Stephen Mayne
Journalist and Crikey founder @MayneReport
Stephen Mayne founded Crikey in February 2000, and has remained as a contributor since selling it in 2005. He’s a former political staffer and local government councillor who also pursues shareholder advocacy as a two-time former director of the Australian Shareholders’ Association. He also spent two years working for the Alliance for Gambling Reform.
Without any need to consult Telstra, Kerry Stokes or James Packer, the trio that together own 75% of Foxtel, Rupert was able to poach the well-regarded Foxtel CEO Kim Williams to take News Ltd in a different direction.
News Ltd is working hard to discredit the Finkelstein media inquiry before it has even begun public hearings in Melbourne tomorrow.
While Alan Joyce is copping most of the grief for the provocative Qantas lock-out on Saturday, no such decision can ever be taken without full board approval.
Tasmanian forestry giant Gunns is working flat stick on its $2.3 billion pulp mill project. While the mainstream media has left the impression the project will fall over, there is a sense of inevitability on site that it will ultimately be delivered.
The News Corporation votes are in and the record protest votes have duly been delivered. Records were smashed with as much as 80% of the independent shareholders voting to remove the Murdoch boys.
Rupert Murdoch was pretty fast and combative, much better than the doddery old man at the parliamentary committee.
For those Australians who like to rise early, set the alarm for 4am on Saturday and then go here to register for the webcast of what should be a cracking 2011 News Corporation AGM.
The short-term performance of News Corp might look OK, but a longer-term horizon tells a very different story.
Pressure is mounting on the blue-blood directors of Woolworths to decide whether they are pillars of the community or pariahs.
The Australian’s media commentator Mark Day scored a big scoop today on the ongoing bureaucratic support for Sky News to replace the ABC as the vehicle for the Australian Television contract.
