Tuesday 7th May 1996
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It's all fun and games with the media barons fighting like old foes. What must be now round seven in the ongoing match-up between Kerry Packer and Rupert Murdoch, Packer has again taken up an offensive stance dominating the centre of the ring with his latest court challenge.
This time Packer's Nine Network is taking 20th Century Fox and the Seven Network to court over a programming deal involving supply of Fox films and television programs to Channel Nine. It appears the handshake agreement was made by Rupert and Kerry in London in November last year. According to Murdoch Packer's side of the bargain was to stop the war between the Australian Rugby League (ARL) and Super League so that the new venture would not be in danger through court action.
Well Super League is dead because of court action and Rupert is not too impressed, so he said on national television (stupidly
perhaps?) that the hand-shake deal involving the supply of programs was conditional and was now off. Nine Network's Chief Executive, David Leckie,
said last night:
"This claim (that the agreements were conditional) is totally without basis. We have binding executed agreements with News Limited and
Fox and we are not prepared to let them walk away from their commitments."
Shaping up to be another bruising round... for Rupert.
Restrictions on violent movies will also be considered in a range of proposals including:
Now this really does raise some really serious concerns that the media seemed to have "overlooked". To become such a major contender in such a short period of time they must be offering some very major interest-based incentives and yet be making good profits. Their set up costs would be quite considerable compared to those of banks with a well-established nationwide network.
Now there are several banks all charging the same sort of interest with similar types of housing packages. So how do they do it? Without any doubt at all there is an unwritten law between these parasites to bleed the man in the street and to co-operate, unofficially, while making these massive unfair profits from excessive interest rates charged on home loans.
Marshy is often overlooked in the golfing arena by the media because of Australian Greg Norman, the world's number one golfer.
If trials go well the inhalant spray-type drug could be available on prescription around the world by 1998! The drug, taken after the first signs of flu develop, is specifically designed to halt the growth of the influenza virus.
Code-named GG167 the drug is a product of Blota Holdings Limited.
The pretty smiling girl behind the enquiry counter flashed across your television screen isn't worth a bull's roar when you hear what happened to a business associate over the last ten days. I will name the bank it is Westpac the business associate is the injured party and will remain nameless.
This bank was one and the same that encouraged businesses in the 1980s to get involved in an exchange based overseas loan scheme which went horribly wrong when the value of the Australian dollar crashed. Hundreds if not thousands of small businesses around Australia were sent bankrupt when the scheme went bad because of the falling value of the Australian currency and Westpac pulled the pin on them.
This small advertising business employing several staff had had its problems, but it had been trading for over 20 years and had an excellent name in the industry. It had started to become profitable, it was now reaching a stage where its assets now exceeded its debts. The past position of the agency had been of concern to the bank which allowed it to trade itself out of debt, while under strict guidelines.
So what did the bank do? It withdrew their line of credit because it could now be repaid by assets and effectively shutdown the lifeblood of a small business which had started to become profitable.
I personally know the owners of the business very well, they include real people like you and me.. but they are now in their twilight years and now their business has been taken away from them their very soul has been ripped out.
How can we allow some commercial "bureaucrat" somewhere to obliterate hope and guts with the stroke of the pen? Is our society that sick? We make a noise when the madman shoots 35 dead at Port Arthur, but really are the modern banks any better than thieves and destroyers of humanity when they take away hope and dreams through a single phone call?
I must tell you that my bank, is little or no better. The manager here at Ipswich phoned and explained to me a month ago that he would no longer be responsible for my account as he was now going to look after "commercial accounts". He was moving a few buildings away into lush new offices where he could take care of the financial dealings of important clients. So what the hell is my business then - it's commercial, it's trading profitably!
Funny thing life though, one of the pawns left behind at the bank "for lesser life forms" confided in me that my business would have to be a big "borrower" before it would be considered as an entrant into the world of big commerce and their commercial office.. for VIP clients. Up your's mate. If I don't need to borrow the money you pay other people peanuts in interest for why should I do so just to join the "club".
Especially after what happened to my mate and his advertising business.
And why did the pawn confide in me? Seems like the banks pay pauper's wages to their staff so that they can pad the pockets of the shareholder. I know that my bank in Ipswich has lost a large number of their old and good staff through resignations and transfers... good one boys, you could well lose my worthless little account soon as well!
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