Catherine Overington of the
Media Diary on
Rupert Murdoch's personal favourite publication,
The Australian newspaper reports on a happening today at the Surry Hills
News Ltd headquarters :
A rather cute thing just happened in the foyer ...
A dapper young man approached the glass security doors. He was already inside; and wanted to get out.
He didn’t have one of those electronic passes you need, to make the doors open.
He motioned to one of News Ltd’s famously happy and extremely strict security guards, saying: ``I’m sorry, I want to get out. I don’t have a pass.’’
To which the security guard said: ``Well, how did you get in?’’
To which the dapper young man replied: ``I came in with my Dad?’’
It was, of course, James Murdoch.
Rupert Murdoch is in town and the word from the Surry Hill's bunker is that fear and loathing are spreading as sackings are expected. There is one rumour sweeping the building that the much feared New York Post editor Col Allan is to return and take the helm.
In fact rumours are sweeping ahead of him wherever he goes. He visited both PM Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott in Canberra a few days ago over talks about new media laws that are predicted to give free-to-air TV stations much more sport's content. Rupert only owns shares in the cable TV network Foxtel under laws that prevent owners having both newspaper and broadcast coverage in any one city. News Corp publishes the main dailies of every state capital except for the Fairfax's Canberra Times.
One person Murdoch
won't be visiting is
Bruce Guthrie who has just published his book
Man Bites Murdoch about his 40 years in publishing.
Amongst a host of newspapers and magazines Guthrie edited was Murdoch's top Victorian tabloid the
Herald Sun before he had a spectacular fallout with his boss.
2 weeks ago Guthrie was spotted meeting with Julia Gillard in Melbourne. Priming her for her first meeting with Murdoch or a mere co-incidence ?
Also in town and spotted at this week's christening of Sarah & Lachlan Murdoch's baby Aerin Elisabeth Murdoch-Rupert's ex-wife Anna Murdoch Mann and her husband William Mann. Anna attended the christening with her brother Hans Torv, the Gold Coast disc jockey and radio station owner.
The Museum of Contemporary Art at Circular Quay is always a fascinating gallery to visit. Among it's current exhibitions is a series of works by Jenny Watson called The Fabric of Fantasy.
The sight of 5000 Santas should convince everyone that the Christmas season is here. This was the annual Variety Club's fun run from the MCA through Circular Quay and back again. Maybe even I could do that!. The event was to raise $250,000 to help children who are sick, disadvantaged or have special needs. And that's a good thing.
Meanwhile across town in Kensington, Hollywood great Mel Gibson took time off from filming Hacksaw Ridge which is being shot in Sydney to attend the launch of a new school at the National Institute for Dramatic Art (NIDA) where he studied acting. Mel was joined by his co-star Teresa Palmer who also studied at NIDA. A few years ago Mel stumped up over $3M for the new NIDA building which is now one of the leading film & acting schools in the world. Above left : the building Mel donated to NIDA
It's the biggest festival of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, attracting
over 400,000 attendees in 2011.