Illicit downloaders to be spared harsh penalties

Original article by Matthew Knott, Ben Grubb
The Age – Page: 2 : 9-Dec-14

Australian Attorney-General George Brandis and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull will present their copyright law proposals to federal Cabinet on 9 December 2014. The proposed laws are not as tough as expected by rights holders. Instead of being penalised, illicit downloaders will receive written messages warning them that they are breaching copyright laws. Access to web sites hosting pirated materials will be blocked

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY, COMMUNICATIONS ALLIANCE LIMITED

Advertising spending set for growth spike, says WPP

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 20 : 9-Dec-14

The advertising market in Australia is tipped to grow 4.1% to $A13.7bn in 2015, according to global market leader by revenue WPP. This compares with 2.8% and $A13.1bn for 2014, and is the best result since 2010. However WPP’s annual outlook report also shows that in the newspapers segment the decline will continue, with a fall of 9.5% to $A1.8bn. Online will experience strong growth, but less rapid than the 21.5% seen in 2013 and only coming in at 13.4% to $A5.7bn

CORPORATES
WPP GROUP PLC, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, GROUPM COMMUNICATIONS PTY LTD

ACCC to monitor Ten takeover bid

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 25 : 8-Dec-14

Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) chair Rod Sims has foreshadowed official confirmation that it will watch the takeover negotiations for Ten Network. A joint bid valued at $A590m for the free-to-air TV group has been prepared by pay TV provider Foxtel and US-based Discovery Communications. There are possible regulatory concerns due to the involvement of Foxtel, which in 2012 gained permission for its merger with rival Austar only after the ACCC noted the emergence of internet streaming TV services

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, AUSTAR UNITED COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, CONSOLIDATED MEDIA HOLDINGS LIMITED, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SILVER EAGLE ACQUISITION CORPORATION, SABAN CAPITAL GROUP INCORPORATED, ANCHORAGE CAPITAL PARTNERS PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, DEUTSCHE BANK AG

A bun in the oven and a blog on the screen

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 7-Nov-14

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 17.3% of pregnant Australian women look at or comment on blogs in an average four-week period, compared with around 8.6 per cent of all Australians aged 14+. The survey, which was carried out in the year to June 2014, also shows that 29.5 per cent of women expecting their first baby read a blog

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Time Warner’s Ten play

Original article by James Chessell, Sarah Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 34 : 10-Nov-14

It has been revealed that US media group Time Warner contacted Australia’s Ten Network about a potential takeover bid in early October 2014. The non-binding approach indicated that any bid by Time Warner’s cable TV arm would be pitched at $A0.25 per share and be conditional on the support of key Ten shareholders. Time Warner has also made overtures to Apollo Global Management to buy its stake in rival free-to-air broadcaster Nine Entertainment Company

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, TIME WARNER INCORPORATED, TURNER BROADCASTING SYSTEM INCORPORATED, APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT LLC, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, CABLE NEWS NETWORK, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED, PROVIDENCE EQUITY PARTNERS INCORPORATED, HELLMAN AND FRIEDMAN, ANCHORAGE CAPITAL PARTNERS PTY LTD, VIACOM INCORPORATED, MTV MUSIC TELEVISION, CHANNEL 5 BROADCASTING LIMITED, LIBERTY GLOBAL INCORPORATED, ITV PLC, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ

Murdoch’s bet on newspapers pays off: once silted, the river is flowing again

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 22 : 7-Nov-14

The first quarter 2014-15 net income of Australian-listed media group News Corporation has come in at $US65m ($A75m), up from $US27m previously. Revenue also grew 4% to reach $US2.15bn, and EBITDA rose 21% to $US170m. While the revenue of the print assets across the globe fell 3% to $US1.45bn, this was compensated for by the good performance of new digital ventures. The 62% stake held by News in online real estate classifieds business REA Group was a factor. On 6 November 2014 News stock closed $A1.12 higher at $A18.08

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, MOVE INCORPORATED, HARLEQUIN MILLS AND BOON, CITIGROUP PTY LTD

Gittany’s girlfriend sues after site claims she was a stripper

Original article by Michaela Whitbourn
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 8 : 29-Oct-14

A jury in the District Court of New South Wales will hear a defamation suit launched against news web site operator Daily Mail Australia. It is being brought by Rachelle Louise, the lover of convicted murderer Simon Gittany, over claims that she was the "world’s most deluded woman" and a former striptease artist. Barrister Roger Rasmussen is acting on behalf of Louise, who has been ordered by judge Judith Gibson to pay the Daily Mail Australia’s legal costs incurred for the preliminary hearing

CORPORATES
DAILY MAIL AND GENERAL TRUST PLC, DISTRICT COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES

News Corp targets $1.85trn super pool

Original article by Madeleine Heffernan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 27-Oct-14

Investment platform provider OneVue has consented to an alliance with News Corp Australia, as the media group seeks to expand into new markets. It now aims to offer services for superannuation account holders, with the launch of its BrightDay product. The venture is to be managed by James Leplaw, GM of News Corp’s "Eureka Report" investor newsletter. The latter is part of the Australian Independent Business Media publishing business acquired by News Corp in mid-2012, but is believed to have suffered a drop in subscriber numbers

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, ONEVUE HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX OVH, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN INDEPENDENT BUSINESS MEDIA PTY LTD, EUREKA REPORT PTY LTD, CLIME ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, PRIVATE MEDIA PARTNERS PTY LTD, CARNEGIE, WYLIE AND COMPANY PTY LTD, INVESTSMART FINANCIAL SERVICES PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, MORGANS FINANCIAL LIMITED

Yahoo7 partners with Roy Morgan – Bringing Helix Personas to the Yahoo7 Data Sciences Suite

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 23-Oct-14

Roy Morgan Research and Yahoo!7 have announced a new commercial partnership that integrates Australia’s leading consumer segmentation tool, Helix Personas with Yahoo!7’s advertising solutions. The partnership combines Yahoo!7’s online insights with Roy Morgan’s geo-psychographical behavioural segmentation to provide advertisers with even more effective targeting for specific audience groups across the Yahoo!7 network

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, YAHOO!7 COMMUNICATIONS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM

Rinehart aide ‘set to take Ten seat’

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 21-Oct-14

The stock of Ten Network on 20 October 2014 closed $A0.02 higher at $A0.22, on news of merger talks by the free-to-air TV group with Fairfax Media. The Hancock Prospecting vehicle of mining heiress Gina Rinehart owns stakes of 14.99% and 10% in Fairfax and Ten respectively. Her seat on the board of the latter may soon be transferred to her chief development officer, John Klepec. Rinehart is believed to be positively disposed toward a merger deal, despite doubts about Fairfax’s management capabilities in the TV sector

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, HANCOCK PROSPECTING PTY LTD, ROY HILL HOLDINGS PTY LTD, CMC MARKETS PTY LTD