J57 Internet Publishing and Broadcasting

‘We’re here to help’ pledge challenged

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Original article by Zoe Samios
The Australian – Page: 23 : 30-Sep-19

Australia’s commercial free-to-air TV networks argue that regulation of digital giants such as Google and Facebook is necessary. Nine Entertainment’s group director of regulatory affairs, Clare Gill, has stressed the need for a regulated response from the federal government, to ensure a level playing field for traditional media companies and digital platforms. Ten’s COO Annabelle Hird has expressed concern that digital platforms’ behaviour will not change unless they are subject to a code of conduct or monitoring by the ACCC.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, CBS CORPORATION, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED, INTERNATIONAL NEWS MEDIA ASSOCIATION

Digital titans’ success comes at our expense

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Original article by Michael Miller
The Australian – Page: 23 & 25 : 30-Sep-19

The federal government’s response to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s digital platforms inquiry must include legislative action to address the market power of technology platforms. The massive profits generated by these platforms are based on their unfair commercial exploitation of content from companies such as news publishers, and failure to address this issue will result in the loss of more jobs and valuable sources of information for many communities.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY

News in call for curbs on big tech

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Original article by Andrew White
The Australian – Page: 1 : 30-Sep-19

News Corp Australasia executive chairman Michael Miller has called for legislative action to reign in the market power of digital platforms such as Google and Facebook. Amongst other things, he says such platforms should sign a mandatory code of conduct and be prohibited from using any publisher’s content unless they do so. Miller contends that technology platforms have been the biggest cause of damage to Australia’s media industry and Australians’ access to trusted and reliable content.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

Nine: Tech giants must share revenue

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 26-Sep-19

Google and Facebook account for the bulk of digital advertising revenue in Australia, and other players collectively receive just $0.29 of every dollar spent. Nine Entertainment Company has called for a "fair" revenue sharing arrangement between the digital giants and content producers, and it argues that a proposed new division within the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission should be responsible for ensuring that commercial contracts are fair to both parties.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

Film industry wants local content requirements for streaming services

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: Online : 18-Sep-19

Australian actors, producers and directors are calling on the federal government to introduce local content requirements for streaming platforms such as Stan and Netflix. Communications Minister Paul Fletcher has previously indicated this was something the government would consider. The screen industry is also calling for existing local content rules for free-to-air and pay television operators to be retained, while the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance notes that the industry generates around $3 billion in economic activity each year.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED

Google, Facebook, Twitter hit back at ACCC

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 13-Sep-19

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s Digital Platforms Inquiry final report recommended changes to merger laws. The ACCC’s flagged crackdown on mergers within the technology sector has been attacked by the Digital Industry Group Inc, which represents companies such as Google, Twitter and Facebook. DIGI’s criticism came in a submission to Treasury, prior to the federal government releasing its response to the ACCC’s report.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, DIGITAL INDUSTRY GROUP INC, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, TWITTER INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED

US states open Google antitrust probe

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Original article by Brent Kendall
The Australian – Page: 20 : 11-Sep-19

Attorney-generals representing 48 US states have launched an antitrust investigation into online search company Google, with Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia also involved. Texas Attorney-General Ken Paxton says the investigation will initially focus on Google’s practices in internet advertising markets. Florida Attorney-General Ashley Mood noted his concerns regarding privacy, while Alaska Attorney-General Kevin Clarkson questioned whether Google’s tactics had increased costs for businesses.

CORPORATES
GOOGLE INCORPORATED

Cups run over for sought-after sports stream

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Original article by Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 23 : 2-Sep-19

Kayo Sports CEO Julian Ogrin has downplayed concerns that the sports streaming service could cannibalise the subscriber base of parent company Foxtel. He says Kayo Sports is primarily targeting Australians who do not subscribe to Foxtel at present. Kayo boasted 382,000 subscribers at the end of June, including 331,000 paying customers, and Ogrin notes that subscribers viewed some 25 million hours of sports content on Kayo in the June quarter. Football fans viewed an average of 3.5 hours of content on Kayo during the period.

CORPORATES
KAYO SPORTS, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, DISNEY+, ESPN INCORPORATED

Stan’s high-stakes battle in new Disney landscape

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

Video streaming service Stan has posted earnings of $500,000 for the second half of 2018-19, although it has made a full-year loss of $21.3m. Revenue increased by 62 per cent to $157.1m, while the number of active subscribers rose by 200,000 to 1.7 million. Stan’s costs increased by 23 per cent to $178.4m, largely due to expenditure on marketing its Disney content, which it is likely to lose when the rival Disney+ streaming service is launched in Australia in late 2019.

CORPORATES
STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FOXTEL NOW, KAYO SPORTS, AMAZON PRIME VIDEO, HAYU, PARAMOUNT PICTURES CORPORATION, VIACOM INCORPORATED, SHOWTIME, CBS CORPORATION

Disney+ to launch in Australia

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 20-Aug-19

US media giant Walt Disney Company has confirmed the Australian launch date and pricing for its video streaming service. Disney+ will cost $8.99 per month or $89.99 a year when it is launched in Australia on 19 November. Australia and New Zealand will be among the first markets in the world to gain access to Disney+, which will be launched in the US, Canada and the Netherlands on 12 November. Disney+ will include content from the Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars franchises.

CORPORATES
WALT DISNEY COMPANY, DISNEY+, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, HULU LLC