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04-23-2004, 09:03 AM
UK Media's Desmond Accused of Anti-German Tirade
2 hours, 24 minutes ago Add Entertainment - ******* Industry to My Yahoo!
By Paul Majendie
LONDON (*******) - Flamboyant British media baron Richard Desmond was accused on Friday of calling German publishing giant Axel Springer "Nazis" in a foul-mouthed boardroom bust-up with the Daily Telegraph newspaper.
"I don't think there was a swear word in the language that wasn't used at some stage," said shocked Daily Telegraph boss Jeremy Deedes after the tabloid maverick's blistering tirade.
Executives of Desmond's Daily Express newspaper -- which ostentatiously announced its support for Britain's opposition Conservatives this week -- were reported to have given Nazi salutes and to have made their fingers into Hitler mustaches.
Deedes, fearing they could come to blows, said that at one stage "there was a suggestion from Mr Desmond that he and I should step outside."
Axel Springer is one of the bidders for Hollinger International's Telegraph newspapers, according to sources familiar with the situation. Desmond dropped out of the bidding last month.
Desmond, who is of Jewish descent, sold off his controversial stable of ****ographic magazines earlier this year as he launched his Telegraph bid.
Neither he nor any spokesman for the Daily Express was immediately available for comment on a story that was front-page news in several UK newspapers.
Desmond has long been a polarizing figure in the British media world -- labeled a ****ographer for titles like "Asian Babes" and "Readers' Wives," criticized for making donations to the Labour Party when his purchase of the Express was under review and embroiled in an ugly public feud with the rival Daily Mail and its owner Lord Rothermere.
Desmond's outburst came in a meeting on Thursday with Telegraph executives over a printing plant which they co-own.
"When we arrived, we were greeted in German by Mr Desmond and his fellow directors which I ignored," Deedes said.
"I have to assume that is because one of the bidders for the paper is the large German group Axel Springer," the Telegraph chief executive told BBC Radio.
"He then said how did we fancy being taken over by a lot of 'effing Nazis' I think he called them."
Axel Springer, which declined to comment on Desmond's attack, promotes as one of its stated editorial policies "the reconciliation of Jews and Germans and support for the vital rights of the State of Israel."
Deedes, who called the clash with Desmond extremely unpleasant, said: "It became quite clear after a few minutes that this was not going to be a very productive meeting."
Desmond's comments also raised eyebrows at German's Commerzbank which four years ago bankrolled Desmond when he took over Express newspapers.
"It is a subject that comes up in Britain and other countries," said a Commerzbank spokesman. "It doesn't make any sense to go deep into our country's history and it also doesn't make sense to comment about it once it happens."
Asked about the Desmond tirade, Conservative Chairman Liam Fox was philosophical.
"If I was to be responsible for the behavior of every supporter, I would never sleep at night," he said.
(Additional reporting by Adam Pasick, Boris Groendahl and Alistair Macdonald)
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040423/media_nm/media_express_dc_1
bizarre :|
2 hours, 24 minutes ago Add Entertainment - ******* Industry to My Yahoo!
By Paul Majendie
LONDON (*******) - Flamboyant British media baron Richard Desmond was accused on Friday of calling German publishing giant Axel Springer "Nazis" in a foul-mouthed boardroom bust-up with the Daily Telegraph newspaper.
"I don't think there was a swear word in the language that wasn't used at some stage," said shocked Daily Telegraph boss Jeremy Deedes after the tabloid maverick's blistering tirade.
Executives of Desmond's Daily Express newspaper -- which ostentatiously announced its support for Britain's opposition Conservatives this week -- were reported to have given Nazi salutes and to have made their fingers into Hitler mustaches.
Deedes, fearing they could come to blows, said that at one stage "there was a suggestion from Mr Desmond that he and I should step outside."
Axel Springer is one of the bidders for Hollinger International's Telegraph newspapers, according to sources familiar with the situation. Desmond dropped out of the bidding last month.
Desmond, who is of Jewish descent, sold off his controversial stable of ****ographic magazines earlier this year as he launched his Telegraph bid.
Neither he nor any spokesman for the Daily Express was immediately available for comment on a story that was front-page news in several UK newspapers.
Desmond has long been a polarizing figure in the British media world -- labeled a ****ographer for titles like "Asian Babes" and "Readers' Wives," criticized for making donations to the Labour Party when his purchase of the Express was under review and embroiled in an ugly public feud with the rival Daily Mail and its owner Lord Rothermere.
Desmond's outburst came in a meeting on Thursday with Telegraph executives over a printing plant which they co-own.
"When we arrived, we were greeted in German by Mr Desmond and his fellow directors which I ignored," Deedes said.
"I have to assume that is because one of the bidders for the paper is the large German group Axel Springer," the Telegraph chief executive told BBC Radio.
"He then said how did we fancy being taken over by a lot of 'effing Nazis' I think he called them."
Axel Springer, which declined to comment on Desmond's attack, promotes as one of its stated editorial policies "the reconciliation of Jews and Germans and support for the vital rights of the State of Israel."
Deedes, who called the clash with Desmond extremely unpleasant, said: "It became quite clear after a few minutes that this was not going to be a very productive meeting."
Desmond's comments also raised eyebrows at German's Commerzbank which four years ago bankrolled Desmond when he took over Express newspapers.
"It is a subject that comes up in Britain and other countries," said a Commerzbank spokesman. "It doesn't make any sense to go deep into our country's history and it also doesn't make sense to comment about it once it happens."
Asked about the Desmond tirade, Conservative Chairman Liam Fox was philosophical.
"If I was to be responsible for the behavior of every supporter, I would never sleep at night," he said.
(Additional reporting by Adam Pasick, Boris Groendahl and Alistair Macdonald)
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040423/media_nm/media_express_dc_1
bizarre :|