Media Watch attacks TT ‘piracy story’

Media Watch’s Jonathan Holmes tonight got stuck into that ‘Free TV’ story carried by Today Tonight last month.

“Jamie Balzan’s ‘perfectly legal’ scam is to charge $50 for a package of software you can download from his website that will give you access [to cable TV],” explained Holmes.

“There were a couple of problems with TT’s story however. Anna Coren admitted to the first one the very next day.”

Today Tonight had of course, distanced itself from the website www.dontpaytv.com when viewers alerted producers to the fact that the TVU software is readily available for free. Holmes read an email from TT producer Craig McPherson who defended the show ‘covered off on those concerns’ the next day.

“Yesterday Tonight’s hero has become Today Tonight’s operator,” added Holmes.

“Why give ‘operator Jamie Balzan’ 5 minutes of free airtime on national TV in the first place?” he asked. That’s a question this very site asked ten days ago (along with the analogy of fallen hero).

“But there was another concern about TT’s story,” he continued.

Foxtel CEO, Kim Williams told Media Watch, “The Seven Network has a long history of losing the plot… The story seemed to be advocating piracy which last time I looked was illegal.“

Jonathan Holmes said, “We’ve checked with a bevvy of lawyers. If you use the software to access copyrighted TV and movies, that is to do what it’s designed to do, you’re breaking the law. And yet Anna blithely signed off with this:

“‘And the address of the totally free sites offering downloads are on our website.'”