Willesee tipped for Corby exclusive
Mike Willesee's appearance at Kerobokan prison suggests Seven may have snared the first Schapelle Corby interview.
- Published by David Knox
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It looks increasingly likely that Seven has snared the exclusive interview with Schapelle Corby, with media today speculating about the appearance of Mike Willesee appeared at Bali’s Kerobokan prison with members of the Corby family.
Willesee files for Sunday Night, meaning an interview could run as soon as this weekend.
News Corp reports Seven’s cameras were inside the Corby family home in Queensland, celebrating her release today.
The price-tag on media deals, which is unlikely to be disclosed, has been tipped as high as $3m. But strict limitations on her parole conditions may impact her ability to speak freely, and could drive the deal down.
The Guardian reports there was no auction on the deal, despite being pursued by several networks.
Corby’s face today was shielded from a media feeding frenzy, perhaps to keep some exclusivity for her first television interview.
A deal with Seven, which is likely to include their Pacific Magazines, would contrast with the defamation case against the network, successfully won by Mercedes Corby in 2008.
Australian laws about profiting from crime will not have jurisdiction for Corby’s Indonesian conviction.
Tonight Nine reruns its Schapelle telemovie at 9:40pm which attracted 1.02m viewers last night.
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36 Responses
In the movie, they asked a QANTAS rep about getting the records of what the bag weighed, but she said they were all weighed together not individually. Not sure of the accuracy of that though.
Mike Willesee, I have to say I am not convinced. As far as whether or not she is guilty or not guilty. We are all guessing, no one knows. Based on the evidence it would not make it to court in Australia due to being unable to prove exclusive possession. Granted it’s not Australian law it’s Indonesia law, however the Australia government ultimately failed the Australia public, I am unsure if things have changed since but every bag that leaves Australia should be scanned and the scans kept for a certain period of time and the baggage weighed. In shapelles case this would have at least proved to the Indonesian government whether the drugs were on her person prior to her entering Indonesia. Now in Australian law terms that means the charge would be possession of a traffickable quantity or trafficking depending on what the records of the scanning of the bags held. Unfortunately in life…
The female reporter for ch 7 told Sunrise she saw Mike Willesee hanging around the villa and asked him if he was doing the story, but he wouldn’t confirm or deny. That’s how secretive & ridiculous they’re being, not even confirming to someone from the same network.
It was funny yesterday when Karl was reading the parole papers, when he gave them back to the security guard, a ch 7 reporter practically knocked him over to get a look at them.
Schapelle did her original interview with Liz Hayes for 60 Mins just after her arrest. I would have thought she’d be best going with her again. She would have got to know her a little bit back then and be familiar with her.
The 9 “Finally Free” special was hilarious. Of course I only saw a few minutes, but watching the media report on the circus with question and disdain in their voice over was ironic and comedy gold. My bet is that 7 paid for the villa, sat her down immediately while it’s fresh to get the best emotion and also asked her to front the frenzy that was the media scrum to create the circus that it was. Sensibly, couldn’t they have put her in a van within the grounds then driven out – or is there only one way in and out? Whatever – it’s all so Barnum and Bailey. I bet 9 wish they had never produced the tele-movie now given it ran second fiddle and seems to have put them on the outer with the family. 7 trumps them again. Will I watch. No. Do I care. No. Story over.
We must remember this is hard nose network seven that Schapelle/Corby’s are dealing with, she could be waiting some time for her money and there is a good chance that Willesee may end up making more $$$ than any of them, as there is the ‘proceeds of crime’ question again being raised, that could involve costly court cases?
Unless the Corby’s are prepared to suffer the occasional hints of scandal, questions of parole condition violations, perhaps a romantic liaison/s or any other contrived mischief, because now she is out of prison and if she leads an uneventful life, there is a good chance her star may quickly fade?.
We all see how network seven questionably claim ‘ exclusivity ‘, so perhaps a signed deal that gives seven exclusive access to the Corby’s, may be the best deal they can hope for, that is at least during Schapelle’s parole period.
Apparently the Corby family got to choose who the interviewer was and they chose Willisee because they liked how he handled tha Bali 9. Apparently Ch 9 weren’t really in the race as the family was understandably annoyed about the Schapelle movie.
I agree Melissa Doyle would have been a far more better choice. I hope 7 wrap this whole thing up in 1 60 minute special program but I think they’ll drag it on for months.
Like has been said this interview won’t offer much up due to Shapelle’s parole restrictions and even if they weren’t on I doubt she’d move away from the not guilty stuff.
I am on the side of Shapelle being guilty, having read the books Sins of the Father by Eamonn Duff (which the Nine show is based on) and My Story. The Sins Of The Father offers up a more believable version of events (with evidence from Police records here of the past), than the other book.
So I am on the side of hat David Koch said this morning on Sunrise: “I totally disagree with paying a convicted drug smuggler $2 million. I know Indonesia is corrupt and all that sort of stuff, but she is convicted.”
Went online to watch the Corby release and couldn’t get any 7 coverage. I then went to the Today site and they were online. Normally a Sunrise viewer so I was disappointed but Nine did a great job. I like Willesee but thought Melissa Doyle was going to do this sort of stuff in her promotion.
@bogues Maybe Seven will air an extended version of Sunday Night, or another edition on another night.
Get ready for the promos full of BS about ‘shocking new revealations’.
ABC news clearly refers to SC as a convicted drug smuggler/courier. After all this time thats enough for me.
This interview could be a new low in Australian News Media. Then the following day ACA will do a ‘world first exclusive’ with criminal physcologists watching and assessing the interview……I am gonna watch the Olympics and boycott this drivel
oztvheritage – I agree Karl did an excellent job and despite Channel 9 going overboard with live shots from motorbikes etc….they appeared to have the most resources on the ground in Bali