Get Rid of The Donkeys
Coach
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I stated why News Ltd propped them. They didn't have the AwFuL broadcast rights until 2002. Once they set up the Storm they were stuck with them. No one was going to buy them in 2002 and the game couldn't afford anymore turmoil after the fallout from South Sydney's axing and return.*Gives reasons as to why the Storm are valuable to News while at the same time arguing they are not valuable* ... just bizarre
Remember when you called me an idiot for saying News Ltd ran the Storm?
In 2006, the Storm's give member board included "News Ltd executives Peter Jourdain and Frank Stanton and John Webster, from News subsidiary Herald and Weekly Times."
Storm hated 'because of Murdoch link'
Dan Harrison (Age)
August 2, 2006
MELBOURNE Storm would not be taken seriously by the rugby league community or embraced by its home city while it was owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Limited, its chief executive, Brian Waldron, says. In comments certain to raise eyebrows at News Limited's Sydney headquarters, Mr Waldron said his club was despised because of its connection to Mr Murdoch, who in 1993 set up Super League in an attempt to capture the sport for pay TV channel Foxtel after Kerry Packer's Optus Vision won the rights to the Australian Rugby League.
The Storm, which is on top of the NRL ladder with 16 wins from 19 games, has been dependent on money from Murdoch since its inception in 1998. News Ltd wholly owns the club. "I'd love to think that if we won a premiership the people of Victoria would be a little bit proud of us," Mr Waldron told a business breakfast hosted by youth charity Whitelion yesterday. "But I'm also mindful of the fact that they're probably not going to be that proud of us, because they don't own the team," he said. The Storm's five-member board includes News Ltd executives Peter Jourdain and Frank Stanton and John Webster, from News subsidiary Herald and Weekly Times.
"In the game of rugby league, News Limited's a huge issue, because News Limited created Super League, and Super League created the rugby league war," Mr Waldron, a former chief executive of St Kilda Football Club, said. "The issue we have for Melbourne Storm is how do we get rid of the big grandfather of News Limited that sits over the top of us and makes us so despised by everyone. "Whilst we're owned by News Limited, it's extremely difficult to continue to have some credibility in the marketplace. "We need to be a stand-alone entity that's financially viable. Long term, we want to be owned by the people of Melbourne."
Mr Waldron cited as a possible model the Green Bay Packers in the United States National Football League, which has operated as a publicly-owned non-profit corporation since 1923. (yes - great call) About 4.75 million shares are held by about 110,000 shareholders, none of whom receive a dividend on their initial investment. To prevent anyone from taking control of the team, the articles of incorporation prohibit any one person from owning more than 200,000 shares.
News Limited's director of corporate affairs, Greg Baxter, said that while his company had no plans to sell, it would be interested in hearing from people wanting to invest in the Storm. "News is 100 per cent committed to the Storm," Mr Baxter said. "If there are other investors who want to support the Storm, we'd love to have them on board. They would have to be like-minded people that believe in rugby league in Melbourne. "If those people want to invest in the club and believe in it the way we do, we'd love to talk to them."
Dan Harrison (Age)
August 2, 2006
MELBOURNE Storm would not be taken seriously by the rugby league community or embraced by its home city while it was owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Limited, its chief executive, Brian Waldron, says. In comments certain to raise eyebrows at News Limited's Sydney headquarters, Mr Waldron said his club was despised because of its connection to Mr Murdoch, who in 1993 set up Super League in an attempt to capture the sport for pay TV channel Foxtel after Kerry Packer's Optus Vision won the rights to the Australian Rugby League.
The Storm, which is on top of the NRL ladder with 16 wins from 19 games, has been dependent on money from Murdoch since its inception in 1998. News Ltd wholly owns the club. "I'd love to think that if we won a premiership the people of Victoria would be a little bit proud of us," Mr Waldron told a business breakfast hosted by youth charity Whitelion yesterday. "But I'm also mindful of the fact that they're probably not going to be that proud of us, because they don't own the team," he said. The Storm's five-member board includes News Ltd executives Peter Jourdain and Frank Stanton and John Webster, from News subsidiary Herald and Weekly Times.
"In the game of rugby league, News Limited's a huge issue, because News Limited created Super League, and Super League created the rugby league war," Mr Waldron, a former chief executive of St Kilda Football Club, said. "The issue we have for Melbourne Storm is how do we get rid of the big grandfather of News Limited that sits over the top of us and makes us so despised by everyone. "Whilst we're owned by News Limited, it's extremely difficult to continue to have some credibility in the marketplace. "We need to be a stand-alone entity that's financially viable. Long term, we want to be owned by the people of Melbourne."
Mr Waldron cited as a possible model the Green Bay Packers in the United States National Football League, which has operated as a publicly-owned non-profit corporation since 1923. (yes - great call) About 4.75 million shares are held by about 110,000 shareholders, none of whom receive a dividend on their initial investment. To prevent anyone from taking control of the team, the articles of incorporation prohibit any one person from owning more than 200,000 shares.
News Limited's director of corporate affairs, Greg Baxter, said that while his company had no plans to sell, it would be interested in hearing from people wanting to invest in the Storm. "News is 100 per cent committed to the Storm," Mr Baxter said. "If there are other investors who want to support the Storm, we'd love to have them on board. They would have to be like-minded people that believe in rugby league in Melbourne. "If those people want to invest in the club and believe in it the way we do, we'd love to talk to them."