Justice Lindsay Foster handed down 3 judgements last week that found Channel 7 lied, deceived its viewers and defamed people. It is not every day a court makes a finding that a media company is corrupt so it is worth looking at, even more so given Channel 7 lost 3 judgements in the one day. Of course the well-known frivolous and vexatious litigant Kerry Stokes might decide to appeal and pour more shareholders money down the drain.
Background
The government body that investigates complaints against TV stations is the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). They were investigating three separate complaints against Channel Seven in 2012. Two against 7’s Sunday Night program and one against 7’s Today Tonight program. Prior to finalising its Investigation Reports, the ACMA provided Preliminary Investigation Reports to Seven and sought comments from it in relation to that Preliminary Investigation Reports.
Channel 7 went to the Federal Court in 2013 and instituted legal proceedings to stop ACMA from publishing their findings. Well last week 7 last all three proceedings.
Federal Court upheld ACMA findings from 2013
Media site Mumbrella reported last week:
In one case, Seven’s Sunday Night accused the Australian owners of a ship of “cowardice” and “murder” for failing to attempt a rescue of people stuck on a mobile oil platform during a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico.
In another, Today Tonight was unfairly critical of a clinic in how it conducted a skin treatment .
And Sunday Night was found to have breached the rules around race in how it covered an Amazonian tribe. (Click here to read more)
Given the 3 court losses (yes, that’s right 3) I decided to help Seven and my mate Little Kerry out and have designed a new logo (see below) for Seven’s news and current affairs programs.
And Stokes is suing me for defamation, what a joke. I have never called Stokes a murderer. Although I suppose I could, given he is murdering journalism in this country and replacing it with lies and deception as the above federal court judgements show. For far too long people have criticised News Corp, Fairfax Media and the ABC etc and ignore the likes of 7. Let me say this, Kerry Stokes’s Channel 7 is far worse than any of them. They are grubs of the highest order. What sort of person or media company falsely accuses someone of being a murderer on national TV? Did Stokes or Channel 7 offer the person compensation for defaming him? I doubt it.
Remember it is Stokes and Channel Seven that organised the billion dollar sting that ripped off every Australian when they had the Labor Party reduce the TV broadcasting fees. (Click here to read more)
The three judgements are:
Channel Seven Perth Pty Limited v Australian Communications and Media Authority [2014] FCA 669 (Click here to read)
Channel Seven Adelaide Pty Limited v Australian Communications and Media Authority [2014] FCA 667 (Click here to read)
Channel Seven Brisbane Pty Limited v Australian Communications and Media Authority [2014] FCA 668 (Click here to read)
Stokes would have known he was going to lose the three judgements (as he has lost many) and has just used the court as a delaying tactic. In 2012 and 2013 media regulation was a hot topic in federal politics and I suspect Mr Stokes wanted to keep his dirty laundry hidden until after the federal government made a final decision in relation to media law changes which they did last year just before the federal election. Also Stokes probably wanted to avoid a large defamation payout.
Some people wonder why the likes of News Corp are under extreme pressure in the UK and other media groups here and overseas are struggling. It is mainly because they have lost their way and are no longer fearless or report without fear or favour like they should. Channel 7 and its parent Seven West Media will start going backwards very fast from now on and the main reason is because they operate without ethics or integrity.
This site criticises judges and the courts everyday so I must acknowledge that it is good to see Justice Lindsay Foster hand down 3 correct judgements.
Declaration: The author of this article (me) is extremely biased in relation to Kerry Stokes as I believe he is a nutter and he is currently suing me for defamation and has instituted contempt proceedings against me. I do not believe my actual bias has influenced the above post. Not much at least.
This site is independent and reliant on donations to keep publishing. If you would like to support the continuance and growth of this site it would be greatly appreciated if you make a donation. Click on the button below to donate via PayPal or go to the donations page for other donation options (Click here to go to the Donations page)
And make sure you follow this site by email which is at the top right of this page and about twice a week you be notified when there is a new post on this site.
Thank you for your support.
Categories: Justice Lindsay Foster, Kerry Stokes
@ Kerry Stokes:
“Big mistake. BIG mistake. Huge. I have to go blogging now!”
ROFLMAO!
I had to look it up so I guess others will. ROFLMAO means: (Internet slang) rolling on the floor laughing my ass off, an extended form of ROFL formed by the combining with LMAO; used to indicate great amusement.
I love the logo you made about Channel 7 Shane. “Lies as seen on Channel 7”. It has made my day. Kerry Stokes is a complete nutter, no doubt about it.
Now i hope you win against Stokes – about time someone pulled up the media who lies and think they can get away with it.
You’d have to be nuts to watch any TV Station and expect to be informed.
Shane, what a fantastic logo!
I must say, I have not watched Ch 7, 9 and 10 for years. I also give SBS and OUR ABC a big miss.
I am sick of the news-items they allow us to see, most of which are totally untrue or misrepresented.
Then of course there is the omission of news-items we do want to see, but which they do not want us to see, current issue the Royal Commission into the Governance and Corruption of Unions – nothing to see there!!!
I can only hope, that you will be the Number 4 Winner!
The BIG problem with all media is simply, they try to MAKE news. Not report the news as it is
Great news! When he loses the case against you, will be the icing on the cake. It ammuses me how these high flyers, keep generating more material, for your media site.
How do they get into these high positions and yet so stupid?????
Cheers
Great results for ACMA Shane, particularly when you consider it’s head, Chis Chapman, is a former 7 exec. KS must have been on the phone to him big time.
Your point about Stokes being a vexatious litigant is something that could advisably be considered further. Could an action to have him so declared stop him in his tracks? It probably wouldn’t affect your case but might result in a beneficial position preventing him from making similar claims in the future?
He may be vexatious, but he’s rich, and Australian Judges love rich people better than poor bloggers.
If you don’t watch Ch 7 you are uninformed, if you do watch Ch7 you are misinformed. ….
Apologies to Mark Twain….
All the best….Jimmy.
Reblogged this on Kerry Stokes.