It's a gold rush, alright...

Have you heard about all the money being thrown around for Channel Nine's 'special' on Brant Webb and Todd Russell? It's incredible!

Firstly, Nine paid Webb and Russell $2.6m - outbidding Seven's first and final offer of $2.25m - for their story. (and, I assume, their souls as well).

2.6million! They'll want the thing to rate it's pants off. That's about $1 for every Australian who tunes in.

Nine has nudged up advertising rates by 40%, though. To advertise during 'The Great Escape' - say, a 30sec ad every 20mins - you'll fork out the same amount of money it would cost to take you and fourteen mates on a cruise around the world, or seven top of the line Porches.

Steve Allen predicted total ad revenue for 8.30-10.30pm on Sunday will be $5.6m alone. Yowser!

Seven are trying their best to thwart 'The Great Escape' (with a title like that, it's hard not to be cynical), leaking as much information as they can before Sunday - underground photos, helmet with crap in it, etc.

PBL (Nine's father) has enscribed itself into the slate of media history with the most expensive example of chequebook journalism ever seen in Australia. Congratulations 9, you are still the one.
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*Photo courtesy of Steve McQueen, from the real Great Escape (1963).