A virulent cancer lodged in the the heart of Australian society - News Corp

U.S. citizen Keith Rupert Murdoch
Media magnate & founder of News Corp
IMAGE: Google Images

The New Daily, 12 April 2021:

As the federal Senate convenes its latest hearing on the inquiry into media diversity, with former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull as its headline act on Monday, it has been revealed News Corp owns nearly 60 per cent of the metro and national print media market.

The company also earns 40 per cent of TV revenues, and is part of a profitable trio controlling a mind-boggling 90 per cent of metro radio licences…..

On the eve of the Senate inquiry, a study by University of Sydney academics found how densely Australia’s media ownership is concentrated.

“News Corp is the unchallenged dominant player,” wrote Associate Professor of Communication Benedetta Brevini and PhD candidate Michael Ward.

“The predominance of News Corp in cross-media settings is unprecedented in liberal democracies.”

The report, commissioned by activist group GetUp!, found News Corp had a 59 per cent share in the metro and national print media markets, when measured by readership.

The authors said that compared to just 25 per cent in 1984.

Nine Entertainment, which owns the former Fairfax papers including the Sydney Morning Herald, has “a combined 23 per cent readership share”, the report details.

“The dominance of News Corp and Nine’s media ownership extends beyond print to other media platforms,” the authors said.

“Just three corporations – News Corp, Nine, and Southern Cross Media (and their associated entities) – control almost 90 per cent of the lucrative metropolitan radio licences across the country.”

That’s in addition to the 40 per cent of total Australian television revenue that News Corp earns, when taking into account free-to-air and subscription revenues.

The authors note this is “almost double that of second-place holder Nine”.....

The full GetUp! report is at https://d68ej2dhhub09.cloudfront.net/2810-GetUp_-_Who_Controls_Our_Media_.pdf

Tweets of the Week

Supreme Court of QLD found that Wagner brothers have succeeded in their defamation claim against Alan Jones, 2GB, and 4BC . Awarded a total of $3.754m. Read summary and judgment here, https://t.co/zze75fWRnn

— Supreme Court of QLD (@SupremeCourtQLD) September 11, 2018

* Between 28 October 2014 and 20 August 2015, 2GB Radio and Alan Jones published 30 broadcasts. Twenty-seven of these broadcasts conveyed 76 defamatory imputations of and concerning the Wagner brothers according to the Court*

Fans of Lower Clarence Community Radio TLC 100.3 FM all their lives!

Here are two members of the Lower Clarence community who have been listening to TLC 100.3 FM on the radio dial since they were ten weeks old.

They enjoy the eclectic mix of easy listening, light jazz, nostalgia and presenters' personal favourites, but what they really croon along to is country and western classics.

If you haven't listened to the little radio station beaming out from Pilot Hill, Yamba, before - give it a try today.

2GB falls foul of the Australian Communications and Media Authority - yet again courtesy of radio shock jock Alan Jones

Fifteen hundred people in the Department of Climate Change earning a minimum of 135,000 dollars a year. [Alan Jones, 23 October 2012]

The carnage is everywhere... The Yallourn power station, a major brown coal power station in Victoria’s LaTrobe valley, will today announce that it will scale back electricity production by shutting down one of its four units. Yallourn says the carbon price is driving up operating costs and the government’s renewable energy target is threatening the sustainability of the electricity market. How... for how many months have I been saying this? It says the renewable energy target is suppressing wholesale power prices to uneconomic levels, which will end up costing consumers 53 billion dollars. Yallourn’s decision means that more than 3,000 megawatts of coal-fired power generation capacity has been cut back or closed in recent times.  Queensland’s Stanmore Corporation will close two of its production units. Tony Abbott warned all this would happen and has been vilified in the Parliament for it. Alinta Energy has closed coal-fired production units in South Australia and Delta Energy has closed the Munmorah station in the Hunter Valley. I suppose this is what the government wanted its carbon tax and renewable energy target to achieve. But what are the consequences? Even higher prices and power insecurity. Striking at the heart of our economic strength: cheap energy sources. Are we looking to a future of brownouts, are we? This is just... ugh! Don’t start me. An absolute disgrace. This is the carbon dioxide tax at work. [Alan Jones, 17 October 2012]

Media Release 23 October 2013

2GB breaches accuracy and complaints-handling codes

Harbour Radio Pty Limited, the licensee of Sydney radio station 2GB, breached the accuracy obligations in the Commercial Radio Australia Codes of Practice 2011 in two broadcasts of the Alan Jones Breakfast Show.

Code 2.2(a) requires licensees, in the preparation and presentation of current affairs programs, to use reasonable efforts to ensure that factual material is reasonably supportable as being accurate.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority found 2GB did not make reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy of:

> comments made by Mr Jones on 17 October 2012 about power station closures (Investigation 2962). Here, the sources relied on by 2GB were contradicted by primary material readily available on the website of the owner of the power stations, 
and

> comments made by Mr Jones on 23 October 2012 about salaries paid in the Department of Climate Change (Investigations 2952, 2953 and 2954). Here, there was no evidence of 2GB’s efforts to ensure the accuracy of the comments.

A third complaint about the accuracy of comments made by Mr Jones on 29 October 2012 concerning the NBN and other matters was not upheld (Investigations 2947 and 2960). The ACMA found the comments broadcast were statements of opinion. The ‘accuracy’ obligation in the codes applies only to factual material.

The ACMA also found two breaches by 2GB of its complaints-handling obligations.

In Investigations 2952, 2953 and 2954, 2GB submitted that it was not obliged to respond to a complaint it considered frivolous, vexatious or an abuse of the complaints process. The ACMA did not accept this submission as the Codes require licensees to provide a substantive response to a complaint, including information about the complainant’s right to refer the matter to the ACMA.

In Investigations 2947 and 2960, 2GB submitted that it did not receive the complaint. However, the complainant provided the ACMA with a fax transmission report showing that the complaint had been successfully sent to 2GB.

In these two matters the ACMA found that 2GB was obliged to give a substantive response and breached the code when it failed to do so.

A link to the Investigations can be found here.

The ACMA is in discussions with 2GB about remedial measures.

For more information or to arrange an interview please contact: Emma Rossi, Media Manager, (02) 9334 7719 and 0434 652 063 or media@acma.gov.au.

* Photograph from The Sydney Morning Herald 30 September 2012

Liberal Party's Mandurah Branch was having sacked shock jock Howard Sattler front their 13 July 2013 campaign fundraiser. So who was the lucky candidate?

Radio 6PR statement regarding Howard Sattler, 14 June 2013:

During an interview on the Drive program yesterday presenter Howard Sattler pursued a line of questioning with Prime Minister Julia Gillard that was disrespectful to the office and the person of the Prime Minister and was entirely inappropriate. 

Radio 6PR apologises unreservedly to Ms Gillard and Mr Mathieson for allowing these matters to be raised on the Drive Program. 

In the wake of yesterday's interview Radio 6PR suspended Mr Sattler from broadcasting pending a review of the matter today. The station has now decided to terminate Mr Sattler's engagement.

On the same day that Sattler was sacked it came to light that he had an association with the Liberal Party of Australia.

https://www.facebook.com/MandurahLiberals/photos_stream

So who was the Mandurah Branch of the Liberal Party raising money for? Its sitting Federal MP Don Randall in the Canning electorate or its candidate Donna Gordin in the Brand electorate?

Whichever one it was, apparently the event has now  been cancelled according to @SpottyBalfour who states he/she phoned to enquire on 14 June and was so informed.

A fact the mainstrean media picked up later the same day.

As 2012 draws to a close Alan Jones is finally forced to publicly apologize for racist remarks which led to a full-scale riot in 2005

 

The text of the forced apology:

 

"On 28 April 2005 on my breakfast program on Radio 2GB, I broadcast comments about Lebanese males including Lebanese Muslims.

"The comments were made following a Channel Nine television current affairs show about the conduct of young Lebanese men in Hickson Road at the Rocks.

"The Administrative Decisions Tribunal has found that my comments incited serious contempt of Lebanese males including Lebanese Muslims.

"Those comments were in breach of the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act.

"I apologise for making those comments which I recognise were unlawful.

"I also apologise on behalf of Radio 2GB."

The reason for this apology:

13 In the decision granting leave for the complaint to proceed, the Tribunal characterised the complaint as relating to three comments made by Alan Jones (AJ): Ekermawi v Jones and Harbour Radio Pty Ltd t/as Radio 2 GB [2010] NSWADT 262 at [3]. Those comments are italicised. The immediate context is also included.

 

First comment

 

P: The police obviously can't or won't do anything about it. The politicians are not listening to us as usual. If need be, mate, I'll get babysitters for my kids on Sunday and I'll be down there.

AJ: OK. Now, let me tell you, P, let me just say this to you because - you know I'm the person that's led this charge here. Nobody wanted to know about North Cronulla. Now, it's gathered to this, we really have to be hands off here we don't want a situation whereby there's open warfare between people calling themselves Aussie whites and people calling themselves Lebs or whatever. We have at least alerted the government.

 

Second comment

 

AJ: And the text message urges Aussies yesterday to take revenge and Lebs and wogs. Now it's got pretty nasty when you start talking like this. It says, "Come to Cronulla this weekend to take revenge. This Sunday every Aussie in the Shire get down to North Cronulla to support the Leb and wog bashing day . . ."

I do understand what people are saying, let's give the police a chance to do the job. And I can understand the young blokes who've sent that text message yesterday, "Come to Cronulla this weekend to take revenge", it says. "This Sunday every Aussie in the Shire get down to North Cronulla to support the Leb and wog bashing day, bring your mates, let's show them that this is our beach and they're never welcome." Well, now that's not the way, I do understand what you're saying, P, but we've just got to back off a bit here. We're not giving any ground to them. I'm saying backing off and letting, backing off and let the police do the job.

 

Third comment

 

AJ: Yeah, well I've got, I've got a stack of emails in front of me, let me read you this one, "Alan, its not just a few Middle Eastern bastards at the weekend, its thousands. Cronulla is a very long beach and it's been taken over by this scum. It's not a few causing trouble. It's all of them, it's an attitude that you feel whenever you go there, it's just straight out racism against the skippies, it will not go away, the police have their hands tied - I'll come to that later in the program - reduce numbers and powers, I wish there was an answer".

Alan Jones to be retrained and his radio broadcasts monitored and fact-checked by 2GB

The Australian Communications and Media Authority media release, 18 October 2012:

2GB acts to fix accuracy and present significant viewpoints

Harbour Radio Pty Ltd, the licensee of Sydney radio station 2GB, has agreed to overhaul its processes to ensure reasonable efforts are made to verify facts and present significant viewpoints in its current affairs programs.
2GB conducted a review of its compliance processes following ACMA investigations which found breaches of the Commercial Radio Codes of Practice. The breaches occurred during segments of programs presented by Alan Jones broadcast on 15 March 2011 [2597, 2614 & 2636 - PDF 565 kb] (accuracy) and on 8 and 11 February 2010 [2540 - DOC 1.1 mb] (accuracy and presentation of significant viewpoints).
The review found that 2GB had some fact-checking and verification procedures in place. However, it also highlighted shortcomings in programs hosted by Alan Jones, namely:

• Additional confirmation of accuracy and attribution may be required where the production team (and Alan Jones) source factual material from third parties or other non-media sources.
• The editorial pieces, the subject of the ACMA investigations, did not involve the wider production team.
• There are occasions when a controversial issue of public importance will be the subject of editorial and opinion comment on programs hosted by Alan Jones without any presentation of other significant viewpoints on any other 2GB current affairs program.

To address these issues, 2GB has proposed a series of measures which the ACMA has accepted. A summary of those measures is set out below.
2GB has also improved its electronic complaints system and recently appointed a new program director to oversee its processes following complaints-handling breaches in programs broadcast on 29 and 30 June 2011 and 6, 11 and 12 July 2011 [2674 & 2717 - PDF 205 kb].

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: Emma Rossi, Media Manager, (02) 9334 7719 and 0434 652 063 or media@acma.gov.au.

---

Attachment

Summary of 2GB agreed measures–accuracy and presentation of significant viewpoints

New measures applying to programs hosted by Alan Jones Pre-broadcast fact-checking by the program’s executive producer of any material provided by non-media sources or third parties which may require additional confirmation and attribution. Creation and retention (for at least six weeks) of records of the verification material sourced by the executive producer for the facts contained in the editorial piece. Identification by the executive producer of controversial issues of public importance that are not covered by other 2GB current affairs programs. Communication of these exceptions to 2GB’s program director who will then be responsible to ensure that another current affairs program presents an alternative, significant viewpoint to that presented in the program hosted by Alan Jones so that 2GB can discharge its obligations under the Commercial Radio Codes of Practice. Creation and retention of records by the program director for the above steps.

New measures applying to all news and current affairs programs The program director will conduct random checks of daily broadcasts for each of the programs and will record the details of the controversial issues of public importance canvassed in the program. The program director will also record the reasonable efforts made/opportunities that have been given by the relevant programs to present significant alternative viewpoints. Training will be conducted (including with Alan Jones) focussing on the ACMA’s findings concerning factual accuracy and significant viewpoints. The training will be completed by the end of November 2012.

Poor ol' cocky

 

A Black Cockatoo

Find out more about the impacts of coal seam gas mining at A Black Cockatoo.

http://ablackcockatoo.blogspot.com.au/

Sez Alan Jones over at 2GB

A toxic kiss if ever there was one

Alan Jones not as popular with radio listeners or sponsors even before his latest distasteful remarks?

 

The Age 8 October 2012

Radio station 2GB has the Alan Jones show on air in the 5.30am to 9am time slot from Monday through to Friday.

 

Both 2GB management and the Murdoch press would have us believe that Jones is undisputed king of the airwaves during the early morning in Sydney.

 

However, all is not as rosy in the 2GB stable as it seems.

 

Even though this radio station appears to hold a commanding market share lead with 14.2 per cent of a potential 4 million strong metropolitan audience, it was slipping down the listener popularity ladder before its 22 September 2012 public relations disaster.

 

Additionally, Nielsen’s regular metropolitan radio market surveys show that:

•        Alan Jones had dropped 1.7 points of potential airtime share for his morning time slot between 24 June and 1 September 2012, down 2.4 points on the comparable survey period twelve months ago.

•        His listener age demographic (popularly believed to be predominately those 50 years of age and older) has also been quietly falling away from the radio station since at least early 2010. 

While 2GB’s parent company, Macquarie Radio Network Ltd,  told the Australian Stock Exchange that its 2012 financial year gross earnings were down 12 per cent on the previous financial year and, that core radio revenue attributable to 2GB and 2CH fell by 4 per cent on prior year levels.

 

Tellingly, in August 2012 it told the stock exchange that with regard to expected 2012-13 income, Forward booking are about as short as we’ve seen them..

Which indicates that the company expected its advertising revenue to be down as well.
 

So by the time Jones' USLC keynote speech became public knowledge and caused widespread community outrage, the commercial climate already existed which made it easier for corporate advertisers to decide that they would no longer tolerate having their brands coupled with the Jones' name in the minds of 22.7 million Australians.

The fact that up to seventy advertisers decided to do so is hardly surprising.

After all, it was less than three years ago that many of these same advertisers had to weather the fallout from the Administrative Decisions Tribunal finding that he uttered on-air racial vilification in the days prior to the Cronulla Riots, a little over five years since the Australian Communications and Media Authority publicly stated that it was not persuaded that the relevant comments were presented reasonably and in good faith, and not quite seven years since the riots themselves which Jones helped foment and only seven and a half years since the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption threatened him with legal action over his alleged contempt of proceedings.

It is of particular interest that this week's Essential Report indicates that 67 per cent of its regular survey respondents have 'not much' or 'no trust' in Alan Jones as media a commentator or journalist.

For Alan Jones and 2GB to now complain that community response to his behaviour is a case of cyberbullying does not take into consideration the very real possibility that ordinary Australians may have finally reached their tolerance level for his particular form of bitter, far-right demagoguery and, that the digital revolution has finally allowed these same people to understand the power of their voices.

Macquarie Radio Network is about to learn the same lesson as Jones' previous employers - he is an expensive asset to maintain. Perhaps it may rethink its association with Jones when his current contract comes up for renewal next year.

Michael Gawenda makes a bit of an ass of himself over Alan Jones

Michael Gawenda in the Business Spectator on 3^rd October 2012:

“Many of the people most offended by what Jones said about Gillard, and who are organising a boycott petition, never listen to Alan Jones. Many can’t because Jones broadcasts only in Sydney.”

Er, Alan’s show can only be heard in Sydney? Even though it’s syndicated and carried by radio stations as far away as Darwin?

Michael needs to talk with 2GB which says that Jones can be heard on:

2BS AM 1503 Bathurst

2CC AM 1206 Canberra

2CS FM 106.3 Coffs Harbour

2GB AM 873 Sydney

2GN AM 1368 Goulburn

2GZ FM 105.1 Orange

2LT AM 900 Lithgow

2MC FM 100.7 Port Macquarie

2RG AM 963 Griffith

2WG AM 1152 Wagga Wagga

2XL AM 918 Cooma

3MA FM 97.9 Mildura

4AM AM 558 Mareeba

4CA AM 846 Cairns

4GC AM 828 Charters Towers

4K1G FM 107.1 Townsville/ Cape York/Gulf of Carpentaria

4KZ AM 531 Innisfail

4LG AM 1098 Longreach

4MK AM 1026 Mackay

4RO AM 990 Rockhampton

4GR AM 864 Toowoomba

104.1 Territory FM

5SE AM 963 Mt Gambier

MIXFM 103.5 Maryborough

99.5 Flow FM Kapunda

104.1 Territory FM

4OUR Moreton Bay 101.5

2GB haemorrhages advertisers and Jones loses appeal against court ruling that he indulged in "racial vilification"

 

From Change.org

 

Brisbane Times 2 October 2012:

 

The list of sponsors pulling out of broadcaster Alan Jones's radio program following his comments about the prime minister's father is growing…

 

The 2009  Administrative Decisions Tribunal ruling, that in a radio broadcast on 28 April 2005  Alan Jones was guilty of racial vilification was upheld on appeal this week.

 

SBS World News 2 October 2012:

 

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says Alan Jones' comments about the prime minister's late father are "wrong, unacceptable and offensive" but he won't be boycotting the 2GB broadcaster or banning him from Liberal fundraisers.

 

It would appear that the only person still afraid of Alan Jones is Australia’s Federal Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott.

Three cheers for the ferryman!

The Daily Tele on 10th August 2012:
“THEY say everyone needs a hobby. For one Northern Rivers local it means printing up anti-Kyle Sandilands stickers to hand out to your pals.
That's what former Clarence River ferry operator Lawry Duff has done, making up a batch of "Honk If You Hate Kyle Sandilands" stickers, such is his loathing for the 2Day FM radio announcer who once again topped the Sydney breakfast ratings this week….
“I’m going deaf from the honking,” he chuckled.”

Teh Parrot in breach of Australian broadcasting rules

Well who woulda thunk it – Alan Jones found to be spouting inaccurate nonsense over the airwaves.

ACMA Media Release 123/2011 issued on 23rd November 2011:  

Radio 2GB breaches rules on factual accuracy and presentation of significant viewpoints

Sydney radio station 2GB has breached the commercial radio codes of practice by failing to present factual material accurately and by not making reasonable efforts to present significant viewpoints.
The breaches relate to certain segments of The Alan Jones Breakfast Show broadcast in February 2010. During the segments, Mr Jones was highly critical of the operation of native vegetation laws and their administration by the (then) New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change.
The ACMA found that 2GB did not present nor take steps to present more than one significant viewpoint about the operation and administration of native vegetation laws in NSW.
‘The codes require licensees to make reasonable efforts or give reasonable opportunities to present significant viewpoints on controversial issues of public importance,’ said the ACMA Chairman, Mr Chris Chapman. ‘Licensees can do this either within the same program or across similar programs but merely presenting substantially identical viewpoints is not sufficient to satisfy the code.’
The ACMA also found that one of the segments contained a factual error.
The complainant also alleged 2GB breached the code rule against broadcasting material likely to encourage violence for its own sake but the ACMA did not uphold this complaint.
The ACMA is in discussion with 2GB about its response to the breaches.
Investigation Report 2540 can be found on the ACMA website.

Blogosphere's veracity is on the nose with Australian internet users?

It hurts to have to admit it, but if the team at Essential Media Communications are correct then Australian internet users are generally more likely to trust the word of shock jock Alan Jones on air than believe what bloggers opine online.

Click on image to enlarge

ABC TV and radio news and current affairs were the most trusted media (25% and 20% respectively have a lot of trust).

Commercial TV news and current affairs programs have the highest consumption, but only 9% say they have a lot of trust in them.

And although consumption of newspapers and internet news sites is very similar, newspapers are considered more trustworthy (62% compared to 49% have a lot/some trust in them).

[Essential Report weekly online survey 10-14 March 2010]