Four Corners feature on Packer a ‘coincidence’: ABC
Oct 12
The ABC has rejected suggestions that it is giving free publicity to a new biography on James Packer, following the revelation that the book’s author Paul Barry will be presenting a report on tonight’s Four Corners programme about Packer’s life and career.
The broadcast of the programme – entitled “Will the Son Also Rise” – comes on the same day that Who Wants to be a Billionaire: The James Packer Story is being launched. Extracts of the biography published in Fairfax newspapers paint an unflattering portrait of the 42-year-old businessman, and it has already been attacked by Packer’s friends, as previously reported in TSR.
Four Corners executive producer Sue Spencer told the Australian that the timing of Barry’s feature was “coincidental”.
“In terms of the timing of it, it is coincidental, and I had no idea of the timing of the book.
“It is not free publicity for the book. We are looking at an issue which is a legitimate news story looking at [his] business activity and that is the reason why we are doing the story.”
“In our interviews Paul talks to people who don’t appear in the book.”
She rejected the notion that Four Corners should have postponed Barry’s story, saying that the story was “legitimate” and adding that the story had been discussed continuously over the last twelve months.
But Friends of the ABC said that the move was tantamount to a free advertisement for the biography, saying that the publicity generated by the Four Corners story would benefit Barry significantly. According to the organisation’s NSW president, Mal Hewitt:
“That Allen & Unwin are launching the book on the same day would seem to be a beautiful coincidence for Paul Barry.
“And I would be surprised if the ABC was not aware of the launch.”
Media Spy discussion: Four Corners
Cyril Washbrook October 12th 2009