We've all heard the stories of the "too hard basked", "will never get a job", and "in your dreams".
Local teacher, celebrated media businesswoman and artist, Eva Rinaldi, is once again proving the naysayers wrong with her new life skills and wellbeing course tailored for disadvantaged people.
Ms Rinaldi is used to achieving the possible, so when the opportunity presented to teach life skills at The Parramatta College to a dozen people categorized as "disadvantaged" as far as job and business prospects go, she jumped at it.
The class comprises of adult aged students who have to put it mildly, had a really rough go of it in life. We go around the room and learn of the stories of family breakdown, job retrenchment, depression, weight and diet issues, sexual abuse, homelessness and we need not elaborate any further.
Ms Rinaldi said "I feel so blessed to be able to give these people new hope. My life has not been sheltered either and I've had my own share of ups and downs on the rollercoaster of life so I feel that I was hand picked for this most challenging role. I think that everyone one of us has a calling. We are four weeks into the eight week course now and the students are starting to open up to me more about their goals, dreams, aspirations, fears and life journey now. Many of them were quite hesitant at first. We've identified a few diamonds in the rough and we have already got some work experience opportunities confirmed for a number of them and their overall positive mental attitude has increased remarkable".
The charismatic teacher, well known for her media and arts appearances, has been contacting her impressive network of business contacts and has also secured the strong interest of Channel Seven, Andrew McManus Presents, Michael Jacobsen, Media Man and beyondblue. She's already signed up a number of the students as models and artists assistants for her Human Statue BodyArt, organised interviews with Media Man to raise more awareness and to give the students an outlet to share the story, and book into some of them to be St John's Ambulance volunteers at a number of upcoming music and sports events.
Ms Rinaldi said "Every little thing counts and gets them a step closer to where they want to be. You have to keep their spirit alive and heading in the right direction. Even this modest news article helps them see that society cares and has an interest. A very good friend of mine who works in media showed me the documentary of 'The Choir Of Hard Knocks' which showed many disadvantaged people come together and build up a formidable choir. There's were some absolutely golden people with amazing talent. I'm certain we have a similar kind of scenario with the students in my class. They just need to find their niche, and step by step they are. We're all really excited".
Many of the students were hesitant to be interviewed as they want to achieve more first before getting too much attention in the media, but we secured permission to publish some overview details.
Andrew: 55 years, booked into St Johns Ambulance volunteer service, into motorbikes and music and is looking forward to getting back into the workforce.
June: 50 years, long term depression issues, enjoys dancing, is into nutrition and helping others. Eva has identified June as been extremely intelligent.
Sarah: 20 years, long term unemployed and weight loss issues, but has lost 20kg in the last 2 months. Loves her dog and is looking forward to getting out and about more, and easing herself back into the workforce.
In the coming weeks we will be tracking the progress of these never say die students, and Ms Rinaldi promises us that she will have some very special guests coming along to share their own stories, and further reinforce to her class that nothing is impossible, by providing real life examples and genuine work experience opportunities, some of which will likely lead to sustainable employment prospects.
An enthusiastic Ms Rinaldi closed in saying "We have some amazing talented people here with lots to offer and who can't wait to get back to work. The more the naysayers say it can't be done, the more I know it can be. I've made some big comebacks in my own career, and I've been sharing some of the secrets with my class. Together I know we will all cross the finish line. This assignment has been one of my careers biggest challenges, but already its turning into one of the most rewarding".
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Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Festival for every woman - The Southern Courier - 31st March 2011
The Every Woman Festival will bring together some of Sydney’s best independent artists to celebrate 100 years of International Women’s Day next Tuesday.
Kensington’s Sophie Serafino is the inaugural event’s organiser and she wants to “revamp the face of International Women’s Day”.
“We want to celebrate women from all walks of life. At the moment there is nothing that celebrates all age groups of women,” she said.
The Every Woman Festival will be held on Tuesday, March 8 at The Basement, Circular Quay.
The event will raise funds for Lou’s Place, a women’s refuge in Sydney’s Kings Cross and The Claude Ho Foundation, Malawi, which supports grandmother’s of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. (Credit: The Southern Courier)
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Kensington’s Sophie Serafino is the inaugural event’s organiser and she wants to “revamp the face of International Women’s Day”.
“We want to celebrate women from all walks of life. At the moment there is nothing that celebrates all age groups of women,” she said.
The Every Woman Festival will be held on Tuesday, March 8 at The Basement, Circular Quay.
The event will raise funds for Lou’s Place, a women’s refuge in Sydney’s Kings Cross and The Claude Ho Foundation, Malawi, which supports grandmother’s of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. (Credit: The Southern Courier)
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Wednesday, February 16, 2011
BOWL-A-RAMA Bondi
BOWL-A-RAMA Bondi
ABOUT
The best skaters in the world, competing on one of the finest bowls in the world, set against the most iconic beach in the world. This is Vans BOWL-A-RAMA Bondi.
We’re throwing everything at it for Vans BOWL-A-RAMA 2011 - legendary riders competing for the biggest prize money in the history of the event, plus a week-long festival including art shows, video premiers, live music performances, giveaways and more.
WHEN
Competition: Saturday 19 Feb
Additional events: Wednesday 16 – Sunday 20 Feb
It all kicks off Wednesday 16th with the WCSK8 Official Rider Registration Party, and runs all week with a heap of events. The competition is on from 9am - 7pm at Bondi Beach Skatepark.
EVENTS
LAUNCH PARTY
The official launch party slash rider sign in party, courtesy of Vans in conjunction with WCSK8 and The Beach Road Hotel - expect loads of music, giveaways and more. And leave the coin at home – it’s free. (This is an Over 18’s event so please bring ID)
LOVE & GUTS ART SHOW
We’ve rounded up some of the world’s most creative skaters past and present for the annual international travelling exhibition.
Participants in previous year's shows include Lance Mountain, Steve Caballero, Christian Hosoi, Pat Ngoho and a stack more. Stay tuned for details on this year’s theme and incredible roster of artists.
VANS WRAP PARTY
Beach Road Hotel
7.00pm
There are some big announcements coming soon for this year’s Awards Party so sit tight. (It is an Over 18s event so please bring your ID)
GROMMET SKATE AREA
RESULTS
PRO RESULTS 2010
1. Pedro Barros $12,000
2. Bucky Lasek $7,000
3. Bob Burnquist $4,000
4. Omar Hassan $2,500
5. Rune Glifberg $1,500
6. RJ Barbaro $1,100
7. Juergen Horrwarth$900
8. Josh Borden $800
9. Rion Linderman $700
10. Renton Millar $600
11. Daniel Cardone $200
12. Nathan Beck $200
13. Sam Beckett $200
14. Otavio Neto $150
15. Grant Taylor $150
MASTERS RESULTS 10
1. Steve Caballero $3,000
2. Pat Ngoho $1,800
3. Mik Mulhall $1,100
4. Glen Charnoski $700
5. Lester Kasai $500
6. Jeff Grosso $200
7. John Grey $200
8. Lance Mountain $200
9. Adrian Jones $150
10. Scott Spring $150
STAY SAFE
TRANSPORT TO EVENT: Buses - 380, 382, 389 and Waverley Council Beach Runner Train - Eastern Suburbs / Cronulla - Southerland Line Car - Parking available at Queen Elizabeth Drive car park and Bondi Junction. Enjoy the day and come by Public Transport.
EVENT SAFETY:
Summer sun - wear 30+ sun block, a hat and adequate sun protection
Alcohol free event - There will be bag searches and you will be asked to take your alcohol home or dump it. Local ordinances apply.
For more information please CLICK HERE to download the “STAY SAFE at the beach” brochure.
BOWL-A-RAMA™ 2011 Conditions of Entry
For the comfort, safety and enjoyment of all persons attending this event please be advised of the following conditions:
Organisers reserve the right to search all bags at the time of entry to the venue.
Failure to comply will mean you will be prevented from entering the event.
Persons causing a disturbance or refusing to comply with requests from Security will be ejected from the event;
The Event Producer reserves the right to refuse entry or reject patrons from the event at its sole discretion;
The Event Producer or venue shall not be held liable for any loss, injury or damages sustained entering or at the event;
By entering this event site you agree to being filmed or photographed, the product of which may be used for marketing or promotional purposes;
The following restricted or prohibited items are not permitted by patrons into the event:
Glass bottles
Unsealed containers
Alcoholic beverages
Illicit drugs
Knives or other dangerous weapons including potential missiles
Flares, fireworks or sparklers
Animals or pets
Flags with poles, large flags or banners that might obstruct the view of other patrons
Any item that you intend (or such quantities of the item from which Management can reasonably infer that you intend) to distribute, hawk, sell, offer, expose for sale or display for marketing display or promotional purposes
Any dangerous goods
Any other items as determined by Security or Management that may cause injury or public nuisance
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ABOUT
The best skaters in the world, competing on one of the finest bowls in the world, set against the most iconic beach in the world. This is Vans BOWL-A-RAMA Bondi.
We’re throwing everything at it for Vans BOWL-A-RAMA 2011 - legendary riders competing for the biggest prize money in the history of the event, plus a week-long festival including art shows, video premiers, live music performances, giveaways and more.
WHEN
Competition: Saturday 19 Feb
Additional events: Wednesday 16 – Sunday 20 Feb
It all kicks off Wednesday 16th with the WCSK8 Official Rider Registration Party, and runs all week with a heap of events. The competition is on from 9am - 7pm at Bondi Beach Skatepark.
EVENTS
LAUNCH PARTY
The official launch party slash rider sign in party, courtesy of Vans in conjunction with WCSK8 and The Beach Road Hotel - expect loads of music, giveaways and more. And leave the coin at home – it’s free. (This is an Over 18’s event so please bring ID)
LOVE & GUTS ART SHOW
We’ve rounded up some of the world’s most creative skaters past and present for the annual international travelling exhibition.
Participants in previous year's shows include Lance Mountain, Steve Caballero, Christian Hosoi, Pat Ngoho and a stack more. Stay tuned for details on this year’s theme and incredible roster of artists.
VANS WRAP PARTY
Beach Road Hotel
7.00pm
There are some big announcements coming soon for this year’s Awards Party so sit tight. (It is an Over 18s event so please bring your ID)
GROMMET SKATE AREA
RESULTS
PRO RESULTS 2010
1. Pedro Barros $12,000
2. Bucky Lasek $7,000
3. Bob Burnquist $4,000
4. Omar Hassan $2,500
5. Rune Glifberg $1,500
6. RJ Barbaro $1,100
7. Juergen Horrwarth$900
8. Josh Borden $800
9. Rion Linderman $700
10. Renton Millar $600
11. Daniel Cardone $200
12. Nathan Beck $200
13. Sam Beckett $200
14. Otavio Neto $150
15. Grant Taylor $150
MASTERS RESULTS 10
1. Steve Caballero $3,000
2. Pat Ngoho $1,800
3. Mik Mulhall $1,100
4. Glen Charnoski $700
5. Lester Kasai $500
6. Jeff Grosso $200
7. John Grey $200
8. Lance Mountain $200
9. Adrian Jones $150
10. Scott Spring $150
STAY SAFE
TRANSPORT TO EVENT: Buses - 380, 382, 389 and Waverley Council Beach Runner Train - Eastern Suburbs / Cronulla - Southerland Line Car - Parking available at Queen Elizabeth Drive car park and Bondi Junction. Enjoy the day and come by Public Transport.
EVENT SAFETY:
Summer sun - wear 30+ sun block, a hat and adequate sun protection
Alcohol free event - There will be bag searches and you will be asked to take your alcohol home or dump it. Local ordinances apply.
For more information please CLICK HERE to download the “STAY SAFE at the beach” brochure.
BOWL-A-RAMA™ 2011 Conditions of Entry
For the comfort, safety and enjoyment of all persons attending this event please be advised of the following conditions:
Organisers reserve the right to search all bags at the time of entry to the venue.
Failure to comply will mean you will be prevented from entering the event.
Persons causing a disturbance or refusing to comply with requests from Security will be ejected from the event;
The Event Producer reserves the right to refuse entry or reject patrons from the event at its sole discretion;
The Event Producer or venue shall not be held liable for any loss, injury or damages sustained entering or at the event;
By entering this event site you agree to being filmed or photographed, the product of which may be used for marketing or promotional purposes;
The following restricted or prohibited items are not permitted by patrons into the event:
Glass bottles
Unsealed containers
Alcoholic beverages
Illicit drugs
Knives or other dangerous weapons including potential missiles
Flares, fireworks or sparklers
Animals or pets
Flags with poles, large flags or banners that might obstruct the view of other patrons
Any item that you intend (or such quantities of the item from which Management can reasonably infer that you intend) to distribute, hawk, sell, offer, expose for sale or display for marketing display or promotional purposes
Any dangerous goods
Any other items as determined by Security or Management that may cause injury or public nuisance
Website
BOWL-A-RAMA
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Sunday, January 23, 2011
Sparrow Cafe, North Bondi, Sydney, Australia Re Opens This Monday 8am, by Greg Tingle
The world famous (we think) Sparrow Cafe at North Bondi, Sydney, Australia, re opens to business this Monday (that's tomorrow for readers in Australia).
Pat and the team return after a well deserved break.
Pat's commentary on local and world events was sorely missed. Locals can't wait to get his take on topics such as fun and games at Waverley Council, the Labor Party, the NRL and WikiLeaks.
Coffee, tea and beer lovers will be able to return to their favorite haunt, after checking out some of the competition over the past 3 weeks. Cheers.
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Pat and the team return after a well deserved break.
Pat's commentary on local and world events was sorely missed. Locals can't wait to get his take on topics such as fun and games at Waverley Council, the Labor Party, the NRL and WikiLeaks.
Coffee, tea and beer lovers will be able to return to their favorite haunt, after checking out some of the competition over the past 3 weeks. Cheers.
Media Man Profiles
Sparrow Cafe
Cafes
Food and Hospitality
Drinks
Internet Cafes
North Bondi
Bondi Beach
Bondi Beach Directory
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Bondi Rescue: Art imitates life with bodypaint, by Greg Tingle - 14th January 2011
World renowned Australian bodyartist and up and coming photo journalist, Eva Rinaldi, returned to her old news media stomping ground, Bondi Beach today, and we think was responsible for once again raising the temperatures of guys and gals.
On previous occasions whenever Ms Rinaldi visited Bondi Beach either a bodypainted look-a-like or Oprah Winfrey or 'Rebel Avatar's' would appear.
Well, today was a bit of mystery. There were a number of reported sightings of an artist matching Ms Rinadi's ID, friend - TV presenter Joy Hhuby and photographer Marek Jezierski.
Before you could say "Let's Paint Oprah" a couple of bodypaited Aussie stunners appeared out of the middle of nowhere, between the flags on the north end. The brunette lying on her back, appearing to be exhausted, but showing an inkling of a smile, and just a touch of pink, with much of her eco friendly bodypaint having been washed away. The blonde bombshell frantically pumping (her heart) and pounding on her chest, attempting to give the kiss of life, right between the lips. A concerned onlooker shouted "we better get help" and rushed over to the scene pulling out his mobile and looking to dial 000. A few more minutes and the victim had fully recovered. Then a light applause, and many a tourist, mainly red blooded males, asked if they would be ok to get a photo, and the rescuer and rescue-ee both obliged, seamlessly making a miraculous recovery.
One beach goer couldn't resist and asked the models their names and we understand them to now be identified as Kalais Rauchle and Tess Evans.
So, an emergency, elaborate stunt or life imitating art? For the record no Bondi Rescue lifeguards or Network Ten press types were present, so we suspect it may have been another 'Human Statue' creation.
It was 28% at Bondi Beach, Sydney today, but the buzz is Ms Rinaldi's antics raised the bar o meter at least another 10%. Bondi Beach continues to play a game of "can you top that", and the bodypainting queen of down under looks to be giving all and sundry a bit of a run for their money. We rate the performance (if that is what it was) as a Perfect 10. Yeah, Brooke Shields and Andy Warhol would have been proud.
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On previous occasions whenever Ms Rinaldi visited Bondi Beach either a bodypainted look-a-like or Oprah Winfrey or 'Rebel Avatar's' would appear.
Well, today was a bit of mystery. There were a number of reported sightings of an artist matching Ms Rinadi's ID, friend - TV presenter Joy Hhuby and photographer Marek Jezierski.
Before you could say "Let's Paint Oprah" a couple of bodypaited Aussie stunners appeared out of the middle of nowhere, between the flags on the north end. The brunette lying on her back, appearing to be exhausted, but showing an inkling of a smile, and just a touch of pink, with much of her eco friendly bodypaint having been washed away. The blonde bombshell frantically pumping (her heart) and pounding on her chest, attempting to give the kiss of life, right between the lips. A concerned onlooker shouted "we better get help" and rushed over to the scene pulling out his mobile and looking to dial 000. A few more minutes and the victim had fully recovered. Then a light applause, and many a tourist, mainly red blooded males, asked if they would be ok to get a photo, and the rescuer and rescue-ee both obliged, seamlessly making a miraculous recovery.
One beach goer couldn't resist and asked the models their names and we understand them to now be identified as Kalais Rauchle and Tess Evans.
So, an emergency, elaborate stunt or life imitating art? For the record no Bondi Rescue lifeguards or Network Ten press types were present, so we suspect it may have been another 'Human Statue' creation.
It was 28% at Bondi Beach, Sydney today, but the buzz is Ms Rinaldi's antics raised the bar o meter at least another 10%. Bondi Beach continues to play a game of "can you top that", and the bodypainting queen of down under looks to be giving all and sundry a bit of a run for their money. We rate the performance (if that is what it was) as a Perfect 10. Yeah, Brooke Shields and Andy Warhol would have been proud.
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Human Statue Bodyart
Eva Rinaldi
Art And The Creatives
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Sunday, December 26, 2010
Monday, December 06, 2010
Kerry Packer Aussie Legend Lives On Via Art And TV, by Greg Tingle - 5th November 2010
G'day punters, casino and gambling millionaires and billionaires, media magnates, journalists, historians and art lovers. Art lovers?! Yes, today we bring you a special Kerry Packer special. The legend lives on, not only here, but now at an Australian artists exhibition, and of course 'Our James' (James Packer) continues to fly the flag and do the family legacy proud with his Crown Limited empire. Not only that, we also cover the pending return of KP to Australian television in an ABC mini series tipped to hit the jackpot, and Network Nine is bringing back 'Underbelly', complete with gambling themes. Media Man and Gambling911 present The Kerry Packer Special...
Kerry Packer & Friends...
Kerry Packer & Friends - NG Art Gallery - 7th Dec - 24th Dec 2010
3 Little Queen Street
Chippendale, NSW Sydney AUSTRALIA
Tuesday - Saturday 11.00am - 5.30pm
Ok punters, here's the rundown. The artist - storyteller is Gina Sinozich. She's an 80 year old, Croat, Sydney based artist who paints in order to help recycle memory. Sinozich's latest exhibition, Kerry Packer and Friends, is her first solo commercial effort in Sydney and is tells the story of the legendary Kerry Packer. She covers the unique personality and complexities of a legend who was known for his astronomical wealth, super whale gambling exploits, running his business with an iron fist, and colourful run ins with the Australian government, amongst other things.
Sinozich migrated down under to Australia is 1956 and began to paint at the age of 75, now having work in Australian and New Zealand corporate and public collections. Her show showcases Packer as 'one of us' rather than the untouchable media tycoon. Sinozich was inspired to tell the story on the premise that we often hear bad before good. This tribute to KP is generous and reveals alot of the most powerful men in the world, who in 2004, was estimated to have a net worth of AUD 6.5 billion. The work of Sinozich will be showcased at NG Art Gallery from the 7th-24th of December and is certain to excite audiences, punters, art lovers or both. A fews Aussie commentator think this blows away much of the art that American gambling tycoon Steve Wynn shows off. Maybe Wynn might like to make a purchase of some classic Packer creations.
Sinozich says Packer gave back to society in a meaningful way and the series was intended to stand as a testament for this man's intrinsic goodwill after his death in December 2005. She recites a story that fuelled her initial interest in Packer, "...one lady said that she was on George Street with two little kids behind her and she was running...running to go on the train, and he (Packer) stopped her and said, 'don't you have a car?' and he wrote a cheque for her and said here, 'buy yourself a car'." Sinozich also fondly recalls, "...when he was playing in casino in Perth he won so much money and the girl who was serving wine...he asked her, 'do you have a mortgage on the house?' she said 'yes', then he wrote a cheque for AUD 600,000."
The talented, even cunning, artist worked like a Trojan horse for a fortnight and managed to produce 26 paintings that deeply explore her subject's nature, removing much of the mystic of Packer as an uncompromising media mogul. All the characters in Sinozich's work have a yarn to tell, and most aspects of his life are covered... birth, death, and much of the in between. Make no mistake, the works are smart, and unique, and are tipped to become collectors items.
The work is relatively simple, but full of life, and has been described as "traditional representational painting", which one may argue is a dying art. We think KP would have liked the tribute, and we await word to see what living members of the Packer clan think of the works.
Kerry Packer Legend To Return To Australian TV In Cleo Mini Series...
Packer is to return to life on Aussie TV via new ABC drama Paper Giants: The Birth Of Cleo (not to be confused with the Cleopatra slot game).
Australian readers may recall the public backlash to the introduction of the super sexy womens’ title in 1972. There were Cleo lovers and haters, but we're still talking about it today, so it made an impact, which is better than many of today's rags.
Rob Carlton will play a young Packer opposite Asher Keddie as publishing pioneer, the sexy and smart Ita Buttrose.
Rumours of a sexual relationship between Packer and Ita around the time of Cleo magazine's start off, but this won't be a focus on the mini-series, due to air next year.
Buttrose, who first made her mark as the magazine's editor, was a consultant on the production.
"If there was a supposed affair it didn't happen in this timeframe. I have no idea if there was, we didn't raise it with her," Edwards said.
There ABC publicity brief has whet our appetite for lots of Packer classic stuff and enough scandal to keep us coming back for more.
"It's 1972. Skirts are up, pants are down. Girls can have anything: Fabulous careers, fashionable clothes and oral sex," spruiks the promo.
The drama cleverly follows the death of Sir Frank Packer and the rise of his second son, who defies even family expectation to succeed, in a way no one could have expected.
"It was a real turning point in Kerry's career. It was a period when he made his first big move and it was an astonishing success and one against the odds in some respects," Edwards said.
Cleo magazine itself was a fine, yet controversial work, and introduced the nude male centrefold and sexual hits, tips, tricks and more for women. Media Man friend, actor Jack Thompson, is tipped to have his racy centrefold recreated. Something about a 6th finger, down there.
ABC TV by all accounts have taken a calculated risk on the series. Most quarters of society, both insiders and outsiders we've chatted with believe the gamble will pay off with a tidy jackpot, and whispers already circulate as to how many awards the show and actors will pick up.
Nine's David Gyngell Respects Packer History; PBL Becomes Nine Entertainment Co...
KP put Publishing & Broadcasting Media on the map and grew it to become arguably the biggest media brands in Australia.
PBL - the name, is now history, since Bondi Beach based chief executive, David Gyngell, rebranded it with Nine Entertainment Co.
Gyngell, who announced the rebranding at Nine's 2011 program launch in Sydney on Friday, advised the new name would be more recognisable to the public and large and went on to emphasise Nine's broad range of businesses, which sport Nine, ACP Magazines, Ticketek and NineMSN.
The recognition factor is important since the firm is likely to be floated on the Australian Stock Exchange by its private equity owners, CVC Asia Pacific, in the first half of next year.
It's understood that a strong level of support from a host of retail investors will be key to the $5 billion-plus float's chances of a jackpot.
Gyngell wisely acknowledged it was not an easy decision given he is the late Kerry Packer's godson and great mate of James Packer. History buffs, just in case you wondered, PBL was formed way back in 1994 when KP merged Nine with ACP (Australian Consolidated Press).
"PBL has a long association with the Packers so personally I don't take that lightly. But it's modernising a business that needs to be publicly known. We don't have the luxury of having James Packer or another mogul giving the company real gravitas."
Other media updates down under include Network Seven being backed by Kerry Stokes and Network Ten's board now has James Packer, News Corporation director Lachlan Murdoch, mining magnate Gina Rinehart and WIN TV owner Bruce Gordon.
"Nine is the biggest thing that we have and it is also the thing that supports all the other companies in the best possible way," Gyngell said. "It will be a new year. We are starting again."
Nine confirmed its crime drama Underbelly would come back with a series set in the roaring 20s in Sydney as well as 3 Underbelly movies! And, get this, a good spot of gambling will also be featured.
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Wrap Up...
Readers... er, punters, how did you like The Kerry Packer Special? 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 http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary and analysis.
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited
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Kerry Packer & Friends...
Kerry Packer & Friends - NG Art Gallery - 7th Dec - 24th Dec 2010
3 Little Queen Street
Chippendale, NSW Sydney AUSTRALIA
Tuesday - Saturday 11.00am - 5.30pm
Ok punters, here's the rundown. The artist - storyteller is Gina Sinozich. She's an 80 year old, Croat, Sydney based artist who paints in order to help recycle memory. Sinozich's latest exhibition, Kerry Packer and Friends, is her first solo commercial effort in Sydney and is tells the story of the legendary Kerry Packer. She covers the unique personality and complexities of a legend who was known for his astronomical wealth, super whale gambling exploits, running his business with an iron fist, and colourful run ins with the Australian government, amongst other things.
Sinozich migrated down under to Australia is 1956 and began to paint at the age of 75, now having work in Australian and New Zealand corporate and public collections. Her show showcases Packer as 'one of us' rather than the untouchable media tycoon. Sinozich was inspired to tell the story on the premise that we often hear bad before good. This tribute to KP is generous and reveals alot of the most powerful men in the world, who in 2004, was estimated to have a net worth of AUD 6.5 billion. The work of Sinozich will be showcased at NG Art Gallery from the 7th-24th of December and is certain to excite audiences, punters, art lovers or both. A fews Aussie commentator think this blows away much of the art that American gambling tycoon Steve Wynn shows off. Maybe Wynn might like to make a purchase of some classic Packer creations.
Sinozich says Packer gave back to society in a meaningful way and the series was intended to stand as a testament for this man's intrinsic goodwill after his death in December 2005. She recites a story that fuelled her initial interest in Packer, "...one lady said that she was on George Street with two little kids behind her and she was running...running to go on the train, and he (Packer) stopped her and said, 'don't you have a car?' and he wrote a cheque for her and said here, 'buy yourself a car'." Sinozich also fondly recalls, "...when he was playing in casino in Perth he won so much money and the girl who was serving wine...he asked her, 'do you have a mortgage on the house?' she said 'yes', then he wrote a cheque for AUD 600,000."
The talented, even cunning, artist worked like a Trojan horse for a fortnight and managed to produce 26 paintings that deeply explore her subject's nature, removing much of the mystic of Packer as an uncompromising media mogul. All the characters in Sinozich's work have a yarn to tell, and most aspects of his life are covered... birth, death, and much of the in between. Make no mistake, the works are smart, and unique, and are tipped to become collectors items.
The work is relatively simple, but full of life, and has been described as "traditional representational painting", which one may argue is a dying art. We think KP would have liked the tribute, and we await word to see what living members of the Packer clan think of the works.
Kerry Packer Legend To Return To Australian TV In Cleo Mini Series...
Packer is to return to life on Aussie TV via new ABC drama Paper Giants: The Birth Of Cleo (not to be confused with the Cleopatra slot game).
Australian readers may recall the public backlash to the introduction of the super sexy womens’ title in 1972. There were Cleo lovers and haters, but we're still talking about it today, so it made an impact, which is better than many of today's rags.
Rob Carlton will play a young Packer opposite Asher Keddie as publishing pioneer, the sexy and smart Ita Buttrose.
Rumours of a sexual relationship between Packer and Ita around the time of Cleo magazine's start off, but this won't be a focus on the mini-series, due to air next year.
Buttrose, who first made her mark as the magazine's editor, was a consultant on the production.
"If there was a supposed affair it didn't happen in this timeframe. I have no idea if there was, we didn't raise it with her," Edwards said.
There ABC publicity brief has whet our appetite for lots of Packer classic stuff and enough scandal to keep us coming back for more.
"It's 1972. Skirts are up, pants are down. Girls can have anything: Fabulous careers, fashionable clothes and oral sex," spruiks the promo.
The drama cleverly follows the death of Sir Frank Packer and the rise of his second son, who defies even family expectation to succeed, in a way no one could have expected.
"It was a real turning point in Kerry's career. It was a period when he made his first big move and it was an astonishing success and one against the odds in some respects," Edwards said.
Cleo magazine itself was a fine, yet controversial work, and introduced the nude male centrefold and sexual hits, tips, tricks and more for women. Media Man friend, actor Jack Thompson, is tipped to have his racy centrefold recreated. Something about a 6th finger, down there.
ABC TV by all accounts have taken a calculated risk on the series. Most quarters of society, both insiders and outsiders we've chatted with believe the gamble will pay off with a tidy jackpot, and whispers already circulate as to how many awards the show and actors will pick up.
Nine's David Gyngell Respects Packer History; PBL Becomes Nine Entertainment Co...
KP put Publishing & Broadcasting Media on the map and grew it to become arguably the biggest media brands in Australia.
PBL - the name, is now history, since Bondi Beach based chief executive, David Gyngell, rebranded it with Nine Entertainment Co.
Gyngell, who announced the rebranding at Nine's 2011 program launch in Sydney on Friday, advised the new name would be more recognisable to the public and large and went on to emphasise Nine's broad range of businesses, which sport Nine, ACP Magazines, Ticketek and NineMSN.
The recognition factor is important since the firm is likely to be floated on the Australian Stock Exchange by its private equity owners, CVC Asia Pacific, in the first half of next year.
It's understood that a strong level of support from a host of retail investors will be key to the $5 billion-plus float's chances of a jackpot.
Gyngell wisely acknowledged it was not an easy decision given he is the late Kerry Packer's godson and great mate of James Packer. History buffs, just in case you wondered, PBL was formed way back in 1994 when KP merged Nine with ACP (Australian Consolidated Press).
"PBL has a long association with the Packers so personally I don't take that lightly. But it's modernising a business that needs to be publicly known. We don't have the luxury of having James Packer or another mogul giving the company real gravitas."
Other media updates down under include Network Seven being backed by Kerry Stokes and Network Ten's board now has James Packer, News Corporation director Lachlan Murdoch, mining magnate Gina Rinehart and WIN TV owner Bruce Gordon.
"Nine is the biggest thing that we have and it is also the thing that supports all the other companies in the best possible way," Gyngell said. "It will be a new year. We are starting again."
Nine confirmed its crime drama Underbelly would come back with a series set in the roaring 20s in Sydney as well as 3 Underbelly movies! And, get this, a good spot of gambling will also be featured.
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Wrap Up...
Readers... er, punters, how did you like The Kerry Packer Special? 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 http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary and analysis.
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited
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Netflix finally reveals how much it makes from Australians - 1st June 2023
Netflix made more than $1 billion from Australians last year, a figure the company reported for the first time after deciding no longer to funnel revenues through a Netherlands-based subsidiary.
Accounts lodged by the streaming giant show Netflix Australia made $1.06 billion in 2022, up from $30.7 million the year before.
The increase in reported revenue came after the company’s local subsidiary changed how it bills. It now describes itself as a “distributor of access” to Netflix Service as opposed to a provider of services for its parent company.
It was previously estimated that Netflix made between $790 million and $1.4 billion from Australians, but customers were billed by Netflix International BV. But from January 1 last year, customers were billed by Netflix Australia, meaning subscription revenue was recognised and taxed locally.
The accounts, filed with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, show Netflix Australia paid $966 million to the Netflix Group in distribution fees and other costs, meaning it made just $22.7 million from total revenues of $1.06 billion.
After paying $6.9 million in income tax, it reported $15.8 million profit for the year.
“As Netflix continues to grow and invest in Australia, we want our corporate structure to reflect our business activities here,” a spokesman for Netflix said last year when The Australian Financial Review reported the structural change.
In 2021, Netflix Australia reported $30.7 million in revenue, $2.4 million in profit pre-tax, and $1.5 million in profit after its $868,000 income tax bill.
Netflix does not disclose subscriber numbers for Australia, but the revenue figures included in its latest accounts implies the service has around five million customers locally, if its standard plan, $16.99 per month, is used as a guide. It has four monthly price tiers including a new, cheaper one that now adds some advertising.
According to the Australian Communications and Media Authority, streaming services made a combined $2.49 billion in Australia in 2021.
The disclosure of Netflix’s true Australian revenue comes as the federal government considers introducing quotas that would force streaming companies to spend a certain amount making shows locally.
Some suggestions have been forcing them to spend between 10 and 20 per cent of local revenue on Australian shows, meaning Netflix would be required to spend, depending on the rate, between $100 million to $200 million.
ACMA estimates streaming providers spend $335.1 million on Australian content in the 12 months to the end of June last year, up from $178.9 million the year before.
Netflix has been contacted for comment.
News
Mistakes and miscalculations: How the Murdochs and Fox got it so wrong - 30th May 2023
In August 2021, the Fox Corp. board of directors gathered in Los Angeles. Among the topics on the agenda: Dominion Voting Systems’ $US1.6 billion ($2.5 billion) defamation lawsuit against its cable news network, Fox News.
The suit posed a threat to the company’s finances and reputation. But Fox’s chief legal officer, Viet Dinh, reassured the board: Even if the company lost at trial, it would ultimately prevail. The First Amendment was on Fox’s side, he explained, even if proving so could require going to the Supreme Court.
That determination informed a series of missteps and miscalculations over the next 20 months, according to a New York Times review of court and business records, and interviews with roughly a dozen people directly involved in or briefed on the company’s decision-making.
The case resulted in one of the biggest legal and business debacles in the history of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire: an avalanche of embarrassing disclosures from internal messages released in court filings; the largest known settlement in a defamation suit, $US787.5 million; two shareholder lawsuits; and the benching of Fox’s top prime-time star, Tucker Carlson.
And for all of that, Fox still faces a lawsuit seeking even more in damages, $US2.7 billion, filed by another subject of the stolen election theory, voting software company Smartmatic.
Caught flat-footed
Repeatedly, Fox executives overlooked warning signs about the damage they and their network would sustain, the Times found. They also failed to recognise how far their cable news networks, Fox News and Fox Business, had strayed into defamatory territory by promoting President Donald Trump’s election conspiracy theories — the central issue in the case. (Fox maintains it did not defame Dominion.)
When pretrial rulings went against the company, Fox did not pursue a settlement in any real way. Executives were then caught flat-footed as Dominion’s court filings included internal Fox messages that made clear how the company chased a Trump-loving audience that preferred his election lies to the truth.
It was only in February that Murdoch and his son with whom he runs the company, Lachlan Murdoch, began seriously considering settling. Yet they made no major attempt to do so until the eve of the trial in April, after still more damaging public disclosures.
At the centre of the action was Dinh and his overly rosy scenario.
Dinh, a high-level Justice Department official under President George W. Bush, declined several requests for comment, and the company declined to respond to questions about his performance or his legal decisions. “Discussions of specific legal strategy are privileged and confidential,” a company representative said in a statement.
The second half of 2020 brought Fox News to a crisis point. The Fox audience had come to expect favourable news about Trump. But Fox could not provide that on election night, when its decision desk team was first to declare that Trump had lost the critical state of Arizona.
In the days after, Trump’s fans switched off in droves.
The Fox host who was the first to find a way to draw the audience back was Maria Bartiromo. Five days after the election, she invited a guest, Trump-aligned lawyer Sidney Powell, to share details about the false accusations that Dominion, an elections technology company, had switched votes from Trump to Joe Biden.
Soon, wild claims about Dominion appeared elsewhere on Fox, including references to the election company’s supposed (but imagined) ties to the Smartmatic election software company; Hugo Chávez, the Venezuelan dictator who died in 2013; George Soros, the billionaire investor and Democratic donor; and China.
‘Fox News did its job, and this is what the First Amendment protects. I’m not at all concerned about such lawsuits, real or imagined.’
Fox’s chief legal officer Viet Dinh
On November 12, a Dominion spokesperson complained to Fox News Media chief executive Suzanne Scott and Fox News Media executive editor Jay Wallace, begging them to make it stop. “We really weren’t thinking about building a litigation record as much as we were trying to stop the bleeding,” said Thomas A. Clare, one of Dominion’s lawyers.
As Fox noted in its court papers, its hosts did begin including company denials. But as they continued to give oxygen to the false allegations, Dominion sent a letter to Fox News general counsel Lily Fu Claffee, demanding that Fox cease and correct the record. “Dominion is prepared to do what is necessary to protect its reputation and the safety of its employees,” the letter warned.
Fox, however, did not respond to the Dominion letter or comply with its requests — now a key issue in a shareholder suit filed in April, which maintains that doing so would have “materially mitigated” Fox’s legal exposure.
Three months after the election, another voting technology company tied to the Dominion conspiracy, Smartmatic, filed its own defamation suit against Fox, seeking $US2.7 billion in damages. Dominion told reporters that it was preparing to file one, too.
Dinh was publicly dismissive.
“The newsworthy nature of the contested presidential election deserved full and fair coverage from all journalists. Fox News did its job, and this is what the First Amendment protects,” Dinh said at the time. “I’m not at all concerned about such lawsuits, real or imagined.”
The Fox legal team based much of the defence on a doctrine known as the neutral reportage privilege. It holds that news organisations cannot be held financially liable for damages when reporting on false allegations made by major public figures as long as they don’t embrace or endorse them.
An early warning came in late 2021. The judge in the case, Eric M. Davis, rejected Fox’s attempt to use the neutral reportage defence to get the suit thrown out, determining that it was not recognised under New York law, which he was applying to the case. Even if it was recognised, Fox would have to show it reported on the allegations “accurately and dispassionately”, and Dominion had made a strong argument that Fox’s reporting was neither, the judge wrote in a ruling.
That ruling meant that Dominion could have access to Fox’s internal communications in discovery.
That was a natural time to settle. But Fox stuck with its defence and its plan.
Treasure trove
At nearly every step, the court overruled Fox’s attempts to limit Dominion’s access to private communications exchanged among hosts, producers and executives. The biggest blow came mid-last year, after a ruling stating that Dominion could review messages from the personal phones of Fox employees, including both Murdochs.
The result was a treasure trove of evidence for Dominion: text messages and emails that revealed the doubts that Rupert Murdoch had about the coverage airing on his network, and assertions by many inside Fox, including Carlson, that fraud could not have made a material difference in the election.
The messages led to even more damaging revelations during depositions. After Dominion’s lawyers confronted Rupert Murdoch with his own messages showing he knew Trump’s stolen election claims were false, he admitted that some Fox hosts appeared to have endorsed stolen election claims.
During Carlson’s deposition last year, Dominion’s lawyers asked about his use of a crude word to describe women — including a ranking Fox executive. They also mentioned a text in which he discussed watching a group of men, who he said were Trump supporters, attack “an Antifa kid”. He lamented in the text, “It’s not how white men fight,” and shared a momentary wish that the group would kill the person. He then said he regretted that instinct.
There is no indication that Carlson’s texts tripped alarms at the top of Fox at that point.
The alarms rang in February, when reams of other internal Fox communications became public. The public’s reaction was so negative that some people at the company believed that a jury could award Dominion more than $US1 billion. Yet the company made no serious bid to settle.
All along, the Fox board had been taking a wait-and-see approach.
But the judge’s pretrial decisions began to change the board’s thinking. Also, in those final days before the trial, Fox was hit with new lawsuits. One, from former Fox producer Abby Grossberg, accused Carlson of promoting a hostile work environment. Another, filed by a shareholder, accused the Murdochs and several directors of failing to stop the practices that made Fox vulnerable to legal claims.
The weekend before the trial was to begin, the board asked Fox to see the internal Fox communications that were not yet public but that could still come out in the courtroom.
The board learned for the first time of the Carlson text that referred to “how white men fight”. Dinh did not know about the message until that weekend, according to two people familiar with the matter.
By the time the board learned of the message, the Murdochs had already determined that a trial loss could be far more damaging than they were initially told to expect. A substantial jury award could weigh on the company’s stock for years as the appeals process played out.
“The distraction to our company, the distraction to our growth plans — our management — would have been extraordinarily costly, which is why we decided to settle,” Lachlan Murdoch said at an investment conference this month.
The text also helped lead to the Murdochs’ decision to abruptly pull Carlson off the air. Their view had hardened that their top-rated star wasn’t worth all the downsides he brought with him.
Still pending is the Smartmatic suit. In April, Fox agreed to hand over additional internal documents relating to several executives, including the Murdochs and Dinh. In a statement reminiscent of Dinh’s early view of the Dominion case, the network said that Fox was protected by the First Amendment.
“We will be ready to defend this case surrounding extremely newsworthy events when it goes to trial, likely in 2025,” the statement said.
News
Lachlan Murdoch explains $1.2b settlement, says Fox News won’t change ‘successful strategy’ - 10th May 2023
Fox News paid $US787 million ($1.16 billion) to settle a recent lawsuit on its reporting after the 2020 election to avoid a divisive trial and lengthy appeals process, its parent company’s chief executive said.
Lachlan Murdoch, executive chairman and CEO of Fox Corp., also noted that a Delaware judge “severely limited” Fox’s defences against Dominion Voting Systems, which said the network defamed it by airing bogus charges of election fraud that it knew was untrue.
Fox Corp announced that it had lost $US50 million the previous three months, which it attributed to the lawsuit settlement. Murdoch, who answered questions from financial analysts, was speaking in public for the first time since the case ended and Fox fired its most popular anchor, Tucker Carlson. Carlson has just announced he is launching a new show on Twitter.
Murdoch said viewers, and investors, should expect no change in direction from Fox News.
“We made the business decision to resolve this dispute and avoid the acrimony of a divisive trial and multi-year appeal process, a decision clearly in the best interests of the company and its shareholders,” he said.
Fox still believes it was properly exercising its First Amendment rights to report on newsworthy fraud allegations made by former President Donald Trump, even though that defence was shot down in a pre-trial court ruling in the Dominion case, Murdoch said.
That’s important, since Murdoch said Fox intends to use the same defence against a similar lawsuit by another elections technology company, Smartmatic. That case is not expected to go to trial until at least 2025, he said.
Despite being asked directly about Carlson’s exit, Murdoch didn’t mention the former prime-time host’s name and referred to his reign obliquely. Fox has not explained why it cut ties with Carlson.
“There’s no change in programming strategy at Fox News,” he said. “It’s obviously a successful strategy. As always, we are adjusting our programming and our lineup and that’s what we continue to do.”
Although hurt by the Carlson exit, Fox News remains the leading cable news network.
Fox has lost viewers following Carlson’s firing. Last week’s substitute host, Lawrence Jones, reached between 1.28 million and 1.7 million last week in a time slot where Carlson usually drew around 3 million, the Nielsen company said.
Yet Fox has gained more than 40 new advertisers in that hour, the network said, confirming a report in Variety. Advertisers like Gillette, Scott’s Miracle Gro and Secret deodorant that had considered Carlson’s show a toxic environment have signed on.
(AP)
News
Jesse Armstrong on the roots of Succession: ‘Would it have landed the same way without the mad bum-rush of Trump’s presidency?’ - 27th May 2023
It has been the TV drama of our time – a brutal, hilarious unpicking of how power works. As the series comes to an end, its creator looks back at its origin and the unholy trinity of men who helped inspire Logan Roy
My first vivid memory of the project that would develop into Succession was trying to get out of it. It was about 2008 and I was on location for the filming of Peep Show, the UK sitcom my longtime writing partner Sam Bain and I wrote together. Between that show and my work on The Thick of It and In the Loop, and a bunch of other things, I was feeling overcommitted. That particular day we were pretending a very normal field in Hertfordshire was a safari park. I sloped off from set and, hiding from imaginary lions, tried to elegantly step away from the project.
I failed. And in the following months as I wrote, slowly, I became certain the script was a dud. It was stodgy and odd. The original idea, a faux-documentary laying out Rupert Murdoch’s business secrets, with them delivered straight to camera, evolved as I worked into a sort of TV play, set at the media owner’s 80th birthday party. Channel 4 were supportive, but it was an odd form, this docudrama/TV-play, and difficult to make happen. Around 2011, after a read-through in London where John Hurt played Rupert, the project essentially died.
My US agent was the first person I recall suggesting a totally different approach. A fictional family, a multi-series US show. For five years or so, I dismissed the idea, certain that a portrayal of a fictional family would never have the power of a real one. Four works changed my mind: HBO’s excellent Robert Durst documentary, The Jinx; Sumner Redstone’s grimly business-focused autobiography, A Passion to Win; James B Stewart’s propulsive DisneyWar; and Tom Bower’s fascinating Robert Maxwell biography Maxwell: The Final Verdict. These turned the idea of doing a media-family drama without a singular real-life model from a terrible betrayal of reality into a tantalising chance to harvest all the best stories. Here was an opportunity to explore all the most fascinating family dynamics within a propitiously balanced fictional hybrid media conglomerate. I took a long, deep dive into rich-family and media-business research.
I talked about this, as-yet-unwritten, idea in half-ironised terms as ‘Festen-meets-Dallas’
When Sam and I decided to bring things to a close on Peep Show, I flew out to pitch this media show around LA. I had a clear idea of where I wanted to develop it, but my agent persuaded me appetites would be whetted if we had a number of potential homes. So I spent three days doing a round of pitch meetings where I talked about this as-yet-unwritten idea in half-ironised terms as “Festen-meets-Dallas”. No stars, Dogme 95 camerawork. Scared of driving on the five-lane highways, I bumped around town in the back of a Honda Civic while a nice young man from my US agent’s mailroom ferried me between rooms stocked with identical tiny bottles of water and executives of vastly varying degrees of interest.
Eventually, I got to HBO, the place I most wanted the show to land, home to The Sopranos and Six Feet Under. I knew they might be receptive. Frank Rich – once known as the “Butcher of Broadway” for his theatre criticism, but now an in-house consigliere – had championed my work there to the boss, Richard Plepler, and I’d previously developed a show with them. So, out the back of a French-style bistro on a three-cappuccino high, I pitched it to their head of drama and comedy, Casey Bloys.
Sometimes a pitch stretches thin and threadbare, the fabric renting as you go, the other party peeping grimly through the holes. Other times, the air thickens, and you can feel the atmosphere in the room turn oxygen-rich as the enthusiasm you are trying to project transforms into an enthusiasm you are actually feeling.
By the time I left LA, HBO had made an offer and Adam McKay, fresh from The Big Short, had said he would be interested in directing. I’d written another Succession forerunner, a script about the US political strategist Lee Atwater, for Adam and his producing partner Kevin Messick. It had been one of the few LA experiences I’d had where the excitement expressed at the start of the project sustained through the writing and attempts to get it made.
This was 2016 and, once back in the UK, I wrote the pilot through the spring and summer in a one-room flat I rented on Brixton Hill, south London, walking across Brockwell Park each morning, listening to podcasts and reading news about the Brexit referendum. Scotland had recently voted by a narrow majority to stay inside the UK and the abiding sense right before the Brexit vote was, yeah, change looms, it glistens, menacingly, promisingly, but it doesn’t happen. Not really. Really, everything stays the same.
But then it did happen. And across the Atlantic, the Trump campaign was igniting – even if initially his candidacy felt like a slightly amusing, slightly too-vivid flash in the pan. Into early autumn, in fact, all serious people were still explaining to one another that Trump couldn’t happen. Although I suppose, looking back, there was a notable lack of detail in terms of the mechanism by which he would be stopped.
I think a lot of the better films and TV shows I’ve been involved with have at their heart a quite simple impulse around which the more subtle layers are spun. In the Loop’s spark was anger at the Iraq war. Chris Morris’s Four Lions I think was driven by his gut feeling that something was very wrong with the way we understood jihadi terrorism in the UK. Peep Show was about oddball male friendship, perhaps even “masculinity”.
I guess the simple things at the heart of Succession ended up being Brexit and Trump. The way the UK press had primed the EU debate for decades. The way the US media’s conservative outriders prepared the way for Trump, hovered at the brink of support and then dived in. The British press of Rothermere, Maxwell, Murdoch and the Barclay brothers, and the US news environment of Fox and Breitbart.
The Sun doesn’t run the UK, nor does Fox entirely set the media agenda in the US, but it was hard not to feel, at the time the show was coming together, the particular impact of one man, of one family, on the lives of so many. Rightwing populism was on the march across the globe. But in the fine margins of the Brexit vote and Trump’s eventual electoral college victory, one couldn’t help but think about the influence of the years of anti-EU stories and comment in the UK press, the years of Fox dancing with its audience, sometimes leading, sometimes following, as the wine got stronger, the music madder. It was politically alarming and creatively appealing: to imagine the mixture of business imperatives and political instinct that exist within a media operation; to consider what happens when something as important as the flow of information in a democracy hits the reductive brutality of the profit calculation inside such a company. How those elements might rebound emotionally and psychologically inside a family as it considered the question of corporate succession.
For Logan Roy, Murdoch, Redstone and Maxwell were my holy trinity of models. But Conrad Black, Brian L Roberts of Comcast, Robert Mercer of Breitbart, Julian Sinclair Smith of Sinclair, Tiny Rowland, Rothermere, Beaverbrook and Hearst all fed in. The three central models were wildly different, of course: the self-made refugee Maxwell and the already-rich Murdoch, a scion of Australian journalistic royalty, both so different from the tough Boston lawyer Redstone who started with a couple of his father’s drive-in cinemas.
But they were connected by a strong interest in a few things: a refusal to think about mortality (Redstone and Murdoch both used to make the same joke about their succession plan: not dying); desire for control; manic deal-making energy; love of gossip and power-connection; a certain ruthlessness about hirings and firings. And most of all, an instinct for forward motion, with a notable lack of introspection.
Perhaps the best part of Redstone’s autobiography for a casual reader is the opening, where he recounts clinging by one hand to a hotel balcony through a fire. Despite suffering third-degree burns over half his body, years of rehabilitation, excruciatingly painful skin grafts, he says this event, after which he made all his biggest business plays, had no impact whatsoever on the trajectory of his life.
Whether due to all this grist, or the aligning of the political planets (in)auspiciously, the pilot came unnervingly easily. Getting names in a script to feel real can be hard for me – they’re a tell-tale sign of whether I’m living inside it. Kendall, Shiv, Roman, Connor. They all felt right straight off the bat. Their inspirations, I suppose, were the children of these magnates: three of the Maxwell kids, the ones closest to the business (the boys, Ian and Kevin) and to their father (Ghislaine). Brent and Shari Redstone, with whom Sumner played a tough and complicated game of bait-and-switch over CBS-Paramount succession. And the Murdoch children, Prudence, Lachlan, James, Elisabeth, Chloe and Grace.
But getting those names for the Roy children made them feel like their own individuals to me. It allowed me to pour in just what I wanted from the real world, fill each with all the faults they might have inherited, while giving me room to add some extra, just for them.
Greg and Tom came fast, too. Tom from two roots. One was thinking about the sort of lunks I’ve occasionally seen powerful women choose as partners. Plausible, manly men with big watches and a soothing affable manner. That mixed with the deadly courtier, a more 18th-century figure, minutely attuned to shifts in power and influence, an invisible deadly gas that occurs in certain confined places and rises to kill anyone unwise enough not to take precautions. A hanger-on sustained by some Fitzgeraldian illusions about the world, a sense that perhaps the rich really are different from us and a romantic ambition to make it in New York City.
Greg, I guess, was a distant relative of the sort of political adviser I had myself briefly been. Gormless, clueless, out of place and gauche. But not without an eye for a deal. And, I hope, a little more wheedling and insinuating than I ever was.
The scenes flowed. I put all research aside and followed my nose and wrote pretty much exactly what I wanted
The charge between these two semi-outsiders struck me from the start as toxic and comic. Tom, the interloper, is like an organism that has found a precarious but rewarding perch above some deep oceanic vent and adapted itself to conditions perfectly. He is not pleased at all to see a similar creature scuttling along hoping to share the same cramped evolutionary niche. That first half-bullying, half-provocative exchange they share in the outfield at a softball game in the pilot landed them right in the middle of a stew they’ve been cooking in ever since.
The scenes flowed. I had eaten a very large amount of research, but once I was writing I put it all aside and followed my nose and wrote pretty much exactly what I wanted. It felt funny but odd and broken-ended, fragmentary, abrupt, oblique and slightly brutal. When I emailed it off, I had the familiar feeling that Adam, Frank and HBO might email back to say not only was it not good, it wasn’t even actually, technically, a script. But their response was frighteningly positive. Almost as though the script was finished, after what was, I thought, a quick first draft. I think every other episode of Succession has gone to at least 30 drafts – usually 50. The pilot barely hit 15.
We had our read-through in New York on US election day 2016. Before we started, I made the sort of joke lots of people made that day, assuming the polls were right and Hillary Clinton was going to squeeze it. That night we gathered in Adam McKay’s apartment to watch the results roll in. Much later, I walked a long walk back from Soho to where I was staying near the United Nations looking at the electoral college numbers projected on to the Empire State Building.
We started filming the next day.
I still wonder whether Succession would have landed in the same way without the mad bum-rush of news and sensation Trump’s chaotic presidency provided. Trump wasn’t the firebombing of German civilians, and nor is Succession Slaughterhouse-Five, but I do sometimes think about Vonnegut saying no one in the world profited from the firebombing of Dresden, except himself.
This is an edited extract from Succession: The Complete Scripts – Seasons One, Two and Three (Faber & Faber), out now at £20 each. To support the Guardian and Observer, order your copies for £17.60 each from guardianbookshop.com.
The final episode of Succession airs in the UK on Sky Atlantic/Now on Monday. Jesse Armstrong donated the fee for this article to the Writers Guild of America strike assistance fund.
News
LIV Golf announces new pay-per-view option - 26th May 2023
"The hope for LIV is to grow off the success first seen on YouTube in 2022, where the league attracted tournament audiences of several hundred-thousand views in the U.S. and abroad."
Going forward, LIV Golf Series events will be available via a pay-per-view option on YouTube.
The new deal was detailed by James Colgan of Golf.com.
“Less than six months after signing a media rights agreement with the CW, LIV announced Friday that it has created a new, pay-per-view broadcast option to run on YouTube,” Colgan reported. “The PPV broadcast will cost $3 per tournament day, LIV said in a release announcing the decision, and will run in addition to the league’s agreement with the CW.”
Colgan also detailed that “A LIV source indicated that the CW is aware of the decision to introduce a pay-per-view model, and that the decision does not violate any of the league’s preexisting broadcast agreements.”
“The hope for LIV is to grow off the success first seen on YouTube in 2022, where the league attracted tournament audiences of several hundred-thousand views in the U.S. and abroad. The league already has its own direct-to-consumer subscription platform, LIV Golf Plus, which the PPV channel will run counter to. LIV broadcasts will continue to be streamed for free on the CW app.”
This announcement comes less than two weeks after a rather embarrassing moment for the tour. One week before LIV’s Brooks Koepka triumphed at the PGA Championship, the Saudi-backed golf series was in Tulsa.
On one hand, it was a perfect showcase event for LIV. Two of its most high-profile players, Dustin Johnson and Cam Smith, went to a three-way playoff (along with Branden Grace). But most of the people watching did not get to see Johnson’s eventual triumph.
The CW, the league’s primary broadcast partner, went away from coverage in the vast majority of its markets, showing “regularly scheduled programming.” Jim Nantz was quick to make a joke at LIV’s expense on the matter at the PGA Championship. The CW also announced a change, saying that all events will be shown to their conclusions going forward.
[Golf.com]
News
WWE Night Of Champions Reportedly Earned Highest Viewership Of Any Saudi Arabia Show - 31st May 2023
According to a report from Fightful Select, Saturday's Night of Champions PLE scored WWE the highest viewership out of any of the company's Saudi Arabia events since the partnership between the two began in 2013. The report states that Night of Champions brought in an 18% increase in viewership compared to last year's Crown Jewel event, and the company is reportedly quite happy with its holiday weekend results.
Night of Champions was headlined by Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn successfully defending the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship against Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa of The Bloodline, with a major angle taking place on the show that saw The Usos turn on Reigns after more than a year of build-up and tension.This marks the second time a tag team match has served as the main event of a major WWE show in recent months. Additional matches on the show included Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles to decide the first WWE World Heavyweight Champion, a singles match between Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus, and a Backlash rematch pitting Brock Lesnar against Cody Rhodes, among others.
To date, WWE has held nine PPVs and PLEs in Saudi Arabia, along with three house shows. Back in 2019, WWE announced that they had "expanded their partnership" with Saudi Arabia, and that they would be hosting two major events per year in the Middle Eastern nation through at least 2027. Though it hasn't been announced yet, WWE will likely return to Saudi Arabia for another Crown Jewel event later this year.
News
Pat McAfee Comments On Empty Seats At AEW Double Or Nothing - 31st May 2023
All Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing pay-per-view took place this past weekend at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. During the event, Wrestlenomics' Brandon Thurston tweeted images of empty seats inside the venue. Wrestling Observer's Bryan Alvarez also posted a photo from his ringside position, which showed many unoccupied places behind Orange Cassidy after he retained the AEW International Championship in a Blackjack Battle Royal. Former "WWE SmackDown" commentator Pat McAfee has weighed in with his thoughts.
"Anytime you get a shot away from hard cam, you know what I mean, you can really see a lot of things," McAfee said on "The Pat McAfee Show." "AEW found out this weekend or whatever at one of their events, it's like three quarters of an arena completely empty. They don't want that photo out anywhere."
Ahead of the pay-per-view going live on Sunday night, WrestleTix revealed 10,229 tickets had been distributed for an 11,641 setup inside the T-Mobile Arena, leaving 1,412 tickets available. An Anarchy in the Arena match headlined the show, with Blackpool Combat Club's Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, reigning ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta picking up the win in that bout against The Elite's Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, and "Hangman" Adam Page.
AEW's next major standalone show, All In, which will take place on August 27 at Wembley Stadium in London, England, has currently sold over 65,000 tickets and has a gate of over $8 million. No matches have been announced for AEW's first event across the pond as of this writing. Ticket sales for All In have slowed following an initial surge.
News
WWE-UFC merged company to be called ‘TKO Group Holdings’ - 16th May 2023
A name has emerged for the group.
Coming out of WrestleMania, it was announced by Endeavor that an agreement had been reached with WWE and the company would be merging with UFC to form a new sports and entertainment company.
The deal has not been formally finalized but a name for the merged group has been revealed. CNBC’s Alex Sherman and Mike Calia published a story and an Endeavor spokesperson confirmed to the outlet that the new group is going to be called ‘TKO Group Holdings’.
It will trade under the New York Stock Exchange as ‘TKO’.
The merger between WWE and UFC is being valued at $20 billion. Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel will be the CEO of TKO Group and Vince McMahon is going to serve as Executive Chairman.
News
Nick Khan Says WWE In Talks With International Cities For 2024 PLEs
It sounds as though WWE will continue expanding its PLEs into international markets next year. Speaking at the JP Morgan Global Technology, Media & Communications Conference, WWE CEO Nick Khan stated that the company was discussing the potential for additional overseas shows in 2024.
"We're in conversations now with a lot of international cities about doing 2024 shows there," Khan said. "Also, part of the intent is to match those up with our media rights, even if they're not up to over-deliver for incumbent partners who can then invite their partners in the international city to the event, and host them. It's good for our overall business." Khan's comments came as part of a conversation about countries offering subsidies to WWE for bringing shows there, as the company brings a great deal of revenue to the city for major events. Khan cited recent events in Puerto Rico as well as the Dallas, Texas area as examples.
Previous rumors pointed toward Australia as a potential location for a future international WWE PLE. However, it's unknown if negotiations with the country have progressed in the months since.
WWE has steadily ramped up its major international shows over the last five years, with the company holding several yearly events in Saudi Arabia, as well as last year's Clash at the Castle and the upcoming Money in the Bank both being held in the United Kingdom. It seems fans around the world should stay on the lookout for upcoming announcements regarding WWE's international schedule in 2024.
News
“We Let People Go”: Months After $21.4 Billion UFC-WWE Deal, Endeavor CEO Recalls “Horrible” Time for Organization - 2nd June 2023
The year 2020 brought unprecedented challenges for individuals and organizations alike, and the UFC was no exception. The promotional frontman Dana White has reflected on those uncertain times and shared the struggles the organization faced in keeping things going. Despite the pandemic, White was determined to keep the show running and provide entertainment for fight fans worldwide. While the rest of the world was shut down, the UFC managed to organize consistent events, albeit on a smaller scale. However, this arduous journey was not without its fair share of hardships.
Ari Emanuel, the CEO of Endeavor, the parent company of the UFC and William Morris Endeavor talent agency, revealed the significant challenges they encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though Endeavor recently secured a massive $21.4 billion deal to acquire the WWE, during the COVID-19 days, the company found itself at rock bottom struggling to stay afloat.
When Covid-19 posed a threat to the UFC
In an interview on the “Freakonomics Radio” podcast, Emanuel shared how the pandemic affected the company financially. During the interview, podcast host Stephen Dubner asked Emanuel, “Did you think COVID might kill Endeavor?”. Reflecting on this, the 62-year-old CEO replied, “It was bad,” He continued, “I’d never had to fire that many people.”
Emanuel mentioned that the continuation of UFC fights during the pandemic played a crucial role in saving the company, accounting for approximately 70% of their revenue that year. Further talking about the struggles to keep the organization alive during the pandemic, the Endeavor CEO stated, “We had our ESPN deal. We then started making deals for writers. So we stored all the cash. We didn’t let anything out. We let people go, which was horrible, or furloughed them.”
Through the storm, Endeavor’s leadership team, led by Emanuel, proved to be the lighthouse that guided them to safer shores. The UFC’s resilience and the implementation of innovative strategies, such as the ‘Fight Island’ events, not only salvaged the company but also became a beacon of hope for other professional sports leagues.
News
“Very, Very Easy for Jon Jones”: Ex-UFC Star Ruthlessly Shuts Down Tyson Fury Days After Boxer’s Callout of UFC Champ in Ugly Public Feud - 1st June 2023
The claim made by Joe Rogan that Tyson Fury would stand no chance against Jon Jones has sparked an intense and never-ending debate. Recently, another prominent figure from the UFC, the world of mixed martial arts, has jumped into this heated discussion. However, ‘The Gypsy King’ himself strongly opposed the take of the UFC commentator and didn’t hold back in expressing his views. In fact, he went as far as bashing Rogan and proudly proclaimed himself to be ‘the baddest man on the planet’.
As the back and forth continued between Fury and Rogan, UFC president Dana White has stepped in, proposing a potential fight between Fury and Jones. However, the WBC heavyweight champion firmly refused to step into the octagon, dismissing the idea altogether. This decision faced an immediate backlash from fans who had eagerly anticipated the materialization of this debate inside the fighting arena.
Despite the disappointment felt by fans, it becomes evident that the 34-year-old boxer has no intention of venturing into the octagon. On the contrary, a former UFC welterweight challenger believes that Fury would fare well in the realm of mixed martial arts. However, he warns that there may be unforeseen challenges along the way.
Tyson Fury will have a Jon Jones threat in MMA
During a recent interview, the former UFC fighter Dan Hardy shared his reflections on the latest happenings in the combat sports world, ranging from boxing to MMA. However, it was the Tyson Fury-Jon Jones debate that took center stage.
The 41-year-old Hardy began by heaping praise on ‘The Gypsy King’ for his potential in MMA, stating, “Tyson Fury doesn’t come from a boxing background. He comes from a fighting man background. Tyson Fury sees himself as a fighter first that boxes, and I think he looks at mixed martial arts and sees lots of ways he can capitalize on the changing of the rules.”
Continuing his analysis, Hardy mentioned Fury’s collaboration with Tom Aspinall and how he has showcased proficient elbows and knees in the videos shared with him. ‘The Outlaw’ confidently stated, “I feel like Tyson Fury would be really good if he crossed over to mixed martial arts. Of course, there’d be a lot for him to learn. The main issue would be, he’d be very, very easy for Jon Jones to take down. And I think that’s something that Tyson has not experienced and has not and has not really quite comprehended.”
Meanwhile, Jon Jones recently made a strong statement in his heavyweight debut, securing a first-round victory against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 after returning from a three-year-long hiatus.
This certainly explains Dan Hardy’s warning to Tyson Fury. How do you think ‘The Gypsy King’ would fare in MMA?
News
Dwayne Johnson to Return as Luke Hobbs in New ‘Fast and Furious’ Standalone Film - 7th June 2023
Dwayne Johnson is returning to the “Fast and Furious” universe with a new standalone film, reprising his franchise role as Luke Hobbs.
Universal Pictures announced the project on Thursday. Longtime “Fast and Furious” collaborator Chris Morgan wrote the untitled film’s script. Plot details were not available, though individuals familiar with the deal said the new movie will bridge between the events of the just-released “Fast X” and the upcoming “Fast X: Part II,” which is expected in 2025. Johnson just appeared as Hobbs, a diplomatic security service agent, in a credits scene for “Fast X.”
Johnson will produce the film with Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia for their Seven Bucks Productions, along with Vin Diesel and Samantha Vincent via their One Race Films. Additional producers include Chris Morgan for his Chris Morgan Productions, Jeff Kirschenbaum for Roth/Kirschenbaum Films and Neal Moritz for Original Film.
Screenwriter Morgan wrote and produced “Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw” and “The Fate of the Furious.” He’s also scripted and executive produced the fifth, sixth and seventh entries in the franchise. Directed by Louis Leterrier, “Fast X” opened at No. 1 around the world in May with $320 million and became the second-biggest global opening of 2023.
Johnson announced Hobbs’ return with a video posted to social media with the caption: “Your reactions around the world to Hobbs’ return in ‘Fast X’ have blown us away. The next ‘Fast & Furious’ film you’ll see the legendary lawman in will be the Hobbs movie that will serve as a fresh, new chapter & set up for ‘Fast X: Part II.'”
“Last summer Vin Diesel and I put all the past behind us,” Johnson added. “We’ll lead with brotherhood and resolve – and always take care of the franchise, characters & fans that we love. I’ve built my career on an ‘audience first’ mentality and that will always serve as my north star.”
Johnson is repped by WME, lawyers Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman, Inc. and The Lede Company.
Seven Bucks has co-produced films like Disney’s “Jungle Cruise” and the DC Studios entires “Black Adam” and “DC League of Super-Pets.” Original series include NBC’s “Young Rock” and “The Titan Games.” Johnson will next produce and star in “Red One” at Amazon Studios and Disney’s live-action “Moana.”
News
13 States Comment On Possibility Of Allowing Gambling On WWE Matches
In March 2023, CNBC reported that WWE was working toward legalizing gambling on wrestling matches, enlisting the services of accounting firm Ernst & Young, with Michigan, Colorado, and Indiana mentioned as the initial targets. As of now, betting on WWE matches is only available at offshore sportsbooks like BetOnline.ag, based out of Antigua, and Bovada, based out of Latvia. Betting on matches in America would open up new streams of revenue for WWE and add some mainstream legitimacy to the sports entertainment powerhouse.
Since that report broke, however, it's been nothing bad news for WWE in the gambling department. Dave Meltzer has reported that WWE's efforts aren't going well — Colorado denied talking to WWE and said that "By statute, wagers on events with fixed or predicted outcomes ... are strictly prohibited in Colorado." Indiana told Casino.org that it had "no interest in approving wagering on scripted events," and Michigan also denied any recent talks with WWE, while New Hampshire Lottery Commission executive director Charlie McIntyre deemed it "very unlikely" betting on WWE gets approved in New Hampshire.
In light of this, Wrestling Inc. reached out to multiple states about the possibility of legalized betting on WWE matches. Each gambling commission was asked 1) how likely WWE would be to succeed if they pitched gambling on matches to them, and 2) if there were any regulations, laws, or statutes that barred betting on something with predetermined outcomes. 13 states -– Arizona, Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, and Washington -– responded. While their responses varied slightly, overall, they paint a picture of increasingly fewer opportunities, and increasingly more obstacles, for legal gambling on WWE matches to get approved.
At least three states say they wouldn't allow gambling on WWE as a matter of policy, even if there are no explicit laws against it.
Kerry Hemphill, Manager of Sports Betting Product at the Oregon Lottery, made it clear that gambling on WWE wouldn't be allowed as a matter of policy in the Beaver State: "Although there is no law or statute that forbids it, Oregon Lottery sports betting policy is to not accept wagers on scripted events with predicted outcomes."
Seth Elkin, Assistant Director of Communications for Public Affairs for Maryland Lottery and Gaming, also told us his state had made a determination on the matter. "Maryland's sports wagering law and regulations prohibit forms of wagering that are contrary to public policy or unfair to bettors," he said. "We've determined that it is unfair to bettors, and therefore not in the public's interest, to accept wagers on sports entertainment events that have predetermined outcomes, like professional wrestling."
Meanwhile, a representative from the South Dakota Department of Revenue simply said, "WWE wrestling matches would not be eligible for sports wagering in South Dakota."
Iowa and Ohio say no to betting on predetermined events
Two more states said that predetermined events weren't permitted, but made a point to highlight policy and procedure. Brian J. Ohorilko, Administrator of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, also shot down gambling on wrestling for the time being.
"Predetermined events are not permitted in the State of Iowa," he told Wrestling Inc. "Iowa law defines and permits professional sporting events and sports-related events; however, fixed or predetermined outcomes are not explicitly permitted. As such, and for other integrity concerns, the commission has not permitted predetermined events in any of the approved wagering markets."
Ohorilko also brought up the process that would be required for any kind of legalization: "From a practical standpoint, any request would need to come with a legal opinion as to how this would be permitted under Iowa law," he said. "It would need to go through legal review with consultation from the AG office. If legal review passes, the commission would still need to review policy and integrity concerns with respect to the activity having predetermined outcomes. Approval would be needed before this type of wagering activity could take place."
Ohio tells a similar story. Jessica Franks, Director of Communications for the Ohio Casino Control Commission, pointed us towards Rule 3775-11-01 of the Ohio Administrative Code — the process for adding to Ohio's catalog of wagers and events. She said the Commission's review of such requests includes, but is not limited to, the following criteria:
The quality of the governing body's documented integrity program.
The general availability of information related to the governing body.
The professional or skill level status of athletes.
The history of integrity related to events sanctioned by the governing body.
This already puts the WWE in shaky territory, but it's seemingly locked out for good with the following consideration: "Please note that the Commission will not approve requests for wagers/events involving 'Events which are pre-recorded or in which the outcome has been otherwise previously determined.'"
Arizona and Connecticut have laws against betting on fixed outcomes
At least two states have laws in place that would ban gambling on WWE matches.
Max Hartgraves, Public Information Officer at the Arizona Department of Gaming, provided a straightforward statement: "Arizona statute prohibits gambling on fixed events."
Meanwhile, when asked how likely WWE would be to garner approval for gambling on matches, Kaitlyn Krasselt, Communications Director at Connecticut Department of Consumer Protections, said "I cannot speculate on that." That said, she did inform Wrestling Inc. about state regulations on gambling: "Connecticut law only allows wagering on sporting or athletic events. WWE is sports entertainment. The 'matches' are predetermined by the company and are scripted. There is no regulation body for professional wrestling, and WWE is one of several companies that offers this type of entertainment. With a predetermined outcome, this would not be considered a sport. It is considered entertainment. Wagering on the Oscars, for example, is also not permitted in Connecticut."
That last part is significant, since CNBC's report mentioned that WWE executives were using Oscar betting as an example for regulators.
Maine and Montana agree with most of their colleagues
Two states specifically cited the statements from Colorado, Indiana, Michigan, and New Hampshire in their responses. After hearing that four other states had expressed skepticism over betting on WWE, Maine Gambling Control Unit Executive Director Milton Champion said, "On the surface, without looking into the matter, I would concur with my colleagues. Operators will submit with their application events that they want to take wagers on, and I shall approve them."
Daniel Iverson, Content Manager for the Montana Lottery, said something similar. "Montana does not intend to add WWE markets, for the same reasons our counterparts cited," he advised, before directing any questions on state law to the Montana Department of Justice Gambling Control Division.
New Jersey and Massachusetts punted, for now
Two states we contacted declined to comment on the matter, not wanting to address issues that haven't come before them yet. Thomas Mills, Communications Division Chief of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, said, "I appreciate your question, but am unable to speculate on a hypothetical action the Commission may or may not take."
Dan Prochilo, Public Information Officer at the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, responded that "The Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) cannot comment on any hypothetical discussion with an operator or league about future sports betting opportunities." He added that "In New Jersey, an entity seeking permission for a contest to be authorized for wagering on a sports event is required to submit its proposal to DGE for evaluation and approval pursuant to state law and regulations."
Prochilo also provided the state's legal definition of a "sports event" for the purposes of gambling. Notably, it includes the phrase "A 'sports event' shall include any live competition or talent contest, including awards competitions[.]"
New Jersey and Massachusetts are two of the only states that allow betting on the Oscars, with New Jersey okaying it in 2019 (the first state to do so) and Massachusetts greenlighting it in 2023. It's unknown if WWE will approach either state or how each state would respond, but at bare minimum, WWE's argument to treat wrestling like the Oscars for betting purposes might carry some weight.
Washington and New Mexico illustrate the challenges of Tribal gaming
Washington is unique among the states who responded to us, in that sports wagering is only available on Tribal lands yet still regulated by the state. Sports wagering was legalized, subject to terms of Tribal/State Compacts, on Tribal lands in 2020. All wagering, even online betting, must take place on Tribal lands, and each casino decides bets within certain limitations. The Angel of the Winds Casino and Resort and the ilani Casino Resort, for example, don't 100% overlap on sports offered for betting.
But WWE, or any wrestling, won't be joining those offering under current rules and regulations. Dan Wegenast, Agent In Charge for the Tribal Gaming Unit of the Washington State Gambling Commission, pointed Wrestling Inc. towards the Tribal/State Compacts for sports wagering. He also stated that "Washington State law and the Tribal/State Compacts for sports wagering ... prohibit wagers on events with known outcomes."
To further illustrate the complications of garnering approval for gaming on Tribal lands, a representative from the New Mexican Gaming Control Board told Wrestling Inc. that sports betting is illegal in their state, but legal with some Tribes. That said, New Mexico does not regulate Tribal gaming, meaning that approval would likely have to be worked out with each Tribe individually.
There are other obstacles, too
It's worth noting that gambling laws are constantly changing. Many states without gambling –- such as North Carolina -– have spent years hammering out legislation that would approve gambling off Tribal lands. Additionally, for states with legalized gambling, internal policies are not inherently laws, and can be subject to change under the right circumstances.
That said, even if WWE manages to get gambling on matches approved anywhere, that's only one part of the battle: They still need casinos and/or sportsbooks to be willing to accept wagers at all, and there's resistance in this field, as well, as demonstrated in subsequent coverage from CNBC. FanDuel deems it unlikely that they'd ever accept bets on WWE, noting that the Academy Awards –- which held once per year -– are vastly different than dealing with WWE's weekly programming. Additionally, when BetCEO Adam Greenblatt was asked if he had any interesting in accepting bets on WWE, he responded "NFW."
Between the overwhelming majority opinions of the 13 states who responded to Wrestling Inc., the states that have already responded, and the reluctance of sportsbooks to include anything that looks less than credible, WWE faces an increasingly uphill battle if they want to make betting on wrestling matches legal anywhere in the United States.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Australian Media and Photographer Legend Dies, by Greg Tingle - 22nd November 2010
RIP Peter Carrette. Peter, you were an angel among us. I feel blessed to have known you. Glad we caught up at the Bondi Beach Sea Shepherd on Friday. It was strange how we first met at Kerry Packer's funeral in 2005, at the Sydney Opera House, on a day which was more a celebration of life, rather than a focus on his death. When I moved to Bondi Beach in 2008 our friendship blossomed, and you were always an attentive ear, and a wonderful source of information and humor. Your Packer and nightlife stories were fantastic and music to my years. Being able to make modest donations to your orphanage in Cambodia was and always will occupy a special place in my heart and memory, as it will for our dear friend, Eva, who also just loved your presence, generosity of heart and spirit, and your photos of course. Eva and I just loved the gifts we got from you at the beach on the weekend, having been sent over from your orphanage in Cambodia. Your Tony Abbott costume you wore to the Sea Shepherd No Compromise! event on Friday night was a classic, just as you were. Knowing you enriched my life, and that of so many of my friends and acquaintances. You were one of the Australian media's great guys, and I think you knew that I saw you as a bit of a father figure or uncle also, even though I never said those words. You were smart enough to know. The visits to the "best office in the world' at the pad at Bondi Beach were also a fun and memorable experience. Your beautify energy, passion and warmth will always be remembered. You made me, and others, probably look so much better than we actually were, thanks to your artistic and creative gifts. Your colorful shoes will be hard to fill. Always in my mind, and whenever I walk down the hill to the beach I will continue to think of you fondly. You were way too good, in too many ways, to only be remembered as a great photographer. You were a wonderful human being. Another legend has been lost, but will never be forgotten
Greg Tingle, Founder and Director, Media Man
Australian Media and Photographer Legend Dies, by Greg Tingle
One of Australia's most colorful and successful photographers Peter Carrette has died of a heart attack this past weekend.
Regarded as one of the good guys in the pap and photography biz, London born Carrette first came to prominence when he photographed a sick Marianne Faithful in a drug coma in her hospital bed circa 1969.
Faithful had tripped to Australia with musician Mick Jagger who was to star in a film about Ned Kelly. She had over-dosed after, it was claimed in the British press, she had discovered Jagger in bed as it were, with another woman.
Carrette donned a white doctor's coat and stethoscope and sneaked into Faithful's room, snapped the photo that was flashed around the world as one of the first examples of intrusive photography. Earlier this year when Faithful was in town for the Sydney Festival, she advised new media outlet 'The Shuttle' she'd still like to give the snapper a "quick boot in the backside". However she later revealed she had forgiven him.
After a stint of studying photography in London, Carrette traveled to Sydney and picked up gig as Sir Frank Packer's copy boy when the media baron owned Daily Mirror newspaper.
Once established he worked for various publications photographing news. He ambushed the US invasion of Grenada by hiring a smuggler's boat while the world's news media waited for official transport in downtown Barbados. He also did well in New York for 6 years and photographed for leading fashion title Vogue in Paris for 2 years.
A few years back here in Sydney he and another pap squirted the actor Heath Ledger with water pistols at a Sydney film premiere. The images of a startled and wet Ledger was flashed around the world. He was ever so briefly banned by film companies from movie premieres and the like, but later made peace with Ledger shortly before he died in New York.
Carrette also supported an orphanage in Cambodia by donating the fees received from his exclusive candid photos of celebrities often taken around Bondi Beach.
He ran his own studio and photo biz from a Bondi Beach flat, "The greatest office in the world" he said, where he had lived for the past 20 years. The flat is owned by his good mate, Jack Thompson.
Carrette was well liked in the industry, a keen philanthropist, and gave a lot back to the industry.
He attended the Sea Shepherd Bondi No Compromise! event at the beach on Friday night at the invitation of Media Man, who has collaborated closely with Peter over the past 3 years, usually at Bondi Beach and often on community based projects.
It's understood he passed away on Sunday evening from heart failure while working at his computer.
Media Man Profiles
Peter Carrette
Social and Community Entrepreneurs
Bondi Beach
Media Man
Greg Tingle, Founder and Director, Media Man
Australian Media and Photographer Legend Dies, by Greg Tingle
One of Australia's most colorful and successful photographers Peter Carrette has died of a heart attack this past weekend.
Regarded as one of the good guys in the pap and photography biz, London born Carrette first came to prominence when he photographed a sick Marianne Faithful in a drug coma in her hospital bed circa 1969.
Faithful had tripped to Australia with musician Mick Jagger who was to star in a film about Ned Kelly. She had over-dosed after, it was claimed in the British press, she had discovered Jagger in bed as it were, with another woman.
Carrette donned a white doctor's coat and stethoscope and sneaked into Faithful's room, snapped the photo that was flashed around the world as one of the first examples of intrusive photography. Earlier this year when Faithful was in town for the Sydney Festival, she advised new media outlet 'The Shuttle' she'd still like to give the snapper a "quick boot in the backside". However she later revealed she had forgiven him.
After a stint of studying photography in London, Carrette traveled to Sydney and picked up gig as Sir Frank Packer's copy boy when the media baron owned Daily Mirror newspaper.
Once established he worked for various publications photographing news. He ambushed the US invasion of Grenada by hiring a smuggler's boat while the world's news media waited for official transport in downtown Barbados. He also did well in New York for 6 years and photographed for leading fashion title Vogue in Paris for 2 years.
A few years back here in Sydney he and another pap squirted the actor Heath Ledger with water pistols at a Sydney film premiere. The images of a startled and wet Ledger was flashed around the world. He was ever so briefly banned by film companies from movie premieres and the like, but later made peace with Ledger shortly before he died in New York.
Carrette also supported an orphanage in Cambodia by donating the fees received from his exclusive candid photos of celebrities often taken around Bondi Beach.
He ran his own studio and photo biz from a Bondi Beach flat, "The greatest office in the world" he said, where he had lived for the past 20 years. The flat is owned by his good mate, Jack Thompson.
Carrette was well liked in the industry, a keen philanthropist, and gave a lot back to the industry.
He attended the Sea Shepherd Bondi No Compromise! event at the beach on Friday night at the invitation of Media Man, who has collaborated closely with Peter over the past 3 years, usually at Bondi Beach and often on community based projects.
It's understood he passed away on Sunday evening from heart failure while working at his computer.
Media Man Profiles
Peter Carrette
Social and Community Entrepreneurs
Bondi Beach
Media Man
Bondi Beach Lifeguards And Amanda Hinchcliffe Help Build Giant Mo Sandcastle!
Bondi Rescue Lifeguards And Amanda Hinchcliffe Help Build Giant Mo Sandcastle!
Bondi Beach grows a giant Mo!
This Tuesday morning, 23rd Movember, the Bondi Rescue Life Guards - famous icons of health and vitality in Sydney - will show their support for the betterment of men’s health by helping to build a giant sandcastle Mo, or Mo-Castle, at iconic Bondi Beach.
This will be the creation of award winning sand sculptor Jino van Bruinessen (one of only 5 sand sculptors operating in Australia), who will be joined by Bondi Rescue Lifeguards Hoppo and Kerbox, Movember Mo Sista ambassadors Amanda Hinchcliffe and Kate Hurst, and Movember spokesperson Rob Treharne.
The massive Mo-Castle will be a celebration of, and nod to, the vast numbers of Mo's being worn proudly on the lips of men around the country, and globe. And what better place to do it than Bondi - internationally famous for healthy living, sand, and the outdoors.
This week Movember hit their millionth registration and remain on course to beat all previous donations and registration records. With NSW numbers at over 37,000 registrations and over a third of all money raised so far (over 3 million dollars) we hope this will be all the encouragement Sydney-siders need to keep up the good fight for the remainder of the month.
Where:
Bondi Beach, Sydney from 07:00am on Tuesday 23rd Movember!
Visual opportunities:
7.30am - 1.00pm - Sandcastle in progress
12.30 - 1.00pm - Sandcastle to be completed
Interview opportunities:
7.00am - 1.00pm - Movember spokesperson Rob Treharne, Mo Sista ambassador Kate Hurst
8.00am - 1.30pm - Bondi Rescue stars and surf lifesavers Hoppo and Kerbox, Mo Sista ambassador Miss Hawaiian Tropic 2010 Amanda Hinchcliffe
Press enquiries please contact Josh Gardiner 0403 921 097
To speak to our official spokesperson please contact Robbie Treharne 0419 273 263
For assistance on the day, please contact event manager Anestis Mantzouranis 0438 250 565
Media Man Profiles
Bondi Beach
Bondi Rescue
Movember
AutoBabes
Social and Community Entrepreneurs
Charity
Media Man
News
News
Bondi News
Community News
Bondi Beach grows a giant Mo!
This Tuesday morning, 23rd Movember, the Bondi Rescue Life Guards - famous icons of health and vitality in Sydney - will show their support for the betterment of men’s health by helping to build a giant sandcastle Mo, or Mo-Castle, at iconic Bondi Beach.
This will be the creation of award winning sand sculptor Jino van Bruinessen (one of only 5 sand sculptors operating in Australia), who will be joined by Bondi Rescue Lifeguards Hoppo and Kerbox, Movember Mo Sista ambassadors Amanda Hinchcliffe and Kate Hurst, and Movember spokesperson Rob Treharne.
The massive Mo-Castle will be a celebration of, and nod to, the vast numbers of Mo's being worn proudly on the lips of men around the country, and globe. And what better place to do it than Bondi - internationally famous for healthy living, sand, and the outdoors.
This week Movember hit their millionth registration and remain on course to beat all previous donations and registration records. With NSW numbers at over 37,000 registrations and over a third of all money raised so far (over 3 million dollars) we hope this will be all the encouragement Sydney-siders need to keep up the good fight for the remainder of the month.
Where:
Bondi Beach, Sydney from 07:00am on Tuesday 23rd Movember!
Visual opportunities:
7.30am - 1.00pm - Sandcastle in progress
12.30 - 1.00pm - Sandcastle to be completed
Interview opportunities:
7.00am - 1.00pm - Movember spokesperson Rob Treharne, Mo Sista ambassador Kate Hurst
8.00am - 1.30pm - Bondi Rescue stars and surf lifesavers Hoppo and Kerbox, Mo Sista ambassador Miss Hawaiian Tropic 2010 Amanda Hinchcliffe
Press enquiries please contact Josh Gardiner 0403 921 097
To speak to our official spokesperson please contact Robbie Treharne 0419 273 263
For assistance on the day, please contact event manager Anestis Mantzouranis 0438 250 565
Media Man Profiles
Bondi Beach
Bondi Rescue
Movember
AutoBabes
Social and Community Entrepreneurs
Charity
Media Man
News
News
Bondi News
Community News
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Human Statue Bodyart Sponsors Sea Shepherd; Amazing Human Statue To Make Special Appearance This Friday Night 7pm At Bondi Beach Pavilion; Sydney
Human Statue Bodyart director, Eva Rinaldi, is delighted to announce that she has sponsored the world famous Sea Shepherd Conversation Society event coming up this Friday night at Bondi Beach.
Ms Rinaldi, a long time social and community entrepreneur and environmentalist, didn't need too much convincing to support the cause when she found out via the grapevine that Captain Paul Watson and his fearless Sea Shepherd crew and team would be hosting a special event 'No Comprimise' at the High Tide Room, Bondi Pavilion.
In recent months Ms Rinaldi has organised, promoted and executed a number of her home grown events and happenings at Bondi Beach included 'Let's Paint Oprah', 'Dear Oprah', 'Breaking Down The Walls', with more soon to follow.
Ms Rinaldi has promised to unleash a nature - Sea Shepherd themed human statue creation, the likes of which has never been seen before. Whether you're a passionate environmentalist, art lover, both, or just curious, come long and be part of what will be one of Bondi Beach's most memorable happenings this year. The big night will offer a host of entertainment, inspiration, memorabilia, presentations, surprises and of course, great food and drinks.
Operation No Compromise is the Sea Shepherd's 7th annual Antarctic based campaign and the focus is protecting the whales in the Southern Ocean.
When quizzed about her main motivation to become pro actively involved with Sea Shepherd Ms Rinaldi said "I have been passionate about nature and animals for as long as I can remember. I grew up on a farm. Over the years I have heard a lot of wonderful things about Captain Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherd team. My media agent Greg Tingle had been telling me a lot of great things about them and when I found out they would be appearing again at Bondi Beach I thought count me in. We are all so excited, and what a fantastic venue for this wonderful cause. I can't wait to unveil my latest artistic creation there."
About Human Statue Bodyart:
Human Statue Bodyart is widely recognised as Australia's leading bodyart, bodypainting and human statue agency. They have been in business since 1997 and have worked on such diverse campaigns and personalities including Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Raymond Usher, Sydney Opera Bar, Let's Paint Oprah, Roberto Duran - Mexican Day Of The Dead, Virgin, Eclipse and Tourism Australia. They offer everything from basic makeup and styling, props and design, education and training, film set and TV support, all the way up to national and international campaigns.
Website
Human Statue Bodyart
About Sea Shepherd Conservation Society:
The Sea Shepherd Convervational Society (SSCS) is a non-profit, marine conservation organization based in Friday Harbor, Washington, in the United States. The group uses direct action tactics to protect sealife. Sea Shepherd currently operates te vessels MY Steve Irwin, Ocean Adventurer and the Bob Barker, as the most of the group's activities take place in international waters. The group has a strong focus on public relations to spread their message via the media.
Websites
Sea Shepherd
Sea Shepherd: Bondi Beach
About Media Man:
Media Man is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. Media Man was established in 2001 by Greg Tingle, and has created and operated some of Australia's largest and more successful media campaigns. Media Man is the media agent for Human Statue Bodyart and a long time fan and supporter of Sea Shepherd and host of other social and community causes. Founder, Greg Tingle, is a Bondi Beach based journalist, media commentator, environmentalist and social entrepreneur.
Media Man Profiles
Human Statue Bodyart
Sea Shepherd
Captain Paul Watson
Eva Rinaldi
Greg Tingle
Media Man
Bondi Beach
Event Details:
Bondi No Compromise!
When: Friday, 19th November 2010
Where: Bondi Pavillion, High Tide Room, Bondi Beach, NSW
Contact: sydney@seashepherd.org
Tickets: AU$25
Ms Rinaldi, a long time social and community entrepreneur and environmentalist, didn't need too much convincing to support the cause when she found out via the grapevine that Captain Paul Watson and his fearless Sea Shepherd crew and team would be hosting a special event 'No Comprimise' at the High Tide Room, Bondi Pavilion.
In recent months Ms Rinaldi has organised, promoted and executed a number of her home grown events and happenings at Bondi Beach included 'Let's Paint Oprah', 'Dear Oprah', 'Breaking Down The Walls', with more soon to follow.
Ms Rinaldi has promised to unleash a nature - Sea Shepherd themed human statue creation, the likes of which has never been seen before. Whether you're a passionate environmentalist, art lover, both, or just curious, come long and be part of what will be one of Bondi Beach's most memorable happenings this year. The big night will offer a host of entertainment, inspiration, memorabilia, presentations, surprises and of course, great food and drinks.
Operation No Compromise is the Sea Shepherd's 7th annual Antarctic based campaign and the focus is protecting the whales in the Southern Ocean.
When quizzed about her main motivation to become pro actively involved with Sea Shepherd Ms Rinaldi said "I have been passionate about nature and animals for as long as I can remember. I grew up on a farm. Over the years I have heard a lot of wonderful things about Captain Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherd team. My media agent Greg Tingle had been telling me a lot of great things about them and when I found out they would be appearing again at Bondi Beach I thought count me in. We are all so excited, and what a fantastic venue for this wonderful cause. I can't wait to unveil my latest artistic creation there."
About Human Statue Bodyart:
Human Statue Bodyart is widely recognised as Australia's leading bodyart, bodypainting and human statue agency. They have been in business since 1997 and have worked on such diverse campaigns and personalities including Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Raymond Usher, Sydney Opera Bar, Let's Paint Oprah, Roberto Duran - Mexican Day Of The Dead, Virgin, Eclipse and Tourism Australia. They offer everything from basic makeup and styling, props and design, education and training, film set and TV support, all the way up to national and international campaigns.
Website
Human Statue Bodyart
About Sea Shepherd Conservation Society:
The Sea Shepherd Convervational Society (SSCS) is a non-profit, marine conservation organization based in Friday Harbor, Washington, in the United States. The group uses direct action tactics to protect sealife. Sea Shepherd currently operates te vessels MY Steve Irwin, Ocean Adventurer and the Bob Barker, as the most of the group's activities take place in international waters. The group has a strong focus on public relations to spread their message via the media.
Websites
Sea Shepherd
Sea Shepherd: Bondi Beach
About Media Man:
Media Man is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. Media Man was established in 2001 by Greg Tingle, and has created and operated some of Australia's largest and more successful media campaigns. Media Man is the media agent for Human Statue Bodyart and a long time fan and supporter of Sea Shepherd and host of other social and community causes. Founder, Greg Tingle, is a Bondi Beach based journalist, media commentator, environmentalist and social entrepreneur.
Media Man Profiles
Human Statue Bodyart
Sea Shepherd
Captain Paul Watson
Eva Rinaldi
Greg Tingle
Media Man
Bondi Beach
Event Details:
Bondi No Compromise!
When: Friday, 19th November 2010
Where: Bondi Pavillion, High Tide Room, Bondi Beach, NSW
Contact: sydney@seashepherd.org
Tickets: AU$25
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