News Limited Information
News Limited is an Australian newspaper publisher. Until the formation of News Corporation in 1979, it was the principal holding for the business interests of Rupert Murdoch. Since then, News Limited has been wholly owned by News Corporation.
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History
Rupert Murdoch inherited the Adelaide News in 1952 following the death of his father, Sir Keith Murdoch. This paper has been described by Bruce Page[1] as the "foundation stone" of News Limited (and News Corporation).
Over the next few years, Murdoch gradually established himself as one of the most dynamic media proprietors in Australia, quickly expanding his holdings by acquiring a string of daily and suburban newspapers in most capital cities, including the Sydney afternoon paper, The Daily Mirror, as well as a small Sydney-based recording company, Festival Records. His acquisition of the Mirror proved crucial to his success, allowing him to challenge the dominance of his two main rivals in the Sydney market, the Fairfax Newspapers group, which published the hugely profitable Sydney Morning Herald, and the Consolidated Press group, owned by Sir Frank Packer, which published the city's leading tabloid paper, the Daily Telegraph.
In 1964, News Limited made its next important advance when it established The Australian, Australia's first national daily newspaper, based first in Canberra and later in Sydney. The Australian, a broadsheet, gave News Ltd. a new respectability as a "quality" newspaper publisher, and also greater political influence since The Australian has always had an elite readership, if not always a large circulation.
In 1972, News Ltd. acquired the Sydney-based Daily Telegraph from Sir Frank Packer, making Murdoch one of the "big three" newspaper proprietors in Australia, along with Fairfax Media in Sydney and his father's old Herald and Weekly Times Ltd in Melbourne. In the 1972 elections, Murdoch swung his newspapers' support behind Gough Whitlam and the left wing Australian Labor Party, but by 1975 he had turned against Labor, and since then has almost always supported the rightist Liberal Party.
Over the next ten years, as his press empire grew, Murdoch established a hugely lucrative financial base, and these profits were routinely used to subsidise further acquisitions. In his early years of newspaper ownership Murdoch was an aggressive, micromanaging entrepreneur. His standard tactic was to buy loss-making Australian newspapers and turn them around by introducing radical management and editorial changes and fighting no-holds-barred circulation wars with his competitors. By the 1970s, this power base was so strong that Murdoch was able to acquire leading newspapers and magazines in both London and New York, as well as many other media holdings.
On the 12th July 2006, News Limited announced the creation of a new division, News Digital Media. The operations of News Digital Media includes the news site NEWS.com.au; the online marketplace sites, carsguide.com.au, truelocal.com.au and careerone.com.au as well as the partly owned realestate.com.au, foxsports.com.au and related activities involving foxtel and the company’s newspapers and the Australian versions of Fox Interactive Media sites MySpace and IGN. Chairman and chief executive of News Limited, John Hartigan, announced the appointment of Richard Freudenstein as chief executive of the division.[2]
Influence in Australia
Murdoch's desire for dominant cross-media ownership manifested early—in 1961 he bought an ailing Australian record label, Festival Records, and within a few years it had become the leading local recording company. He also bought a television station in Wollongong, New South Wales, hoping to use it to break into the Sydney television market, but found himself frustrated by Australia's cross-media ownership laws, which prevented him from owning both a major newspaper and television station in the same city. Since then he has consistently lobbied, both personally and through his papers, to have these laws changed in his favour. This occurred in 2006 when the Liberal-National Coalition Government, having gained control of both houses of the Australian Parliament, introduced reforms to cross-media ownership and foreign media ownership laws. The laws came into effect in early 2007.
News Limited has nearly three-quarters of daily metropolitan newspaper circulation and so maintains great influence in Australia. Internal News Limited documents reveal a brazen offer during the 2001 Federal election campaign to promote the policies of a major party in its best-selling newspapers nation-wide for almost $500,000[3]. Other documents include a marginal seats guide written by a senior business manager for internal use. It evidences a corporate strategy to target marginal seats at the 2004 election[4]. Some of the documents appeared on Media Watch[5] but received very little coverage[6].
Acquisitions
Britain
Murdoch moved to Britain and rapidly became a major force there after his acquisitions of the News of the World, and The Sun in 1969 and The Times and The Sunday Times in 1981, which he bought in 1981 from the Thomson family. Both takeovers further reinforced his growing reputation as a ruthless and cunning business operator. His takeover of The Times aroused great hostility among traditionalists, who feared he would take it "downmarket." This led directly to the founding of The Independent in 1986 as an alternative quality daily.
United States
Murdoch made his first acquisition in the United States in 1973, when he purchased the San Antonio News. Soon afterwards he founded the National Star, a supermarket tabloid, and in 1976 he purchased the New York Post. Subsequent acquisitions were undertaken through News Corporation.
Australia
News Limited expanded its newspaper holdings in 1987 when it acquired The Herald and Weekly Times, which published two newspapers in Melbourne (in 1990 these papers would be combined to form the Herald Sun) as well as large stakes in several other newspaper publishers. News Limited went on to acquire the remaining shares of Brisbane's Queensland Newspapers (owner of The Courier-Mail), Adelaide's Advertiser Newspapers (owner of The Advertiser) and Hobart's Davies Brothers (owner of The Mercury).
In 1991 News Limited spun off its longtime magazine house, Southdown Press, as Pacific Magazines and Printing, and sold the former Advertiser magazines, renamed Murdoch Magazines, to Matt Handbury. News Limited reentered the magazine market in 2000 with the start of News Magazines. In 2006, News Limited returned to being a major player in the Australian magazine business with the purchase of Independent Print Media Group's FPC Magazines (Delicious, Super Food Ideas, Vogue Australia).
Holdings
As a part of News Corporation, News Limited operates the following:
Newspapers
Metropolitan newspapers, magazines and news distribution channels
National
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- The Australian including weekly insert magazine The Deal and monthly insert magazine (wish) [7]
- The Weekend Australian including insert magazine The Weekend Australian Magazine [8]
- Australian Associated Press (45%)
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New South Wales
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- The Daily Telegraph [9]
- The Sunday Telegraph including insert magazine sundaymagazine [10]
- mX (Sydney) [11]
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Victorian
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- Herald Sun [12]
- Sunday Herald Sun including insert magazine sundaymagazine [13]
- mX (Melbourne) [14]
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Queensland
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- The Courier-Mail including weekly insert magazine QWeekend [15]
- The Sunday Mail [16]
- Brisbane News [17]
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South Australia
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- The Advertiser including the monthly insert the Adelaide* magazine [18]
- Sunday Mail [19]
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Western Australia
Tasmania
Northern Territory
Community suburban newspapers
Sydney
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- Cumberland/Courier (NSW) newspapers [25]
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- Blacktown Advocate
- Canterbury-Bankstown Express
- Central
- Central Coast Express Advocate
- Fairfield Advance
- Hills Shire Times
- Hornsby and Upper North Shore Advocate
- Inner West Courier
- Liverpool Leader
- Macarthur Chronicle
- Mt Druitt-St Marys Standard
- NINETOFIVE
- North Shore Times
- Northern District Times
- NORTHSIDE
- Parramatta Advertiser
- Penrith Press
- Rouse Hill Times
- Southern Courier
- The Manly Daily
- The Mosman Daily
- Village Voice Balmain
- Wentworth Courier
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- Cumberland/Courier (NSW) newspapers [25]
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Melbourne
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- Leader (Vic) newspapers [26]
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- Bayside Leader
- Berwick/Pakenham Cardinia Leader
- Brimbank Leader
- Caulfield Glen Eira/Port Philip Leader
- Cranbourne Leader
- Dandenong/Springvale Dandenong Leader
- Diamond Valley Leader
- Frankston Standard/Hastings Leader
- Free Press Leader
- Heidelberg Leader
- Hobsons Bay Leader
- Hume Leader
- Knox Leader
- Lilydale & Yarra Valley Leader
- Manningham Leader
- Maribyrnong Leader
- Maroondah Leader
- Melbourne Leader
- Melton/Moorabool Leader
- Moonee Valley Leader
- Moorabbin Kingston/Moorabbin Glen Eira Leader
- Mordialloc Chelsea Leader
- Moreland Leader
- Mornington Peninsula Leader
- Northcote Leader
- Preston Leader
- Progress Leader
- Stonnington Leader
- Sunbury/Macedon Ranges Leader
- Waverley/Oakleigh Monash Leader
- Whitehorse Leader
- Whittlesea Leader
- Wyndham Leader
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- Leader (Vic) newspapers [26]
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Brisbane
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- Quest (QLD) newspapers [27]
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- Albert & Logan News (Fri)
- Albert & Logan News (Wed)
- Caboolture Shire Herald
- Caloundra Journal
- City News
- City North News
- City South News
- Ipswich News
- Logan West Leader
- Maroochy Journal
- North-West News
- Northern Times
- Northside Chronicle
- Pine Rivers Press/North Lakes Times
- Redcliffe and Bayside Herald
- South-East Advertiser
- South-West News/Springfield News
- Southern Star
- The Noosa Journal
- weekender
- Westside News
- Wynnum Herald
- Weekender Essential Sunshine Coast
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- Quest (QLD) newspapers [27]
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Adelaide
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- Messenger (SA) newspapers [28]
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- Adelaide Matters
- City Messenger
- City North Messenger
- East Torrens Messenger
- Eastern Courier Messenger
- Guardian Messenger
- Hills & Valley Messenger
- Leader Messenger
- News Review Messenger
- Portside Messenger
- Southern Times Messenger
- Weekly Times Messenger
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- Messenger (SA) newspapers [28]
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Perth
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- Community (WA) newspapers [29]
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- Advocate
- Canning Times
- Comment News
- Eastern Reporter
- Fremantle-Cockburn Gazette
- Guardian Express
- Hills-Avon Valley Gazette
- Joondalup-Wanneroo Times
- Mandurah Coastal / Pinjarra Murray Times
- Melville Times
- Midland-Kalamunda Reporter
- North Coast Times
- Southern Gazette
- Stirling Times
- Weekend-Kwinana Courier
- Weekender
- Western Suburbs Weekly
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- Community (WA) newspapers [29]
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Darwin
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- Sun (NT) newspapers [30]
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- Darwin Sun
- Litchfield Sun
- Palmerston Sun
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- Sun (NT) newspapers [30]
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Regional and rural newspapers
New South Wales
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- Tweed Sun'
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Victoria
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- Echo
- Geelong Advertiser
- GeelongNEWS
- The Weekly Times
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Queensland
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- Ayr Advocate
- Bowen Independent
- Cairns Sun
- Gold Coast Bulletin
- Gold Coast Sun
- Herbert River Express
- Home Hill Observer
- Innisfail Advocate
- Northern Miner
- Port Douglas & Mossman Gazette
- Tablelander - Atherton
- Tablelands Advertiser
- The Cairns Post
- The Noosa Journal
- Townsville Bulletin
- Townsville Sun
- weekender
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Tasmania
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- Derwent Valley Gazette
- Tasmanian Country
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Northern Territory
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- Centralian Advocate
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Magazines
- Alpha
- Australian Football Weekly
- Australian Golf Digest
- Australian Good Taste (with Woolworths)
- Australian Parents (with Woolworths)
- Best of the Gold Coast Magazine
- Big League
- Chopper
- Country Style
- delicious. (with the ABC)
- Donna Hay
- Gardening Australia (with the ABC)
- GQ Australia
- Inside Out
- Lifestyle Pools + outdoor design
- Live to Ride
- MasterChef Magazine
- Modern Boating
- Modern Fishing
- Overlander 4WD
- Super Food Ideas
- Tatto
- Truck & Trailer Australia
- Truckin' Life
- Two Wheels
- Two Wheels Scooter
- Vogue Australia
- Vogue Entertaining + Travel
- The Weekend Australian Magazine
- weekender
Websites
- www.news.com.au publishes news stories and multimedia created by a team of about 25 journalists as well as journalism from Murdoch's Australian newspapers. News.com.au is Australia's 3rd most popular news service with 4.5 million monthly unique browsers (Nielsen Market Intelligence, October 2009). The other major Australian news sites are (according to Nielsen Market Intelligence): news.ninemsn.com (#1), smh.com.au (#2), theage.com.au (#4) and Yahoo7.com.au (#5)). News.com.au is also a portal to the sites of other News Ltd mastheads and associated companies such as Fox Sports and the CareerOne job advertisement service.
NRL properties
- Brisbane Broncos Ltd (68.87%)
- Cowboys Rugby League Football Ltd (100%) (2001–2007)
- Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club Ltd (100%)
- National Rugby League (50%)
In New Zealand
- SKY Network Television (43.6%)
See also
References
- ^ Page, Bruce (2003). The Murdoch Archipelago. Pocket Books.
- ^ http://finance.news.com.au/story/0,10166,19765546-31037,00.html
- ^ http://www.limitednews.info/index.htm#CashForComment
- ^ http://www.limitednews.info/index.htm#guided_democracy
- ^ Media Watch | News Ltd unlimited cheek
- ^ http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/margo_kingston/000300.html
- ^ News Limited - NewsSpace: The Australian newspaper
- ^ News Limited - NewsSpace: The Weekend Australian newspaper
- ^ News Limited - NewsSpace: The Daily Telegraph newspaper
- ^ News Limited - NewsSpace: The Sunday Telegraph newspaper
- ^ News Limited - NewsSpace: mX (Sydney)
- ^ News Limited - NewsSpace: Herald Sun newspaper
- ^ Limited - NewsSpace: Sunday Herald Sun newspaper
- ^ News Limited - NewsSpace: mX (Melbourne)
- ^ News Limited - NewsSpace: The Courier-Mail newspaper
- ^ News Limited - NewsSpace: The Sunday Mail (Qld) newspaper
- ^ News Limited - NewsSpace: Brisbane News magazine
- ^ News Limited - NewsSpace: The Advertiser newspaper
- ^ News Limited - NewsSpace: Sunday Mail newspaper
- ^ News Limited - NewsSpace: The Sunday Times newspaper
- ^ News Limited - NewsSpace: The Mercury newspaper
- ^ News Limited - NewsSpace: The Sunday Tasmanian newspaper
- ^ News Limited - NewsSpace: Northern Territory News newspaper
- ^ News Limited - NewsSpace: Sunday Territorian newspaper
- ^ News Limited - NewsSpace: Cumberland/Courier (NSW) newspapers
- ^ News Limited - NewsSpace: Leader (Vic) newspapers
- ^ News Limited - NewsSpace: Quest (Qld) newspapers
- ^ News Limited - NewsSpace: Messenger (SA) newspapers
- ^ News Limited - NewsSpace: Community (WA) newspapers
- ^ News Limited - NewsSpace: Sun (NT) newspapers
External links
- News Corporation Website
- News Limited Metropolitan Newspapers
- News Limited Community Newspapers
- Transcript of John Hartigan speech at 2007 Andrew Olle Lecture
Categories: News Corporation subsidiaries | Companies based in Adelaide
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