Sky News boss hits back over government ban as advertiser boycott widens
Sky News boss Angelos Frangopoulos has hit out at the Victorian government over bans imposed on the embattled channel following an interview with agitator and white supremacist Blair Cottrell.
Yesterday, the fallout from the interview continued with Australia Post confirming it was the latest brand to pull advertising from the station.
Australia Post joins American Express, pharmaceutical giant GSK, travel firm Luxury Escapes and Terry White Chemists who have abandoned the channel over the past week.
The ban on Sky News being shown at Melbourne train stations was imposed last week by Victorian state minister Jacinta Allen who said; “hatred and racism have no place on our screens or in our community”.
Following the interview Sky News apologised for the segment, suspended The Adam Giles show, appointed production staff to supervise weekend programming and started a review of the station’s editorial process.
The Cottrell interview was the latest in a series of gaffes by the station. Previously the network came under fire for a Sky News guest Senator David Leyonhjelm repeating a slur he made against fellow parliamentarian Sarah Hanson-Young.
The reaction to the Leyonhjelm interview saw the campaign step up pressure on Qantas to remove Sky News from its lounges. Currently the petition has over 33,000 signatures.
Rival Airline Virgin Australia has indicated it is looking into complaints about Sky News being broadcast in its frequent flyer lounges.
Frangopoulos said the Victorian government’s ban were a political stunt ahead of the state elections later this year, the Sydney Daily Telegraph reported.
“I am angry, very angry. This channel is being used for political purposes,” Frangopoulos said.
“We’re to report and take part in the conversation, not to be used as a political football to assist in political aims by a government.”
Frangopoulos claimed there had been no complaints to APN Outdoor about the coverage, adding: “What the Victorian government did is an absolute outrage. They acted without consultation with anyone based on information they acquired on social media.”
As the boycott widens, other News Corp outlets joined in the defending the embattled network with Herald Sun cartoonist Mark Knight depicting the minister turning off the Sky News screens at a station while black figures rioted in the background.
Mumbrella has contacted Sky News and Australia Post for comment.
“for political gan” Did Frango really say that?
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No he didn’t, Typo and I’ve fixed that mistake in my transcription. Thanks for picking it up.
Regards,
Paul Wallbank
Wait, what? A cartoon where black figures rioted in the background? So News Corp is defending its white supremist interview with ummm.. more racism?
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““I am angry, very angry. This channel is being used for political purposes,” Frangopoulos said.”
Delicious irony about Sky News railing against being used for politics, when that seems to be their entire self-imposed reason for existence.
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The crime rate in Victoria has dropped for the last 2 years:
https://www.crimestatistics.vic.gov.au/
NewsCorp (The LNP) have a Labour Government to overthrow. They might not let facts get in the way of their smearing. (They will probably receive a ‘grant’ / ‘handout’ from the government to make up for it.
#whatajoke #stopfundinghate
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Frangopoulos is angry for being used for political purposes when that is the channel’s raison d’etre?
Let’s be honest. The anger is because it is being used for political purposes outside of its telecast political purposes.
Well doesn’t life suck sometimes. Harden up because what goes around comes around. Karma bus anyone?
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Another example of why we need a Bill of Rights to protect free speech. Controversial ideas need to be protected. Non-controversal ideas, by their very nature, don’t need such protections. You don’t have to agree with what is being said, but people should have the right to express their opinion in an open democracy (even if it is distasteful to the majority as Blair Cottrell surely is).
That said, companies have the right to advertise where they want. I have a right not purchase from GSK, Terry White, AX, Luxery Escapes, and annyone else that supports restrictions on open debate and attacks free seach and our democratic way of life.
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A typical example of PC gone overboard. The interview with Cottrell did not appear on any station in Victoria yet the Victorian Government decided to impose a ban on Sky News from its Stations. If this model is followed civilisation as we know it is in for some radical changes. Free speech is under attack from virtue signalling opportunists that will stifle debate because of possible recriminations. Back to the dark ages everyone.
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Its long overdue that more advertisers are lobbied by an angry public to pull their financial support for right wing racist propaganda whose sole purpose is furthering Ruperts business model, to destroy the ABC and stifle fair and balanced news journalism and cripple open public debate in this country. Frango you don’t blame anyone else for your rapidly dwindling subscribers. lift your game or go under. When Sky stops being a right wing political tool and gets rid of the IPA grubs, racists and failed political appointees it will earn public support.
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They don’t have a right to advertise in publicly owned spaces without the consent of the public. The public haven’t consented to Rupert’s toxic diatribes being made normal via association, which has been proven in the last week or so. You’re backing the wrong hose, or so far up your faux ‘free speech’ fundament you’ve forgotten the way out.
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Have you heard of ‘The Internet’? it was certainly available on their website and rebroadcast service. Perhaps you should stop barracking for Rupert quite so hard (the unreflective use of ‘virtue signalling’ was the giveaway, dear), unless straining something appeals to you.
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““I am angry, very angry. This channel is being used for political purposes,”
The same Sky News that is stocked full of ex LNP?
#hypocrisy
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The ban was made on Victorian Station screens, not the internet.
If you haven’t worked out that this is political bias then more fool you.
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Most free to air tv is for political purposes. Mostly to push the neo marxist ideology being forced on the population by our government.
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I for one would like to hear what all political persuasions have to say, whether I agree with their point of view or not. Free speech is the most valuable resource we have in Western society.
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