One of the industry's mysteries has finally been solved

So here we are entering another radio ratings year with one of the industry's mysteries finally solved. Nine Radio has accepted a $56m offer to sell off its radio network to hotel billionaire, Arthur Laundy. At least when the journos head down to the pub after their shift they can head for the owners' pub and keep the profits in house. The deal involves a string of stations -– led by the News-Talk giants 2GB and 3AW, along with several others including 4BC and 6PR. Now, I don't want to be negative but $56m? Are these the same assets listed at $275m just over six years back? Somebody check my figures here, please. I'm recording this as a decline of $219 m. That is a massive loss... Around 80% in less than a decade! Look, this is not state-of-the-art economics – I'm just an old bloke sitting in a little office in Sydney – so these numbers could be a bit rubbery. However, if the figures turn out to be right then the implications are absolutely awful. Does this now confirm all the alarms about the decline of our industry as it comes under increasing threat from all manner of competitors providing news/music content directly to consumers on their phones and computers? I've got one mate -– a keen media observer for many years -– who will sum this up in simple terms, telling me that, "the arse is falling out of radio."

It was 126 years ago when our nation was struck down by the most dreaded disease to hit human civilisation... The Black Death. Australia was a sitting duck to fall victim to this ultimate killer – the Bubonic Plague – an island continent, entirely dependant on shipping for trade and transport. The ships arrived and brought with them a deadly cargo of infected rats. We managed to escape the previous two great pandemics in the 14th and 17th centuries but our ports couldn't dodge the bullets this time. The rats got us in the end. The first recorded case was that of delivery driver, 33-year-old Arthur Paine on January 19, 1900. Authorities moved as quickly as they could with quarantine, cleaning and the eradication of over 100-thousand rats but, in the end, the plague claimed 535 deaths downunder, with a death rate of just over 20%. 126 years ago... When the Black Death stalked our country.


(this photo captures the drama of the ratcatchers and their quarry as Sydney fought off the dreaded plague)

Am I the only person slightly baffled by the lack of recent coverage of the search for the Porepunkuh killer in Victoria's North East? It's a funny old beast the news cycle. One minute you're the hottest thing in town, the next the story has evaporated into thin air. It's nearly six months since Desmond "Dezi" Freeman escaped into bushland after three police officer were shot, two fatally. He is armed and dangerous with a million dollar bounty on his head. Thousands of police have been involved in the biggest manhunt in recent memory. There were expert trackers, search dogs, and National Parks cameras and microphones being monitored, without a sign... Not one sign! We had some recent drama when special police teams searched an area of Mt Buffalo National Park, apparently following a lead that Dezi could have taken his own life. But nothing. I don't know whether police have had even one useful lead, to be honest. It's like the fugitive has disappeared off the map. Which is exactly what the local bushies warned about at the start of the search, that Freeman, a highly experienced survivalist, could live out there in the forest country for years – maybe forever – without being sighted. The thing is, the National Park region plays hosts to hundreds of campers, bushwalkers and nature lovers... What happens if one of them happens to accidentlly run into the escapee? That's the question that would be keeping Victoria's Police Commissioner up at night.

So the Ashes cricket is over with Australia triumphant 4-1 after a really strange series, played on a few dodgy wickets. Mitchell Starc and Travis Head were magnificent, but the rest of our batting was pretty ordinary and the England catching was dreadful. At the end I was left mystified by quite a few things, but mainly by the farewell speech delivered by Usman Khawaja at the fifth Test in Sydney. I only know the basics about Khawaja, that his parents had migrated from Pakistan to give their family a better life in Australia. On the surface their decision seemed an amazing success story, especially for Usman who became the first Muslim to play test cricket for us and who has retired to a $4m dollar mansion. I have no interest in Khawaja's religion. I have no idea who was the first Methodist to play for Australia, nor whether we've had a Buddhist in the batting lineup. Cricket and religion have nothing to do with each other. I hold the view – like most Australians – that religion is a personal connection between the person and his or her God. It's nobody elses business. Certainly not an issue for public discussion. Then I started to hear comments about Khawaja's farewell speech at the SCG... Vague hints of "racism", "racial stereotyping dogging him through his life here", and "being made to feel different". I was puzzled and started delving deeper into the conversation. I remain mystified. I see interviews with people like Steve Smith and past players like Jason Gillespie but find that they are just as mystified. I opt to spend the last two days of the Test, 48 hours, doing a forensic analysis of this mysterious problem. Somwhere there's the answer... Somewhere I can find what's really going on here. All I can find is some reference to being criticised unfairly for playing golf beore a Test Match. Er, not sure I'm seeing that as a huge issue... The first thing you notice when you start digging is the overwhelming affection for Usman, nick-named "Uzzy", from both within the dressing room and outside among the fans. Steve Smith says all the boys are going to miss him... They love this bloke. You can't make this up. Khawaja is accorded a special round of applause from the England team as he walks out on the final day. The respect is obvious. This is genuine. He hugs his family out on the ground at the end, as the fans cheer and celebrate his career. I'm not finding anything. Not a hint of some long-hidden bad blood festering away. Nothing to see. But I'm left with this really bad taste in the mouth... That somehow Australia has let Usman down... Somehow we haven't been there for him when it mattered. Trouble is I can't tell you what actually happened or when it happened. It's one of the enigmas of this last Ashes series.

The most ironic story of the month is that Donald Trump has invited Russia's Vladimir Putin to join the International Board of Peace which will oversee the Gaza ceasefire. You're right Dorothy. We are definitely not in Kansas anymore.

It's a funny old world really. Remember when the government built lots of public phones across the suburbs to make sure that residents had phone access nearby? Then along came the vandals. And authorities also started building seating and roofs at bus stops to protect travelers from the rain and sun. Then along came the vandals. In recent times we had computers, mobilephones and social media which allowed us immediate contact with friends, family and business right round the world. Then along came the vandals. They found a way of manipulating the technology to get into your private information, to raid your bank accounts, and we saw the rise of the "nasties", a sick group in the community who took great delight in destroying the lives of vulnerable social media users. We now have young school kids commiting suicide, after coming under psychological attack, often from school kids of the same age. Some years ago I watched four women bare their souls on British television after falling victim to online "love scams". They'd fallen victim to criminal gangs in Africa who preyed on the lonely. Australians lost over $23 million last year on romance/love scams and to show you what a strange world this has become there is a former NSW Detective, Kylee Dennis, who operates a company which will examine a client's online love interest and tell them whether the person they're talking to is genuine or a sneaky scam artist. Kylee's company, Two Face Investigations, will do a detailed background check on the person at the other end of the phone and tell you whether it's fair dinkum or if you're being had. Sign of the times folks... Sign of the times.
(Source: The Senior)

Around the Boree Log

So come you by your parted ways that wind the wide world through
and make a ring around the blaze the way we used to do...
Then stir it up and make it burn – the poker's next to you,
Come let us poke it all in turn,the way we used to do.

— John O'Brien (Patrick Hartigan) 1878-1952