The Making of a Media Empire
Australia's richest man, Kerry Packer, came to the helm of Australian Consolidated Press a quarter of a century ago; in recent years his son, James, has begun taking over the reins of the dynasty. But despite the legendary reputation of Kerry and his father Sir Frank, and the popular fascination with young James, the story of how Australian Consolidated Press came to be the behemoth it is today has never been told. This is the first book ever written about the creation of one of Australia's foremost media empires.
'The House of Packer' presents a riveting account of the internal feuds which periodically convulsed the empire; the rumbustious, bohemian journalistic atmosphere inspired by Sid Deamer, Brian Penton and Cyril Pearl; the activities of other renowned editorial figures such as George Warnecke, David McNicolll, Donald Horne and Ita Buttrose; Sir Frank's feudal managerial style; the exit of the Theodore family; the emergence of Clyde and Kerry Packer; and the sale of the Telegraphs to Rupert Murdoch in 1972.
This book also examines a series of often bizarre industrial disputes; tells how the company's political stance inspired savage attacks from both sides of politics; and charts the vigorous, and at times highly amusing, rivalry with the Fairfax and Murdoch dynasties.
