Julian Bray Journalist & Media commentator discussing the shock news of the world closure on BBC Radio Stations throughout the UK on Friday 8th July 2011
0600 CAMBRIDGE LIVE
0608 SUFFOLK LIVE
0615 Radio SCOTLAND
0622 NEWCASTLE REC
0630 STOKE REC
0638 WEST MIDLANDS LIVE
0645 OXFORD LIVE
0652
0700 GLO'STRSHIRE LIVE
0708 PBORO
0715 BERKSHIRE LIVE
0722 SHEFFIELD LIVE
0730 SWINDON LIVE
0738 NOTTINGHAM LIVE
0745 LEICESTER LIVE
0752 BRISTOL LIVE
0800 LINCOLNSHIRE REC
0808 MERSEYSIDE LIVE
0815 YORK LIVE
0822
0830 LEEDS REC
0838 ESSEX LIVE
0845 WILTSHIRE LIVE
0852
Schedule subject to change....
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| .....but gone by Monday, for ever! |
168 years old and Murdoch Junior acting on Dads orders puts a final nail in the News of the World coffin and very neatly - according one highly respected media lawyer – this could also kill off a mountain of pending litigation over phone hacking by simply turning the whole mess over to a company liquidator, who could well shred any documents to save money and liquidate the assets.
It works under English law, but would not be allowed in the USA.
The much vaunted consultation period of 90 days for departing employees is also swiftly disposed of; you simply pay the departing scribes 90 days worth of wages and that as the say in the USA is job done. Consultation over, kindly leave the fortress as Wapping was once called.
The News of the World even once had Piers Morgan as an editor. So what is going on? advertisers have been leaving the NOTW in droves, only we hear to pass or park the advertising budget in the The Sun bank account …not my words but that of the marketing press.
Rupert Murdoch purchased the title in 1969 and it was his entry into the European market and he has relentlessly built on this, buying and closing Eddy Shahs Today Newspaper as he needed the extra print capacity. Eddy introduced computers and bore the brunt of the initial round of printer strikes essentially paving the way for the wholesale move to computer technology, remote printing plants and the end of hot metal linotype machines.
At one time in the 1950’s the NOTW sold over 8 million copies. Last Sunday the circulation was 2.6 million, still excellent by current standards. News, passed a series of documents containing the serious bribe allegations to police on June 20th, by July 5th News International had registered as a trademark Sun on Sunday.
Clearing out the troublesome NOTW journalists and turning the soaraway Sun into a cheaper to run seven day a week operation has to be a shareholder vote winner, surplus or duplicated staff are let go and the overhead for two operations is combined into one. Advertising being spread ever thinner in a shrinking market is therefore concentrated, thus halting any slide in revenues.
But it is not just a problem for the NOTW, but one for the whole industry, falling circulations and revenues, so is it any wonder that the executive turn the screws even harder on the hard pressed hacks and demand bigger scandals and more outrageous stories? The news of the world was on a roll exposing dodgy dealings and passing bundles of treasury notes to policemen, corrupt policemen.
The Guardian is also reporting that an ex NOTW editor Andy Coulson is to be arrested by appointment. How civilised is that? The central investigation is that of phone hacking, perjury and in my own words crass stupidity for authorising bundles of notes for shifty policemen and writing e-mails about it... Heavens knows what damage has been done to countless County and High Court trials and clearly when the investigation runs its full course many convictions could be overturned or at the least challenged.
On the back of this is the question of BSKYB. Should the Murdoch faction be allowed to take over BSKYB? Newspapers only account for 17 percent of the global revenues of News Corporation whereas a third, 33 percent is generated by Sky alone. Easy maths.
Rebekah Wade or Brookes as we should now call her was once a NOTW editor and now the chief executive of News International, has amazingly escaped the chop and retains the confidence of James Murdoch, she did however offer her resignation but it was not accepted by the Board.
She was however shown the door by journalists and ordered to leave the newsroom by the acting editor who had to spell out the detail of the three month consultation period but in effect after Sunday the doors will be locked as the departing hacks will simply take home 90 days wages.
They will be confused as the last of the ‘tained journalists moved out over five years ago, and the current award winning crew is whiter than white. Non ‘tained, that is if you exclude Ms Brookes, who admitting illegal payments had been passed to corrupt policemen only she said that within the Palace of Westminster and cannot be held to account unless she repeats it outside…..
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Contributor: Media, Aviation, Politics & Travel Expert, Broadcaster Julian Bray SKYPE: Julian.Bray.UK UK Landline: 01733 345581 Mobile: 07944 217476 ISDN2 downline +44(0)1733 555 319 (B'cast ISDN Remote Studio) G722/APT-X Dual Codecs Glensound C5
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