J57 Internet Publishing and Broadcasting

TPG enters ring with Foxtel, FetchTV

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Original article by David Ramli
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 25-Sep-14

Internet service provider TPG Telecom will launch a premium TV service in early 2015. Craig Levy, of TPG, said that the company has provided internet-protocol TV (IPTV) for more than five years, but lacks content. TPG will compete against Foxtel, whose products are bundled with Telstra, and with internet service providers that use FetchTV. TPG posted a net profit of $A172 million for 2013-14, a rise of 15 per cent

CORPORATES
TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FETCHTV PTY LTD, IINET LIMITED – ASX IIN, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, SINGAPORE TELECOMMUNICATIONS LIMITED – ASX SGT, AAPT LIMITED, PIPE NETWORKS LIMITED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ

On air vs online: YouTube takes on the Tube

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 18-Sep-14

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 48 per cent of Australians aged 14+ visited YouTube in an average seven-day period in the year to June 2014. The survey also shows that YouTube visitors are 12% more likely than the average Australian to watch no commercial TV on an average weekday, and seven per cent more likely to watch TV for less than two hours. Meanwhile, Facebook visitors are 10 per cent less likely than average to be heavy weekday commercial TV viewers

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED

More Aussies comfortable giving out personal info online – despite increased concern for privacy

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 16-Sep-14

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 23 per cent of Australians aged 14+ were comfortable giving personal details over the internet in the year to June 2014. This compares with 19 per cent in the year to June 2011. Meanwhile, 34 per cent were comfortable giving out credit card details online, an increase of three per cent since 2011. The survey also shows that 65% of people who use the internet more than once a day are worried about invasion of their privacy through new technology, compared with 71% of those who use the internet daily or a few times per week

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, APPLE INCORPORATED

Rinehart in secret talks on Fairfax

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Original article by Sharri Markson
The Australian – Page: 19 : 10-Sep-14

A spokesman for mining magnate Gina Rinehart has downplayed speculation that she is planning to make a takeover bid for Fairfax Media. Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting holds a 14.99 per cent stake in the media group, and it has been revealed that she held talks with Matt Handbury regarding a bid for Fairfax in 2012. Handbury sold Murdoch Magazines in 2004 and Murdoch Books in 2012

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, HANCOCK PROSPECTING PTY LTD, MURDOCH MAGAZINES PTY LTD, MURDOCH BOOKS PTY LTD, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, ALLEN AND UNWIN PTY LTD

Sky set to replace Australia Network

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Original article by Sharri Markson
The Australian – Page: 20 : 8-Sep-14

The Australian Government in its May 2014 Budget abolished the Australia Network overseas service operated by public broadcaster ABC. It had won the contract from the previous federal government, over the privately-owned Sky News. The latter is now set to launch its new Australia Channel, which will have similar content but be subscription-based and online. Viewers in 180 countries, including via internet-enabled TV sets, are the target according to Sky News CEO Angelos Frangopoulos. There will be no public funding, in contrast with the $A223m over a decade for the ABC

CORPORATES
SKY NEWS, AUSTRALIAN NEWS CHANNEL PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, GLOBECAST AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, FRANCE TELECOM SA, AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED, BRIGHTCOVE INCORPORATED

Fairfax-Nine rumours quashed

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 27-Aug-14

The combined stake of 36% in Nine Entertainment held by US-based hedge funds Oaktree Capital and Apollo Global Management will come out of escrow on 28 August 2014. There have been claims in News Corporation newspaper "The Australian" that rival publisher Fairfax Media is preparing to acquire a major holding in Nine. However due to current cross-media ownership laws it would only be able to purchase 14.99% of the free-to-air TV group, and Fairfax has rejected the speculation

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, OAKTREE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC, APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT LLC, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, CITIGROUP PTY LTD

Seven grabs Comm Games

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 20-Aug-14

Seven West Media hopes to emulate the Nine Network’s ratings success with the most recent Commonwealth Games that were held in Australia in 2006. Seven is believed to have paid $A43m for the traditional and digital media rights to the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. Seven CEO Tim Worner says that securing the broadcasting rights for the Olympic Games until 2020 prompted the decision to bid for the 2018 Commonwealth Games

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, COMMONWEALTH GAMES FEDERATION, INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

Ten taps Foxtel for stream service

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 25 : 18-Aug-14

Australian free-to-air TV network Nine Entertainment is tipped to roll out its new streaming service by late 2014. In response pay TV operator Foxtel launched its Presto video-on-demand offering, and it has now cut the price by 50% to $A9.95 a month. Foxtel has also been named by Rebekah Horne, the chief digital officer at Ten Network, as a likely partner for that group’s streaming plans. She noted that Foxtel uses software from major supplier Ooyala. Horne also said Ten may choose to charge users for the special content to be available under the new Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV system, expected to arrive in September or October

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, OOYALA INCORPORATED, FREEVIEW AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Fairfax eyes more cuts in the race to stem revenue bleed

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 17 : 15-Aug-14

Fairfax Media has announced a 2013-14 full-year net profit of $A224.4m post-tax, after a 2012-13 loss of $A15.5m. Excluding abnormal gains from the divestment of the Stayz and InvestSmart businesses, the operating earnings were up 1.8% to reach $A306.4m. Revenue in the newspapers division was down 9.2% to $A803.2m, and that of the radio assets 6% to $A103.8m. However at the Domain property wed site unit it grew 15.5% to $A146.6m. CEO Greg Hywood signalled further cost reductions, and investors pushed Fairfax shares $A0.06 higher to a close of $A0.94 on 14 August 2014

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, DOMAIN.COM.AU, STAYZ PTY LTD, INVESTSMART FINANCIAL SERVICES PTY LTD, HANCOCK PROSPECTING PTY LTD, CITIGROUP PTY LTD

Crackdown on net piracy

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 36 : 4-Aug-14

The Australian Government plans to hold a forum with the CEOs of media groups and ISPs on the issue of illegal downloading of copyrighted material. It follows the release of a discussion paper by Attorney-General George Brandis and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, which examines options for combating the problem of internet piracy. The forum is likely to be held later in August 2014

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, IINET LIMITED – ASX IIN, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, RADIO NATIONAL AUSTRALIA, FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED