FAIRFAX Media's long-time corporate affairs boss, Bruce Wolpe, is to depart the company to become a senior adviser to Henry Waxman, one of the key congressional players in the agenda of Barack Obama. Mr Wolpe served under Mr Waxman for several years as his legislative director and has a long history with the US Democrats, having served on several political campaigns. Read more

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Fairfax Media director of corporate affairs Bruce Wolpe is leaving the company to return to the United States to work for a congressman in Washington in the wake of the 2008 elections. His departure follows the replacement of chief executive David Kirk last month with Brian McCarthy, as the diversified media company battles an evolving news market, slumping ad sales forecasts and a weak stock price. Fairfax is publisher of this website. Read more

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The new chief executive officer of Fairfax Media is expected to introduce more cost cutting and restructuring in its regional operations. Former Rural Press CEO, Brian McCarthy, now heads up the group, a year after it merged with Rural Press. Read more

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THERE is one word that underscores the unfolding crisis at Fairfax Media: internet. For the man the group's board has chosen to right the ship, Brian McCarthy, it is his self-confessed weakest suit. Read more

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FAIRFAX Media will cut its full-year dividend by 80 per cent -- with little market expectation of a return to normal payouts for at least two years -- as the company attempts to tackle its $2.5 billion debt burden.

The decision to slash the dividend came after one of the most important board meetings in the history of the company, which ended with the anointment of Brian McCarthy as its new chief executive and Ron Walker retaining his position as chairman. Read more

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SPECULATION is growing that likely new Fairfax Media chief executive Brian McCarthy could restructure senior management.

It is likely he will elevate more former key Rural Press executives to top positions in the Fairfax group.

It is understood Mr McCarthy will be formally anointed as CEO of Fairfax at a 9.30am board meeting in Sydney today. Read more

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THE direction of Fairfax Media will be decided this morning at a board meeting in Sydney, at which Brian McCarthy is expected to be appointed chief executive.

Investors and analysts expect the anointing of Mr McCarthy, in place of David Kirk, who resigned last week, will signal an assault on Fairfax's $2.5 billion debt. Read more

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FAIRFAX Media says it remains in talks about the sale of its Southern Star TV business, downplaying a report it had sold the asset for $160 million.

The newspaper and radio company's board will meet today to discuss who will permanently replace former chief executive David Kirk, who resigned last week.

Deputy CEO Brian McCarthy, who has temporarily filled the role, is expected to be anointed. Read more

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All twenty-seven market research interviewers working on Monday night at the SurveyTalk call centre in Auckland walked off the job angry at their Australian bosses continued refusal to improve pay rates, health and safety and allow workers to take annual leave like all other research call centre employees can.

The strike is the first strike of the Calling for Change campaign. The Unite Union represents around 400 research workers who are negotiating with research bosses to win union contracts with improved conditions, rates of pay and healthy workplaces at nine of New Zealand’s major market research companies.

Every day of the week the “SurveyTalk” call centre in the Auckland shopping district of Newmarket carries out market research on behalf of major Australian corporations such as Telstra Clear and AMP as well as on behalf of Australia’s leading newspapers like the Melbourne Age and the Sydney Morning Herald.

At 7pm each night workers are crammed into an unsafe, stressful, unhygienic call centre environment, monitored by a video camera on the wall from Sydney. If asked where they are calling from workers are told to lie and say they are calling from Paddington, Sydney.

The outsourced call centre is an attempt by SurveyTalk to avoid paying the good union rates of pay and safe working conditions won by members of the National Union of Workers in Australia. "Most Auckland SurveyTalk workers earn about NZ$13 an hour or half of what Sydney SurveyTalk workers get (A$21.05). It’s a disgrace that workers relied upon by major Australian corporations for market intelligence are being treated like battery hens. As long as SurveyTalk ignores our reasonable claims for living wages and full work rights the possibility of ongoing strike action at their Auckland call centre will continue,” said Unite National Director Mike Treen.

The strike has the full support of the NUW, and is part of an ongoing transnational organising campaign between the NUW and Unite to fight for the rights of market & social research workers. Aspects of the campaign include the exchange of industry and employer information, the sharing of organising resources, and a transnational union agreement between Unite and the NUW.

Godfrey Moase, NUW Market & Social Research Organiser, is available for comment on 0407 336 181 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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Fairfax Media's recently departed chief executive, David Kirk, told shareholders last month that earnings since July were down by about 10 per cent, with employment classifieds the hardest hit. The publisher of the Herald is expected to anoint Brian McCarthy as his successor at a board meeting tomorrow. Read more

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Last Friday Fairfax Media (FXJ) CEO David Kirk resigned immediately, with the company appointing Brian McCarthy as interim CEO at least until a board meeting later this week. At any time the sudden loss of a senior executive is a cause for uncertainty, and investors usually dislike uncertainty, but as Citi points out management upheaval is just one of the issues facing the media company at present.

One of the other major issues is the level of group debt, which is generating an increase in calls from investors for dividends to be cut to repay some of the borrowings. To date the broker notes management doesn't appear interested in this course of action, as comments at the company's annual general meeting suggested the current 80% payout ratio would be maintained. Read more

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It shouldn't be too hard for the Fairfax Media board to cut the 20c a share dividend to boost cashflow and the share price and get all those analysts and moaning fund managers off their back.

In fact cutting dividend by half to 10c a share will save tens of millions of dollars in cash outgoings and boost the share price.

This should be done at tomorrow's board meeting in Sydney which will also choose a new CEO. Brian McCarthy is the hot tip to replace David Kirk who quit last Friday. Read more

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