[LINK] Government Advertorial

[Chirgwin, Richard]

>'Bribe' campaign to sell Telstra in bush scrapped
>Mar 25
>Toni O'Loughlin
>
>The federal government has been working on a $3.25 million advertising 
>campaign to induce regional newspapers to run "telecommunications features"

>about improvements to services in the bush, leaked documents obtained 
>by Labor show.
[snip]
>Regional newspapers that agreed to run a full-page story, written 
>"predominantly" by the department, were to receive two full-page 
>"awareness raising" advertisements paid for by the government. 
>Newspapers that refused would get just one.

...and only this week, I heard on the ABC Graeme Samuel prodding publishers
that the ACCC had an eye open for advertorial that could breach the TPA... 

Let me find one of the locals which gave up the extra dollars and declined
the puff-piece, I would like to shake a hand!

Richard C