Series 311: Feature Services Department files, 1967-1979

MLMSS 9894/Boxes 1451-1452

series

1967-1979

9593794

0.22 metres of textual material (2 boxes)

By March 1955 Associated Newspapers Ltd Feature Services was conducted on behalf of both Associated Newspapers and John Fairfax & Sons Limited. It appears to have been known as Feature Services Bureau by 1961. By 1971 it was known as the Feature Services Department. The Role of the Department was to negotiate for the use of Fairfax material by other publishers in Australia and overseas and conversely to make arrangements for Fairfax to use material that originated in other newspapers and periodicals. Material could include text or photographs. The arrangements were complex and consisted of written or unwritten contracts with publishers in Australia or overseas which included exchange, sale and sometimes free use of material. The Department was also responsible for safeguarding the copyright of Fairfax Material.

In 1977 the duties of the Manager Feature Services were described as follows:

* Direct large volume of features, photographs, and other editorial material supplied by local agents and our New York and London Offices to our newspapers and magazines for consideration.
* Negotiate for material accepted at the lowest possible price on behalf of the editors.
* Purchase requested features and photographs from interstate newspaper groups.
* Sell available Fairfax material to interstate and country newspapers, book publishers, advertising agents and companies, etc at the best possible price.
* Advise editors of on-going negotiations through our London and New York Offices (via management cables) as well as internal memos. (sic)
* buy book rights on behalf of editors from local and interstate publishers.
* Arrange negotiations, contracts and purchase of cartoon strips from local agents.
* Advise the Editorial Manager on the usage and value of editorial material available through our newspaper contracts (i.e., London Daily Express) as a guide for his negotiations when contracts are due for renewal.
* Provide comments on proposed new contracts originating overseas to protect our interest.
* Liaise with editors, generally newspaper, for upcoming features which may be saleable interstate on a simultaneous release basis.
* Prepare contracts and Letters of Agreement for contributors to our publications.
* Arrange the documentation of airfreight of our management parcels to and from overseas offices.
* Liaise with freight forwarding companies to ensure quick despatch and receipt of management packages to and from overseas offices
* Authorise cabling authorities to staff travelling on assignment overseas.
* Liaise with AAP for use of their transmission facilities by staff correspondents.
* Have knowledge of our right to published articles in our newspapers and magazines to answer telephone enquiries from publishers, advertising agencies, interstate newspapers seeking to reproduce our material.
* Be able to advise our editors of the rights we hold to overseas newspapers and magazines.
* Authorise payments to agents through the accounts department.
* Follow up purchasers of our editorial material who may not have made payment within three months.
* Negotiate with company, government departments, etc for reprints through Job Printing Department of Fairfax editorial material.

In 1977 the Department consisted of the Feature Services Manager, Secretary and five other staff (1)

Endnotes
Fairfax Archives. Original Documentation 532.3 Feature Services Department. Editorial Manager. 1977

Manager Feature Services L. S. Le Gay Brereton 1968-1976, Manager Feature Services L Buckley 19??-1967, Manager Feature Services L. K. Cossey 1977

The 25 files in this series relate to the management of a number of feature stories run by the newspaper

Copyright status:: In copyright
Research & study copies allowed: .
Rights and Restrictions Information:: No publication without prior written approval of Fairfax Media Ltd
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy Fairfax Media Ltd.

Original Fairfax record group number 632 and 640
Original Fairfax Record Group 632