Australian
Media Wars: Warburton Most Wanted, by Greg Tingle
- 8th April 2011
G'day
media watchers, news media movers n shakers, punters,
sports nuts, legal eagles, one and all. Today we probe
the fun and games relating to James Warburton's early
departure from Channel Seven, with the intention of
starting at Network Ten, which has seen JW a regular
in Australian court and talk of the Australian media
landscape. AustralianSportsEntertainment.com with the Warburton media war
special...
AFL
Rights Raised Via Warburton Stoush; Day 2 In Court
Update...
Channel
Seven's commercial director advised the process for
awarding the Australian Football League's next sports
broadcasting contract still had some way to run, the
NSW Supreme Court heard on day 2 of the court hearing.
Bruce McWilliam was giving evidence during the second
day of Channel Seven's legal bid to postpone its former
chief sales and digital officer James Warburton starting
his new job as chief executive of Channel Ten. The
current AFL broadcast deal, involving Seven, Ten and
pay television operator, Foxtel, is in its final year.
The AFL is understood to be seeking $1 billion in
rights fees for the next 5-year deal. Quizzed by the
super legal eagle - barrister for Warburton, John
West, QC, whether the result of negotiations between
the AFL and broadcasters would be known very soon,
McWilliam said, "There's no end in sight in the
current process in my mind." McWilliam then went
on to say initial expectations were that the negotiations
would be concluded at about the time of last year's
AFL grand final but these kept being delayed. Channel's
Seven and Ten made a preliminary presentation to the
AFL recently, McWilliam told the court. He also said
additional meetings would likely take place. "It
just depends what the AFL requires and how they wish
to conduct the process," McWilliam said. Ten
announced Warburton's appointment as chief executive
on March 2, with a commencement date of July 14 this
year. Channel Seven states that conditions in Warburton's
employment contract and participation in a management
equity plan, dictate that Warburton has to wait until
October 2012 before commencing work with any other
media firm. That's quite a wait. Warburton's legal
team says it believes the proposed transaction that
will have Seven's media assets transferred to West
Australian Newspapers Holdings, via a series of complex
transactions, will cause the management equity plan
to cease to exist. With that would disappear some
of the restraints included in the plan on Warburton
working for another media company. McWilliam said
the proposed deal, due to be voted on by WAN shareholders
later this month, would not dissolve the management
equity plan. "'The scheme most definitely continues,"
McWilliam said. The case continues.
Media
Contacts Printed Off By Warburton's Computer Prior
To Resignation; Day 3 In Court...
Confidential
contact details of clients, agencies and Seven Network
staff were printed from James Warburton’s computer
the day before he resigned from the company it has
been alleged in court. On the third day of the trial
brought by Seven, the NSW Supreme court also heard
that Warburton’s knowledge of tech Channel Seven
had acquired that allows products to be superimposed
into programs had the potential to harm the business.
Seven is attempting to hold back Warburton from switching
to Ten to become its chief executive until October
next year, claiming he is in breach of a management
equity plan. Warburton wants to start at Ten in July
this year. Referring to a document of good old fashioned
Microsoft Outlook contacts, the network director of
sales at Seven and Warburton’s former deputy,
stated in an affidavit: "I note from the information
at the bottom of the document that it appears to have
been printed by Mr Warburton’s executive assistant…
at 8.39am on 1 March 2011, being the day before Mr
Warburton resigned from SMG. The contacts list includes
the telephone and email contact details of numerous
SMG employees and a number of SMG clients and agencies."
Under a heading in his affidavit called "Virtual
advertising", Burnette told how in December last
year Channel Seven inked a deal with a company that
provides technology which enables products to be superimposed
into a program during the post production-phase. He
said Warburton’s inside knowledge of a potential
revenue stream it could deliver to Seven was information
a competitor would value highly. Burnette also recounted
a chat he had with Warburton in December last year
after Seven’s direct group sales manager, David
Bellamy, announced he was resigning to move to Ten.
Burnette claims Warburton said: "OK. He needs
to be put on gardening leave immediately and keep
him from starting for the three months or whatever
the maximum is." The hearing continues.
Commercial
director of Channel Seven, Bruce McWilliam, said it
would have been "very impolite" for him
to have told a departing executive, James Warburton,
that he wouldn't be able to take up Ten's offer as
chief executive for a year because of anti-competition
rules within a management equity participation scheme.
McWilliam advised he had requested HR staff to check
the restraint period, and had been aware that a press
release from Channel Ten stated Warburton would start
with the network as chief executive in July. McWilliam
said Warburton told him that Seven's chief executive,
David Leckie, wanted him out of the building immediately.
"I … wouldn't always take what is said at
face value," McWilliam told the restraint of
competition case brought by Seven against Warburton.
He believed it was "harsh to someone who had
been with the company so long". In an affidavit
put forward in the court, McWilliam advised Leckie
had told him he didn't want Warburton "mixing
with staff and being around whatever deals are done,
it is untenable". McWilliam said: "But you
didn't imply he was terminated did you?", to
which Leckie responded, "Of course not. I am
not stupid. I said to him, "You have to go on
gardening leave, or whatever it is called." The
court was advised that while Warburton had run the
numbers for Channel Seven's passing interest in MasterChef,
and was the sole Seven executive who advised against
broadcasting Wimbledon as it was a "dying tradition",
Warburton could not retain so much confidential information
in his head that would justify Seven restraining him
from working in the television industry until October
2012. Warburton's barrister, John West, QC, rejected
Seven's contention of Warburton's "total mastery".
In one cheeky interlude with McWilliam, West said:
"You really can't help yourself, you keep on
over-egging the custard", to which McWilliam
responded: "He doesn't just forward emails. If
the information in the email was incorrect he would
have gone back to them and corrected it …"
The hearing before Justice Michael Pembroke continues.
Warburton
Didn't Steal Media Documents; Day 4 (18th Apri 2011)...
SMG
(Seven Media Group) has withdrawn on claims that ex
executive James Warburton stole confidential information
upon his sudden departure from the firm. Warburton
walked on Seven in March to join competitor Ten Network
as chief executive officer, a move that pissed off
Seven. Warburton was to have commenced with Ten in
July, but Seven has taken legal action in the NSW
Supreme Court in a bid to delay him starting until
October 2012. Seven contends provisions in his employment
contract and participation in a management equity
plan at Seven constrain him from working at another
media firm. Seven had also argued in court that Warburton
had snatched confidential information when he left
the group, including strategy reports as well as ratings
and revenue data. In the NSW Supreme Court yesterday,
Tony Meagher, SC, representing Seven told the court
that this claim has now been retracted. "There
is no longer a threat he will use the confidential
information," Meagher told the court, according
to news reports. The case continues today, with Seven
Media boss executive David Leckie to take the stand
after the media group's HR. Australian media has been
talking about the case under watercoolers and in coffee
shops since it commenced, and the legal eagles are
understood to be making a financial killing, as is
often the case on high level legal media battles.
WAR...BURTON - sure sounds like he's ready for another
round on Aussie media wars. James Packer might like
to see him take on Ten's gaming arm (or whatever the
secret project might be). Bang!
*The
writer owns shares in Network Ten
News
Australia
Day Special, by Greg Tingle - 26th January 2011
G'day
and Happy Australia Day everyone. Ok, we know some
of you punters, journos, high rollers - casino whales,
entertainment news junkies, politicians, insiders,
outsiders and legal eagles are from across the globe
are not Australia, nor have ever been down under,
but you get the idea. Did you know that some indigenous
Australia's call Australia Day 'Invasion Day'! That's
because most history books show that Captain James
Cook and his crew invaded Australia on this day in
1988. They are known by a new names including the
First Fleet, while some aborigines will always think
of them and murderous mongrels, who stole their land
and pride. It's easy for many of us to get the point
of the blackfellas (affectionate). Media
Man and Gambling911
with a bush tucker bag full of Australian gambling,
casino, poker, media and sports news. Fair winds...
Queensland
Banana Bender State: Pub Pokies And Online Pokies
Becoming More Popular?...
One
armed bandits are maintaining their popularity in
'The Sunshine State'. It's understand that punters
might have only a 1 in a million chance of winning
really big, lotto - millionaire style, but they just
keep coming back for more. Yep, throw another dime
in the pokie baby. Queenslanders "invested"
close to $2 billion last year as the punters passion
for the slots maintained its fever pace. The total
pokies expenditure of $1.81 billion was slightly down
on the previous year, it was the third year consecutively
the number exceeded $1.8 billion. We're also learned
that the 2008 figure of $1.83 billion was an all-time
record. Now, this is important - those numbers Do
Not take into account the rabid take up and roll our
of online poker or sports betting. You know, betting
over the global medium - the internet. Overall, Queenslanders
spent $7 million less on pokies than last year and
$28 million less than in 2008, but it still works
out at in excess of $150 million every month down
the slots August was the year's biggest month for
slot gamblers, who put close to $170 million in the
throats of the one armed bandits. August was also
the biggest month for gamblers in 2008, with more
than $173 million lost. Pokies remain by far the most
popular games for punters in Australia, bringing in
most of the estimated $17 billion spent on all forms
of gambling down under each year. Some insiders think
that the reduction in official spending was more a
sign of the increased popularity of internet and sports-based
gambling. Concentrating on pokie figures, it appears
Queenslanders gambled more at the height of the global
financial crisis two years ago than they did throughout
2010.
Tassie
'Devil' Gambling Tycoon Devilish Quotes...
David
Walsh from Tasmania was such a big hit with the readership
we thought we would dig up a few more of the red hot
'The Devil's' quotes, that are too good not to share.
First a refresher...Art and gambling do mix, at least
that's the experience of Brits Damian Aspinall, Phil
'Tuffers' Tufnell, Australian artist Gina Sinozich,
AustralianSportsEntertainment.com
(bodypaint and burlesque "fetish") and Tasmanian
gambling whale - tycoon, David 'Wicked' (satire) Walsh.
You will pick up on Dave's affectionate nickname by
us later. We like you David, ok mate. Tasmania's most
famous or infamous gambling figure, millionaire, David
Walsh yesterday gave us a peak into his art exhibit...the
biggest (and weirdest) private art gallery in Tasmania,
if not the Asia Pacific. The $110 million Museum of
Old and New Art is nestled on the banks of Hobart's
Derwent River.
Quotes
By The Tasmanian Devil!...
"FUCK
the art, let's rock'n'roll."
"I
think formal curation is a form of mental masturbation."
"I'm
not really that interested in a bunch of big names.
Most of the works are by people most people haven't
heard of and still won't have heard of because there's
no wall labels."
"I
don't want to lose control (or) something that ends
up looking like a pale version of the National Gallery
of Victoria".
"Subversive
adult Disneyland".
"Please
see reception if you are planning a pool party or
a ritualistic orgy."
"It's
the opportunity to mess with your head. I like the
idea of people having a couple of beers and looking
at the art, having a couple more and changing their
mind."
"Just
a privileged guy with a megaphone"
"It’s
like a rich man’s soap box. I’m standing
on my soapbox and I’m shouting my views like
they mean something."
"I’ll
take all the popular stuff out. And if you go to the
toilet two or three times we’ll recommend a good
urologist."
“My
brother once said about me that I’d rather be
outside a barrel pissing in than inside the barrel
pissing out. I’m anti this idea that we know
what we’re doing with certainty. I kinda think
that most things that are good happen to people largely
by accident, but then they start looking for explanations.
You see the views of rich, successful people on television,
and they tell you why they got rich and successful;
they don’t interview all the people who went
through the same process and didn’t. I think
most things are complete crap. I want to show that
you can be fortunate without believing that your fortune
was anything other than fortune."
"There
are so many things we do that we hide from. We hack
open cows and eat their guts but we compartmentalise
that away from our lives so we can pretend it’s
not happening. And on a larger, more important scale,
if each of us acted individually to say ‘OK,
we f…ed up the atmosphere, it is our personal
responsibility’, humanity would behave in a very
different way."
"One
of the things about having money is that … I
feel a bit of guilt and a level of privilege, and
it seems to be an obligation to do something, and
since art is what I’ve been doing....but it wasn’t
really like that. It was: I bought this small gallery,
bought a bigger one, and gradually it became something
of this scale. It’s become a lot more serious
endeavour than I intended it to be. There’s a
bit of thumbing my nose at the establishment and trying
to bypass academia, but mainly I just wanted it to
be a bit of fun. And it is. And it will be."
"The
gambling is all a computer thing that is going on
right now".
Queensland:
Cairns Reef Hotel Casino Poised To Raise Big Bucks
For Flood Relief On Australia Day...
Punters,
let's all spare a thought for those who have been
attacked by the floods on Australia Day. Numerous
events are being planed around Australia, from 'Sound
Relief' to and initiative from the Cairns Reef Hotel
Casino 'Bring on the Sun' It will be one of the biggest
events on the Australia Day calendar for the city
and all funds raised will go to the Premier’s
Flood Relief Appeal. There's a good old fashioned
sausage sizzle, competitions and female performers
including the Marlins’ cheer squad. "The
whole idea is slanted towards the female performer,"
entertainment manager Bruce Stewart said. "We’ve
got an eclectic blend of female artists coming to
perform as well." Cazalys, El Mundo Tapas Bar
and the Marlin Coast Bowls Club will also host events
to raise money for flood victims. Cairns Regional
Council will hold events across the region, including
the ever-popular celebrations on the Esplanade. Mayor
Val Schier said the council was expecting a good attendance
as usual with residents keen to get outside and celebrate
our sunburnt country in the green and gold. "Even
last year when it poured, a huge number of people
came to the Aussie breakfast; we expect the same will
happen this year, rain, hail or shine. It is one of
those days where people can come together as a community
and help celebrate why it is great to be an Australian.
We live in a fantastic country and it is good for
people to get out and enjoy it." Pubs and clubs
will also get into the Aussie spirit with a number
of activities on offer. Paradise Palms Resort and
Country Club has a patriotic, fun-filled day planned
with activities that pay homage to Australia’s
heritage such as the much-anticipated pie-eating competition.
"Everybody is welcome to come along and have
some fun while tucking into our Aussie selection of
meat pies, icy beers, lamingtons and classic Australian
music by DJ Danny from Millennium Sounds," director
of sales and marketing Darlene Holdsworth said.
Events
Join
the celebrations
Paradise
Palms Resort and Country Club Australia Day celebrations
What’s on: Australian menu served from noon in
Restaurant 59, pie-eating and thong-throwing competitions
start at 1.30pm. Pies, icy beers, lamingtons and classic
Australian music on offer at the resort.
Time: 12pm. Entry free.
Bring on the Sun at Cairns Reef Hotel Casino
What’s on: Entertainment, sausage sizzle, raffles,
jumping castle and more with all proceeds going to
the Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal.
Time: 2pm. Entry free.
Shane Warne And Poker Mates Get VIP Star Treatment
At Australian Open Tennis Sunday Night...
The
spinner got there at 8pm hoping to get star VIP treatment
for 14 of his closest mates. In the mix was was Joe
Hachem, who he had earlier caught up with at the launch
of the Aussie Millions Poker Tournament at Crown Casino.
Warne requested an escort (no, not that type silly)
when he arrived and posed mostly for photographs with
his sunglasses on. He also spent time in Andy Roddick's
player's box during his loss to Swissman Stanislas
Wawrinka. It been a big couple of days for "poker
her" for the legend, playing rendezvous with
Liz Hurley in LA. He is expected to play in the second
round of the poker tournament and could face off against
Gary Ablett Jr and Jeff Fenech tomorrow. Blett made
it through to the second round.
Australian Financial Review Goes Gaga For Lady Gaga;
Gets Facts Wrong (We Think)...
It
took us a few months of going through newspapers but
we finally found the AFR to make a slip up, and its
a doozy....An article reads "the complex will
have a few upmarket bars, including one on the roof,
and an events theatre to house live acts – think
Lady Gaga – as well as awards nights." With
Gaga's level of popularity she would require a much
larger venue than Star City. Earlier this year, she
- they played two concerts at the Sydney Entertainment
Centre, capacity 12,000 or thereabouts. Do the math.
Australia's
Kylie Minogue To Do The Colosseum At Caesars Palace
Las Vegas: Aphrodite Live...
Mark
is down Kylie fans the word over. She's doing Ceasers
Sunday May 22, 2011 8pm
Melbourne: Aussie Joker Comedian Performs At Packer's
Crown; Raises Cash For Flood Relief...
Melbourne
folks at Crown Casino recently enjoyed 'The Jokers
Comedy That Rocks' at Crown Casino. James Packer's
casino donated all proceeds from last Friday night’s
show to Queensland flood victims. Organiser William
Leitch has happy with the way things went and showcased
an evening with some of the city’s top stand-up
artists, including Brad Oakes, Christine Basil and
Greg Fleet. It's understood he got close to 150 people
to come along, and he may be invited back on upcoming
Friday nights.
Top 100 ASX Listed Companies Respond To Flood Cry
For Help; Gambling And Gaming Industry Steps Up; Mining
Firms and Banking Bastards Lead Charge...
1.
BHP Billiton: $1.3 million (in addition, matching
employee donations)
2.
CBA: $1.35 million
3.
Westpac: $1 million
4.
ANZ: $1 million
5.
NAB: $1 million
6.
News Corp: $500,000 and Blue Ribbon campaign
7.
Rio Tinto: $1 million ($700,000 to Premier Relief,
$300,000 to Emerald community)
8.
Wesfarmers: $7.5 million (plus $3.5 million from Coles
customers)
9.
Telstra Corp: up to $1 million by matching staff contributions
(so far $338,000; is also supplying phones and free
calls to people affected)
11.
Woolworths: $6.9 million (matching customer donations
in Woolies, Big W, Dick Smith dollar for dollar)
14.
Fortescue Metals: Matching staff donations dollar
for dollar
15.
CSL: $250,000
16.
QBE Insurance: not releasing a statement
17.
Origin energy: $1 million
18.
Macquarie Group: $200,000 (combined staff and company
effort with fundraising activities continuing both
here and overseas)
19.
AXA Asia Pacific: No response
20.
Santos: $500,000 plus use of helicopters and vehicles
for clean up. Also $50,000 for flooding in WA
21.
Coal and Allied Industries: (see Rio Tinto)
22.
AMP: $250,000 + matching employee contributions to
WA flood appeal up to $250,000
23.
Suncorp Group: $100,000 (staff and customers have
donated $1.5million)
24.
Foster's Group: $500,000
25.
Brambles: No response
26.
Leighton Holdings: No response
27.
Orica: No response
28.
Oil Search: No response
29.
Stockland: Donated $250,000 to the Premier's flood
relief appeal, another $30,000 to the Mayoress Rockhampton
regional flood appeal and are matching employee donations
dollar for dollar
30.
Coca. Cola Amatil: No response
31.
Amcor: No response
32.
Westfield Retail Trust: No response
33.
IAG: No response
39.
Crown: Donation tins in Crown complexes and have committed
to matching all donations as well as staff contributions
52.
Tabcorp Holdings: $1 million
78.
Tatts Group: Going to run a dedicated lottery for
the Queensland flood appeal where all profits will
go to the Premier's Flood Appeal. They ran the same
thing in Victoria after the Black Saturday bushfires.
It will run on Wednesday 2 Feb in Queensland and is
expected to raise $200,000. In addition, another donation
will be made from the unclaimed prizes fund of an
as. yet undecided amount
79.
Fairfax Media: Matching staff donations
100.
Seek: Reported it had made a donation to the Premier's
Flood Appeal but chose not to disclose how much
Brisbane:
Flood Relief Money Gets Spend On Pokies, Vice - Piss
Up At Pubs...
It's
been reported in a number of Queensland newspapers
that the $1000 flood relief grants that went to many
good folks in Granville are being used to feed slots
and buy piss (beer) rather than food and necessities.
Two Maryborough publicans say that in some instances
the answer to that is yes, and they are disgusted.
One of the publicans was so incensed by the misuse
of flood relief money she telephoned Fairfax Media
to complain. "A man came in bragging about how
he’d got the $1000 payout because he told Centrelink
he was stuck in Granville – but he was here the
whole time. It makes me sick that people are openly
admitting they’ve got the money for nothing,
while there are people who’ve died or lost everything."
She said Centrelink should have screened the applications
more carefully to make sure only people who were genuinely
in need received the cash. Another pub owner said
his one armed bandits had not stopped buzzing since
the grants became available. "We were quiet during
the actual floods but this week’s been totally
different. The pokies and the bottle shop have been
going non-stop." Yeah, Aussie continue to love
a punt, rain, hail, shine or flood!
Aussie
Millions Game 8 Results...
The
London based chap took down the $1,100 8 game mixed
event title at Crown Casino in Melbourne adding AUD$23,800
to his almost $1.2 million in career tournament earnings.
He entered the final table as the short stack, but
managed to grind his way to victory and nudge away
Australia's Bruno Portaro for the victory. The event
marked Ashby's 8th final table appearance at the Aussie
Millions that includes a side-event win back in 2005
and a seventh-place finish in the main event in 2009.
Ashby also won his first WSOP bracelet this summer
in the $1,500 7 Card Stud event and went well in the
$10k H.O.R.S.E. for his biggest career score of $378,027.
The 2011 Aussie Millions $1,100 8-Game Mixed event
drew 68-players and paid the final 7.
Here
are the results:
1 Richard Ashby AUD$23,800
2 Bruno Portaro AUD$16,320
3 Casey Kastle AUD$10,880
4 Daniel Ospina AUD$6,800
5 Oliver Gill AUD$4,760
6 Dane Coltman AUD$3,400
7 Paul Ravesi AUD$2,040
Aussie
Main Event Day 1b: PartyPoker And Full Tilt Poker
Players Feel The Pain...
PartyGaming'sPartyPoker
and Full Tilt Poker's powers that be likely won't
be celebrating. Ok, they got news coverage and exposure,
but its because their players are out. Yep, history
maties. Full Tilt went well on Day 1a but Day 1b was
rooted. Many of the big name pros went down for the
count as locals stepped up. 209 players entered the
Crown Poker room but after 7 levels of play, 80 remained.
David Oppenheim, Annette Obrestad, Carlos Mortensen,
David Benyamine, Andrew Feldman, Steve Yea, Andy Bloch
and Gus Hansen were some of the Full Tilt players
who died. Other casualties included Luke Santo, Raj
Ramakrishnan, George Moussa, Michael Pedley, Graeme
Putt, Martin Comer, Dennis Huntly, Jamie Pickering,
Bruno Portaro, Casey Kastle, Ben Savage and Tim Marsters.
2005 World Champion Joe Hachem (tweeting he struggled
with jetlag following a recent trip to the PokerStars
Caribbean Adventure.) Defending champ, 2010 Aussie
Millions Main Event winner Tyron Krost (PartyGaming's
PartyPoker
pro went down too). A new champ will be crowned in
2011 with plenty of Aussies still in contention. The
field kicked off with Jeff Rossier in the lead with
154,900, closely followed by Michael Ottobra (143,400)
and Martin Drewe, After winning the Opening Event
last week and going deep in another event, Drewe is
now set in the chip leaders in the Main Event after
getting to 136,100. Jay “SEABEAST” Kinkade
did nicely with 128,700, Haibo Chu (113,900), Manny
Stavropoulos (85,600), Sorel Mizzi (74,400), Michael
Egan (61,100), Kent Hunter (56,400), Jeff Lisandro
(55,000), Eric Assadourian (50,300), Scott Montgomery
(49,200), Chris Ferguson (45,400), Lee Nelson (30,200),
Neil Channing (28,800), Roland de Wolfe (26,100),
Aleks Brkovic (24,600), Jackie Glazier (21,900), Grant
Levy (18,300), Gary Benson (10,500) and Mel Judah
(7,200) amongst those who will return on Day 2. The
3rd and final flight of the 2011 Aussie Millions Main
will commence Tuesday with another strong field and
a few big names expected. Even Van Marcus will front
up. Van, is your Red Ferrari safe this time mate?
We're looking for more good fodder to write about.
How about do a publicity stunt and make world wide
headlines ago. Maybe someone at Crown Casino - Crown
Limited might be open to it. Stanger things have happened...
like Ferrari's getting stolen on site, casino fights
and a man getting stuck in the Crown Casino kitchen
grease vacuum.
Aussie
Millions Event #9 Day 1b: Rossiter In Front...
It
was down to business with players investing AUD$10,600
to buy in all with the goal of becoming the 2011 Aussie
Millions Champion. 7 seven levels of play, and the
209-player field went to 80. Jeff Rossiter is in front
with 154,900. Martin Drewe, 2011 Aussie Millions Event
#1 winner with 136,100 - now 3rd on the leaderboard.
Australian Jay Kinkade is on 128,700, and European
Poker Tour mainstay Jeff Sarwer sits 5th with 120,500.
Randy "nanonoko" Lew has 110,000 and Gavin
Griffin 101,700 in 9th ninth and 10th place. Sorel
Mizzi, Jeffrey Lisandro, Eric Assadourian, Team Full
Tilt's Chris Ferguson, Full Tilt Poker Red Pros Scott
Montgomery and Roland de Wolfe, Neil Channing, and
Lee Nelson have also all made it to Wednesday's Day
2, but it was touch and go for some of them, testing
the skill VS luck debate. Full Tilt Poker $25,000
Shootout Invitational winner David Oppenheim, Annette
Obrestad, Carlos Mortensen, Andy Bloch, David Benyamine,
Andrew Feldman, Gus Hansen, Joe Hachem, and David
Steicke all had to say goodnight nurse. PartyGaming's
- PartyPoker
Tyron Krost was eliminated in a hand VS Gavin Griffin
where his Ace-Queen couldn't best Griffin's Aces.
The 3rd and final Day 1 flight commences Tuesday in
Melbourne, Australia at 12:30 p.m. local time.
Getting
board of poker yet? If so, try your luck er skill
at Baccarat or Craps. If your more into luck, check
out the slots like Cleopatra, Sinatra, Rambo, Goanna
Gold and The Terminator. Rumour goes PartyGaming
also have, or will soon get, a World
Poker Tour themed online slot game. We recommend
punters open an account with PartyCasino,PartyGaming
and World
Poker Tour, just to have all based covered. Party
appears to still be the most popular online casino
brand in Australia despite big efforts by the likes
of 888. Marvel
slot games are forecast to be some of the most
popular of this year with Captain
America and Thor
tipped to hit Australia cinema's this year, with Spider-Man
also getting a remake. Whatever your casino game of
choice, good luck, and let us know how you go guys
and girls. Spin to win.
Take
the time to research and learn games before placing
down money
Media
Man,Casino
News Media and Gambling911
are website portals. Not casinos as such, however
are recognised as world leading websites that cover
the sector and act as central points to games, news,
reviews and more.
Readers...
er, punters, how did you like our report? Tell us
in the forum.
If
you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over
it, and for God's sake, have fun.
*Greg
Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media
Man is primarily a media, publicity and internet
portal development company. Gaming is just one of
a dozen sectors covered
Aussie
Pay TV Foxtel Top Dog Highlights Piracy Concerns With
Hi Tech...
Foxtel
big cheese (chief executive) Kim Williams has issued
a public warning that the upcoming NBN (National Broadband
Network) down under in Oz could quite likely increase
video piracy. Williams, along a legal eagle, has encouraged
Canberra members of Parliament and media companies,
big and small, to campaign against the theft of intellectual
property. Maybe KW say have effective the 'Get Up'
and 'Internet Blackout' days were, where driven forward
using media and people power. Williams advised that
a co-ordinated effort of the TV industry, the government
and the NBN Co as well as new laws were badly needed
to prevent greater rates of piracy in a high-speed
digital world. Readers, I think we know he's telling
the truth, as apposed to some of the porkies coming
out of the Labor government recently. "We need
an allied plan in terms of appropriate legal adjustments,
otherwise you are creating the equivalent of the largest
road train in the world backing up to rob the world's
largest jewellery store without the police force to
stop them. Copyright theft and privacy are very serious
crimes. Companies like Foxtel and other media companies
that are dependent on the sanctity of intellectual
property need to become much more effective advocates
in working with government to find appropriate remedies."
News Corp leaks have been spreading the message to
other small and mediums size media outlets such as
AustralianSportsEntertainment.com, in a way an insider described as "a
kind of Wikileaks way". Copyright reform is high
on the must do list for many media firms A "convergence
review" of broadcast media policy announced by
your friend and ours (satire) Communications Minister
Stephen Conroy earlier this month is set to consider
copyright issues, of which there are quite a few.
"I think you'd have to be short-sighted not to
be concerned about piracy," said another leaker
from Australian free TV. "What we have had in
our favour is the large file size of a TV show or
movie which makes it harder to download, but clearly
as technology gets better, you reduce the complexity
of piracy." Foxtel regards the NBN as an "opportunity"
and has embraced online distribution, getting a deal
in place to broadcast channels online through Microsoft's
Xbox console and offering sub customers a comprehensive
movie download service. The FTA (free to air) networks
are also offering catch-up TV services such as the
ABC's iView player and James Packer's Network Ten
has plenty on offer too, with Bondi Rescue understood
to be the most popular over the past few years. TV
execs reckon that their large audiences give them
the scale to outbid new internet broadcasters for
quality content. "Of all the media organisations
in Australia, in television and electronic media at
least, we are the most adaptive and most innovative
and have the longest record of investing in innovation
so it's business as usual for us," Williams said.
Stay tuned for more on Aussie piracy (and privacy)
wars.
Channel
Nine: Nine Entertainment Co Poised For A Great 2011...
A
fresh Channel Nine will be the one to watch next year
as everyone awaits the forecast relisting on the ASX
of the television network in the first half of 2011.
Private equity owner CVC Asia Pacific looks about
ready to launch an estimated $5 billion initial public
offer after an improved ratings performance in 2010.
Even better, improved advertising conditions for free-to-air
television are in swing and likely to continue for
many months, if not over a year. The owners have rebranded
the network as Nine Entertainment, scrapping the PBL
brand that had been associated with the television
station, and revamped the management team headed up
by David 'Gyng' Gyngell. A AustralianSportsEntertainment.com insider said
"The smart money says this will work out well
for Nine. We are ready to buy in. Network Ten was
give a fresh life with Packer, we bought shares, and
will do the same with Nine in a heartbeat. The support
is there, and Network Nine has the richest history
in Australian TV, not to mention the highest ratings
when you look at the landscape over a few decades.
They didn't get the tag 'The One' for nothing".
Another insider on the funds side of things said a
float was an "odds on" chance in 2011. CVC
currently owns 99.3% of Nine Entertainment, which
holds assets including Nine, ACP Magazines, ticketing
firm Ticketek and half stakes in the NineMSN and carsales
website portals. Then known as PBL Media, the company
was formed when James Packer's Publishing and Broadcasting
Ltd split its media and gaming assets circa 2006.
'Our James' held onto the gaming assets, such as Melbourne's
famous tourism landmark, Crown Casino, and formed
a JV with CVC on the media assets. CVC initially held
50% of Nine Entertainment, but increased its holding
to 99.3% in 2008. Nine has roughly $4 billion of debt
due to mature in 2013 and 2014. Gyngell told fund
managers Nine Entertainment was expected to post a
35% increase in earnings in 2010/11, according to
numerous news media reports. Nine is able to consider
an IPO due in large part to the strong bounce in advertising
in 2010, with most media companies reversing the savage
declines experienced in 2009. Free-to-air television,
which was one of the main beneficiaries of the lift
in advertising, also received a boost thanks to a
few government decisions. Communications Minister
Stephen Conroy quickly cut TV licence fees by 33%
in 2010 and 50% next year. Then, an updated anti-siphoning
list gave pay-television the right to bid directly
for some AFL and NRL footy games, thus also permitting
the free-to-air stations to broadcast certain first-run
events on their digital channels instead of their
main channel. The latter concession could likely be
good news for Ten Network Holdings Ltd's all-sport
digital channel One. Ten's share registry was raided
late in 2010, resulting in 3 new board members, the
"forced" departure of executive chairman
Nick Falloon and left a few folks up in the air about
Ten's future. Packer returned to free-to-air television
alongside mate Lachlan Murdoch in October, spending
$280 million to buy 18% of the company and securing
2 seats on the board. The transaction is being investigated
by the competition watchdog (ACCC) because Consolidated
Media Holdings Ltd, chaired by Packer, and News Corp,
of which LM is a director, both hold interests in
ONE rival and pay-tv station Fox Sports. Some speculate
that Packer is keen to shut down One, but we hope
not, as we love the wrestling and UFC, as does much
of the Aussie public. Ten's latest shareholder and
director, mining tycoon and Australia's most well
to do woman, Gina Rinehart, has also made next to
no comment about why she bought 10% of the television
network in November. While the ratings of ONE are
smaller than the digital offerings from the other
free-to-air digital channels such as GO! and 7Mate,
the all-sport is profitable and drawing in viewers
and advertisers.
Aussie
Pay TV Operators Foxtel And Optus Get Cosy In Bed
Together; Will Boost Subs...
Optus
will commence marketing Foxtel to its customers again
after the two companies inked a new deal on subscribers.
The smart move comes around two years since Optus
stopped actively promoting Fox. Foxtel is facing up
to increased competition from the new free to air
digital channels and Internet-delivered TV services.
The new deal will see Optus customers offered Foxtel’s
HD services for the first time via the iQ HD settop
box. At present, Foxtel is offering 20 HD channels...a
major point of difference to free to air, which has
seen the main channels available only in standard
definition since the launch of the secondary digital
channels. Optus will also be able for the first time
to sell Foxtel via satellite where it does not have
a cable network, in order to build bundled offerings
to customers. Foxtel CEO Kim Williams went on record,
"The audio visual entertainment market is increasingly
competitive with the arrival of terrestrial multichannels
and new IPTV providers, and we welcome these agreements
as they provide solid incentives for Optus to offer
the full suite of Foxtel subscription services into
the future." Optus CEO Paul O’Sullivan was
prepared to say "Foxtel has been a strategic
partner and customer of Optus for many years and we’re
pleased to be able to extend the breadth of Foxtel
services we sell to our customers." Come February
the deals will be promoted to the public.
One
HD; Network Ten: Be Prepared For Games and iGaming
in 2011...
With
the likes of media and gambling tycoon joining a board
of directors come numerous benefits and unique opportunities,
and Ten is learning quickly. Have you already spotted
the gaming promos being ramped up? More mentions of
Crown Casino on TV? How about the coverage of The
Poker Star last year, and the appearance of Packer
mates Shane Warne and Joe Hachem on The 7PM Project
earlier this year, and all of the gaming related fundraisers.
Coincidence? No, of course not. Insides tell Media
Man to expect a lot more gaming, gambling and sports
betting on the network next year, and maybe even some
2 way TV stuff, along with gaming related reality
TV. Stay tuned to this dial for more on this developing
news story.
We
are currently in negotiation with a number of news
media outlets to deliver up-to-date, and in many cases,
live, news media. Stay tuned for updates.
