News Limited: Speculation on us buying Ten is ‘highly fanciful’
News Limited has this afternoon rejected speculation that it is interested in purchasing Channel Ten, describing the suggestions as “conspiratorial, highly fanciful and wrong”.
The statement comes after the Greens today urged Communications Minister Stephen Conroy to toughen media ownership rules due to fears the appointment of former News Corporation senior executive Hamish McLennan as CEO of Channel Ten could be a sign of a desire by News to purchase the free-to-air TV station.
In a statement, a spokesman for News Limited said: “Much of today’s reporting and commentary is conspiratorial, highly fanciful and wrong. News Limited has no plans to acquire Channel Ten.
“News is opposed to the imposition of additional tests for media ownership, not least because massive increases in media diversity, and the extensive pro-competition and pro-diversity powers held by the ACCC and ACMA render them entirely unnecessary,” said the spokesman.
This government – this axis of evil between Labor, Greens and Independents – is turning dangerously paranoid in in its final days of parliamentary control. The axis is prepared to lash out at anything and do anything to cause long-term damage before they are figuratively put against the wall and shot. Media regulation, superannuation, taxation reform, education funding to name but a few policy areas, are examples of where the ‘house’ is being systematically trashed before eviction Excuse the mixed metaphors.
Why would they need to buy it? They already own all its content and direction, don’t they?
News Ltd says: “Much of today’s reporting and commentary is conspiratorial, highly fanciful and wrong”.
Isn’t that an exact description of their own methodology?
Heather … exactly. Cheaper option
I’m with Heather
…so, perhaps Foxtel will buy TEN instead
board devaluing the station to implement a fox based management? conspiracy… hmmm
Richard and Heather are both spot on!
Conroy thinks that way, and you guys are worried about News Ltd? Odd.
Haters gotta hate….Channel 10 is in the basket case category….why would News buy it?
I’m with Nuts
Just because News Corp says something is “conspiratorial, fanciful and wrong” doesn’t mean that they won’t change their minds.
After all, I think you will find that from Thursday onwards news Corp as we know it will cease to exist (big Rupert is scheduled for back to backs after a press conference in the morning). He is supposed to be announcing the company being split up.
So News Corp may not be interested. But the new subsidiary (let’s call it NewCo or Fox Entertainment) may well be.
And todays announcement wouldn’t be a mistruth. It would just mean that NewCo will have a different set of “strategic objectives”.
Just sayin. And if anyone trusts News Corp on these issue they should start reading anything written by Shawcross or Wolfe.