CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by University of Queensland eSpace AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HISTORY GROUP NEWSLETTER ISSN 1443-4962 No. 36 February 2006 Compiled for the ANHG by Rod Kirkpatrick, 13 Sumac Street, Middle Park, Qld, 4074. Ph. 07-3279 2279. E-mail:
[email protected] 36.1 COPY DEADLINE AND WEBSITE ADDRESS Deadline for next Newsletter: 30 April 2006. Subscription details appear at end of Newsletter. [Number 1 appeared October 1999.] The Newsletter is online through the “Publications” link of the University of Queensland’s School of Journalism & Communication Website at www.uq.edu.au/journ-comm/ and through the ePrint Archives at the University of Queensland at http://eprint.uq.edu.au/) CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS: METROPOLITAN 36.2 DEATH OF KERRY PACKER Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer died in his sleep on 26 December 2005, aged 68. Packer, who was Australia’s wealthiest citizen, was a sometime newspaper owner (mainly regional newspapers, but also the Canberra Times, 1987-89), and the principal shareholder in Publishing & Broadcasting Ltd (PBL), which runs, amongst other enterprises, the biggest stable of magazines in Australia and the Nine television network. He was the third-generation member of the Packer media dynasty. His father, Sir Frank Packer, owned the Daily Telegraph from 1936-72 and started Channel 9 in both Sydney and Melbourne; and Kerry’s grandfather, Robert Clyde Packer, was a newspaper manager and owner whose fortunes received a wonderful boost when he was given a one-third interest in Smith’s Weekly. On 28 December and on succeeding days, Australian newspapers gave extensive coverage to the death of Kerry Packer and its implications for the future of PBL, but especially the Nine Network.