From the Crikey grapevine, the latest tips and rumours …
Zen and the art of running a global media empire. Empty your mind beyond thought, Mr Murdoch … experience the silent reservoir of energy, creativity and intelligence found within everyone (some less than others) …
Apparently “your brain functions with significantly greater coherence and your body gains deep rest” during such meditation. We’ll watch for signs of that in the News stable as Rupert rolls out his yoga mat and dongs on a brass bell.
Penny pinching in NT. We’ve heard that the feds “last week announced a house for a dialysis nurse in Santa Teresa NT, this week the house has disappeared because the Northern Territory government won’t fund the nurse”. Is that right?
Spotted in the crowd: “A bronzed Bob Hawke @ Sydney Swans surrounded by foul-mouthed goons!” according to a tipster. What a sight. The Swannies took on the Cats, but failed to deliver the Goodes.
Cash for questions. We had a few enquiries about whether attendees (aka undecided voters) at Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s forum in Geelong last week were paid. Yes, they were paid $50 to attend. Here’s what the local rag ran about how the punters had been selected:
It’s Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s turn tonight, when she faces voters at a similar gathering at the Burvale Hotel in the Melbourne burb of Nunawading. That’s in the seat of Deakin, held by Labor’s Mike Symon. Frankly, we can think of easier ways to make $50 than listening to either of these pollies for an hour, but maybe if there’s nothing good on telly …
Farewell, ad-free BOM. Last week Tips brought you the news that paid advertising will soon appear on the popular Bureau of Meteorology website. It can technically appear from today, with the first ads expected towards the end of this week (there are no paid ads up there now). This may be the first time a federal government website has carried paid advertising.
We asked you what you thought about that, and your answer came in the form of a tornado of protest. Violent storms with lightening — that’s what arrived in the Crikey inbox in flood proportions. Frankly, you hate the plan to advertise on the website. Just one person said the plan was “OK”; the rest (some of whom freely owned up to being weather bores) wrote us up to 600 words on why it was a bad idea. Here’s a selection of responses:
They can stick their ads up their waterspout — Steve Wilson
There is a serious risk of members of the public believing that BOM or the government as a whole actually endorse the product that it is advertising — Katerina Check
I’m outraged. I look at the BOM site every day and during the “wet” more frequently. I am paying for this service through my taxes (minimal though they are) and don’t want to be subjected to advertising, no matter who or what it’s for — Richard Creswick
I am totally against it. After all, we already pay for BOM, and besides I abhor commercial TV because they carry ads — Glenn
I don’t like the idea of a publicly funded website such as the BOM utilising advertising, but it doesn’t affect me personally as I use Ad Block in both Chrome and Firefox to block all advertising, so I’ll never see their ads — anonymous
[These government websites] are so critical to wide audiences, and their reputation generally high, that we must ensure that they continue to be fully funded from taxes. If taxes are inadequate we should raise them — John Poppins
Appalling. This week’s cold and wet weather brought to you by an airline from a tropical country where it’s always warm — anonymous
How they reconcile the use of ads (which are clearly intended to draw folks’ attention away from content) is beyond me, given one of the key functions of the site is to communicate weather warnings — anonymous
Can filters mine data and rebroadcast on a non-advertised website? What are the unintended consequences of such an idea? Thus, are data sets into the future now contingent on a small payment? Who are the next government agencies to follow this maxim of new public management? — “BOM devotee” Damian Lloveda
We’ll keep you posted about when the ads appear.
*Heard anything that might interest Crikey? Send your tips to boss@crikey.com.au or use our guaranteed anonymous form
Rupert “rolling out his yoga mat and dongs”? I’d like to see that – it would prove one theory anyway?
“We’ll watch for signs of that in the News stable as Rupert rolls out his yoga mat and dongs”
D*mn, Rupert has more than one dong? That’s way TMI!
“I am totally against it. After all, we already pay for BOM, and besides I abhor commercial TV because they carry ads — Glenn” ……. Dyer?
That’s really showin’ ya bias…..
from Monty Burns to Yoda are no Fox characters safe from Ruperts Reaganesque machinations…
Why would Bob Hawke sit with a group of Geelong supporters? Hardly a surprise he’s at a Swans match. He was linking himself to Sydney / South back when Simon Cream’s father was the member for Melbourne Ports so he could get preselection for the seat.