Freedom of expression and the News Media ownership

It would seem that we are not the only country where government is for the wealthy, by the wealthy…even in the US where the pressure has got so bad that economic justice is being demanded. This is from New York where over seven hundred protestors have been arrested as US police battle to stop the protest growing nationwide. The following from the US:

“Occupy Wall Street Day 12 - Poised to Take Off Friday 30 September 2011 by: Dave Johnson, Campaign for America's Future  News Analysis  "Occupy Wall Street is a leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%."

"We are the 99 percent. We are getting kicked out of our homes. We are forced to choose between groceries and rent. We are denied quality medical care. We are suffering from environmental pollution. We are working long hours for little pay and no rights, if we're working at all. We are getting nothing while the other 1 percent is getting everything. We are the 99 percent." Quote ends:

It would also seem that arrests, of hundreds of citizens are only news when it happens in the Middle-East or countries ruled by dictators. When it happens in friendly countries our main stream media is suddenly silent. Could it be because nearly all our media is owned off-shore? Just who does own our media…?

Fairfax Media [Who owns the Manawatu Standard] is owned by: National Nominees Ltd [18.75%], JP Morgan Nominees Australia Ltd [16.75%], Marinya Media Pty Ltd [9.68%], HSBC Custody Nominees [8.81%], and Citycorp Nominees Pty Ltd [6.08%]. National Bank Australia, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Maple-Brown Abbot Ltd, all have 5% or more.

APN Media: [Who owns the Herald] Independent News & Media Australia [Murdoch] [21.7%], News & Media [9.9%], Orbis Investments [8.4%], Perpetual Investments [8.3%], MLC Investment Management [5.9%], Paradice Investment Management [5.9%], Maple-Brown Abbot [4.9%].

MediaWorks: is around 87% owned by Ironbridge Capital. Goldman Sachs JB Were [Who used to employ John Key, ABN Amro and the Royal Bank of Scotland are also involved. It was to this Australian owned company or finance company the government issued a soft loan of 43 million dollars, while cutting funding to schools, adult education and various NGO’s.

So there you are, these are the owners of our local media, the Manawatu Standard and Tribune [Fairfax], the Guardian [APN], Murdoch has part ownership of TV3 and lastly SKY TV is owned mainly off shore. Both TV outlets receive funding from NZ on Air. The Government is closing down TV 7 [Public Broadcasting next year] I’ve no doubt that the same will happen to Maori TV once the election is over.