Women watching cricket and going to matches – but it’s still a boy’s club online

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 16-Feb-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that about 450,000 Australians aged 14+ visit the ESPN Cricinfo website in any average four weeks throughout the year, but just 9.5 per cent of visitors (or 43,000) are women. However, women account for 19 per cent (or 121,000) of the 640,000 monthly visitors to the Cricket Australia site. Meanwhile, more than a million women "almost always" watch Test or One-Day matches on TV, and around 800,000 watch Twenty20 matches. Women also comprise a third of Australians who went to a Twenty20 match in the past year, 29 per cent of those who attended a One-Day match and 26 per cent of those who attended a Test match

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, ESPN INCORPORATED, CRICINFO

Telstra chief hopeful that pay TV market will reach 70 per cent

Original article by Max Mason, Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 16-Feb-15

Just 30 per cent of Australian households currently have access to subscription-based TV. Telstra CEO David Thodey is optimistic about the outlook for the sector, forecasting that the launch of video streaming services will lift market penetration to around 70 per cent. Thodey expects US-based Netflix, which will formally enter the Australian market in March 2015, will eventually introduce advertisements. He also refutes suggestions that Telstra will scrap its T-Box device

CORPORATES
TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FETCHTV PTY LTD, STAN, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ

Stokes’ Seven may face $1 billion writedown

Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 16-Feb-15

Analysts expect Seven West Media to post a 2014-15 interim net profit of about $A207m. However, there is speculation that the media group could write down the carrying value of its assets by at least $A1bn when its half-year results are released on 18 February 2015. Seven’s net assets were valued at $A2.9bn in June 2014, but a sharp fall in its share price in the last 12 months has reduced its market capitalisation to $A1.43bn

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

Rupert and the wolves at News Corp

Original article by Neil Chenoweth
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 13-Feb-15

News Corporation’s succession plan does not consider the possibility of co-chairman Rupert Murdoch being incapacitated. The plan states that, on his death, four directors representing each of his adult children will assume responsibility for the company. Murdoch’s incapacity is not mentioned. The company could be an attractive takeover target, due to assets such as its stakes in REA Group and Foxtel

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, SOUTHEASTERN ASSET MANAGEMENT INCORPORATED

Fairfax’s 15.7pc tax rate draws Senate spotlight

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 19 : 5-Feb-15

Claims by the Tax Justice Network that major Australian corporations are using strategies such as profit shifting to minimise their tax burden have sparked a Senate Economics Committee investigation. In a submission prepared by senior research fellow Sinclair Davidson of the right-wing ­Institute of Public Affairs, newspaper publisher Fairfax Media is accused of enjoying an effective tax rate of a mere 15.78% rather than the statutory 30% in 2013-14. Fairfax had in 2014 published articles on alleged tax avoidance by rival News Corp Australia

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TAX JUSTICE NETWORK, INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ECONOMICS, RMIT UNIVERSITY, ROYAL MELBOURNE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

News Corp’s $417m tax bill confounds critics

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 22 : 4-Feb-15

Australia’s Senate Economics Committee is looking into claims by unions and other organisations that major corporations engage in profit shifting to minimise their tax burden. In its submission to the inquiry, News Corp Australia says its payments of income and withholding tax between 2009-10 and 2013-14 totalled $A417.3m. The media group also notes that its combined goods and services, fringe benefits and payroll taxes for those years were worth a further $A900m

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, AUSTRALIA. SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ECONOMICS, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, TAX JUSTICE NETWORK, UNITED VOICE, HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS PTY LTD

Shutter island: a snapshot of the 4.3 million Australians now sharing photos online

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 3-Feb-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 23 per cent of Australians aged 14+ regularly uploaded pictures to photo-sharing websites in the year to September 2014. This compares with just eight per cent in 2012. The survey also shows that three million Australians uploaded photos via their mobile phone in an average four-week period in the year to September 2014, while 2.5 million used a computer

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM LLC, TUMBLR INCORPORATED, SNAPCHAT INCORPORATED

More Australians buying eBooks

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 2-Feb-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that seven per cent of Australians aged 14+ bought at least one eBook online in an average three months during the year to September 2014. Some 9.1 per cent of Australians in the 35-49 age group bought an eBook in an average three months, compared with 8.7 per cent in the previous year. The proportion of Australians in the 18-24 age group who buy eBooks online has risen from 3.9 per cent to 5.1 per cent in the last year, while the number of eBook buyers aged 65+ has risen from 4.1 per cent to 5.4 per cent

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Murdoch exits streaming as Rdio revamps

Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 37 : 2-Feb-15

Nova Entertainment, the radio stations group behind the Nova and Smooth FM networks owned by Lachlan Murdoch, in 2012 entered into a joint venture with US-based Rdio. The latter will now mount an increased effort to boost its local market share, after Nova divested its 50% stake in their Rdio Australia vehicle in late 2014. A number of similar online music streaming services have been closed recently, due to the dominance of Spotify and Pandora

CORPORATES
RDIO INCORPORATED, NOVA ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, SPOTIFY LIMITED, PANDORA MEDIA INCORPORATED, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, AUSTEREO GROUP LIMITED, SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, UNIVERSAL MUSIC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, DEEZER, LIVE NATION AUSTRALASIA PTY LTD, THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INCORPORATED

Stan rivals Netflix with Australia Day launch

Original article by David Ramli
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 23-Jan-15

A streaming video on demand service called Stan will be launched on Australia Day, 26 January 2015. It is a $A100 million joint venture between Fairfax Media and Nine Entertainment Company. A rival offering was released by Foxtel and Seven West Media on 18 January 2015, while US major Netflix will enter the Australian market in March 2015. After completing a 30-day free trial, Stan customers will pay $A10 per month for unlimited films and TV programs

CORPORATES
NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, HOME BOX OFFICE, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, QUICKFLIX LIMITED – ASX QFX, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD