitan, regional and rural print and digital media business, the companies said in a joint statement to the Stock Exchange this morning.


The proposed transaction has been unanimously recommended by the Rural Press board in the absence of a superior proposal.


“This merger has been contemplated by both companies over a number of years. We look forward to the successful completion of the transaction,” Fairfax chairman Ron Walker said.


“With an enterprise value of over $9 billion, we are poised for stronger growth and further strategic expansion of our brand in Australia and overseas in the years ahead.”


At current share prices, a combined Fairfax/Rural Press will be worth $6.7 billion - the enterprise value includes debt. 


“It makes a purchase of Fairfax much more complicated,'’ Craig Shepherd, an analyst at Commonwealth Securities told Bloomberg.


“We are looking at a scenario where Fairfax just got more expensive (for predators) and a break-up of Fairfax got a little bit more problematic because one of the obvious buyers of some of the assets was Rural Press,'’ he said.


“For Rural Press it represents a fantastic way to get into a strategic asset like metropolitan papers they have always wanted.'’


The plan will add The Canberra Times to Fairfax’s stable of publications which includes The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial Review.


Under the proposal, each Rural Press ordinary and preferred shareholder will be entitled to receive, for each share held, two Fairfax shares and $3.30 in cash, or 2.3 Fairfax shares and $1.80 in cash.


In addition, the Rural Press board said it intends to declare a fully franked special dividend of 57.143 cents per ordinary share, and 62.858 cents per preferred share.


The offer, which will be voted on by Rural Press shareholders, represents a premium of around 15 per cent on the company’s current share price of $11.75. The deal does not have to be approved by Fairfax shareholders.


Mr Walker will remain chairman of the combined group and Fairfax chief executive David Kirk will have the top job. Rural Press chief executive Brian McCarthy will become deputy CEO.


The takeover will help defend Fairfax against a possible predators like private equity groups and other media organisations.


Kerry Stokes’s Seven Network confirmed yesterday it had built up a small stake in the company.


It is understood Seven owns about 3 per cent of Fairfax.


It started buying shares in October, about the same time it picked up a 14.9 per cent stake in West Australian Newspapers and before Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp paid $5.20 a share for its 7.5 per cent stake in Fairfax.


It is the latest in a series of moves by the big media players since the Federal Government announced a relaxation of the cross media and foreign ownership rules in the first half of October.


Seven, News and Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd have been quick to position themselves since the Government announced the rule changes.


However, the industry is still in the dark about when the new rules will come into effect.


The Communications Minister, Helen Coonan, said a date would not be set until next year.


This is the first takeover bid since the laws were announced but the deal can go ahead irrespective of changes to the media laws.


Just two weeks ago, Mr Stokes said Seven Media Group, its new joint venture with KKR, had not yet considered an acquisition of Fairfax.


AAP reports: Rural Press chairman John B Fairfax said the merger was a natural progression for the continued growth of Rural Press’ regional publishing business.


“The merger with Rural Press will provide opportunities for Fairfax Media to leverage its online media businesses and expertise across regional communities throughout Australia,'’ he said.


The merged group will have a geographic footprint covering the metropolitan markets of Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, and printing and publishing with over 240 rural, regional and community publications.


It also will have a substantial presence in New Zealand, a significant agricultural publishing presence in the USA with over 20 titles, nine radio licences in Queensland and South Australia, and over five million visitors to the Fairfax Digital sites and farmonline.com.au, canberratimes.com.au and yourguide.com.au.


Source SMH

Jones faces court over witness naming

A brother of four Sydney men convicted of gang rape says he never gave broadcaster Alan Jones or The Daily Telegraph newspaper permission to name him as a juvenile witness at a murder trial. 


Jones came face to face with the witness during a hearing on charges that he named the child on his radio show last year.


During Wednesday’s hearing, a magistrate also agreed to accept into evidence police statements from the boy’s late father, who had been charged with lying during a gang rape trial for two of his sons.


Jones, 2GB licensee Harbour Radio and The Daily Telegraph publisher Nationwide News are facing charges of breaching the Childrens Criminal Proceedings Act by naming the child witness in July last year.


Police allege the boy was 14 when he witnessed the fatal attack on another man in April 2004.


He gave evidence during a murder trial last year and his name was reported in The Daily Telegraph and on Jones’ morning radio show.


The trial was eventually aborted for other reasons.


The boy told the court he did not give anyone permission to publish or broadcast his name.


But counsel for both defendants have questioned the witness’ age at the time of the trial.


Deputy Chief Magistrate Helen Syme agreed to accept two statements given to police by the boy’s father.


In the statements, the father said the boy was born on July 3, 1989.


But Liz Fullerton, SC, for Jones and Harbour Radio, told the court the boy’s father had testified during the 2003 gang rape trial of two of his sons, known only as MAK and MSK, that he did not know his children’s birthdays.


“He gave sworn testimony that he did not know the birth date of any of his children,” she said.


The father’s testimony during that gang rape trial resulted in him being charged with perjury for allegedly providing a false alibi for his sons.


He died while the matter was still before the courts.


In the Downing Centre Local Court, Peter Miller, acting for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said the boy’s father may have been unable to remember the dates at that time.


“One’s memory can be refreshed,” he said.


Speaking through an interpreter, the boy’s mother told the court she had eight children but could not remember their birth dates.


She said the births were recorded at a registry in Pakistan.


The woman said that, as part of her Islamic faith, birthdays are not celebrated annually.


Wearing a black suit and pink tie, Jones sat quietly in the court during Wednesday’s proceedings.


Previously, Ms Fullerton told the court the juvenile had a variety of aliases and alternative dates of birth, some dating back as far as 1977, recorded against his fingerprints on the police database.


MSK, MAK and their brothers MMK and MRK, are serving maximum jail terms ranging from 32 to 10 years for gang rape and other sex offences against girls as young as 13.


The hearing was adjourned to a date to be set.

ACMA says yes to low power for Perth

The Australian Communications and Media Authority will make channel capacity available for a new low power community radio service to serve the Perth city area. The new service would operate on 90.5 MHz.


The decision is contained in a variation to the radio licence area plan for Perth released today.


‘The two active aspirant community broadcasters Capital Community Radio and Western Sports Media that have been sharing the frequency will continue to share the frequency until licence applications are called for the new permanent service,’ said Giles Tanner, General Manager of ACMA’s Inputs to Industry Division.


The variation to the licence area plan includes a number of other changes to Perth radio services. The licence area of community radio service 6TCR Wanneroo has been extended to include all of the City of Wanneroo and the City of Joondalup . 6TCR has also been granted an increase in power to the north to enable it to provide coverage to all of the City of Wanneroo . There are amendments to the technical specifications for community radio services 6NR, 6RPH and 6YMS and commercial radio service 6PR to reflect transmitter site changes and power increases for the 6RPH and 6YMS services. ACMA has also withdrawn the availability of AM frequency 1170 kHz for an open narrowcasting service due to the possibility it may be required for digital radio.


ACMA’s decisions follows consideration of submissions received on a draft variation to the Perth radio licence area plan released in September 2004 and a revised draft variation released in December 2005. ACMA received over 1500 letters of support encouraging it to make an additional community radio service available in Perth .


ACMA will not be proceeding with the changes it had previously proposed to the technical specifications for the 6IX Wanneroo FM translator following submissions received on the revised draft variation to the licence area plan released in December 2005 and a subsequent field survey undertaken by ACMA.


The variation does not consider the future use of the FM frequency 100.9 MHz. The West Australian Aboriginal Media Association had been providing a community radio licence service on that frequency until October this year when ACMA cancelled its licence. ACMA will consider the future use of the frequency at a later time

Final survey for 2006 radio ratings

Survey 8 for 2006 links are below. Further updates throughout the day.

Adelaide  Brisbane  Perth  Melbourne  Sydney

Radio Ratings Survey 8

With survey 8 of the radio ratings due tomorrow we will bring you the state by state results from around 10.15am Tuesday morning.

2UE tries to block lawsuits

THE radio station 2UE has found a novel way to deal with the anti-hate laws its presenters find so troublesome: plead the constitution.

Its presenters, John Laws and Steve Price, had a combined rant about the gay couple on Channel Nine’s renovation show, The Block, in 2003, using the terms “poofs” and “grubby” in their extended attack.

A complaint was filed by Gary Burns, alleging they had breached anti-vilification provisions of the Anti-Discrimination Act. They make it unlawful to incite hatred of homosexuals. Protections also exist for race, transsexuality or having HIV or AIDS

Mr Burns filed another complaint against Mr Laws over his on-air comments in 2004 about Carson Kressley, the host of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, which included the terms “pillow-biter” and “pompous little pansy prig”.

But both of Mr Burns’s complaints - and any other made under the vilification laws - could be thwarted if 2UE’s constitutional argument succeeds.

It says that the right to freedom of political communication - inferred from the constitution by the High Court - means state anti-vilification laws should be declared invalid. In the event of a conflict, federal laws trump state laws. If its invalidity claim does not succeed, it says the laws should be restricted to allow for the freedom of political speech.

The Attorney-General, Bob Debus, has intervened in the case, claiming the Administrative Decisions Tribunal’s appeal panel does not have the power to decide constitutional matters.

Three Court of Appeal judges have reserved their decision. (SMH)

Alan Freeman dies aged 79

Veteran DJ Alan “Fluff” Freeman, whose “Not ‘arf” catchphrase made him a household name, has died aged 79.
The former BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2 presenter had been living in a nursing home in London since 2000 after being diagnosed with arthritis.

Freeman joined the BBC in 1960 after a spell working in his native Australia mainly 3KZ Melbourne.

ACMA renews 3OCR community broadcasting licence

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has renewed the community broadcasting licence issued to Otway FM Community Radio Group Inc. (Otway FM) in Colac, Victoria, after the station was able to satisfy concerns raised by the Authority.

“In the course of the Otway FM licence renewal process ACMA raised several issues with the licensee over what can only be described as severe management failure,” said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman. “Of most concern is that the station was off air for almost 18 months and has not provided a service to significant parts of the licence area. Membership, sponsorship and volunteer levels are all low for these reasons.”

“Fortunately, over the course of the licence renewal period a new management team at Otway FM has begun to address ACMA’s concerns, either directly, or through specific undertakings. ACMA has taken this into account and has decided to renew the licence of the only community broadcaster in the Colac region. Instead ACMA will work with Otway FM to revive the service,” Mr Chapman said.

“However, Otway FM will have little room for error. ACMA will continue to monitor the operations of the station and is expecting to see significant improvement over the coming months.”

ACMA has informed the station that it reserves the right to take further action if it does not meet its undertakings, including imposing additional licence conditions or ultimately cancelling the licence.

“ACMA is charged with promoting the availability of a diverse range of radio services throughout Australia, as well as ensuring that broadcasters meet all their statutory obligations,” Mr Chapman said.

“This decision successfully balances both of these objectives and represents an acceptable outcome to the renewal process,” Mr Chapman concluded.

Tas broadcaster Ric Paterson retires

Veteran Tasmanian ABC broadcaster Ric Paterson has announced his retirement.


Paterson, 59, made the announcement this morning at the launch of the 2006 ABC Giving Tree.


Paterson says it has been a memorable 42 years in the industry.


“Last night I got the calculator out and did some rough calculations,” he said.


“In 42 years in radio I’ve played around about 87,360 records and have done roughly 16,400 interviews.


“But the most alarming thing is that it’s still out there in space somewhere.”


He says his last breakfast radio program will be broadcast on December 22.


“I’ve always regarded it as a great privilege to be a broadcaster, to be part of the daily lives of many Tasmanians,” he said.


“It has never, ever been just a job.”


Source ABC

Evans fails to curry favour

(Source Herald Sun)

3MP is in damage control after a racial slur by fill-in host Greg Evans went to air on the breakfast show yesterday.

In the middle of a song, the radio and TV veteran was heard to say: “Bloody hell. We do have a lot of curry-eating listeners.”\

 Evans, who was filling in this week while regular breakfast host John Burgess takes a fortnight’s holiday, thought he was off-air.

3MP group general manager Barrie Quick said the gaffe was regrettable and yesterday apologised to listeners.

“The comments made on air have been taken seriously and we are dealing with it internally,” he said.

“The network and Greg sincerely apologise if the comments have offended any of our loyal listeners.”

TV announcer Shaun Cosgrove will fill in as host in the breakfast slot next week.

Mr Quick said Evans was only asked to fill in this week and Cosgrove was always going to sit in the chair in the second week of Burgess’s leave.

Burgess returns to the microphone on November 27.

The comments by the former Perfect Match host were broadcast in Melbourne only.

Mac Bank takes $170m media stake

MACQUARIE Media Group has bought a 14.9 per cent stake in Southern Cross Broadcasting.

Macquarie Media, which is backed by Macquarie Bank, paid $170 million for its slice of the broadcasting group, The Australian reports today.

Southern Cross owns top-rating radio stations 2UE in Sydney and 3AW in Melbourne.

It also runs the Ten Network’s regional television stations.

The move follows the introduction of the federal government’s media ownership laws, which has triggered several strategic media company investments.

Southern Cross has one of the biggest regional television networks as well as the only network of metropolitan AM radio stations.

Macquarie Media owns 86 regional radio stations and part of a Taiwanese broadband group.

Austereo 2% growth

Austereo Group expects full-year industry sales growth of around two per cent and says it plans to review its growth opportunities from media sector changes.

The radio broadcaster said that the 2007 financial year, to the end of October 2006, had seen the continuation of excellent Austereo audience figures, which had converted to on-budget sales levels.

“The total radio market is still short, with recorded growth to the end of the October quarter at 1.39 per cent,” Austereo chairman Peter Harvie told shareholders at the company’s annual general meeting.

“We therefore continue to anticipate industry sales growth for the December half to be around two per cent.

Southern Cross launches mytalk.com.au

Sothern Cross Broadcasting in what many see as a bold move have brought their radio stations together under the one web site. www.mytalk.com.au

Naturally all stations still have their own domain names, although most as we go to press are now pointing at the new site.

The site has plans to be very interactive with blogs by presenters being made available, as well as visitors being able to launch their own blog and contribute to various forums.

All 7 Southern Cross stations can now be heard online in the one place. For a station such as Magic 1278 it is a major step up in regards to their previous web site. Over all the My Talk site appears to be very user friendly. www.mytalk.com.au

Jones letters pulled from eBay

Internet auction house eBay has removed from sale a set of letters purported to be written by Alan Jones to a man who claims to have had a relationship with the broadcaster.

Marcus Schmit, who claims in Chris Masters’ biography Jonestown to have had a relationship with the 2GB host in 2001, was hoping to cash in by selling the letters.

But after being posted online for two days, eBay removed the letters from sale, saying they were “inappropriate”.

“We looked at the item and made a call that it was inappropriate,” eBay spokesman Daniel Feiler said.

“eBay is well known as a great place to buy and sell practically anything, but that doesn’t mean everything.”

Mr Feiler said he would not go into the specifics of what eBay thought was inappropriate about the listing.

The letters are believed to have had a starting price of $1,200 but had not received any bids when they were pulled this morning.

Mr Schmit said he posted the letters online after a friend suggested it would be a good way to make some money.

He said he came to know Mr Jones by writing to him and classified him as a friend but only knew him for three to four months before he moved away.

“I wanted a career, I hadn’t been to university, I hadn’t even finished high school, I wanted to do something with my life and I thought Alan could offer me an opportunity,” he told ABC radio.

“I didn’t necessarily contact him in regards to offering sex in exchange for a job, he was just, I thought, a valuable contact.

“The relationship started off as one of friendship, we’d be with each other once or twice a week, we’d talk on the phone every day, we’d go for dinner.”

Before being removed, the on-line description is reported to have read: “I can only presume that this auction may cause many conservative, white, middle-upper class, ivory tower owners upset and result in aggressive and abusive messages from fans, supporters and possibly friends of Alan Jones.”

Mr Schmit also wrote he was presenting an “opportunity for those who feel strongly against offering such a letter for auction - an offer to enable me to withdraw this letter from public bid”.

eBay said people do occasionally relist items after they had been pulled down and they would deal with that issue if Mr Schmit relisted it.

Mr Jones declined to comment.

2CA happy 75th birthday

Happy birthday 2CA.

In 2006 so many of our heritage stations around the nation celebrate 75 years of broadcasting. Happy birthday to 2CA Canberra who have reached that milestone today.

2CA Home page

Laws docked $100k for six sick days

John Laws has been docked $100,000 from his $86,500 a week salary for taking a week off work with pneumonia.

But the veteran radio personality says if Southern Cross Broadcasting management were trying to send him a message: “I didn’t get it. They’ll have to try again.”

Laws, the King of Radio for almost 15 years, is broadcast on 63 stations, but is suffering against Sydney competitor Ray Hadley on rival network Macquarie Radio, The Bulletin magazine reports.

His wealth is estimated at $100 million, including a $30m harbourside apartment, substantial property holdings in the city’s eastern suburbs and several vintage cars - as well as a salary of $4.5m a year.

The 71-year-old also is on a watertight contract that keeps him as Australia’s highest-paid broadcaster until 2010, with provisions allowing him to quit whenever he wants but preventing Southern Cross from axing him.

“A good contract,” Laws jokes in an interview with The Bulletin, to be published on Wednesday.

“Thought it up all by myself.”

The radio network last December took an unprecedented move against the star, docking him $100,000 for six days sick leave, the magazine said.

While Laws said he did not think “too many people get over pneumonia in six days”, he did not hold it against Southern Cross.

“It’s a public company you know and they’ve got to explain every expenditure,” Laws said.

If management was trying to send him a message Laws said he “didn’t get it”.

However, the veteran talkback host admits he should have retired 10 years ago, “because I would have been firmly at the top.”

His professional landscape changed five years ago with the defection of fellow announcer Alan Jones to Macquarie Radio.

“Alan going to 2GB had a huge effect, obviously, and the change of ownership of the radio station … in a way it was probably disruptive,” Laws said.

Laws paid measured tribute to his former colleague for his success.

“He caters to the prejudice of the masses and it’s a very clever thing to do, it’s a good way to get on,” he said.

Central to Laws’ philosophy on life is a sense of being needed, a theme also fundamental to his attitude to retiring from the airwaves.

“If you’ve got … in particular a staff that loves you or a partner that loves you, that feeling of not having somebody else belonging to you but you belonging to somebody else,” Laws said.

“It would be terrible to wake up in the morning and not feel that you were wanted or needed - to wake up with no reason.

“Everybody’s got to have a reason.”

Our Andrew Dower kicking goals

Australian Andrew Dower has been appointed to the newly-created position of Chief Operating Officer (COO) Mature Markets in the Communicorp group. Communicorp is an Irish-owned company operating 37 stations across seven countries in Europe.
Andrew will be managing 19 stations in three countries: Finland, the Czech Republic and Hungary.
Formerly of HO-FM, 7BU, 2QN and 6KG in Australia, Andrew has been working in European radio since 1992, and General Manager of Communicorp’s 12 Czech stations since 1997.

Fifi's big brekkie break

Sydney Confidential

 Fifi Box is poised to be Austereo’s new ratings weapon at breakfast by moving into the all-important early morning slot at Triple M.

It is understood Box and her offsider from the popular drivetime program The Shebang, Marty Sheargold, will be switched to the breakfast slot next year at the expense of the five-person The Cage line-up.

Confidential hears Box has been offered a lucrative new deal with the station which would make her one of the highest-earning women in radio.

“She’s going to breakfast and it’s on big bucks,'’ an industry source said.

Box did not return calls yesterday and an Austereo spokesman last night refused to confirm or deny the breakfast move, saying “we won’t be commenting'’.

Box and Sheargold’s The Shebang was one of the success stories of the ratings year in 2005 and has for some time been touted as a potential replacement for The Cage.

It’s uncertain whether The Cage would be directly switched to drivetime in the shake-up.

The current five-person breakfast ensemble  - Peter Berner, Brigitte Duclos, Matt Parkinson, James Brayshaw and Mike Fitzpatrick - have battled to get a successful foothold in Sydney for the past three years.

A significant ratings improvement in the ratings survey released in August looked to have helped The Cage’s bid for survival but the show again went backwards in the latest survey this week.

It dropped 1.2 per cent to a 6.8 per cent audience share, slipping behind WSFM’s resurgent Brendan Jones and Amanda Keller to seventh in the overall breakfast rankings and fourth in FM.

Vale Wally Foreman

Veteran broadcaster Wally Foreman died today at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.

Foreman, 58, suffered a massive heart attack on Tuesday morning while exercising at an Osborne Park gym.

The ABC radio commentator had been in an induced coma until this morning, but the hospital announced his death this afternoon.

“Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital regrets to announce that much loved sports broadcaster and former administrator Wally Foreman passed away this afternoon,” the hospital statement said. “Wally’s wife Lyn and sons Glen and Mark would like to thank the public for their support over the past two days.”

Foreman, a former WA Institute of Sport director, worked in sports media for more than 30 years after starting as a journalist with The West Australian in 1972 before joining the ABC sports department in 1975.

Close friend Tony Mann told ABC Radio this afternoon that the news had been a bombshell.

“What a character. I don’t think there’s been a nicer man,” Mr Mann said.

Broadcaster and colleague Russell Woolf said Foreman’s colleagues felt like they had lost a brother.

ACMA invites applications for narrowcasting services

 The Australian Communications and Media Authority has invited applications for 28 high powered open narrowcasting radio services to serve areas in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia

ACMA has set a reserve price of $4,000 for the Canberra licence and $2,000 for the remaining 27 licences. Applications for the licences will close at 1700 AEDT on Thursday, 30 November 2006.

ACMA is pleased to invite applications for these high powered open narrowcasting radio services  said Giles Tanner, General Manager of ACMA's Inputs to Industry Division. "The new services that result from the release of the licences will increase the diversity of services available to people in regional and remote areas."

Licences will be issued under a price-based allocation system. Under the system, if there is more than one applicant for a licence, an auction-style licence allocation exercise will be held at which the licence will be issued to the highest bidder. If there is only one application for a licence at the close of applications, the licence will be issued to the applicant for the reserve price.

Licences will be issued to successful applicants once certain requirements are met. Anyone interested in applying for any of the available licences may download an an information package titled Price-based Allocation of Apparatus Licences for Open Narrowcasting Services from the ACMA website. A non-refundable application cost of $550 applies to each application.For further information about the licences, please contact Megan Wynnik on (02) 6256 2827.Media contact: Donald Robertson, ACMA Media Manager on (02) 9334 7980.Backgrounder

Open narrowcasting servicesOpen narrowcasting services are broadcasting services that are limited in some way. This can be either because they are targeted at special interest groups, or are available in limited locations (for example sporting arenas or shopping centres), or are provided during a limited period or to cover a special event or because they provide programs of limited appeal. Over ninety per cent of currently operating narrowcasting services provide either tourist radio or racing radio services.

Features of the price-based allocation systemThe Radiocommunications (Issue of Broadcasting (Narrowcasting) Transmitter Licences) Determination which governs the price-based allocation system under which the licences will be issued, was determined by ACMA under section 106 of the Radiocommunications Act 1992.Under the system, if there is more than one applicant for a licence, the licence will be issued to the highest bidder at an auction-style licence allocation exercise, provided the price bid is at least equal to the published reserve price for the licence and the other requirements of the Determination are met.The highest bidder at a licence allocation exercise must immediately pay a deposit of 10 per cent of the price bid. Full payment for the licence (that is, price bid less the deposit) must be made by 4.00pm on the day after the relevant licence allocation exercise.

If there is only one applicant for a licence, a licence allocation exercise will not be held. The applicant for the licence will be issued the licence for the reserve price, subject to the requirements of the Determination being met, including payment of the price of the licence.

If a successful applicant does not meet all of the requirements of the Determination, the applicant will not be issued the licence. ACMA may then re-offer the licence.

The licence is subject to certain roll-out obligations: a licensee must commence to provide a service within six months of being issued the licence, or within such longer period as is notified in writing by ACMA.

Jono Coleman leaves BBC London

BBC London 94.9 breakfast presenter Jono Coleman’s leaving the station to return home to Australia.

Co-host Jo Good will take over on her own until a permanent replacement is found.

It’s less than a year since Coleman launched his breakfast show on the station. He previously worked at Heart 106.2 but was dropped in favour of Jamie Theakston.

The BBC says he’s moving back to Australia to care for his mother, Sylvia, who will undergo an operation in the new year.

The station’s David Robey said: “It’s paramount that we get the right person for BBC London and the right person to gel with Jo. Jono and Jo were beginning to make a real impact in the most competitive breakfast radio market in the UK, following in the substantial footsteps of Danny Baker, but we understand that family will always come first.”

Coleman added: “Jo Good and the team have all been great during this worrying time and I wouldn’t hesitate to work with any of them again.”

One step forward, two steps back

The following item appears on League Unlimited

The NRL has taken a baby step forward by awarding Monday night football coverage rights to Triple M and two massive steps back by abandoning their heartland areas in the bush.

Country folk without pay TV or internet coverage have no way of knowing who won the Monday night game until the next morning. The worst part of this debacle is that I don’t think many people were surprised by the decision of the NRL to once again shoot themselves in the foot.

Outside of Sydney, you would need Austar or Foxtel to watch the game or the internet to follow it online via websites such as League Unlimited or via streaming audio on the Triple M website. For those in the bush with no pay tv or internet, well you my friends, you have been left to suck eggs once again as no one wants to know about you when it comes to Rugby League. FULL STORY

Radio ratings survey 7










Melb 3AW 14.9
Fox  12.5
Gold 11.0
 774 10.9
Nova 8.2
MMM 8.2
Mix  6.6
Magic 3.8
SEN 3.2
Vega  2.8
JJJ 2.6
3MP 2.5
RN 2.0
Classic  2.0
News 1.3


Bris
Nova  14.3
MMM 12.1
 97.3 10.1
 612 10.0
B105 9.2
4KQ 8.6
4BH 8.4
4BC 8.3
JJJ 5.0
RNl 2.5
Classic  2.4


Adelaide Fiveaa 16.1
Mix 14.8
SA FM 12.8
Nova 12.2
891 11.5
MMM 8.2
Cruise 7.0
JJJ 4.9
Classic 2.1
RN 1.5
News 1.1


Sydney 2GB 11.6
2Day 11.1
702 9.3
2UE 8.3
MMM 7.4
Nova 7.4
Mix 7.3
WSFM 6.8
2CH 4.9
JJJ 3.5
RN 2.6
Classic 2.4
Vega 2.0
News 2.0
 


Perth Mix 17.4 Nova 12.6 96FM 11.6 720 10.8 92.9 10.4 6PR 10.2 6IX 5.4   JJJ 5.3   CLASS 3.5 6RN 2.3 NEWS 1.2

6IX breakfast presenter hits back at claims

Founder of Young Talent Time and current 6IX breakfast presenter Johnny Young has dismissed claims by singer Debra Byrne she was introduced to sex, drugs and alcohol on the ground breaking TV show.

Young has also questioned how Byrne claimed she was 12 when she started a relationship with a 24-year-old YTT crew member. “Debra was 14 when she started on Young Talent Time and she was 15 going on 16 when she ran off with the boom operator without anybody knowing, causing incredible havoc for us,” he said.

Sources close to the former Queen of Pop have suggested there are other circumstances relating to Byrne’s early years she has not revealed, totally unrelated to YTT, things that 6IX’s Young and others on YTT had no control over.

Byrne is currently promoting her new book, ‘Not Quite Ripe’.

Macquarie Media Group might buy more

Macquarie Media said it hopes to buy more radio assets rather than sell them off as new media laws are introduced next year.

The broadcast media group executive chairman Tim Hughes said the company’s Macquarie Regional Radioworks (MRR) may expand in the near future.

Mr Hughes laughed off suggestions MRR would sell off some of its 85 commercial radio licenses in Australia.

“That is just speculation,” Mr Hughes said after the company’s annual general meeting.

“Macquarie Regional Radioworks is probably the best performing asset in this country in terms of return on sales,” he said adding that the business has high earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA).

“It has high EBITDA margin, it has got great growth prospects and we actually think that the outcome of the recent changes might give us the opportunity to actually extend our reach in regional radio, not get out of it.”

MRR reported EBITDA 30.3 per cent growth in 2005/06 to $55 million compared to last year, while sales revenue grew 15.2 per cent.

Mr Hughes also said MRR was in talks with a number of media companies including WIN TV over possible acquisitions.

“We are talking to everyone,” he said.

Mr Hughes dismissed ideas that MRR may consider an all out tilt at John Fairfax Holdings saying the newspaper publisher was “a bit big.”

Ratings survey 7 results are in

Radio ratings have crept up on us all again. Survey 7, the second last for 2006 will no doubt bring mixed results across the industry, although survey 7 sometimes is the cue for programmers across the nation to sharpen the axe for the following year.

Perth will follow later in the day. As usual we will attempt to bring you any breaking ratings day stories as they happen.

Adelaide  Brisbane  Perth  Melbourne Sydney

Hinch tells of near-death experience

Derryn Hinch, who has been suffering a serious but undisclosed illness, says he had a brush with death last week.Hinch today told the Nine Network he required emergency treatment in a Melbourne hospital for blood poisoning and related complications.

He again declined to specify what illness he has suffered all year, saying only that the latest medical problems were caused and exacerbated by his weakened immune system.

“I got blood poisoning. I got septicaemia and suddenly my kidneys didn’t like it. They just shut down and I had total renal failure,” Hinch said of his most recent emergency.

“And, because I’d been sick earlier this year, for different reasons, my immune system was stuffed.”

Hinch said he was still attached to a medical device that pumped penicillin into his system “24 hours” through a tube.

“It took a while to get the right mix and pump me full of stuff. It has been life saving,” the controversial Southern Cross Radio commentator said.

Hinch was also told he came close to dying.

“I didn’t see any white flashes of light and stuff, I didn’t go the other side and see there was nothing there, as Kerry Packer once said … but I’m told I came very close.

“You can’t kill weeds, especially noxious ones. I’m coming back,” Hinch said.

Anderson quashes Jones rumours (SMH)

THE former deputy prime minister John Anderson, the target of years of on-air tirades from the broadcaster Alan Jones, says he wants to make one thing clear: Jones never made sexual advances to him.

Mr Anderson, who as a minister admonished his colleagues, including the Prime Minister, John Howard, for kowtowing to Jones, broke his silence yesterday on his embittered relations with Jones.

Mr Anderson was reported yesterday to have told friends that Jones, who taught Mr Anderson at The King’s School, maintained a “sexually charged” regime over his pupils.

The former National Party leader at first told the Herald: “I don’t seek to make any public comment on it at all.”

However, he later said it would only be fair to set the record straight on an issue that has dominated the fallout from the unauthorised biography Jonestown, by Chris Masters, which talks at length about the broadcaster’s homosexuality.

“Probably because of the perception that some of his radio attacks on me were so personal and over the top, many people, including some of the country’s most senior journalists, seem to have assumed that Jones must have made some advances on me as a schoolboy, and I have been asked about that many times,” Mr Anderson told the Herald.“I have always immediately made it plain that was not true and it would not be fair for me to imply such things, because he did not [make advances].“I have always immediately made it plain that was not true and it would not be fair for me to imply such things, because he did not [make advances].”Our difficulties have related to adult life and his views - for example, that we could have droughtproofed Australia. We could not.”

Friends of Mr Anderson were reported yesterday to have said that, at King’s, Jones subjected Mr Anderson, then in his early teens, to a tirade of abuse for his failure to follow Jones’s directions at rugby practice.

But Mr Anderson indicated yesterday that he did not believe the falling-out in his schooldays was linked to the broadcaster’s subsequent attacks on his performance as minister.

As a senior government minister, Mr Anderson is believed to have argued on more than one occasion with his ministerial colleagues against pandering to the broadcaster’s demands.

Mr Howard had a firm relationship with Mr Anderson as deputy prime minister, but this did not prevent him expressing his strong support for Jones last week. Mr Howard said that he regarded Jones as a friend.

The way the broadcaster had been depicted in Jonestown and the innuendo in it was “quite unacceptable”, he said.

Review starts into regional radio rules

A government watchdog has been asked to begin a review of local content requirements for regional radio in the new media laws.

The request has come from Communications Minister Helen Coonan who wants the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to report back to her in June next year.

New laws will require local radio stations to produce four-and-a-half hours of local content a day.

The ACMA review will also establish whether this requirement should include a provision that twelve-and-a-half minutes of news be produced locally each day.

The review should establish whether the rules are too tough for small radio stations that lack resources.

Senator Coonan has previously conceded that the rules might have to be adjusted.

Community radio licence 3CCC Bendigo to expire

The licence for community broadcasting service 3CCC Bendigo will expire on 12 November 2006 after the licensee, Goldfields Community Radio Cooperative Ltd, failed to lodge its renewal application with Australian Communications Media Authority by the required date.

"This is most regrettable, but ACMA has no power to renew a community broadcasting licence where the application is lodged a considerable time after the required date" said Mr Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman. In the case of 3CCC, ACMA received its application five months after the due date, despite almost 12 months of frequent reminders.

Applications to renew community broadcasting licences must be made, at the earliest, 12 months prior to the licence expiry, and at the latest, 26 weeks prior to the licence expiry unless ACMA notifies the licensee in writing to lodge the application at an earlier date.

"In order to avoid such a circumstance, all community radio licensees should clearly review the legislation applicable to them and, in particular, monitor the strict renewal date regime," said Mr Chapman.

Following numerous reminders and explanations of the consequences of non-lodgment, 3CCC finally lodged its renewal application on 13 October 2006.

ACMA has not yet decided on the long-term future use of the frequency used by 3CCC (89.5 MHz). This frequency may be made available for a temporary community broadcasting service while its future use is further considered. 3CCC can apply for a temporary community broadcasting licence to use the frequency in the meantime.

ACMA to investigate 2UE's compliance

The Australian Communications and Media Authority confirmed today that it has decided to open an investigation into compliance with the commercial radio standards by Radio 2UE Sydney Pty Ltd, the licensee of commercial radio service 2UE Sydney.

ACMA's decision follows the notification of a breach of the Commercial Radio Disclosure Standard by 2UE. 2UE wrote to ACMA indicating it had breached the standard as a result of one if its presenters, Mr John Laws, failing to disclose a commercial agreement with Telstra during an interview with the Prime Minister on Mr Laws program on 28 August 2006.

"ACMA acknowledges the action of 2UE in bringing this specific breach to its attention," said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman. "However, ACMA has decided to commence an investigation into 2UE's compliance with the standards."

The terms of reference for the investigation are included below.

In connection with the investigation, ACMA makes it clear that it has formed no firm view on the issues to date but is seeking documents to inform itself.

'At this stage, ACMA has begun collecting documents that are relevant to the matters noted in the terms of reference,' said Mr Chapman. 'Once the documents are examined, ACMA will consider what steps, if any, will need to be taken.'

Macquarie Media eyes WIN Corp

JUST two days after denying its regional radio stations were for sale, Macquarie Media Group is rumoured to be in talks with WIN Corp about a possible acquisition.

The speculation came as sources ruled out Babcock & Brown as a likely buyer in the shake-up of Australia’s media sector, despite speculation its main rival, Macquarie Bank, which owns 20 per cent of MMG, is about to make a move into the sector.

The speculation came as sources ruled out Babcock & Brown as a likely buyer in the shake-up of Australia’s media sector, despite speculation its main rival, Macquarie Bank, which owns 20 per cent of MMG, is about to make a move into the sector.

Unlike foreign private equity groups, Macquarie Bank and B&B do not have to wait for the Federal Government’s new media laws allowing cross-media and foreign ownership to come into force if they want to buy media assets.

But sources close to B&B say the $5.8 billion investment group would probably be interested only in media infrastructure — for instance, printing presses  spun off from any sale of media companies.

WIN, Australia’s largest regional TV network, is owned by Bermuda-based billionaire Bruce Gordon. The group owns telecommunications infrastructure, a fledgling pay TV company, stakes in Ten and Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd and more than $100 million of property. Mr Gordon has been approached in the past and has said he wouldn’t sell the group for less than $1 billion.

WIN chief executive George Papadopoulos and chairman Andrew Gordon, the son of its owner, did not return calls yesterday.

A source close to MMG said it was interested in WIN. However, the Macquarie-backed fund is concerned that Australian media assets are too expensive. MMG owns 85 regional radio stations and a Taiwanese cable company. It is looking around the globe for assets, and executive chairman Tim Hughes said in August that it was “very hard for us to see much value” in some of the prices media companies are trading at in Australia.

Analysts estimate WIN earns more than $50 million a year before tax. But there is little financial information available on the privately owned company.

One analyst said the deal could make sense because MMG could on-sell some of the telecommunications assets to its sister fund, Macquarie Communications Infrastructure Group. source SMH

Hinch was close to death

3AW’s Derryn Hinch has suffered total kidney failure whilst being treated for septicaemia in Melbourne’s Cabrini Hospital. Hinch who has been dogged by ill health for much of this year was treated by up to eight specialists during an ordeal that was touch and go. The long term prognosis on the renal failure has not been disclosed although Hinch claims he will be back on air in early November.

No radio sale in the air

MACQUARIE Media Groupsays it has no intention of selling its nationwide network of radio stations.

MMG said Macquarie Regional Radioworks was not for sale, despite reports to the contrary.

“MMG advises that the Macquarie Regional Radioworks business has not been put up for sale, and there is no current intention to sell,” said the group.

MMG was late yesterday requested by the Australian Stock Exchange to respond to a media article citing a possible sale.

“MMG advises that it has not received any offer to buy Macquarie Regional Radioworks, nor has there been any decision to sell the business,” it said.

The report said MMG had put a sale price of $600 million on its 85 radio licences, which cover about 60 per cent of regional Australia.

The sale speculation was believed to have been prompted by new media laws and stricter requirements for regional radio stations to produce more local content, thereby preventing broadcasts from a network’s stations from outside local areas.

The industry’s major media players are in the process of positioning themselves ahead of the laws being introduced next year.

MacBank radio network for sale?

MACQUARIE Media Group, the dominant player in the nation’s regional radio market, is believed to have put its network of stations up for sale for about $600 million as it seeks new opportunities in the deregulated media market.


The decision to sell after only two years is believed to have been prompted by the federal Government’s insistence on tough local-content requirements for regional radio stations to gain the Nationals’ support in parliament last week for the removal of cross-media and foreign ownership rules.


Those local-content rules would be triggered if the company - a fund set up by Macquarie Bank in 2004 to invest in media assets - bought a TV station or newspaper business in any of the markets in which the radio stations operate. The cost of meeting those requirements would dent earnings growth at Macquarie and limit the appeal of consolidation in the regional media market.


Nationals MPs have constantly criticised Macquarie for its heavily networked approach to news and other programming on its regional radio stations.


Earlier this month, Macquarie came under fire for hubbing some news in Western Australia out of its Gold Coast newsroom.


But it warned it would be forced to close at least 10 stations in towns in Tasmania, Western Australia and Queensland if new content requirements were enacted.


The new rules impose 12 1/2 minutes a day of original local news content and 4 1/2 hours of local live content.


The broadcaster said the costs of hiring extra staff and infrastructure costs would make a further six stations “marginal”.


The most likely buyers are regional media groups with better developed regional newsrooms that could more easily absorb the cost of producing extra local content across two media.


The radio business, Macquarie Regional Radioworks, owns 85 regional radio licences that cover about 60 per cent of regional Australia.


The group, which posted operating earnings last year of $55 million, also faces the cost of upgrading all its radio stations to digital.


Macquarie formed the business in 2004 when it paid $173 million to take over regional radio group RG Capital and then $196.5 million for most of the British-owned DMG Radio Australia’s regional radio stations. The stations then became the seed asset of the Macquarie Media Group, which listed last year.


Macquarie was estimated to have pocketed between $70 million and $124 million from the sale of the radio businesses into the listed vehicle.


MMG then moved offshore, paying $416 million for 60 per cent of Taiwan Broadband Communications.


But MMG has been one of the worst-performing of Macquarie’s satellite funds, with investors baulking at the complicated structure and management fees.


Potential buyers of the radio assets include John B. Fairfax’s Rural Press, which already owns 10 regional radio stations and has often stated its desire to buy more, and rival regional newspaper group APN News & Media.


APN chief executive Brendan Hopkins recently told The Australian that the local industry could learn from New Zealand, where APN owns radio stations and newspapers in the same markets. “Local radio working closely with local publications will give better local content than if they were working separately,” he said.


Meanwhile, John Hartigan, the chief executive of News Limited, which publishes The Australian, is heading to the US this week to brief parent company News Corporation on the unfolding Australian media landscape. (source The Australian)

Wheels of fortune turn again for Burgo

His listeners can't see it but 'Baby' John Burgess doesn't look to have aged a day. The skin is tight. The hair colour is fresh. And the huge diamond ring he regularly adjusts on his left hand is leftover bling from his glory days as Perth's radio king when a Ferrari sports car was part of his 6PM salary package.

This month, in the modest surroundings of a struggling, inner-Melbourne radio station, the rebirth of 63-year-old 'Baby' John Burgess slowly began taking shape.

In the past three weeks, the man who ruled Perth's airwaves for more than a decade has been waking up 3MP's modest audience with a soundtrack of Roy Orbison, Celine Dion, Elton John and the Bee Gees. And quietly planning his comeback.

ARN EVOLVES BREAKFAST LINE UP

Robin Bailey and Bob Gallagher will join the 97.3Fm breakfast team on Monday 23 October from 5.30am for Brisbane's new and fresh breakfast radio show.

'We have made this evolutionary change to Brisbane’s 973Fm to take advantage of Robin Bailey’s success base and high profile in radio,' said ARN General Manager, Peter Verhoeven.

Southern Cross in media talks

RADIO and television broadcaster Southern Cross Broadcasting Ltd (SBC) said today it was in talks with other media companies about a possible merger, takeover or acquisition.' Southern Cross Broadcasting has commenced such discussions but none have progressed beyond the exploratory stage,” the company said in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange.

“The ASX has insisted that the company make a release regarding discussions it may have had with other media companies,” SBC said.

“It is noted that it has been widely reported that many media companies are in discussions with other media companies following the passage of legislation to relax the cross media and foreign ownership laws.”

AFL new look radio deal

Australian Football League Chief Operating Officer Ben Buckley today announced the AFL had reached three-year agreements for its Radio Broadcast rights with the ABC, 3AW, the Triple M Network and new partner SEN 1116.

Mr Buckley said the AFL’s radio agreements across both commercial AM and FM radio and with national public broadcasters would now see every match of every team in the competition broadcast into its home city. For the first time, all Victorian-based teams were now guaranteed radio coverage for every away match outside of Victoria for the first time in the history of the national competition.

ACMA finds 2CBD Deepwater broadcast advertisements

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has found that Deepwater & Districts Community FM Radio Inc, the licensee of 2CBD Deepwater, breached the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 by broadcasting advertisements.

Derryn Hinch battling mystery illness

Melbourne radio talkback host Derryn Hinch is battling another mystery illness and does not know when he will be back on air.

Hinch was admitted to Cabrini hospital in suburban Malvern, on Wednesday.

He has undergone tests, including MRIs, X-rays and a CAT scan that revealed he had suffered blood poisoning.

But the radio drive time show host said he did not know what caused it.

“I can’t tell you because they (doctors) haven’t told me,” Hinch told News Limited.

He said he does not know when he will be back on air.

It is the second health major scare for Hinch in 12 months.

Supernetwork to cover International Rugby League

International football makes it long awaited return to Rugby Leagues heartland this month when the Newcastle Rep side hosts Great Britain on Friday 20 October at Energy Australia Stadium and the Supernetwork will have all the action covered.

'This is Newcastle's chance to re-visit the glory days of Rugby league before the Knights joined the National competition' said Newcastle Rugby League CEO, Jamie O'Connor

In the years gone by the Newcastle-Great Britain has always brought out the best in the locals and the last time Newcastle defeated Great Britain in a very spiteful clash was in 1962 in front of 22,000 people

Ray Hadley crowned top radio commentator

Ray Hadley has taken over from his 2GB stablemate Alan Jones in being crowned Best Current Affairs Commentator at the Australian Commercial Radio Awards.Hadley was presented with the award at the annual ceremony, this year hosted by British comedian John Cleese, at Sydney’s Luna Park.

It brought to an end Jones’ dominance in the category after the veteran broadcaster decided not to nominate for the award this year.

ACMA cancels Perth community radio licence

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has cancelled the community radio broadcasting licence held by the Western Australian Aboriginal Media Association (Aboriginal Corporation) (WAAMA).

On 19 May 2006, ACMA found that the community radio service operated by WAAMA (6AR Perth) had breached its licence conditions. ACMA imposed additional conditions on WAAMA on 22 June 2006. One of the additional conditions required WAAMA to provide a compliance plan to ACMA by 31 July 2006, but WAAMA failed to meet this requirement by the due date.

WAAMA ceased broadcasting on 1 September 2006 and WAAMA's Chair, Mr Iva Hayward Jackson, indicated to ACMA that WAAMA would not be surrendering its licence.

As a result of WAAMA's continuing non-compliance, ACMA issued a written notice to WAAMA on 8 September 2006. WAAMA did not make representations to ACMA by the due date of 15 September 2006 on why ACMA should not suspend or cancel the licence.

'ACMA's decision to cancel the licence is not one that has been taken lightly,' said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman. 'We had worked very hard with WAAMA to ensure it reflected the listening needs of Perth's indigenous population. This included our imposing additional licence conditions.'

ACMA has not made any decision regarding the use of the frequency that has been freed up as a result of its decision and will consider this issue at a later date.

At that time, ACMA would remain conscious of continuing interest in an indigenous broadcasting service.

Blair returns to radio

AMANDA Blair has pledged to take her outspoken views to the airwaves when she makes her full-time return to radio at FIVEaa next year.In what has been the industry’s worst-kept secret, the popular Sunday Mail columnist will replace Nicole Haack as afternoon presenter from January 14.

Seven newsreader Graeme Goodings has stepped into the timeslot since Haack’s departure on September 28 and will fill in until Christmas.

The role will be the former number 1 breakfast presenter’s first full-time radio gig since her shock split with SAFM in 2003.”I didn’t want to get near a microphone for a few years I was quite tired after SAFM,” said Blair, who has filled in for various FIVEaa personalities during the past two years.

“I just wanted to have kids and sit back.

“But it’s so refreshing for me to be able to express myself in a reasonably serious forum, and show people there’s a bit of a brain up there that works.

Radio all set for awards night

Commercial radio is gearing up for its glittering awards night to be held at Sydney's Luna Park next week. One of the world's funniest comedians, John Cleese, will open the show and a host of radio personalities and entertainers will be part of the night's line-up.

Some of Australia's best known radio personalities will be vying for awards. Last year's winners of the Best On Air Team award, Merrick and Rosso from Nova 969, have been nominated again this year and will be up against Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O from 2 Day FM Brendan Jones and Amanda Keller from WS FM the Cage from Triple M and Ross Stevenson and John Burns from 3AW.

The Encyclopaedia Of Australian Radio Shows

For some time now Moris Sztajer and Ian Grieve and a dedicated group of volunteers have been constructing the Encyclopaedia of Australian Radio Show Database. (Earsdb) The project is nothing short of mammoth and is an ongoing works. It mainly centre around The Golden Age of Australian Radio 1932 - 1962 .


EarsDB is a computer based database that lists Australian Radio Shows of the Golden Age and beyond. The aim is to list all Australian radio shows aired during the Golden Age of Australian Radio and beyond.

Mixed signals from regional radio as politicians tune in

The Australian today reports on their perception that the Supernetwork run by Bill Caralis has got off fairly lighty during the inquiry. To quote the article

It’s the network that has been immune from criticism thus far, despite its national news being “hubbed” from its Sydney headquarters at Pyrmont (which Caralis purpose-built in 2000 before Seven, Fairfax, DMG Radio and Ten moved into the area).

Supernetwork operations manager James Yelland said the reason was obvious: they delivered local news and broadcasters. “First and foremost we’re independently owned and operated and we’ve always had an agenda since day one to stay independent, and we will continue to do so regardless,” he said. “You must have a local presence and connect with the local audience.” FULL ITEM

Village continues to sell Austereo stock

Further to our recent item on Village Roadshow (on 26th Sept) there has been another significant sell down of Austereo stock. Village have now disposed of a further 9.8 percent, down to 50.2 percent holding in Austereo. This is down from  67 percent hold just weeks ago.


Speculation that Austereo will be a quick takeover target upon media ownership law changes is now being fuelled by the further share holding trading.


While the Ten Network have long been said to being casting an eye over Austereo it has also now been suggested PBL’s Nine Network would be a front runner should the opportunity arise.


Bloomberg filed the following stock report: Austereo Group Ltd. (AEO AU) slid 7.5 cents, or 4 percent, to A$1.79. Village Roadshow Ltd. (VRL AU), Australia’s biggest cinema chain, cut its stake in radio broadcaster Austereo to 50.2 percent, fuelling speculation it may be a seller if law changes spark media takeovers next year. Village Roadshow climbed 6 cents, or 2.5 percent, to A$2.50.

'Blue Hills' writer dies

The Australian playwright and author Gwen Meredith has died at her home in the New South Wales southern highlands, aged 98.


Mrs Meredith was the writer of the ABC’s radio series Blue Hills which ran for more than 5,500 episodes over 27 years.


Mrs Meredith wrote every one of the episodes.

Information Communications Entertainment conference

The 2006 conference of the Australian Communications and Media Authority will kick off in Canberra in 50 days time. The 'ICE' conference ˜Information Communications Entertainment' will take place at the Hyatt Hotel on 23 and 24 November.

'The ICE theme is acknowledgment of the changing nature of the modern communications environment and the realities of convergence. It also reflects the fact that ACMA itself is a newly converged regulator, with responsibilities spanning telecommunications, broadcasting, radiocommunications and online content,' said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman.

Radio looks to instant music downloads

Consumers could be able to download music tracks from radio stations as they hear them under groundbreaking new technology being investigated as part of the launch of digital radio in Australia in 2009.

The digital music download service would allow consumers to buy tracks in real time over special mobile phone handsets.

Four new New Zealand stations

New Zealand Government decisions announced today will provide for up to four new FM radio stations in each region, and strengthen the role of local broadcasters, say Broadcasting Minister Steve Maharey and Communications Minister David Cunliffe.

The announcement follows a review of FM frequencies and approval of a new policy framework to promote local broadcasting.' The government is committed to supporting local broadcasters in establishing stations that reflect the interests and diversity of their community,' Steve Maharey said. 'In most regions there will be two non-commercial licences and two community-based commercial licences available.'

Coonan tips media shift

Media reforms updates 04 Oct

The biggest industry story in 2006 will continue to be the media reforms. We will provide links to the developing stories surrounding the proposed reforms.



The Age reports COMMUNICATIONS Minister Helen Coonan has paved the way to accepting the key item on the Nationals’ wish list, signalling she is prepared to implement a tougher diversity test as the price of securing her controversial media reforms. FULL ITEM

The Age reports:Communications Minister Helen Coonan has again indicated she is open to compromise with The Nationals over changes to media ownership laws.Senator Coonan said she would consider any 'worthwhile' amendments to a recently-introduced government bill which would abolish restrictions on companies owning more than one form of media in individual cities. FULL ITEM

The SMH reports:THE Federal Communications Minister, Helen Coonan, does not think strict ownership rules for media companies in regional areas will add anything to the Government's media reform package. FULL ITEM

The Australian reports: LOCAL news content on country radio stations could be greatly improved if newspaper proprietors owned both media in the same regional market.As Nationals MPs highlight the parlous state of local radio news ahead of a vote on the Government’s media reform bill, APN News and Media chief Brendan Hopkins said Australia could learn from the New Zealand example, where radio news benefited from the company's ownership of local newspapers. FULL ITEM

The Age reports  Analysts agree investors have generally watched and waited amid uncertainty over whether the media bills, which will abolish cross-ownership and foreign ownership restrictions and roll out digital technology, will be passed without major change. But they say share price premiums built into media stocks perceived as acquisition targets could quickly evaporate if the package was derailed. FULL ITEM

The Australin reports:Some companies, such as FM radio network Austereo, have embraced the proposed rewrite of rules, which would significantly loosen media ownership laws, while others say the new regulations remain a heavy hand on a dynamic sector.  FULL ITEM

The Australian reports:MARK Vaile has predicted that fine-tuning of media ownership laws will be required to quell the concerns of Nationals MPs over their impact in regional areas. FULL ITEM

The Australian reports Ron Camplin well remembers the days when a host of bureaucrats traipsed to the NSW city of Bathurst to check that he was an appropriate owner of the local wireless station.Now, Mr Camplin, 74, believes a similar circus is about to erupt with the federal Government's push to legislate minimum local-content rules for regional radio stations as part of the removal of cross-media ownership restrictions. FULL ITEM

The Canberra Times reports Two media outlets could disappear from the Canberra market or be taken over by other players under the Government's planned changes - but there are no immediate moves to do so. Under the media-ownership laws introduced to Parliament this week by Communications Minister Helen Coonan, Canberra, as a regional market, is guaranteed four media  or independent media groups. Metropolitan markets are guaranteed five. FULL ITEM

The Age reports:APPARENTLY we need media diversity in regional cities but not capital cities.This is not because capital city dwellers are less interested in democracy than country people are, but because regional areas contain wheels labelled 'Nationals' that are squeaking and need to be oiled, whereas capital city politicians are already lubricated by Mogul Oil FULL ITEM

The Courier Mail reports:Long-awaited media reforms could be dumped if the Nationals continue to oppose the package.Some Liberals fear Prime Minister John Howard will simply walk away if the junior Coalition partner makes too much fuss. Mr Howard has previously said he does not want to waste political capital on the reforms, which were introduced to Parliament on Thursday. FULL ITEM

The Australian reports:Mount Gambier is one regional centre that should fear the Howard Government's proposed new media ownership laws, say civic leaders.'The Mount' - in South Australia near the border with Victoria - counts its media as one newspaper, regional television station WIN TV, commercial radio station 5SE and ABC radio and television. FULL ITEM

The Australian reports:Measures to preserve media diversity proposed by the Nationals would mean nothing in most regional areas, particularly the smallest and most vulnerable. Nationals from Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile down believe extra restrictions should be imposed to stop one proprietor buying more than two out of the three main media - television, radio and newspapers - in any one town. FULL ITEM

Podcast or should that be audiocast?

Sometime ago we briefly introduced our podcast quest where we provided a link to our featured podcast from a random radio station or one suggested by one of our visitors.

Radio stations providing a downloadable segment or program has now become the norm and if promoted correctly with easy access to potential listeners it is a win win.

Away from commercial radio there are tens of thousands of programs available for download across the net and many more pop up on a daily basis.

Sandilands foot in mouth comment

Australian Idol Judge and 2day FM breakfast host Kyle Sandilands has been asked to apologise for comments made to contestant Bobby Flynn. Sandilands, on last Sunday’s show called Flynn a “full mong”. This is not the first time Sandilands has fired insults at contestants. 

Two weeks ago, he raised more than just an eyebrow when he suggested 17-year-old Idol finalist Jessica Mauboy “lose the jelly belly” if she wanted to succeed. Sandilands has previously sparked controversy in the previous Australian Idol (2005), when he made reference to winner Kate DeAraugo’s “tuckshop lady” arms.

Regardless of whether Sandilands comments are made in hopes of driving the ratings further; What message is Sandilands sending to the impressionable veiwers of Australian Idol? Perhaps this is a case of people in glass houses…

Coonan open to compromise on media laws

Media reforms updates 03 Oct

The biggest industry story in 2006 will continue to be the media reforms. We will provide links to the developing stories surrounding the proposed reforms.

The Age reports:Communications Minister Helen Coonan has again indicated she is open to compromise with The Nationals over changes to media ownership laws. Senator Coonan said she would consider any “worthwhile” amendments to a recently-introduced government bill which would abolish restrictions on companies owning more than one form of media in individual cities. FULL ITEM

The SMH reports:THE Federal Communications Minister, Helen Coonan, does not think strict ownership rules for media companies in regional areas will add anything to the Government’s media reform package. FULL ITEM

The Australian reports: LOCAL news content on country radio stations could be greatly improved if newspaper proprietors owned both media in the same regional market.As Nationals MPs highlight the parlous state of local radio news ahead of a vote on the Government’s media reform bill, APN News and Media chief Brendan Hopkins said Australia could learn from the New Zealand example, where radio news benefited from the company’s ownership of local newspapers. FULL ITEM

The Age reports: Analysts agree investors have generally watched and waited amid uncertainty over whether the media bills, which will abolish cross-ownership and foreign ownership restrictions and roll out digital technology, will be passed without major change. But they say share price premiums built into media stocks perceived as acquisition targets could quickly evaporate if the package was derailed. FULL ITEM

The Australin reports: Some companies, such as FM radio network Austereo, have embraced the proposed rewrite of rules, which would significantly loosen media ownership laws, while others say the new regulations remain a heavy hand on a dynamic sector.  FULL ITEM

The Australian reports:MARK Vaile has predicted that fine-tuning of media ownership laws will be required to quell the concerns of Nationals MPs over their impact in regional areas. FULL ITEM

The Australian reports:Ron Camplin well remembers the days when a host of bureaucrats traipsed to the NSW city of Bathurst to check that he was an appropriate owner of the local wireless station. Now, Mr Camplin, 74, believes a similar circus is about to erupt with the federal Government’s push to legislate minimum local-content rules for regional radio stations as part of the removal of cross-media ownership restrictions. FULL ITEM

The Canberra Times reports:  Two media outlets could disappear from the Canberra market or be taken over by other players under the Government’s planned changes - but there are no immediate moves to do so. Under the media-ownership laws introduced to Parliament this week by Communications Minister Helen Coonan, Canberra, as a regional market, is guaranteed four media “voices” or independent media groups. Metropolitan markets are guaranteed five. FULL ITEM

The Age reports:APPARENTLY we need media diversity in regional cities but not capital cities.This is not because capital city dwellers are less interested in democracy than country people are, but because regional areas contain wheels labelled “Nationals” that are squeaking and need to be oiled, whereas capital city politicians are already lubricated by Mogul Oil FULL ITEM

The Courier Mail reports: Long-awaited media reforms could be dumped if the Nationals continue to oppose the package.Some Liberals fear Prime Minister John Howard will simply walk away if the junior Coalition partner makes too much fuss. Mr Howard has previously said he does not want to waste political capital on the reforms, which were introduced to Parliament on Thursday. FULL ITEM

The Australian reports:Mount Gambier is one regional centre that should fear the Howard Government’s proposed new media ownership laws, say civic leaders.”The Mount” - in South Australia near the border with Victoria - counts its media as one newspaper, regional television station WIN TV, commercial radio station 5SE and ABC radio and television. FULL ITEM

The Australian reports:Measures to preserve media diversity proposed by the Nationals would mean nothing in most regional areas, particularly the smallest and most vulnerable. Nationals from Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile down believe extra restrictions should be imposed to stop one proprietor buying more than two out of the three main media - television, radio and newspapers - in any one town. FULL ITEM

Mid-dawns attracts young radio listeners.

More than one in ten Australians are tuning in to commercial radio between midnight and dawn each week  and they're younger and listening for longer than ever before.

In the latest, annual Midnight to Dawn survey conducted by Nielsen Media for Commercial Radio Australia, the fastest growth area for listeners was the 10 -17 age group  up from six per cent last year to nine per cent. On average, this age group listened to commercial radio for four and a half hours between midnight and dawn each week  over an hour longer than the average across all groups.

The other group to record an increase was the 18-24 years group with almost one in five in this age bracket tuning into commercial radio between midnight and dawn, for an average of almost three hours a week, up half an hour on last year's survey.

Chief executive officer of Commercial Radio Australia, Joan Warner, said the notion that only the elderly and the lonely listened to radio between midnight and 5.30am was being turned on its head.

Four unknown acts vie for stardom

Four new amazing Australian music acts have been given a shot at stardom after an intense selection process by commercial radio heavyweights.

In the highly competitive New Artists to Radio (NA2R) event, the four finalists were chosen from more than 160 emerging artists who had yet to sign a record deal. Co-ordinated by industry association, Commercial Radio Australia, NA2R has established a reputation for discovering home-grown talent that strikes a chord with radio audiences.

ACMA finds Sam Newman's comments breached standards of decency

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has found that the licensee of 3MMM Melbourne, Triple M Melbourne Pty Ltd, breached the commercial radio code of practice by failing to meet contemporary standards of decency, having regard to the likely composition of its audience.The breach occurred in the Saturday Football program broadcast on 6 May 2006.

During the talk-back section of the broadcast, Mr Sam Newman described a caller who had criticised his comments on a match as a 'f —-wit'.

Triple M has advised ACMA that Mr Newman was suspended from the air immediately and has not returned to the program. He and the producer of the program have undergone training in the commercial radio code of practice and the licensee has introduced six-monthly staff training on the code.

ACMA considers that these actions address the compliance issues raised by this investigation but will nonetheless continue to monitor the licensee's performance in relation to the relevant code provision to satisfy itself that this was an isolated incident.

ACMA embargoes Digital Radio Mondiale

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has placed an embargo on frequency bands potentially suitable for use by broadcasting services using Digital Radio Mondiale. These bands are outside the broadcasting services bands used by traditional broadcasting services.

Rocktober the countdown has begun

Rocktober returns to the airwaves this Sunday across the Australian Radio Network Classic Hits stations. 4KQ Brisbane, WSFM Sydney and GOLD FM Melbourne will unleash this almighty powerforce we eagerly await each year as Rocktober rolls around!

AFL from every angle from 2007

The AFL radio rights are not quite signed, sealed and delivered for the 2007 - 2009 seasons, although things are coming together. The main players will be Austereo’s Triple M network and Southern Cross through 3AW and 6PR. Triple M and 3AW will get the pick of the round matches calling main games over Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Triple M will also call homes games into Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide.

Media Watch - Live and Local or Dead & Buried!

Media watch has covered the current state of regional Radio and TV  across the nation.

Live And Local - Dead And Buried
Wollongong News
Griffith - No WIN News
Local Radio - Remote Control
Regional Media - What Next?

To a small degree for ABC RADIO, is it not a case of people in glass houses? Maybe, maybe not, but when it comes to radio, people are now starting to accept the real deal in most regional towns as far as live and local goes are the community stations! A hard pill to swallow for those of us who are lovers of all the things a regional  commercial station once stood for.

Village continues to offload Austereo!

Village Roadshow has continued to offload part of their large chunk of Austereo. According to Stock Exchange documentation obtained by Tattler Village netted close to $31 million late last week. 16.75 million shares at approx $1.86 each were traded over two days and further reducing their share in Austereo from a high of 67%.

Besides still holding around 60% of Austereo, Village previously netted a handsome $39 million just a week earlier from two swift sales

Village Roadshow are said to be looking at investing around $250 million with movie and production operations in the USA.  Any further sale of their interest in Austereo leaves the radio network open for takeover and with the proposed media ownership laws approaching they look like they may be first cab off the rank.

ABC radio to extend further in SA


Federal Communications Minister Helen Coonan has announced a nation-wide extension of ABC radio services.


The extension will be carried out in three stages, starting in the new year.


The first stage will make ABC Local Radio and ABC NewsRadio accessible in Mount Gambier in the south-east and Port Augusta, Port Pirie and Whyalla in the northern Spencer Gulf area.




Site down Sunday

This site will be down from time to time today. The page may default to a similar template  ensuring 90% of the content of the site is visible.

Since migrating to the ‘wordpress’ platform in late April (the current theme) we have noticed many broken links from previous articles that need inspecting and attempts will be made to repair what we can.

NewsRadio to cover Tassie

Services on the ABC’s NewsRadio network are to be expanded in Tasmania early next year.


As part one of a three-stage roll-out, ABC NewsRadio will be extended to 13 new areas across Australia, including Burnie, Somerset and Wynyard on the north-west coast.


The extension gives NewsRadio a possible new audience of more than 42,000 people in the region.


NewsRadio services in the Hobart metropolitan area will also reach more people with improvements to the Ralphs Bay transmitter site.

TripleM's James Brayshaw's Family Tragedy

AFL Footy Show and Triple M breakfast co-host James Brayshaw says the death of his sister in a freak incident at her Melbourne home was a “tragic, unthinkable accident”.

Sally, 36, was crushed to death on Wednesday night by bricks falling from a garage wall.

She had just closed the garage door at her house in Gerona Street, Keilor, in Melbourne’s north-west, when the top row of bricks from the front wall fell on her about 7.30pm (AEST), police said.

She was found by relatives who heard the noise of the falling bricks.

Management takes over at strike-ridden ABC

It was all hands to the pumps on ABC Local radio this morning as management rolled up their sleeves to bring listeners a skeleton service during the strike by the members of the broadcaster’s two main unions.


Was that the head of ABC radio, Sue Howard, I heard, giving the weather after 7am? The news was read by Lisa Sweeney, who is an executive in ABC Radio News, and the sport came from Peter Longman, the head of ABC Radio Sport. The breakfast program was run out of Melbourne with two of the remaining Coodabeen Champions, Geoff Richardson and Ian Cover (a former Liberal Party member of the Victorian Parliament). AM at 8am was basically the BBC World Service for half an hour. 

Concert for Adam

Award winning radio broadcaster Adam Vaughan (Vorherr) who sadly passed away in May is being honoured with a 40th birthday party at the Corner Hotel.(Richmond)

Upon finding out that his cancer was terminal in March this year Adam's only wish was to have a party on his birthday, October 4th. Unfortunately, on May 26th, five months shy of his 40th birthday, Adam lost his battle and his final wish was unfulfilled.

The Concert for Adam is the idea of his brother Jason and sister Jade and is a wonderful gesture for a guy who loved his music just as much as his radio. All profits from Concert for Adam's ticket sales will be donated to the Cancer Council of Victoria. The concert Line up includes Glenn Shorrock, Phil Ceberano, Mick Pealing, Justin Murphy and Louis King.

Buy Tickets

ABC set to strike.

Staff at the national broadcaster will stop work for 24 hours this Thursday to kick off an industrial campaign aimed at forcing a better workplace deal.


ABC staff are pressing for a three-year agreement and have rejected management’s offer of an annual 3.5 per cent pay rise, saying that wages will fall behind inflation.


The ABC’s two staff unions, the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) and the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) said ABC management was asking for too many concessions on working conditions, such as changes to shift work and meal allowances.


MEAA federal assistant secretary Mark Ryan said about 2,500 ABC staff were members of either union and those who decided to take part in the action would not attend work that day, beginning from the first shift which starts about 3.30am.


“We expect a bit of disruption,” he said.


Previously, more than 1,600 ABC employees voted in two separate ballots conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), with about 90 per cent favouring an industrial campaign.


Secret ballots before taking so-called protected industrial action during bargaining periods for collective agreements are now mandatory under the federal government’s WorkChoices laws.


The ballots conducted by the AEC collected only 117 votes against industrial action, with 1,577 staff voting in favour of the campaign.

Audio version of 'YOUTUBE' launched.

Commercial Radio Australia today launched an exciting new initiative website called SiVi, which will feature the best and most unusual audio that can be used for inspiration and ideas for radio advertisements.

Chief executive officer of Commercial Radio Australia, Joan Warner, said the idea was for visitors to submit their own material, with the page eventually becoming a creative portal of original, unusual and funny audio.

CBAA Digital Radio Symposium

The transition to digital is one of the most significant issues facing the community broadcasting sector. As part of a broader sector consultation process the CBAA is organising a Digital Radio Symposium, to be held in Sydney from September 29 to 30. The Symposium will bring together representatives from DCITA, ACMA, peak sector organisations and wide area coverage stations from the six state capital cities that will be involved in the first phase of digital radio transition. The Symposium will allow an opportunity for discussion of operational and policy issues arising from the Australian Government’s Digital Radio Framework issued last October.

The Digital Radio Symposium has been supported by DCITA, the CBF and the CBAA.

> Read the Government’s Digital Radio Framework document and the CBAA’s response.

Source

Cop sues over Jonestown

Monday, December 11, 2006 | 0 comments »

(Source Strewth)


THE lawyer who warned off the ABC by vowing to sue Aunty’s books division if it published the controversial Alan Jones biography Jonestown has finally made good on his threat. But high-profile Sydney solicitor Mark O’Brien is not bringing a defamation action on behalf of the aggrieved radio broadcaster. Instead, he is representing a former NSW detective with close links to Jones mentioned in the Chris Masters bestseller


O’Brien filed a writ in the NSW Supreme Court yesterday against Masters and publisher Allen & Unwin, telling Strewth the book made allegations “of a very grave nature against Tim Priest based upon significant errors of fact”. Expect more colour today when Priest’s statement of claim detailing exactly what he doesn’t like about Masters’ book – where he features prominently in more than one chapter – is filed in court. Allen & Unwin picked up the project earlier this year, leaving the ABC open to criticism that it wasted $100,000 of taxpayers’ money on the book. So far, the book has sold more than 24,000 copies, putting paid to the ABC’s claim at the time that publishing the book would “almost certainly result in a commercial loss”. O’Brien, meanwhile, brings his first high-profile case to new firm Johnson, Winter and Slattery, after spectacularly defecting from Gilbert & Tobin last month, taking all of his team with him.

New radio deal for SA

Friday, December 8, 2006 | 0 comments »

The AFL has reached a new three-year agreement for its radio broadcast rights into South Australia with Fiveaa.


 



Fiveaa, which has broadcast AFL football into Adelaide since the inception of the Adelaide Football Club in 1991, will continue to broadcast all Adelaide and Port Adelaide matches through the Toyota Premiership Season and finals series, as well as pre-season NAB Cup and NAB Challenge matches.


AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said Fiveaa will also broadcast other matches into Adelaide each weekend as part of its relay agreements with 3AW and 6PR. 



“The AFL would like to congratulate Fiveaa for again committing to support AFL football in South Australia, and taking the state’s two elite teams to their fans for every match they play during the year, both home and away,” Demetriou said.
“Fiveaa has called every game for both clubs, since they joined the AFL, and their long-standing commitment to SANFL football in South Australia is testimony to the support they provide for our game, and we are delighted they have continued to maintain their partnership with football,” he said.


Under the AFL’s radio rights arrangements for the 2007 season onwards, it is now guaranteed that every team in every state will have radio coverage for every match it plays for premiership points for the first time in the history of the game.


Source AFL

Fairfax returns to radio grabbing Rural Press

Wednesday, December 6, 2006 | 0 comments »

Fairfax Media has announced a takeover of Rural Press which will create a combined company with assets worth more than $9 billion.


Rural Press shares were up more than 15 per cent to $13.59 at 2.45pm, while Fairfax shares dropped 19 cents to $5.02 as the markets deflated some of the takeover premium in the stock.


The takeover will create Australasia’s largest integrated metropolitan, regional and rural print and digital media business, the companies said in a joint statement to the Stock Exchange this morning.


The proposed transaction has been unanimously recommended by the Rural Press board in the absence of a superior proposal.


“This merger has been contemplated by both companies over a number of years. We look forward to the successful completion of the transaction,” Fairfax chairman Ron Walker said.


“With an enterprise value of over $9 billion, we are poised for stronger growth and further strategic expansion of our brand in Australia and overseas in the years ahead.”


At current share prices, a combined Fairfax/Rural Press will be worth $6.7 billion - the enterprise value includes debt. 


“It makes a purchase of Fairfax much more complicated,'’ Craig Shepherd, an analyst at Commonwealth Securities told Bloomberg.


“We are looking at a scenario where Fairfax just got more expensive (for predators) and a break-up of Fairfax got a little bit more problematic because one of the obvious buyers of some of the assets was Rural Press,'’ he said.


“For Rural Press it represents a fantastic way to get into a strategic asset like metropolitan papers they have always wanted.'’


The plan will add The Canberra Times to Fairfax’s stable of publications which includes The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial Review.


Under the proposal, each Rural Press ordinary and preferred shareholder will be entitled to receive, for each share held, two Fairfax shares and $3.30 in cash, or 2.3 Fairfax shares and $1.80 in cash.


In addition, the Rural Press board said it intends to declare a fully franked special dividend of 57.143 cents per ordinary share, and 62.858 cents per preferred share.


The offer, which will be voted on by Rural Press shareholders, represents a premium of around 15 per cent on the company’s current share price of $11.75. The deal does not have to be approved by Fairfax shareholders.


Mr Walker will remain chairman of the combined group and Fairfax chief executive David Kirk will have the top job. Rural Press chief executive Brian McCarthy will become deputy CEO.


The takeover will help defend Fairfax against a possible predators like private equity groups and other media organisations.


Kerry Stokes’s Seven Network confirmed yesterday it had built up a small stake in the company.


It is understood Seven owns about 3 per cent of Fairfax.


It started buying shares in October, about the same time it picked up a 14.9 per cent stake in West Australian Newspapers and before Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp paid $5.20 a share for its 7.5 per cent stake in Fairfax.


It is the latest in a series of moves by the big media players since the Federal Government announced a relaxation of the cross media and foreign ownership rules in the first half of October.


Seven, News and Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd have been quick to position themselves since the Government announced the rule changes.


However, the industry is still in the dark about when the new rules will come into effect.


The Communications Minister, Helen Coonan, said a date would not be set until next year.


This is the first takeover bid since the laws were announced but the deal can go ahead irrespective of changes to the media laws.


Just two weeks ago, Mr Stokes said Seven Media Group, its new joint venture with KKR, had not yet considered an acquisition of Fairfax.


AAP reports: Rural Press chairman John B Fairfax said the merger was a natural progression for the continued growth of Rural Press’ regional publishing business.


“The merger with Rural Press will provide opportunities for Fairfax Media to leverage its online media businesses and expertise across regional communities throughout Australia,'’ he said.


The merged group will have a geographic footprint covering the metropolitan markets of Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, and printing and publishing with over 240 rural, regional and community publications.


It also will have a substantial presence in New Zealand, a significant agricultural publishing presence in the USA with over 20 titles, nine radio licences in Queensland and South Australia, and over five million visitors to the Fairfax Digital sites and farmonline.com.au, canberratimes.com.au and yourguide.com.au.


Source SMH

Jones faces court over witness naming

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A brother of four Sydney men convicted of gang rape says he never gave broadcaster Alan Jones or The Daily Telegraph newspaper permission to name him as a juvenile witness at a murder trial. 


Jones came face to face with the witness during a hearing on charges that he named the child on his radio show last year.


During Wednesday’s hearing, a magistrate also agreed to accept into evidence police statements from the boy’s late father, who had been charged with lying during a gang rape trial for two of his sons.


Jones, 2GB licensee Harbour Radio and The Daily Telegraph publisher Nationwide News are facing charges of breaching the Childrens Criminal Proceedings Act by naming the child witness in July last year.


Police allege the boy was 14 when he witnessed the fatal attack on another man in April 2004.


He gave evidence during a murder trial last year and his name was reported in The Daily Telegraph and on Jones’ morning radio show.


The trial was eventually aborted for other reasons.


The boy told the court he did not give anyone permission to publish or broadcast his name.


But counsel for both defendants have questioned the witness’ age at the time of the trial.


Deputy Chief Magistrate Helen Syme agreed to accept two statements given to police by the boy’s father.


In the statements, the father said the boy was born on July 3, 1989.


But Liz Fullerton, SC, for Jones and Harbour Radio, told the court the boy’s father had testified during the 2003 gang rape trial of two of his sons, known only as MAK and MSK, that he did not know his children’s birthdays.


“He gave sworn testimony that he did not know the birth date of any of his children,” she said.


The father’s testimony during that gang rape trial resulted in him being charged with perjury for allegedly providing a false alibi for his sons.


He died while the matter was still before the courts.


In the Downing Centre Local Court, Peter Miller, acting for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said the boy’s father may have been unable to remember the dates at that time.


“One’s memory can be refreshed,” he said.


Speaking through an interpreter, the boy’s mother told the court she had eight children but could not remember their birth dates.


She said the births were recorded at a registry in Pakistan.


The woman said that, as part of her Islamic faith, birthdays are not celebrated annually.


Wearing a black suit and pink tie, Jones sat quietly in the court during Wednesday’s proceedings.


Previously, Ms Fullerton told the court the juvenile had a variety of aliases and alternative dates of birth, some dating back as far as 1977, recorded against his fingerprints on the police database.


MSK, MAK and their brothers MMK and MRK, are serving maximum jail terms ranging from 32 to 10 years for gang rape and other sex offences against girls as young as 13.


The hearing was adjourned to a date to be set.

ACMA says yes to low power for Perth

Tuesday, December 5, 2006 | 0 comments »

The Australian Communications and Media Authority will make channel capacity available for a new low power community radio service to serve the Perth city area. The new service would operate on 90.5 MHz.


The decision is contained in a variation to the radio licence area plan for Perth released today.


‘The two active aspirant community broadcasters Capital Community Radio and Western Sports Media that have been sharing the frequency will continue to share the frequency until licence applications are called for the new permanent service,’ said Giles Tanner, General Manager of ACMA’s Inputs to Industry Division.


The variation to the licence area plan includes a number of other changes to Perth radio services. The licence area of community radio service 6TCR Wanneroo has been extended to include all of the City of Wanneroo and the City of Joondalup . 6TCR has also been granted an increase in power to the north to enable it to provide coverage to all of the City of Wanneroo . There are amendments to the technical specifications for community radio services 6NR, 6RPH and 6YMS and commercial radio service 6PR to reflect transmitter site changes and power increases for the 6RPH and 6YMS services. ACMA has also withdrawn the availability of AM frequency 1170 kHz for an open narrowcasting service due to the possibility it may be required for digital radio.


ACMA’s decisions follows consideration of submissions received on a draft variation to the Perth radio licence area plan released in September 2004 and a revised draft variation released in December 2005. ACMA received over 1500 letters of support encouraging it to make an additional community radio service available in Perth .


ACMA will not be proceeding with the changes it had previously proposed to the technical specifications for the 6IX Wanneroo FM translator following submissions received on the revised draft variation to the licence area plan released in December 2005 and a subsequent field survey undertaken by ACMA.


The variation does not consider the future use of the FM frequency 100.9 MHz. The West Australian Aboriginal Media Association had been providing a community radio licence service on that frequency until October this year when ACMA cancelled its licence. ACMA will consider the future use of the frequency at a later time

Final survey for 2006 radio ratings

| 0 comments »

Survey 8 for 2006 links are below. Further updates throughout the day.

Adelaide  Brisbane  Perth  Melbourne  Sydney

Radio Ratings Survey 8

Monday, December 4, 2006 | 0 comments »

With survey 8 of the radio ratings due tomorrow we will bring you the state by state results from around 10.15am Tuesday morning.

2UE tries to block lawsuits

Sunday, December 3, 2006 | 0 comments »

THE radio station 2UE has found a novel way to deal with the anti-hate laws its presenters find so troublesome: plead the constitution.

Its presenters, John Laws and Steve Price, had a combined rant about the gay couple on Channel Nine’s renovation show, The Block, in 2003, using the terms “poofs” and “grubby” in their extended attack.

A complaint was filed by Gary Burns, alleging they had breached anti-vilification provisions of the Anti-Discrimination Act. They make it unlawful to incite hatred of homosexuals. Protections also exist for race, transsexuality or having HIV or AIDS

Mr Burns filed another complaint against Mr Laws over his on-air comments in 2004 about Carson Kressley, the host of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, which included the terms “pillow-biter” and “pompous little pansy prig”.

But both of Mr Burns’s complaints - and any other made under the vilification laws - could be thwarted if 2UE’s constitutional argument succeeds.

It says that the right to freedom of political communication - inferred from the constitution by the High Court - means state anti-vilification laws should be declared invalid. In the event of a conflict, federal laws trump state laws. If its invalidity claim does not succeed, it says the laws should be restricted to allow for the freedom of political speech.

The Attorney-General, Bob Debus, has intervened in the case, claiming the Administrative Decisions Tribunal’s appeal panel does not have the power to decide constitutional matters.

Three Court of Appeal judges have reserved their decision. (SMH)

Alan Freeman dies aged 79

Tuesday, November 28, 2006 | 0 comments »

Veteran DJ Alan “Fluff” Freeman, whose “Not ‘arf” catchphrase made him a household name, has died aged 79.
The former BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2 presenter had been living in a nursing home in London since 2000 after being diagnosed with arthritis.

Freeman joined the BBC in 1960 after a spell working in his native Australia mainly 3KZ Melbourne.

ACMA renews 3OCR community broadcasting licence

Monday, November 20, 2006 | 0 comments »

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has renewed the community broadcasting licence issued to Otway FM Community Radio Group Inc. (Otway FM) in Colac, Victoria, after the station was able to satisfy concerns raised by the Authority.

“In the course of the Otway FM licence renewal process ACMA raised several issues with the licensee over what can only be described as severe management failure,” said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman. “Of most concern is that the station was off air for almost 18 months and has not provided a service to significant parts of the licence area. Membership, sponsorship and volunteer levels are all low for these reasons.”

“Fortunately, over the course of the licence renewal period a new management team at Otway FM has begun to address ACMA’s concerns, either directly, or through specific undertakings. ACMA has taken this into account and has decided to renew the licence of the only community broadcaster in the Colac region. Instead ACMA will work with Otway FM to revive the service,” Mr Chapman said.

“However, Otway FM will have little room for error. ACMA will continue to monitor the operations of the station and is expecting to see significant improvement over the coming months.”

ACMA has informed the station that it reserves the right to take further action if it does not meet its undertakings, including imposing additional licence conditions or ultimately cancelling the licence.

“ACMA is charged with promoting the availability of a diverse range of radio services throughout Australia, as well as ensuring that broadcasters meet all their statutory obligations,” Mr Chapman said.

“This decision successfully balances both of these objectives and represents an acceptable outcome to the renewal process,” Mr Chapman concluded.

Tas broadcaster Ric Paterson retires

| 0 comments »

Veteran Tasmanian ABC broadcaster Ric Paterson has announced his retirement.


Paterson, 59, made the announcement this morning at the launch of the 2006 ABC Giving Tree.


Paterson says it has been a memorable 42 years in the industry.


“Last night I got the calculator out and did some rough calculations,” he said.


“In 42 years in radio I’ve played around about 87,360 records and have done roughly 16,400 interviews.


“But the most alarming thing is that it’s still out there in space somewhere.”


He says his last breakfast radio program will be broadcast on December 22.


“I’ve always regarded it as a great privilege to be a broadcaster, to be part of the daily lives of many Tasmanians,” he said.


“It has never, ever been just a job.”


Source ABC

Evans fails to curry favour

Saturday, November 18, 2006 | 0 comments »

(Source Herald Sun)

3MP is in damage control after a racial slur by fill-in host Greg Evans went to air on the breakfast show yesterday.

In the middle of a song, the radio and TV veteran was heard to say: “Bloody hell. We do have a lot of curry-eating listeners.”\

 Evans, who was filling in this week while regular breakfast host John Burgess takes a fortnight’s holiday, thought he was off-air.

3MP group general manager Barrie Quick said the gaffe was regrettable and yesterday apologised to listeners.

“The comments made on air have been taken seriously and we are dealing with it internally,” he said.

“The network and Greg sincerely apologise if the comments have offended any of our loyal listeners.”

TV announcer Shaun Cosgrove will fill in as host in the breakfast slot next week.

Mr Quick said Evans was only asked to fill in this week and Cosgrove was always going to sit in the chair in the second week of Burgess’s leave.

Burgess returns to the microphone on November 27.

The comments by the former Perfect Match host were broadcast in Melbourne only.

Mac Bank takes $170m media stake

Friday, November 17, 2006 | 0 comments »

MACQUARIE Media Group has bought a 14.9 per cent stake in Southern Cross Broadcasting.

Macquarie Media, which is backed by Macquarie Bank, paid $170 million for its slice of the broadcasting group, The Australian reports today.

Southern Cross owns top-rating radio stations 2UE in Sydney and 3AW in Melbourne.

It also runs the Ten Network’s regional television stations.

The move follows the introduction of the federal government’s media ownership laws, which has triggered several strategic media company investments.

Southern Cross has one of the biggest regional television networks as well as the only network of metropolitan AM radio stations.

Macquarie Media owns 86 regional radio stations and part of a Taiwanese broadband group.

Austereo 2% growth

Thursday, November 16, 2006 | 0 comments »

Austereo Group expects full-year industry sales growth of around two per cent and says it plans to review its growth opportunities from media sector changes.

The radio broadcaster said that the 2007 financial year, to the end of October 2006, had seen the continuation of excellent Austereo audience figures, which had converted to on-budget sales levels.

“The total radio market is still short, with recorded growth to the end of the October quarter at 1.39 per cent,” Austereo chairman Peter Harvie told shareholders at the company’s annual general meeting.

“We therefore continue to anticipate industry sales growth for the December half to be around two per cent.

Southern Cross launches mytalk.com.au

Wednesday, November 15, 2006 | 0 comments »

Sothern Cross Broadcasting in what many see as a bold move have brought their radio stations together under the one web site. www.mytalk.com.au

Naturally all stations still have their own domain names, although most as we go to press are now pointing at the new site.

The site has plans to be very interactive with blogs by presenters being made available, as well as visitors being able to launch their own blog and contribute to various forums.

All 7 Southern Cross stations can now be heard online in the one place. For a station such as Magic 1278 it is a major step up in regards to their previous web site. Over all the My Talk site appears to be very user friendly. www.mytalk.com.au

Jones letters pulled from eBay

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Internet auction house eBay has removed from sale a set of letters purported to be written by Alan Jones to a man who claims to have had a relationship with the broadcaster.

Marcus Schmit, who claims in Chris Masters’ biography Jonestown to have had a relationship with the 2GB host in 2001, was hoping to cash in by selling the letters.

But after being posted online for two days, eBay removed the letters from sale, saying they were “inappropriate”.

“We looked at the item and made a call that it was inappropriate,” eBay spokesman Daniel Feiler said.

“eBay is well known as a great place to buy and sell practically anything, but that doesn’t mean everything.”

Mr Feiler said he would not go into the specifics of what eBay thought was inappropriate about the listing.

The letters are believed to have had a starting price of $1,200 but had not received any bids when they were pulled this morning.

Mr Schmit said he posted the letters online after a friend suggested it would be a good way to make some money.

He said he came to know Mr Jones by writing to him and classified him as a friend but only knew him for three to four months before he moved away.

“I wanted a career, I hadn’t been to university, I hadn’t even finished high school, I wanted to do something with my life and I thought Alan could offer me an opportunity,” he told ABC radio.

“I didn’t necessarily contact him in regards to offering sex in exchange for a job, he was just, I thought, a valuable contact.

“The relationship started off as one of friendship, we’d be with each other once or twice a week, we’d talk on the phone every day, we’d go for dinner.”

Before being removed, the on-line description is reported to have read: “I can only presume that this auction may cause many conservative, white, middle-upper class, ivory tower owners upset and result in aggressive and abusive messages from fans, supporters and possibly friends of Alan Jones.”

Mr Schmit also wrote he was presenting an “opportunity for those who feel strongly against offering such a letter for auction - an offer to enable me to withdraw this letter from public bid”.

eBay said people do occasionally relist items after they had been pulled down and they would deal with that issue if Mr Schmit relisted it.

Mr Jones declined to comment.

2CA happy 75th birthday

Tuesday, November 14, 2006 | 0 comments »

Happy birthday 2CA.

In 2006 so many of our heritage stations around the nation celebrate 75 years of broadcasting. Happy birthday to 2CA Canberra who have reached that milestone today.

2CA Home page

Laws docked $100k for six sick days

Tuesday, November 7, 2006 | 0 comments »

John Laws has been docked $100,000 from his $86,500 a week salary for taking a week off work with pneumonia.

But the veteran radio personality says if Southern Cross Broadcasting management were trying to send him a message: “I didn’t get it. They’ll have to try again.”

Laws, the King of Radio for almost 15 years, is broadcast on 63 stations, but is suffering against Sydney competitor Ray Hadley on rival network Macquarie Radio, The Bulletin magazine reports.

His wealth is estimated at $100 million, including a $30m harbourside apartment, substantial property holdings in the city’s eastern suburbs and several vintage cars - as well as a salary of $4.5m a year.

The 71-year-old also is on a watertight contract that keeps him as Australia’s highest-paid broadcaster until 2010, with provisions allowing him to quit whenever he wants but preventing Southern Cross from axing him.

“A good contract,” Laws jokes in an interview with The Bulletin, to be published on Wednesday.

“Thought it up all by myself.”

The radio network last December took an unprecedented move against the star, docking him $100,000 for six days sick leave, the magazine said.

While Laws said he did not think “too many people get over pneumonia in six days”, he did not hold it against Southern Cross.

“It’s a public company you know and they’ve got to explain every expenditure,” Laws said.

If management was trying to send him a message Laws said he “didn’t get it”.

However, the veteran talkback host admits he should have retired 10 years ago, “because I would have been firmly at the top.”

His professional landscape changed five years ago with the defection of fellow announcer Alan Jones to Macquarie Radio.

“Alan going to 2GB had a huge effect, obviously, and the change of ownership of the radio station … in a way it was probably disruptive,” Laws said.

Laws paid measured tribute to his former colleague for his success.

“He caters to the prejudice of the masses and it’s a very clever thing to do, it’s a good way to get on,” he said.

Central to Laws’ philosophy on life is a sense of being needed, a theme also fundamental to his attitude to retiring from the airwaves.

“If you’ve got … in particular a staff that loves you or a partner that loves you, that feeling of not having somebody else belonging to you but you belonging to somebody else,” Laws said.

“It would be terrible to wake up in the morning and not feel that you were wanted or needed - to wake up with no reason.

“Everybody’s got to have a reason.”

Our Andrew Dower kicking goals

Friday, November 3, 2006 | 0 comments »

Australian Andrew Dower has been appointed to the newly-created position of Chief Operating Officer (COO) Mature Markets in the Communicorp group. Communicorp is an Irish-owned company operating 37 stations across seven countries in Europe.
Andrew will be managing 19 stations in three countries: Finland, the Czech Republic and Hungary.
Formerly of HO-FM, 7BU, 2QN and 6KG in Australia, Andrew has been working in European radio since 1992, and General Manager of Communicorp’s 12 Czech stations since 1997.

Fifi's big brekkie break

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Sydney Confidential

 Fifi Box is poised to be Austereo’s new ratings weapon at breakfast by moving into the all-important early morning slot at Triple M.

It is understood Box and her offsider from the popular drivetime program The Shebang, Marty Sheargold, will be switched to the breakfast slot next year at the expense of the five-person The Cage line-up.

Confidential hears Box has been offered a lucrative new deal with the station which would make her one of the highest-earning women in radio.

“She’s going to breakfast and it’s on big bucks,'’ an industry source said.

Box did not return calls yesterday and an Austereo spokesman last night refused to confirm or deny the breakfast move, saying “we won’t be commenting'’.

Box and Sheargold’s The Shebang was one of the success stories of the ratings year in 2005 and has for some time been touted as a potential replacement for The Cage.

It’s uncertain whether The Cage would be directly switched to drivetime in the shake-up.

The current five-person breakfast ensemble  - Peter Berner, Brigitte Duclos, Matt Parkinson, James Brayshaw and Mike Fitzpatrick - have battled to get a successful foothold in Sydney for the past three years.

A significant ratings improvement in the ratings survey released in August looked to have helped The Cage’s bid for survival but the show again went backwards in the latest survey this week.

It dropped 1.2 per cent to a 6.8 per cent audience share, slipping behind WSFM’s resurgent Brendan Jones and Amanda Keller to seventh in the overall breakfast rankings and fourth in FM.

Vale Wally Foreman

Thursday, November 2, 2006 | 0 comments »

Veteran broadcaster Wally Foreman died today at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.

Foreman, 58, suffered a massive heart attack on Tuesday morning while exercising at an Osborne Park gym.

The ABC radio commentator had been in an induced coma until this morning, but the hospital announced his death this afternoon.

“Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital regrets to announce that much loved sports broadcaster and former administrator Wally Foreman passed away this afternoon,” the hospital statement said. “Wally’s wife Lyn and sons Glen and Mark would like to thank the public for their support over the past two days.”

Foreman, a former WA Institute of Sport director, worked in sports media for more than 30 years after starting as a journalist with The West Australian in 1972 before joining the ABC sports department in 1975.

Close friend Tony Mann told ABC Radio this afternoon that the news had been a bombshell.

“What a character. I don’t think there’s been a nicer man,” Mr Mann said.

Broadcaster and colleague Russell Woolf said Foreman’s colleagues felt like they had lost a brother.

ACMA invites applications for narrowcasting services

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 The Australian Communications and Media Authority has invited applications for 28 high powered open narrowcasting radio services to serve areas in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia

ACMA has set a reserve price of $4,000 for the Canberra licence and $2,000 for the remaining 27 licences. Applications for the licences will close at 1700 AEDT on Thursday, 30 November 2006.

ACMA is pleased to invite applications for these high powered open narrowcasting radio services  said Giles Tanner, General Manager of ACMA's Inputs to Industry Division. "The new services that result from the release of the licences will increase the diversity of services available to people in regional and remote areas."

Licences will be issued under a price-based allocation system. Under the system, if there is more than one applicant for a licence, an auction-style licence allocation exercise will be held at which the licence will be issued to the highest bidder. If there is only one application for a licence at the close of applications, the licence will be issued to the applicant for the reserve price.

Licences will be issued to successful applicants once certain requirements are met. Anyone interested in applying for any of the available licences may download an an information package titled Price-based Allocation of Apparatus Licences for Open Narrowcasting Services from the ACMA website. A non-refundable application cost of $550 applies to each application.For further information about the licences, please contact Megan Wynnik on (02) 6256 2827.Media contact: Donald Robertson, ACMA Media Manager on (02) 9334 7980.Backgrounder

Open narrowcasting servicesOpen narrowcasting services are broadcasting services that are limited in some way. This can be either because they are targeted at special interest groups, or are available in limited locations (for example sporting arenas or shopping centres), or are provided during a limited period or to cover a special event or because they provide programs of limited appeal. Over ninety per cent of currently operating narrowcasting services provide either tourist radio or racing radio services.

Features of the price-based allocation systemThe Radiocommunications (Issue of Broadcasting (Narrowcasting) Transmitter Licences) Determination which governs the price-based allocation system under which the licences will be issued, was determined by ACMA under section 106 of the Radiocommunications Act 1992.Under the system, if there is more than one applicant for a licence, the licence will be issued to the highest bidder at an auction-style licence allocation exercise, provided the price bid is at least equal to the published reserve price for the licence and the other requirements of the Determination are met.The highest bidder at a licence allocation exercise must immediately pay a deposit of 10 per cent of the price bid. Full payment for the licence (that is, price bid less the deposit) must be made by 4.00pm on the day after the relevant licence allocation exercise.

If there is only one applicant for a licence, a licence allocation exercise will not be held. The applicant for the licence will be issued the licence for the reserve price, subject to the requirements of the Determination being met, including payment of the price of the licence.

If a successful applicant does not meet all of the requirements of the Determination, the applicant will not be issued the licence. ACMA may then re-offer the licence.

The licence is subject to certain roll-out obligations: a licensee must commence to provide a service within six months of being issued the licence, or within such longer period as is notified in writing by ACMA.

Jono Coleman leaves BBC London

Wednesday, November 1, 2006 | 0 comments »

BBC London 94.9 breakfast presenter Jono Coleman’s leaving the station to return home to Australia.

Co-host Jo Good will take over on her own until a permanent replacement is found.

It’s less than a year since Coleman launched his breakfast show on the station. He previously worked at Heart 106.2 but was dropped in favour of Jamie Theakston.

The BBC says he’s moving back to Australia to care for his mother, Sylvia, who will undergo an operation in the new year.

The station’s David Robey said: “It’s paramount that we get the right person for BBC London and the right person to gel with Jo. Jono and Jo were beginning to make a real impact in the most competitive breakfast radio market in the UK, following in the substantial footsteps of Danny Baker, but we understand that family will always come first.”

Coleman added: “Jo Good and the team have all been great during this worrying time and I wouldn’t hesitate to work with any of them again.”

One step forward, two steps back

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The following item appears on League Unlimited

The NRL has taken a baby step forward by awarding Monday night football coverage rights to Triple M and two massive steps back by abandoning their heartland areas in the bush.

Country folk without pay TV or internet coverage have no way of knowing who won the Monday night game until the next morning. The worst part of this debacle is that I don’t think many people were surprised by the decision of the NRL to once again shoot themselves in the foot.

Outside of Sydney, you would need Austar or Foxtel to watch the game or the internet to follow it online via websites such as League Unlimited or via streaming audio on the Triple M website. For those in the bush with no pay tv or internet, well you my friends, you have been left to suck eggs once again as no one wants to know about you when it comes to Rugby League. FULL STORY

Radio ratings survey 7

Tuesday, October 31, 2006 | 0 comments »










Melb 3AW 14.9
Fox  12.5
Gold 11.0
 774 10.9
Nova 8.2
MMM 8.2
Mix  6.6
Magic 3.8
SEN 3.2
Vega  2.8
JJJ 2.6
3MP 2.5
RN 2.0
Classic  2.0
News 1.3


Bris
Nova  14.3
MMM 12.1
 97.3 10.1
 612 10.0
B105 9.2
4KQ 8.6
4BH 8.4
4BC 8.3
JJJ 5.0
RNl 2.5
Classic  2.4


Adelaide Fiveaa 16.1
Mix 14.8
SA FM 12.8
Nova 12.2
891 11.5
MMM 8.2
Cruise 7.0
JJJ 4.9
Classic 2.1
RN 1.5
News 1.1


Sydney 2GB 11.6
2Day 11.1
702 9.3
2UE 8.3
MMM 7.4
Nova 7.4
Mix 7.3
WSFM 6.8
2CH 4.9
JJJ 3.5
RN 2.6
Classic 2.4
Vega 2.0
News 2.0
 


Perth Mix 17.4 Nova 12.6 96FM 11.6 720 10.8 92.9 10.4 6PR 10.2 6IX 5.4   JJJ 5.3   CLASS 3.5 6RN 2.3 NEWS 1.2

6IX breakfast presenter hits back at claims

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Founder of Young Talent Time and current 6IX breakfast presenter Johnny Young has dismissed claims by singer Debra Byrne she was introduced to sex, drugs and alcohol on the ground breaking TV show.

Young has also questioned how Byrne claimed she was 12 when she started a relationship with a 24-year-old YTT crew member. “Debra was 14 when she started on Young Talent Time and she was 15 going on 16 when she ran off with the boom operator without anybody knowing, causing incredible havoc for us,” he said.

Sources close to the former Queen of Pop have suggested there are other circumstances relating to Byrne’s early years she has not revealed, totally unrelated to YTT, things that 6IX’s Young and others on YTT had no control over.

Byrne is currently promoting her new book, ‘Not Quite Ripe’.

Macquarie Media Group might buy more

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Macquarie Media said it hopes to buy more radio assets rather than sell them off as new media laws are introduced next year.

The broadcast media group executive chairman Tim Hughes said the company’s Macquarie Regional Radioworks (MRR) may expand in the near future.

Mr Hughes laughed off suggestions MRR would sell off some of its 85 commercial radio licenses in Australia.

“That is just speculation,” Mr Hughes said after the company’s annual general meeting.

“Macquarie Regional Radioworks is probably the best performing asset in this country in terms of return on sales,” he said adding that the business has high earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA).

“It has high EBITDA margin, it has got great growth prospects and we actually think that the outcome of the recent changes might give us the opportunity to actually extend our reach in regional radio, not get out of it.”

MRR reported EBITDA 30.3 per cent growth in 2005/06 to $55 million compared to last year, while sales revenue grew 15.2 per cent.

Mr Hughes also said MRR was in talks with a number of media companies including WIN TV over possible acquisitions.

“We are talking to everyone,” he said.

Mr Hughes dismissed ideas that MRR may consider an all out tilt at John Fairfax Holdings saying the newspaper publisher was “a bit big.”

Ratings survey 7 results are in

Monday, October 30, 2006 | 0 comments »

Radio ratings have crept up on us all again. Survey 7, the second last for 2006 will no doubt bring mixed results across the industry, although survey 7 sometimes is the cue for programmers across the nation to sharpen the axe for the following year.

Perth will follow later in the day. As usual we will attempt to bring you any breaking ratings day stories as they happen.

Adelaide  Brisbane  Perth  Melbourne Sydney

Hinch tells of near-death experience

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Derryn Hinch, who has been suffering a serious but undisclosed illness, says he had a brush with death last week.Hinch today told the Nine Network he required emergency treatment in a Melbourne hospital for blood poisoning and related complications.

He again declined to specify what illness he has suffered all year, saying only that the latest medical problems were caused and exacerbated by his weakened immune system.

“I got blood poisoning. I got septicaemia and suddenly my kidneys didn’t like it. They just shut down and I had total renal failure,” Hinch said of his most recent emergency.

“And, because I’d been sick earlier this year, for different reasons, my immune system was stuffed.”

Hinch said he was still attached to a medical device that pumped penicillin into his system “24 hours” through a tube.

“It took a while to get the right mix and pump me full of stuff. It has been life saving,” the controversial Southern Cross Radio commentator said.

Hinch was also told he came close to dying.

“I didn’t see any white flashes of light and stuff, I didn’t go the other side and see there was nothing there, as Kerry Packer once said … but I’m told I came very close.

“You can’t kill weeds, especially noxious ones. I’m coming back,” Hinch said.

Anderson quashes Jones rumours (SMH)

Sunday, October 29, 2006 | 0 comments »

THE former deputy prime minister John Anderson, the target of years of on-air tirades from the broadcaster Alan Jones, says he wants to make one thing clear: Jones never made sexual advances to him.

Mr Anderson, who as a minister admonished his colleagues, including the Prime Minister, John Howard, for kowtowing to Jones, broke his silence yesterday on his embittered relations with Jones.

Mr Anderson was reported yesterday to have told friends that Jones, who taught Mr Anderson at The King’s School, maintained a “sexually charged” regime over his pupils.

The former National Party leader at first told the Herald: “I don’t seek to make any public comment on it at all.”

However, he later said it would only be fair to set the record straight on an issue that has dominated the fallout from the unauthorised biography Jonestown, by Chris Masters, which talks at length about the broadcaster’s homosexuality.

“Probably because of the perception that some of his radio attacks on me were so personal and over the top, many people, including some of the country’s most senior journalists, seem to have assumed that Jones must have made some advances on me as a schoolboy, and I have been asked about that many times,” Mr Anderson told the Herald.“I have always immediately made it plain that was not true and it would not be fair for me to imply such things, because he did not [make advances].“I have always immediately made it plain that was not true and it would not be fair for me to imply such things, because he did not [make advances].”Our difficulties have related to adult life and his views - for example, that we could have droughtproofed Australia. We could not.”

Friends of Mr Anderson were reported yesterday to have said that, at King’s, Jones subjected Mr Anderson, then in his early teens, to a tirade of abuse for his failure to follow Jones’s directions at rugby practice.

But Mr Anderson indicated yesterday that he did not believe the falling-out in his schooldays was linked to the broadcaster’s subsequent attacks on his performance as minister.

As a senior government minister, Mr Anderson is believed to have argued on more than one occasion with his ministerial colleagues against pandering to the broadcaster’s demands.

Mr Howard had a firm relationship with Mr Anderson as deputy prime minister, but this did not prevent him expressing his strong support for Jones last week. Mr Howard said that he regarded Jones as a friend.

The way the broadcaster had been depicted in Jonestown and the innuendo in it was “quite unacceptable”, he said.

Review starts into regional radio rules

Saturday, October 28, 2006 | 0 comments »

A government watchdog has been asked to begin a review of local content requirements for regional radio in the new media laws.

The request has come from Communications Minister Helen Coonan who wants the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to report back to her in June next year.

New laws will require local radio stations to produce four-and-a-half hours of local content a day.

The ACMA review will also establish whether this requirement should include a provision that twelve-and-a-half minutes of news be produced locally each day.

The review should establish whether the rules are too tough for small radio stations that lack resources.

Senator Coonan has previously conceded that the rules might have to be adjusted.

Community radio licence 3CCC Bendigo to expire

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The licence for community broadcasting service 3CCC Bendigo will expire on 12 November 2006 after the licensee, Goldfields Community Radio Cooperative Ltd, failed to lodge its renewal application with Australian Communications Media Authority by the required date.

"This is most regrettable, but ACMA has no power to renew a community broadcasting licence where the application is lodged a considerable time after the required date" said Mr Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman. In the case of 3CCC, ACMA received its application five months after the due date, despite almost 12 months of frequent reminders.

Applications to renew community broadcasting licences must be made, at the earliest, 12 months prior to the licence expiry, and at the latest, 26 weeks prior to the licence expiry unless ACMA notifies the licensee in writing to lodge the application at an earlier date.

"In order to avoid such a circumstance, all community radio licensees should clearly review the legislation applicable to them and, in particular, monitor the strict renewal date regime," said Mr Chapman.

Following numerous reminders and explanations of the consequences of non-lodgment, 3CCC finally lodged its renewal application on 13 October 2006.

ACMA has not yet decided on the long-term future use of the frequency used by 3CCC (89.5 MHz). This frequency may be made available for a temporary community broadcasting service while its future use is further considered. 3CCC can apply for a temporary community broadcasting licence to use the frequency in the meantime.

ACMA to investigate 2UE's compliance

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The Australian Communications and Media Authority confirmed today that it has decided to open an investigation into compliance with the commercial radio standards by Radio 2UE Sydney Pty Ltd, the licensee of commercial radio service 2UE Sydney.

ACMA's decision follows the notification of a breach of the Commercial Radio Disclosure Standard by 2UE. 2UE wrote to ACMA indicating it had breached the standard as a result of one if its presenters, Mr John Laws, failing to disclose a commercial agreement with Telstra during an interview with the Prime Minister on Mr Laws program on 28 August 2006.

"ACMA acknowledges the action of 2UE in bringing this specific breach to its attention," said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman. "However, ACMA has decided to commence an investigation into 2UE's compliance with the standards."

The terms of reference for the investigation are included below.

In connection with the investigation, ACMA makes it clear that it has formed no firm view on the issues to date but is seeking documents to inform itself.

'At this stage, ACMA has begun collecting documents that are relevant to the matters noted in the terms of reference,' said Mr Chapman. 'Once the documents are examined, ACMA will consider what steps, if any, will need to be taken.'

Macquarie Media eyes WIN Corp

Thursday, October 26, 2006 | 0 comments »

JUST two days after denying its regional radio stations were for sale, Macquarie Media Group is rumoured to be in talks with WIN Corp about a possible acquisition.

The speculation came as sources ruled out Babcock & Brown as a likely buyer in the shake-up of Australia’s media sector, despite speculation its main rival, Macquarie Bank, which owns 20 per cent of MMG, is about to make a move into the sector.

The speculation came as sources ruled out Babcock & Brown as a likely buyer in the shake-up of Australia’s media sector, despite speculation its main rival, Macquarie Bank, which owns 20 per cent of MMG, is about to make a move into the sector.

Unlike foreign private equity groups, Macquarie Bank and B&B do not have to wait for the Federal Government’s new media laws allowing cross-media and foreign ownership to come into force if they want to buy media assets.

But sources close to B&B say the $5.8 billion investment group would probably be interested only in media infrastructure — for instance, printing presses  spun off from any sale of media companies.

WIN, Australia’s largest regional TV network, is owned by Bermuda-based billionaire Bruce Gordon. The group owns telecommunications infrastructure, a fledgling pay TV company, stakes in Ten and Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd and more than $100 million of property. Mr Gordon has been approached in the past and has said he wouldn’t sell the group for less than $1 billion.

WIN chief executive George Papadopoulos and chairman Andrew Gordon, the son of its owner, did not return calls yesterday.

A source close to MMG said it was interested in WIN. However, the Macquarie-backed fund is concerned that Australian media assets are too expensive. MMG owns 85 regional radio stations and a Taiwanese cable company. It is looking around the globe for assets, and executive chairman Tim Hughes said in August that it was “very hard for us to see much value” in some of the prices media companies are trading at in Australia.

Analysts estimate WIN earns more than $50 million a year before tax. But there is little financial information available on the privately owned company.

One analyst said the deal could make sense because MMG could on-sell some of the telecommunications assets to its sister fund, Macquarie Communications Infrastructure Group. source SMH

Hinch was close to death

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 | 0 comments »

3AW’s Derryn Hinch has suffered total kidney failure whilst being treated for septicaemia in Melbourne’s Cabrini Hospital. Hinch who has been dogged by ill health for much of this year was treated by up to eight specialists during an ordeal that was touch and go. The long term prognosis on the renal failure has not been disclosed although Hinch claims he will be back on air in early November.

No radio sale in the air

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MACQUARIE Media Groupsays it has no intention of selling its nationwide network of radio stations.

MMG said Macquarie Regional Radioworks was not for sale, despite reports to the contrary.

“MMG advises that the Macquarie Regional Radioworks business has not been put up for sale, and there is no current intention to sell,” said the group.

MMG was late yesterday requested by the Australian Stock Exchange to respond to a media article citing a possible sale.

“MMG advises that it has not received any offer to buy Macquarie Regional Radioworks, nor has there been any decision to sell the business,” it said.

The report said MMG had put a sale price of $600 million on its 85 radio licences, which cover about 60 per cent of regional Australia.

The sale speculation was believed to have been prompted by new media laws and stricter requirements for regional radio stations to produce more local content, thereby preventing broadcasts from a network’s stations from outside local areas.

The industry’s major media players are in the process of positioning themselves ahead of the laws being introduced next year.

MacBank radio network for sale?

Monday, October 23, 2006 | 0 comments »

MACQUARIE Media Group, the dominant player in the nation’s regional radio market, is believed to have put its network of stations up for sale for about $600 million as it seeks new opportunities in the deregulated media market.


The decision to sell after only two years is believed to have been prompted by the federal Government’s insistence on tough local-content requirements for regional radio stations to gain the Nationals’ support in parliament last week for the removal of cross-media and foreign ownership rules.


Those local-content rules would be triggered if the company - a fund set up by Macquarie Bank in 2004 to invest in media assets - bought a TV station or newspaper business in any of the markets in which the radio stations operate. The cost of meeting those requirements would dent earnings growth at Macquarie and limit the appeal of consolidation in the regional media market.


Nationals MPs have constantly criticised Macquarie for its heavily networked approach to news and other programming on its regional radio stations.


Earlier this month, Macquarie came under fire for hubbing some news in Western Australia out of its Gold Coast newsroom.


But it warned it would be forced to close at least 10 stations in towns in Tasmania, Western Australia and Queensland if new content requirements were enacted.


The new rules impose 12 1/2 minutes a day of original local news content and 4 1/2 hours of local live content.


The broadcaster said the costs of hiring extra staff and infrastructure costs would make a further six stations “marginal”.


The most likely buyers are regional media groups with better developed regional newsrooms that could more easily absorb the cost of producing extra local content across two media.


The radio business, Macquarie Regional Radioworks, owns 85 regional radio licences that cover about 60 per cent of regional Australia.


The group, which posted operating earnings last year of $55 million, also faces the cost of upgrading all its radio stations to digital.


Macquarie formed the business in 2004 when it paid $173 million to take over regional radio group RG Capital and then $196.5 million for most of the British-owned DMG Radio Australia’s regional radio stations. The stations then became the seed asset of the Macquarie Media Group, which listed last year.


Macquarie was estimated to have pocketed between $70 million and $124 million from the sale of the radio businesses into the listed vehicle.


MMG then moved offshore, paying $416 million for 60 per cent of Taiwan Broadband Communications.


But MMG has been one of the worst-performing of Macquarie’s satellite funds, with investors baulking at the complicated structure and management fees.


Potential buyers of the radio assets include John B. Fairfax’s Rural Press, which already owns 10 regional radio stations and has often stated its desire to buy more, and rival regional newspaper group APN News & Media.


APN chief executive Brendan Hopkins recently told The Australian that the local industry could learn from New Zealand, where APN owns radio stations and newspapers in the same markets. “Local radio working closely with local publications will give better local content than if they were working separately,” he said.


Meanwhile, John Hartigan, the chief executive of News Limited, which publishes The Australian, is heading to the US this week to brief parent company News Corporation on the unfolding Australian media landscape. (source The Australian)

Wheels of fortune turn again for Burgo

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His listeners can't see it but 'Baby' John Burgess doesn't look to have aged a day. The skin is tight. The hair colour is fresh. And the huge diamond ring he regularly adjusts on his left hand is leftover bling from his glory days as Perth's radio king when a Ferrari sports car was part of his 6PM salary package.

This month, in the modest surroundings of a struggling, inner-Melbourne radio station, the rebirth of 63-year-old 'Baby' John Burgess slowly began taking shape.

In the past three weeks, the man who ruled Perth's airwaves for more than a decade has been waking up 3MP's modest audience with a soundtrack of Roy Orbison, Celine Dion, Elton John and the Bee Gees. And quietly planning his comeback.

ARN EVOLVES BREAKFAST LINE UP

Sunday, October 22, 2006 | 0 comments »

Robin Bailey and Bob Gallagher will join the 97.3Fm breakfast team on Monday 23 October from 5.30am for Brisbane's new and fresh breakfast radio show.

'We have made this evolutionary change to Brisbane’s 973Fm to take advantage of Robin Bailey’s success base and high profile in radio,' said ARN General Manager, Peter Verhoeven.

Southern Cross in media talks

Thursday, October 19, 2006 | 0 comments »

RADIO and television broadcaster Southern Cross Broadcasting Ltd (SBC) said today it was in talks with other media companies about a possible merger, takeover or acquisition.' Southern Cross Broadcasting has commenced such discussions but none have progressed beyond the exploratory stage,” the company said in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange.

“The ASX has insisted that the company make a release regarding discussions it may have had with other media companies,” SBC said.

“It is noted that it has been widely reported that many media companies are in discussions with other media companies following the passage of legislation to relax the cross media and foreign ownership laws.”

AFL new look radio deal

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Australian Football League Chief Operating Officer Ben Buckley today announced the AFL had reached three-year agreements for its Radio Broadcast rights with the ABC, 3AW, the Triple M Network and new partner SEN 1116.

Mr Buckley said the AFL’s radio agreements across both commercial AM and FM radio and with national public broadcasters would now see every match of every team in the competition broadcast into its home city. For the first time, all Victorian-based teams were now guaranteed radio coverage for every away match outside of Victoria for the first time in the history of the national competition.

ACMA finds 2CBD Deepwater broadcast advertisements

Tuesday, October 17, 2006 | 0 comments »

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has found that Deepwater & Districts Community FM Radio Inc, the licensee of 2CBD Deepwater, breached the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 by broadcasting advertisements.

Derryn Hinch battling mystery illness

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Melbourne radio talkback host Derryn Hinch is battling another mystery illness and does not know when he will be back on air.

Hinch was admitted to Cabrini hospital in suburban Malvern, on Wednesday.

He has undergone tests, including MRIs, X-rays and a CAT scan that revealed he had suffered blood poisoning.

But the radio drive time show host said he did not know what caused it.

“I can’t tell you because they (doctors) haven’t told me,” Hinch told News Limited.

He said he does not know when he will be back on air.

It is the second health major scare for Hinch in 12 months.

Supernetwork to cover International Rugby League

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International football makes it long awaited return to Rugby Leagues heartland this month when the Newcastle Rep side hosts Great Britain on Friday 20 October at Energy Australia Stadium and the Supernetwork will have all the action covered.

'This is Newcastle's chance to re-visit the glory days of Rugby league before the Knights joined the National competition' said Newcastle Rugby League CEO, Jamie O'Connor

In the years gone by the Newcastle-Great Britain has always brought out the best in the locals and the last time Newcastle defeated Great Britain in a very spiteful clash was in 1962 in front of 22,000 people

Ray Hadley crowned top radio commentator

Sunday, October 15, 2006 | 0 comments »

Ray Hadley has taken over from his 2GB stablemate Alan Jones in being crowned Best Current Affairs Commentator at the Australian Commercial Radio Awards.Hadley was presented with the award at the annual ceremony, this year hosted by British comedian John Cleese, at Sydney’s Luna Park.

It brought to an end Jones’ dominance in the category after the veteran broadcaster decided not to nominate for the award this year.

ACMA cancels Perth community radio licence

Tuesday, October 10, 2006 | 0 comments »

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has cancelled the community radio broadcasting licence held by the Western Australian Aboriginal Media Association (Aboriginal Corporation) (WAAMA).

On 19 May 2006, ACMA found that the community radio service operated by WAAMA (6AR Perth) had breached its licence conditions. ACMA imposed additional conditions on WAAMA on 22 June 2006. One of the additional conditions required WAAMA to provide a compliance plan to ACMA by 31 July 2006, but WAAMA failed to meet this requirement by the due date.

WAAMA ceased broadcasting on 1 September 2006 and WAAMA's Chair, Mr Iva Hayward Jackson, indicated to ACMA that WAAMA would not be surrendering its licence.

As a result of WAAMA's continuing non-compliance, ACMA issued a written notice to WAAMA on 8 September 2006. WAAMA did not make representations to ACMA by the due date of 15 September 2006 on why ACMA should not suspend or cancel the licence.

'ACMA's decision to cancel the licence is not one that has been taken lightly,' said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman. 'We had worked very hard with WAAMA to ensure it reflected the listening needs of Perth's indigenous population. This included our imposing additional licence conditions.'

ACMA has not made any decision regarding the use of the frequency that has been freed up as a result of its decision and will consider this issue at a later date.

At that time, ACMA would remain conscious of continuing interest in an indigenous broadcasting service.

Blair returns to radio

Saturday, October 7, 2006 | 0 comments »

AMANDA Blair has pledged to take her outspoken views to the airwaves when she makes her full-time return to radio at FIVEaa next year.In what has been the industry’s worst-kept secret, the popular Sunday Mail columnist will replace Nicole Haack as afternoon presenter from January 14.

Seven newsreader Graeme Goodings has stepped into the timeslot since Haack’s departure on September 28 and will fill in until Christmas.

The role will be the former number 1 breakfast presenter’s first full-time radio gig since her shock split with SAFM in 2003.”I didn’t want to get near a microphone for a few years I was quite tired after SAFM,” said Blair, who has filled in for various FIVEaa personalities during the past two years.

“I just wanted to have kids and sit back.

“But it’s so refreshing for me to be able to express myself in a reasonably serious forum, and show people there’s a bit of a brain up there that works.

Radio all set for awards night

Friday, October 6, 2006 | 0 comments »

Commercial radio is gearing up for its glittering awards night to be held at Sydney's Luna Park next week. One of the world's funniest comedians, John Cleese, will open the show and a host of radio personalities and entertainers will be part of the night's line-up.

Some of Australia's best known radio personalities will be vying for awards. Last year's winners of the Best On Air Team award, Merrick and Rosso from Nova 969, have been nominated again this year and will be up against Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O from 2 Day FM Brendan Jones and Amanda Keller from WS FM the Cage from Triple M and Ross Stevenson and John Burns from 3AW.

The Encyclopaedia Of Australian Radio Shows

Wednesday, October 4, 2006 | 0 comments »

For some time now Moris Sztajer and Ian Grieve and a dedicated group of volunteers have been constructing the Encyclopaedia of Australian Radio Show Database. (Earsdb) The project is nothing short of mammoth and is an ongoing works. It mainly centre around The Golden Age of Australian Radio 1932 - 1962 .


EarsDB is a computer based database that lists Australian Radio Shows of the Golden Age and beyond. The aim is to list all Australian radio shows aired during the Golden Age of Australian Radio and beyond.

Mixed signals from regional radio as politicians tune in

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The Australian today reports on their perception that the Supernetwork run by Bill Caralis has got off fairly lighty during the inquiry. To quote the article

It’s the network that has been immune from criticism thus far, despite its national news being “hubbed” from its Sydney headquarters at Pyrmont (which Caralis purpose-built in 2000 before Seven, Fairfax, DMG Radio and Ten moved into the area).

Supernetwork operations manager James Yelland said the reason was obvious: they delivered local news and broadcasters. “First and foremost we’re independently owned and operated and we’ve always had an agenda since day one to stay independent, and we will continue to do so regardless,” he said. “You must have a local presence and connect with the local audience.” FULL ITEM

Village continues to sell Austereo stock

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Further to our recent item on Village Roadshow (on 26th Sept) there has been another significant sell down of Austereo stock. Village have now disposed of a further 9.8 percent, down to 50.2 percent holding in Austereo. This is down from  67 percent hold just weeks ago.


Speculation that Austereo will be a quick takeover target upon media ownership law changes is now being fuelled by the further share holding trading.


While the Ten Network have long been said to being casting an eye over Austereo it has also now been suggested PBL’s Nine Network would be a front runner should the opportunity arise.


Bloomberg filed the following stock report: Austereo Group Ltd. (AEO AU) slid 7.5 cents, or 4 percent, to A$1.79. Village Roadshow Ltd. (VRL AU), Australia’s biggest cinema chain, cut its stake in radio broadcaster Austereo to 50.2 percent, fuelling speculation it may be a seller if law changes spark media takeovers next year. Village Roadshow climbed 6 cents, or 2.5 percent, to A$2.50.

'Blue Hills' writer dies

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The Australian playwright and author Gwen Meredith has died at her home in the New South Wales southern highlands, aged 98.


Mrs Meredith was the writer of the ABC’s radio series Blue Hills which ran for more than 5,500 episodes over 27 years.


Mrs Meredith wrote every one of the episodes.

Information Communications Entertainment conference

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The 2006 conference of the Australian Communications and Media Authority will kick off in Canberra in 50 days time. The 'ICE' conference ˜Information Communications Entertainment' will take place at the Hyatt Hotel on 23 and 24 November.

'The ICE theme is acknowledgment of the changing nature of the modern communications environment and the realities of convergence. It also reflects the fact that ACMA itself is a newly converged regulator, with responsibilities spanning telecommunications, broadcasting, radiocommunications and online content,' said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman.

Radio looks to instant music downloads

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Consumers could be able to download music tracks from radio stations as they hear them under groundbreaking new technology being investigated as part of the launch of digital radio in Australia in 2009.

The digital music download service would allow consumers to buy tracks in real time over special mobile phone handsets.

Four new New Zealand stations

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New Zealand Government decisions announced today will provide for up to four new FM radio stations in each region, and strengthen the role of local broadcasters, say Broadcasting Minister Steve Maharey and Communications Minister David Cunliffe.

The announcement follows a review of FM frequencies and approval of a new policy framework to promote local broadcasting.' The government is committed to supporting local broadcasters in establishing stations that reflect the interests and diversity of their community,' Steve Maharey said. 'In most regions there will be two non-commercial licences and two community-based commercial licences available.'

Coonan tips media shift

Tuesday, October 3, 2006 | 0 comments »

Media reforms updates 04 Oct

The biggest industry story in 2006 will continue to be the media reforms. We will provide links to the developing stories surrounding the proposed reforms.



The Age reports COMMUNICATIONS Minister Helen Coonan has paved the way to accepting the key item on the Nationals’ wish list, signalling she is prepared to implement a tougher diversity test as the price of securing her controversial media reforms. FULL ITEM

The Age reports:Communications Minister Helen Coonan has again indicated she is open to compromise with The Nationals over changes to media ownership laws.Senator Coonan said she would consider any 'worthwhile' amendments to a recently-introduced government bill which would abolish restrictions on companies owning more than one form of media in individual cities. FULL ITEM

The SMH reports:THE Federal Communications Minister, Helen Coonan, does not think strict ownership rules for media companies in regional areas will add anything to the Government's media reform package. FULL ITEM

The Australian reports: LOCAL news content on country radio stations could be greatly improved if newspaper proprietors owned both media in the same regional market.As Nationals MPs highlight the parlous state of local radio news ahead of a vote on the Government’s media reform bill, APN News and Media chief Brendan Hopkins said Australia could learn from the New Zealand example, where radio news benefited from the company's ownership of local newspapers. FULL ITEM

The Age reports  Analysts agree investors have generally watched and waited amid uncertainty over whether the media bills, which will abolish cross-ownership and foreign ownership restrictions and roll out digital technology, will be passed without major change. But they say share price premiums built into media stocks perceived as acquisition targets could quickly evaporate if the package was derailed. FULL ITEM

The Australin reports:Some companies, such as FM radio network Austereo, have embraced the proposed rewrite of rules, which would significantly loosen media ownership laws, while others say the new regulations remain a heavy hand on a dynamic sector.  FULL ITEM

The Australian reports:MARK Vaile has predicted that fine-tuning of media ownership laws will be required to quell the concerns of Nationals MPs over their impact in regional areas. FULL ITEM

The Australian reports Ron Camplin well remembers the days when a host of bureaucrats traipsed to the NSW city of Bathurst to check that he was an appropriate owner of the local wireless station.Now, Mr Camplin, 74, believes a similar circus is about to erupt with the federal Government's push to legislate minimum local-content rules for regional radio stations as part of the removal of cross-media ownership restrictions. FULL ITEM

The Canberra Times reports Two media outlets could disappear from the Canberra market or be taken over by other players under the Government's planned changes - but there are no immediate moves to do so. Under the media-ownership laws introduced to Parliament this week by Communications Minister Helen Coonan, Canberra, as a regional market, is guaranteed four media  or independent media groups. Metropolitan markets are guaranteed five. FULL ITEM

The Age reports:APPARENTLY we need media diversity in regional cities but not capital cities.This is not because capital city dwellers are less interested in democracy than country people are, but because regional areas contain wheels labelled 'Nationals' that are squeaking and need to be oiled, whereas capital city politicians are already lubricated by Mogul Oil FULL ITEM

The Courier Mail reports:Long-awaited media reforms could be dumped if the Nationals continue to oppose the package.Some Liberals fear Prime Minister John Howard will simply walk away if the junior Coalition partner makes too much fuss. Mr Howard has previously said he does not want to waste political capital on the reforms, which were introduced to Parliament on Thursday. FULL ITEM

The Australian reports:Mount Gambier is one regional centre that should fear the Howard Government's proposed new media ownership laws, say civic leaders.'The Mount' - in South Australia near the border with Victoria - counts its media as one newspaper, regional television station WIN TV, commercial radio station 5SE and ABC radio and television. FULL ITEM

The Australian reports:Measures to preserve media diversity proposed by the Nationals would mean nothing in most regional areas, particularly the smallest and most vulnerable. Nationals from Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile down believe extra restrictions should be imposed to stop one proprietor buying more than two out of the three main media - television, radio and newspapers - in any one town. FULL ITEM

Podcast or should that be audiocast?

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Sometime ago we briefly introduced our podcast quest where we provided a link to our featured podcast from a random radio station or one suggested by one of our visitors.

Radio stations providing a downloadable segment or program has now become the norm and if promoted correctly with easy access to potential listeners it is a win win.

Away from commercial radio there are tens of thousands of programs available for download across the net and many more pop up on a daily basis.

Sandilands foot in mouth comment

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Australian Idol Judge and 2day FM breakfast host Kyle Sandilands has been asked to apologise for comments made to contestant Bobby Flynn. Sandilands, on last Sunday’s show called Flynn a “full mong”. This is not the first time Sandilands has fired insults at contestants. 

Two weeks ago, he raised more than just an eyebrow when he suggested 17-year-old Idol finalist Jessica Mauboy “lose the jelly belly” if she wanted to succeed. Sandilands has previously sparked controversy in the previous Australian Idol (2005), when he made reference to winner Kate DeAraugo’s “tuckshop lady” arms.

Regardless of whether Sandilands comments are made in hopes of driving the ratings further; What message is Sandilands sending to the impressionable veiwers of Australian Idol? Perhaps this is a case of people in glass houses…

Coonan open to compromise on media laws

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Media reforms updates 03 Oct

The biggest industry story in 2006 will continue to be the media reforms. We will provide links to the developing stories surrounding the proposed reforms.

The Age reports:Communications Minister Helen Coonan has again indicated she is open to compromise with The Nationals over changes to media ownership laws. Senator Coonan said she would consider any “worthwhile” amendments to a recently-introduced government bill which would abolish restrictions on companies owning more than one form of media in individual cities. FULL ITEM

The SMH reports:THE Federal Communications Minister, Helen Coonan, does not think strict ownership rules for media companies in regional areas will add anything to the Government’s media reform package. FULL ITEM

The Australian reports: LOCAL news content on country radio stations could be greatly improved if newspaper proprietors owned both media in the same regional market.As Nationals MPs highlight the parlous state of local radio news ahead of a vote on the Government’s media reform bill, APN News and Media chief Brendan Hopkins said Australia could learn from the New Zealand example, where radio news benefited from the company’s ownership of local newspapers. FULL ITEM

The Age reports: Analysts agree investors have generally watched and waited amid uncertainty over whether the media bills, which will abolish cross-ownership and foreign ownership restrictions and roll out digital technology, will be passed without major change. But they say share price premiums built into media stocks perceived as acquisition targets could quickly evaporate if the package was derailed. FULL ITEM

The Australin reports: Some companies, such as FM radio network Austereo, have embraced the proposed rewrite of rules, which would significantly loosen media ownership laws, while others say the new regulations remain a heavy hand on a dynamic sector.  FULL ITEM

The Australian reports:MARK Vaile has predicted that fine-tuning of media ownership laws will be required to quell the concerns of Nationals MPs over their impact in regional areas. FULL ITEM

The Australian reports:Ron Camplin well remembers the days when a host of bureaucrats traipsed to the NSW city of Bathurst to check that he was an appropriate owner of the local wireless station. Now, Mr Camplin, 74, believes a similar circus is about to erupt with the federal Government’s push to legislate minimum local-content rules for regional radio stations as part of the removal of cross-media ownership restrictions. FULL ITEM

The Canberra Times reports:  Two media outlets could disappear from the Canberra market or be taken over by other players under the Government’s planned changes - but there are no immediate moves to do so. Under the media-ownership laws introduced to Parliament this week by Communications Minister Helen Coonan, Canberra, as a regional market, is guaranteed four media “voices” or independent media groups. Metropolitan markets are guaranteed five. FULL ITEM

The Age reports:APPARENTLY we need media diversity in regional cities but not capital cities.This is not because capital city dwellers are less interested in democracy than country people are, but because regional areas contain wheels labelled “Nationals” that are squeaking and need to be oiled, whereas capital city politicians are already lubricated by Mogul Oil FULL ITEM

The Courier Mail reports: Long-awaited media reforms could be dumped if the Nationals continue to oppose the package.Some Liberals fear Prime Minister John Howard will simply walk away if the junior Coalition partner makes too much fuss. Mr Howard has previously said he does not want to waste political capital on the reforms, which were introduced to Parliament on Thursday. FULL ITEM

The Australian reports:Mount Gambier is one regional centre that should fear the Howard Government’s proposed new media ownership laws, say civic leaders.”The Mount” - in South Australia near the border with Victoria - counts its media as one newspaper, regional television station WIN TV, commercial radio station 5SE and ABC radio and television. FULL ITEM

The Australian reports:Measures to preserve media diversity proposed by the Nationals would mean nothing in most regional areas, particularly the smallest and most vulnerable. Nationals from Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile down believe extra restrictions should be imposed to stop one proprietor buying more than two out of the three main media - television, radio and newspapers - in any one town. FULL ITEM

Mid-dawns attracts young radio listeners.

Friday, September 29, 2006 | 0 comments »

More than one in ten Australians are tuning in to commercial radio between midnight and dawn each week  and they're younger and listening for longer than ever before.

In the latest, annual Midnight to Dawn survey conducted by Nielsen Media for Commercial Radio Australia, the fastest growth area for listeners was the 10 -17 age group  up from six per cent last year to nine per cent. On average, this age group listened to commercial radio for four and a half hours between midnight and dawn each week  over an hour longer than the average across all groups.

The other group to record an increase was the 18-24 years group with almost one in five in this age bracket tuning into commercial radio between midnight and dawn, for an average of almost three hours a week, up half an hour on last year's survey.

Chief executive officer of Commercial Radio Australia, Joan Warner, said the notion that only the elderly and the lonely listened to radio between midnight and 5.30am was being turned on its head.

Four unknown acts vie for stardom

Thursday, September 28, 2006 | 0 comments »

Four new amazing Australian music acts have been given a shot at stardom after an intense selection process by commercial radio heavyweights.

In the highly competitive New Artists to Radio (NA2R) event, the four finalists were chosen from more than 160 emerging artists who had yet to sign a record deal. Co-ordinated by industry association, Commercial Radio Australia, NA2R has established a reputation for discovering home-grown talent that strikes a chord with radio audiences.

ACMA finds Sam Newman's comments breached standards of decency

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The Australian Communications and Media Authority has found that the licensee of 3MMM Melbourne, Triple M Melbourne Pty Ltd, breached the commercial radio code of practice by failing to meet contemporary standards of decency, having regard to the likely composition of its audience.The breach occurred in the Saturday Football program broadcast on 6 May 2006.

During the talk-back section of the broadcast, Mr Sam Newman described a caller who had criticised his comments on a match as a 'f —-wit'.

Triple M has advised ACMA that Mr Newman was suspended from the air immediately and has not returned to the program. He and the producer of the program have undergone training in the commercial radio code of practice and the licensee has introduced six-monthly staff training on the code.

ACMA considers that these actions address the compliance issues raised by this investigation but will nonetheless continue to monitor the licensee's performance in relation to the relevant code provision to satisfy itself that this was an isolated incident.

ACMA embargoes Digital Radio Mondiale

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The Australian Communications and Media Authority has placed an embargo on frequency bands potentially suitable for use by broadcasting services using Digital Radio Mondiale. These bands are outside the broadcasting services bands used by traditional broadcasting services.

Rocktober the countdown has begun

Wednesday, September 27, 2006 | 0 comments »

Rocktober returns to the airwaves this Sunday across the Australian Radio Network Classic Hits stations. 4KQ Brisbane, WSFM Sydney and GOLD FM Melbourne will unleash this almighty powerforce we eagerly await each year as Rocktober rolls around!

AFL from every angle from 2007

Tuesday, September 26, 2006 | 0 comments »

The AFL radio rights are not quite signed, sealed and delivered for the 2007 - 2009 seasons, although things are coming together. The main players will be Austereo’s Triple M network and Southern Cross through 3AW and 6PR. Triple M and 3AW will get the pick of the round matches calling main games over Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Triple M will also call homes games into Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide.

Media Watch - Live and Local or Dead & Buried!

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Media watch has covered the current state of regional Radio and TV  across the nation.

Live And Local - Dead And Buried
Wollongong News
Griffith - No WIN News
Local Radio - Remote Control
Regional Media - What Next?

To a small degree for ABC RADIO, is it not a case of people in glass houses? Maybe, maybe not, but when it comes to radio, people are now starting to accept the real deal in most regional towns as far as live and local goes are the community stations! A hard pill to swallow for those of us who are lovers of all the things a regional  commercial station once stood for.

Village continues to offload Austereo!

Monday, September 25, 2006 | 0 comments »

Village Roadshow has continued to offload part of their large chunk of Austereo. According to Stock Exchange documentation obtained by Tattler Village netted close to $31 million late last week. 16.75 million shares at approx $1.86 each were traded over two days and further reducing their share in Austereo from a high of 67%.

Besides still holding around 60% of Austereo, Village previously netted a handsome $39 million just a week earlier from two swift sales

Village Roadshow are said to be looking at investing around $250 million with movie and production operations in the USA.  Any further sale of their interest in Austereo leaves the radio network open for takeover and with the proposed media ownership laws approaching they look like they may be first cab off the rank.

ABC radio to extend further in SA

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Federal Communications Minister Helen Coonan has announced a nation-wide extension of ABC radio services.


The extension will be carried out in three stages, starting in the new year.


The first stage will make ABC Local Radio and ABC NewsRadio accessible in Mount Gambier in the south-east and Port Augusta, Port Pirie and Whyalla in the northern Spencer Gulf area.




Site down Sunday

Sunday, September 24, 2006 | 0 comments »

This site will be down from time to time today. The page may default to a similar template  ensuring 90% of the content of the site is visible.

Since migrating to the ‘wordpress’ platform in late April (the current theme) we have noticed many broken links from previous articles that need inspecting and attempts will be made to repair what we can.

NewsRadio to cover Tassie

Saturday, September 23, 2006 | 0 comments »

Services on the ABC’s NewsRadio network are to be expanded in Tasmania early next year.


As part one of a three-stage roll-out, ABC NewsRadio will be extended to 13 new areas across Australia, including Burnie, Somerset and Wynyard on the north-west coast.


The extension gives NewsRadio a possible new audience of more than 42,000 people in the region.


NewsRadio services in the Hobart metropolitan area will also reach more people with improvements to the Ralphs Bay transmitter site.

TripleM's James Brayshaw's Family Tragedy

Thursday, September 21, 2006 | 0 comments »

AFL Footy Show and Triple M breakfast co-host James Brayshaw says the death of his sister in a freak incident at her Melbourne home was a “tragic, unthinkable accident”.

Sally, 36, was crushed to death on Wednesday night by bricks falling from a garage wall.

She had just closed the garage door at her house in Gerona Street, Keilor, in Melbourne’s north-west, when the top row of bricks from the front wall fell on her about 7.30pm (AEST), police said.

She was found by relatives who heard the noise of the falling bricks.

Management takes over at strike-ridden ABC

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It was all hands to the pumps on ABC Local radio this morning as management rolled up their sleeves to bring listeners a skeleton service during the strike by the members of the broadcaster’s two main unions.


Was that the head of ABC radio, Sue Howard, I heard, giving the weather after 7am? The news was read by Lisa Sweeney, who is an executive in ABC Radio News, and the sport came from Peter Longman, the head of ABC Radio Sport. The breakfast program was run out of Melbourne with two of the remaining Coodabeen Champions, Geoff Richardson and Ian Cover (a former Liberal Party member of the Victorian Parliament). AM at 8am was basically the BBC World Service for half an hour. 

Concert for Adam

Tuesday, September 19, 2006 | 0 comments »

Award winning radio broadcaster Adam Vaughan (Vorherr) who sadly passed away in May is being honoured with a 40th birthday party at the Corner Hotel.(Richmond)

Upon finding out that his cancer was terminal in March this year Adam's only wish was to have a party on his birthday, October 4th. Unfortunately, on May 26th, five months shy of his 40th birthday, Adam lost his battle and his final wish was unfulfilled.

The Concert for Adam is the idea of his brother Jason and sister Jade and is a wonderful gesture for a guy who loved his music just as much as his radio. All profits from Concert for Adam's ticket sales will be donated to the Cancer Council of Victoria. The concert Line up includes Glenn Shorrock, Phil Ceberano, Mick Pealing, Justin Murphy and Louis King.

Buy Tickets

ABC set to strike.

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Staff at the national broadcaster will stop work for 24 hours this Thursday to kick off an industrial campaign aimed at forcing a better workplace deal.


ABC staff are pressing for a three-year agreement and have rejected management’s offer of an annual 3.5 per cent pay rise, saying that wages will fall behind inflation.


The ABC’s two staff unions, the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) and the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) said ABC management was asking for too many concessions on working conditions, such as changes to shift work and meal allowances.


MEAA federal assistant secretary Mark Ryan said about 2,500 ABC staff were members of either union and those who decided to take part in the action would not attend work that day, beginning from the first shift which starts about 3.30am.


“We expect a bit of disruption,” he said.


Previously, more than 1,600 ABC employees voted in two separate ballots conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), with about 90 per cent favouring an industrial campaign.


Secret ballots before taking so-called protected industrial action during bargaining periods for collective agreements are now mandatory under the federal government’s WorkChoices laws.


The ballots conducted by the AEC collected only 117 votes against industrial action, with 1,577 staff voting in favour of the campaign.

Audio version of 'YOUTUBE' launched.

Monday, September 18, 2006 | 0 comments »

Commercial Radio Australia today launched an exciting new initiative website called SiVi, which will feature the best and most unusual audio that can be used for inspiration and ideas for radio advertisements.

Chief executive officer of Commercial Radio Australia, Joan Warner, said the idea was for visitors to submit their own material, with the page eventually becoming a creative portal of original, unusual and funny audio.

CBAA Digital Radio Symposium

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The transition to digital is one of the most significant issues facing the community broadcasting sector. As part of a broader sector consultation process the CBAA is organising a Digital Radio Symposium, to be held in Sydney from September 29 to 30. The Symposium will bring together representatives from DCITA, ACMA, peak sector organisations and wide area coverage stations from the six state capital cities that will be involved in the first phase of digital radio transition. The Symposium will allow an opportunity for discussion of operational and policy issues arising from the Australian Government’s Digital Radio Framework issued last October.

The Digital Radio Symposium has been supported by DCITA, the CBF and the CBAA.

> Read the Government’s Digital Radio Framework document and the CBAA’s response.

Source