Media bidding war for miners' story
Michael Perry
Daily Telegraph, Australia
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As rescuers cut through solid rock to free the two trapped gold miners, above-ground media groups have entered a bidding war to secure rights to their survival story.
Media and agents are reportedly jockeying for exclusives once the men are freed, with talk of $250,000 being paid for an interview.
A combined magazine, television, book and movie deal could fetch up to $2 million.
Brant Webb, 37, and Todd Russell, 34, were found alive last Sunday. A huge slab of rock landed on the cage they were working in, protecting them from falling rock.
A media village has formed in sleepy Beaconsfield, with satellite communication trucks and mobile homes cramming the mine's carpark. All Australian television news anchors broadcast live from the mine site.
The homes of the trapped miners have become besieged fortresses, with one report of a journalist scaling the fence and offering Webb's wife a check for her story, while other reporters scour local hotels with checkbook in hand.
Rescuers' bags are searched before they go underground after reports of money being offered to secretly film the rescue.
Rescuers said today they had reached about a quarter of the way to the miners and the progress was slower than expected in widening a small tunnel big enough for the men to crawl through.
They had hoped to complete the 16 metre rescue tunnel within 48 hours, but it now looks to be longer.
May 05, 2006
Michael Perry
Daily Telegraph, Australia
__________________
As rescuers cut through solid rock to free the two trapped gold miners, above-ground media groups have entered a bidding war to secure rights to their survival story.
Media and agents are reportedly jockeying for exclusives once the men are freed, with talk of $250,000 being paid for an interview.
A combined magazine, television, book and movie deal could fetch up to $2 million.
Brant Webb, 37, and Todd Russell, 34, were found alive last Sunday. A huge slab of rock landed on the cage they were working in, protecting them from falling rock.
A media village has formed in sleepy Beaconsfield, with satellite communication trucks and mobile homes cramming the mine's carpark. All Australian television news anchors broadcast live from the mine site.
The homes of the trapped miners have become besieged fortresses, with one report of a journalist scaling the fence and offering Webb's wife a check for her story, while other reporters scour local hotels with checkbook in hand.
Rescuers' bags are searched before they go underground after reports of money being offered to secretly film the rescue.
Rescuers said today they had reached about a quarter of the way to the miners and the progress was slower than expected in widening a small tunnel big enough for the men to crawl through.
They had hoped to complete the 16 metre rescue tunnel within 48 hours, but it now looks to be longer.
May 05, 2006
