4/07/2008

King of Spain 'owns' Waxahachie Daily Light

A little over a year ago I helped to expose the story of toll road conglomerate Macquarie buying out dozens of newspapers that had been some of the most outspoken critics of the TTC.

This weekend, the Ellis County Press produced this disturbing story:

King of Spain 'owns' Waxahachie Daily Light
Demotion, removal of anti-TTC articles cause stir

April 4th, 2008
Ellis County Press

WAXAHACHIE – Residents researching the Waxahachie Daily Light website in hopes of finding articles on the Trans-Texas Corridor were recently surprised to find they had been removed.

Would this be because Macquarie Media Group, ( based out of Australia) the WDL’s new corporate owners, have strong ties with the TTC?

Some political observers and journalists believe Macquarie – whose principal partner is Spanish King Juan Carlos – is a key player in the consortium to build the North America's SuperCorridor Coalition, starting first with Gov. Rick Perry’s Trans-Texas Corridor, a network of private toll roads and high-speed highway lanes that will parallel the state’s current interstate highway system.

The same observers who reported on the media buyout of the WDL and 39 other papers – including the Ennis Journal, Italy News-Herald, Midlothian Mirror and Ellis County Chronicle – believe Macquarie is silencing opposition to the TTC. Macquarie and King Carlos are investors in the TTC.


Read the rest of the article HERE.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry. This is one item that is untrue and I wish readers won't buy into it.

I know the editor of the Waxahachie Daily Light. During the past 5 years we have developed what I feel is a close professional relationship.

During that time period she has printed dozens of my articles and commentaries on varied urgent topics, including my anti-corridor and toll comments.

In addition, especially on the Waxahachie Editor's Blog, she has printed too many to count articles and comments from various sources and viewpoints on many volatile issues.

Consequently, I state this without hesitation --- even knowing that the paper has been purchased by said company --- the editor of the Waxahachie Daily Light is professional in every term of the word and if she has not printed anything recent on the corridor, tolls, etc., there is a better reason than this story that she is being directed by that company and is censoring the news.

In fact I know these reasons but can not publicize them due to legal issues.

This gossip simply is Not true!

Peter Stern
www.pstern.statesmanblogs.com
-

Sal Costello said...

Peter,

You DID NOT read the whole article.

Thanks
Sal

Paul Michael said...

I don't know Neil White or read his writings on the proposed tollway.

Let's not be naive though. Why do you think the Macquerie Group acquired all these newspapers?

Clearly to hush opposition to the proposed Tollroad.

Eventually - when push come's to shove the Daily Light will back down.

Anonymous said...

Peter Stern would have us believe that somehow the personal character comes into question about this article, and that is absolutely not the intent nor the premise of this piece.

I signed off on the story originally because it was worth noting that of all the archives and articles that the WDL website held, every single one of them were removed, ironically, at or about the time of the sale to the Australian media company.

So JoAnn publishes his articles and editorials? Big deal (and full disclosure: Stern is right on the money on every thing he wrote).

The point of the story is that Juan Carlos was reported to have been a major investor in this Australian media conglomerate.

Mr. Stern, you are an exceptional writer and if I had the space in my publication, I would for-sure publish you all the time, but that is not the issue here, nor is your relationship with the WDL editor.


Nice try, though.


Joey Dauben
News Editor
The Ellis County Pres

Anonymous said...

FYI: I need to point out that this article was the original; we had to do some revisions to it for the paper/website.


This one was the unattributed one; Carlos was reportedly one of the owners, according to PrisonPlanet and Alex Jones' people.

FlowerChildToday said...

I'm the reporter that actually wrote this story. In response to Mr.Stern I must say I think the WDL does some amazing coverage on things that matter most to me.It wasn't my intention to put down Neil White in any shape or form. I just wanted to note that there was NOT a TRACE of archives for their TTC coverage until I placed my calls. That's a fact.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Dauben, You and I exchanged emails on this issue and I thought we were finished, only to find you took it back to this public blog.

Very well. Thanks for the left-handed putdown on the "big deal" comment. Thank you for the honest comment about my writing; however, that you would "print me every day if you had the room?" That's a cop-out. I've periodically read some of what is on that blog and believe me when I tell you very honestly that, "You HAVE the room." Use it to better use. There are many more urgent issues that your readers should look at. Otherwise, my regards to you and I sincerely hope we are now finished with this bit of business. Perhaps in the future we may collaborate more as professionals.

Anonymous said...

I am Spanish and I am just truly sad about my ancestors not using the guillotine like the French did. Now this bastard, Juan Carlos, is asking us for sacrifices!!! Piece of inbred shit!