Author: roymorgansocial

Content on ice as ABC still frozen

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 2 : 23-Oct-19

The ABC’s MD David Anderson has told a Senate estimates committee hearing that the public broadcaster will have to find annual cost savings of about $40m from fiscal 2022 due to its funding freeze. He added that the cost of producing quality Australian content is rising, while the ABC is facing growing competition for audiences from international streaming video providers. Anderson also said a controversial documentary about One Nation was reviewed by editorial managers and lawyers before it was broadcast by the ABC in March.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, ONE NATION PARTY, AL JAZEERA, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, WALT DISNEY COMPANY

Seven West deal tests media diversity

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Original article by Zoe Samios
The Australian – Page: 22 : 23-Oct-19

Seven West Media’s proposed acquisition of regional affiliate Prime Media Group will attract scrutiny by the Australian Communications & Media Authority. ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin says the deal will be assessed in terms of whether it will reduce the number of media ‘voices’ in the Western Australian market and the application of the ‘two-to-a-market rule’. Seven West Media also publishes newspapers in Perth and regional areas.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, REDWAVE MEDIA LIMITED, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence recovering to 111.6

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 23-Oct-19

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence rose 0.6% to 111.6 in the week ended 20 October, after the previous week’s 1.2% drop. Households’ views towards current financial conditions fell 2.4%, and this component is now down nearly 10% from its August high; views towards future financial conditions gained 0.4%, taking this subindex back above its long-term average. Consumers’ views toward current economic conditions gained 0.3%, and views towards future economic conditions declined by 1.1%; both subindices are below their long-term average. The ‘time to buy a major household item’ gained 5.1%, and inflation expectations remained stable at 4.1%.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Victoria top pick for short holidays, NSW for longer ones

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Original article by Royce Millar
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 23-Oct-19

New data from Roy Morgan’s Holiday Travel Intention Leading Indicator Report shows that more than half of the Australian population (10.48 million, or 50.7% of those 14+) intends to take a domestic holiday in the next 12 months. Victoria is the top destination for those planning a short holiday (31%), ahead of NSW (27.7%) and Queensland (17.5%) with others planning either another domestic destination, an international destination, or not yet having any particular destination in mind at all. But for those intending on a longer holiday, only 53.6% will holiday in Australia. NSW is the most popular domestic destination (17.2%), ahead of Queensland (16.4%) and Victoria (15.3%). These are the latest findings from the Roy Morgan Single Source survey, derived from in-depth face-to-face interviews with 1,000 Australians each week or over 50,000 each year.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Sinosteel cautions Oakajee doubters

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Original article by Peter Ker, Brad Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 22-Oct-19

Western Australia’s Premier Mark McGowan says he would welcome any move to proceed with the stalled Oakajee port and rail project, after Sinosteel’s recent deal to acquire Mitsubishi’s interest in it. However, Ports Minister Alannah MacTiernan ha expressed doubts regarding the $10bn project’s viability. Stuart Griffiths, the CEO of Sinosteel Midwest, says people should keep "an open mind" on the issue, adding that good quality iron ore will always be in demand.

CORPORATES
SINOSTEEL CORPORATION, SINOSTEEL MIDWEST CORPORATION LIMITED, MITSUBISHI CORPORATION, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG

Federal super blowout at $50bn

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Original article by Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 22-Oct-19

The Department of Finance has released data showing that the federal government’s unfunded superannuation liability topped $233.1bn at the end of 2018-19, compared with $183.1bn at the start of the financial year. Meanwhile, the Future Fund’s assets rose to $165.7bn in the year to September. The Future Fund Act allows the government to begin withdrawing money from the sovereign wealth fund in 2020 to meet unfunded super liabilities, although the Coalition has renewed a 2017 commitment to not do so.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIA. FUTURE FUND MANAGEMENT AGENCY, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR-GENERAL

Labor waves through FTAs

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 22-Oct-19

ACTU president Michele O’Neil has criticised Labor’s decision to support legislation to establish free trade agreements with Indonesia, Hong Kong and Peru. She says the trade deals breach Labor’s national policy platform. Unions’ concerns about the trade deals include the clauses regarding investor-state dispute settlement and labour market testing. The legislation was passed by the lower house on 21 October after the federal government agreed to a number of concessions. It is expected to be passed by the Senate in November.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Chilling effect on the news

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 36 & 37 : 22-Oct-19

The Right to Know coalition is seeking to combat what it contends is the increased suppression of press freedom in Australia. Members of the group include Seven West Media, News Corp Australia, Nine Entertainment, the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance and the ABC. The group believes that there are six key areas where reform is needed, including protections for whistleblowers, changes to the definition of what information should be regarded as secret and changes to defamation laws.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

BHP dumps coal for green energy

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Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 19 : 22-Oct-19

BHP has secured four contracts to supply renewable energy to its Escondida and Spence copper mines in Chile for 15 years. BHP’s 2019-20 half-year accounts will include a $US780m ($1.14bn) provision associated with the cancellation of existing coal supply contracts. The company estimates that the new contracts will displace about three million tonnes of carbon each year from 2022 and reduce energy prices at the two mines by around 20 per cent. BHP recently committed to spending $US400m over five years to minimise climate risks.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, COAL21, AUSTRALASIAN CENTRE FOR CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Big projects to get strike protection

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 22-Oct-19

Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter has urged Labor to support legislation to allow workplace agreements to apply for the entire construction phase of greenfields projects. The move is aimed at preventing unions and workers from disrupting a resources, energy or infrastructure project by seeking improved wages and conditions if an enterprise agreement expires in the middle of the construction phase. The Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union’s Dave Noonan contends that it is unfair to lock in terms and conditions that could last for 5-10 years.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, SKILLS, SMALL AND FAMILY BUSINESS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, CHEVRON CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET