As the cricket season eases into its being, it’s time to reflect on the Channel Nine commentary (read pensioners) team, most of whom are well beyond their use-by dates, mulls Michael Vaughan.
Kerry Packer
Talking the Town: Ray Martin’s book launch
Last night we time-travelled back to a kinder, gentler time, at the launch of Ray Martin’s autobiography, complete with an introduction from Sir Michael Parkinson and music by Geoff Harvey.
Kennett, Bracks, Jeffed — it’s 10th anniversary season
This is a big call, no doubt, but Jeff Kennett led one of the most reformist and revolutionary governments in any stable western democracy over the past 50 years.
James still stuck in Kerry’s shadow
For most of his life, Kerry Packer had a reputation for being a bit of a Midas when it came to investing. Shame his son James Packer didn’t inherit the same touch.
Costigan: patron saint of investigative journalists
If investigative journalists in Australia ever needed a patron Saint, Francis Xavier Costigan would probably be their man, writes Mike Smith.
We need more like Frank Costigan
Frank Costigan was a great Australian, but unfortunately he will always be remembered in the context of his conflict with Kerry Packer.
The Costigan Commission was a farce
The Costigan Commission was a farce, run by a briefless barrister, determined to keep it going for as long as possible so he could enjoy the spoils and perpetuate his image as a crusader, writes a Sydney lawyer.
James Packer now half the man his father was
James Packer has 3.3 billion reasons to wish that 2008 would hurry up and finish, writes James Thomson.
Freeview, digital and analogue teevee: commercial station’s big temper tantrum
So what’s Freeview? Well, it’s not like the UK Freeview. In fact it’s not clear what it is, because it’s not a new service of any kind, writes Bernard Keane.
MFS does an Alan Bond as fire sale continues
As part of what appears to be MFS’ “buy high-sell low” policy, the embattled Gold Coast fund manager announced yesterday that it had sold its Gersh Investment Partners Limited business for the princely sum of $20 million, writes Adam Schwab.
TV ad spend up, but Nine getting less of the pie
The Nine Network recorded its lowest ever share of TV revenue in the last half of 2007, which was third behind Ten and way behind Seven. This is the financial cost of the changes inflicted by the Packers, John Alexander and their appointed executives, writes Glenn Dyer.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Comments, corrections, clarifications, and c*ckups
The death of The Bulletin … the Murdoch-Packer play … Guy Rundle’s US election coverage … Crikey’s coverage … the Governor-General …
Ex-Bulletin employee Ben Sandilands writes: Tony Abbott and me
Ben Sandilands recalls The Bulletin, and sharing an office with “Vlad the Impaler”.
Governance issues galore in Murdoch-Packer play
Whilst you got no sense of it reading the Murdoch press this morning, there are a pile of delicate regulatory governance issues that arise with the $3.3 billion privatisation of Consolidated Media Holdings, writes Stephen Mayne.
Controversy comes when state funerals are two a penny
In Australia the politicians have made them a two a penny event as if the payment of funeral expenses is the last perk of office for every politician of any note. The state funeral planned for former Federal Labor Minister and Territory Opposition Leader Bob Collins has naturally angered many, writes Richard Farmer.
Media briefs and TV ratings
More questions surround that Nine book … Is The Nation being sacrificed? … Last night’s TV ratings.
