Kim Williams’ elevation will bring some changes, and alter key dynamics in Australia’s largest newspaper publisher.
Foxtel
The bloke running Fox Sports
You may not know him, but Patrick Delany plays a major role in determining which sports you watch on free-to-air, and which are restricted to those willing to pay for the privilege. Tom Cowie profiles the head of Fox Sports.
Media briefs: Carr on Foxtel … Hun mum on source …
SMH’s Good Living reheats dish two weeks in a row … Hun mum on story sources … Bob Carr on Foxtel arts and ads … Hacking defender gets hacked and more …
Mayne: Austar intervention opens way to challenge Murdoch gerrymander
Another day, another blow to the world’s most powerful media empire.
Do ACCC doubts mark the end of media concentration in Australia?
Has the ACCC signalled an end to media concentration in Australia by raising significant doubts about the $2 billion takeover bid from Foxtel for regional Pay TV group, Austar?
Murdoch’s BSkyB bid fails, is Austar next?
With News Corp’s BSkyB bid abandoned ahead of what would have been a unanimous vote in the UK Parliament, Rupert Murdoch is clearly vulnerable.
Foxtel move towards flexibility
Foxtel is currently in the process of moving towards providing more robust and flexible services. Recent changes to Foxtel xBox 360, particularly in the lifting of data restrictions, is a case in point, writes Dan Barrett.
Media briefs: Dept of Corrections … hello Canadian HuffPo! … WikiLeaks, the musical …
In today’s Media Briefs: Suharto’s son wins damages from magazine … Oprah finale rakes highest ratings in 18 years … The life of WikiLeaks founder to be played out on stage … and more …
Footy rights winners and losers … AFL looked after its own
The AFL has certainly looked after its own, with the winners from the AFL’s landmark broadcast rights agreement largely being AFL insiders.
How Steve Fielding helped billionaires dominate media ownership
Steve Fielding retires from the Senate on June 30, but one of his lasting legacies will be the continuing flow of media deals triggered by John Howard’s liberalisation of foreign and cross-media ownership laws in 2005.
Bad ad placement … NT News watch … Al Jazeera’s revolution …
In today’s Media Briefs: inappropriate ad placement #548,958, crocodiles dominate the NT News, footage of JFK’s last night made public after 47 years, Hamish and Andy set to sign with Nine and more…
Foxtel gets a lifestyle channel makeover
Foxtel are launching yet another new Lifestyle Channel. The new channel, set to replace the woefully named How To Channel, will launch on March 1, 2011. Does every lifestyle show need to be about property valuations, home improvements, and cooking? asks Dan Barrett.
Will the ABC change its retransmission
agreement?
Since Foxtel began operation in Australia it has retransmitted the ABC’s TV and radio services on their cable networks, but a recent tweet from ABC director Mark Scott suggests this might change, writes Dave Gaukroger.
Media briefs: The Model screw-up … The Oz ‘campaigning’…
The good thing for Sarah Murdoch is that only 196,000 people saw her live stuff-up on Foxtel last night. Plus, Channel Seven will book millions of dollars in advertising for its unexpected AFL grand final replay on Saturday but no high definition and other media news of the day.
Look ma! Actual convergence — Foxtel, XBox 360 link
Foxtel and Microsoft joined forces this morning, announcing Foxtel will be soon be available via XBox Live, offering a full-scale IPTV offering for the first time.
No demand for Al Jazeera on Foxtel, says Williams
Why doesn’t Foxtel run the Arabic news service Al Jazeera? There are news services from the US and Europe — why not the Arab world? Surprisingly, Al Jazeera itself doesn’t seem too fussed about the matter.
Foxtel boss: ABC wasting money? Must be Thursday
Yes, your ABC is pissing money down the drain by creating a 24-hour news channel. But what’s new? says Foxtel chief Kim Williams: Auntie has been squandering taxpayers’ money for decades.
Business As Usual: Debt still on menu at Seven, Nine as MasterChef fires up ad revenues again…
The return of MasterChef Australia has heralded that the good times are back for the television industry, forecasters predict a sluggish recovery for the British economy, what Westpac chairman Ted Evans didn’t know in Treasury and more business briefs.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Foxtel boss on the ABC
An apology to Shaun Carney for wrongly publishing that he has changed jobs, plus Foxtel boss Kim Williams weighs in on the ABC and Crikey readers weigh in on science in the media.
A challenger emerges for make-or-break sports rights
Upstart television business Fetch TV has emerged as an over-the-top bidder for the TV rights to the AFL from 2012. Malaysian billionaire T. Ananda Krishnan could shake up the local television landscape.
Telcos throw spanner in the works of pay TV-ABC battle
Pay television and the ABC are in a battle to be allowed access to the spectrum allocated for community television as broadcasters prepare for a new era of scarcity due to the buying power of telephone companies.
Another justification for the FTA handout goes
The free-to-air television networks have repeatedly changed their justification for the licence fee handout. Now the latest excuse has been demolished by Foxtel.
Business As Usual: Business As Usual: Poor little rich Foxtel, carping over BHP
Poor little rich Foxtel … Carping over BHP … moaning over CBA … China trade snowed under … The China effect on Oz … Grey Days for the Grey Lady.
How Rupert Murdoch helped create ABC 24/7
In 1995, the ABC was all set to establish a 24-hour news channel in partnership with Fairfax — until Rupert Murdoch pulled the plug. So Australians should now thank him that they’re about to get the same service free, says Peter Martin.
