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Furious PM’s office threatens Ten over Waleed Aly’s emotional Christchurch plea

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Original article by Samantha Maiden
The New Daily – Page: Online : 19-Mar-19

Sources at the Ten Network have confirmed that the office of Prime Minister Scott Morrison has complained about comments made by Waleed Aly on ‘The Project’ in the wake of the Christchurch mosque attacks. Aly did not mention Morrison by name in his editorial, in which he said a member of the Coalition’s shadow cabinet in 2010 suggested that the party should capitalise on anti-Muslim sentiment in the community. Aly then said the unnamed person is now Australia’s "most senior politician", a comment which prompted Morrison’s office to warn of the potential for defamation action.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED

Foxtel steps up incentives to retain premium customers

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 34 : 18-Mar-19

Foxtel is offering selected customers in Queensland a free upgrade to the iQ4 set-top box, which provides access to 4K content. The offer can be redeemed at Harvey Norman stores or by calling Foxtel, and it is expected to be extended to customers in other regions. Meanwhile, some Foxtel subscribers are being offered 12 months’ free access to its movies package, which usually costs $20 per month. The initiatives are part of a strategy to target premium subscribers, who might otherwise opt to scale back their package in favour of Foxtel’s Kayo Sports streaming service.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, KAYO SPORTS, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN

As decision looms, BHP’s potash passion play fades – for now

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Original article by James Thomson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 22 : 18-Mar-19

It is estimated that commencing production at BHP’s Jansen potash project in Canada will require a capital investment of about $US5bn ($7bn). BHP has yet to make a firm commitment to the project, and observers say the resources group cannot continue to postpone a decision indefinitely. On one hand, potash is likely to be a boom commodity in coming years as demand for agricultural crops in regions such as Asia grows. However, the Jansen project will deliver relatively low returns for BHP investors, while global supply of potash is increasing.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, POTASH CORPORATION OF SASKATCHEWAN INCORPORATED

Ten pins hopes on Rugby World Cup

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Original article by Zoe Samios
The Australian – Page: Online : 11-Mar-19

Network Ten has secured the free-to-air and digital rights to the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which will be held in Japan from 20 September to 2 November. The final will be held on the same day as Derby Day during the Melbourne Cup carnival. Ten CEO Paul Anderson says the Rugby World Cup will be the biggest sporting event in the world in 2019, while he has declined to state how much Ten paid for the rights. Ten’s deal gives it the rights to 10 World Cup matches across linear television and broadcast video on demand, including all games featuring Australia

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Jones saga puts heat on Macquarie

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Original article by Zoe Samios, Nick Tabakoff
The Australian – Page: Online : 11-Mar-19

Macquarie Media has refused to comment on its negotiations with Alan Jones over a new contract for the radio broadcaster, as has Jones himself. Jones has had 216 consecutive rating wins for his broadcasting spot, while his radio station 2GB won survey eight of Sydney’s 2018 ratings surveys with a 14.1 per cent audience share. Not being able to re-sign Jones would mean reduced advertising revenue for Macquarie Media, as well as more angst for Macquarie Media’s parent company Nine Entertainment, following the axing of Karl Stefanovic from ‘Today’ in 2018.

CORPORATES
MACQUARIE MEDIA LIMITED – ASX MRN, 2GB, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED

Reprieve for Myer as profits rise

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Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 17 & 27 : 7-Mar-19

Department store group Myer Holdings has posted a 2018-19 interim profit of $38.4m, compared with a writedown-marred loss of $476m for the previous corresponding period. Myer’s underlying profit was up 3.1 per cent at $41.3m, but sales fell by 2.8 per cent to $1.67bn. CEO John King says Myer will continue to sale overseas fashion brands, but it will seek to increase its in-house brands’ share of group sales from 17.5 per cent to 20 per cent.

CORPORATES
MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, DAVID JONES LIMITED, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED

Guthrie’s pay day: $1.64m to go away

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich, Zoe Samios
The Australian – Page: 3 : 7-Mar-19

The ABC’s acting David Anderson has told a Senate committee that former MD Michelle Guthrie was paid $730,000 gross to settle her adverse action claim. He said the public broadcaster agreed to a confidential settlement after legal advice suggested that it could have incurred costs of up to $2m if the case had gone to court. Labor and the Community & Public Sector Union have criticised the size of the payout. Guthrie also received a $911,117 severance package following her dismissal in September.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, ABC ALUMNI

ABC paid Michelle Guthrie $500,000 to drop lawsuit

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Original article by Aaron Patrick
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 5-Mar-19

Sources have indicated that investment banker and former ABC director Simon Mordant helped to negotiate a settlement with former MD Michelle Guthrie. Mordant has declined to comment on claims that he was asked to intervene in Guthrie’s dispute with the public broadcaster over her sacking in September. The settlement is said to include a payment of around $500,000 to discontinue her unfair dismissal claim, as well as a ‘nondisparagement clause’ that prevents all parties to the case from discussing the matter in the media.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM

ABC rebuked over settlement

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Original article by Jennifer Duke
The Age – Page: 12 : 4-Mar-19

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield says the federal government has been given no details of the ABC’s confidential settlement with former MD Michelle Guthrie. A spokesman for Fifield says the government would prefer complete transparency regarding any portion of the settlement that will be funded by taxpayers. The Australia Institute, the Institute of Public Affairs and advocacy group ABC Alumni have also urged transparency, but a spokesman for shadow communications minister Michelle Rowland has indicated that it is a matter for the ABC.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, THE AUSTRALIA INSTITUTE LIMITED, INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS LIMITED, ABC ALUMNI, ABC AND FRIENDS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards 2018: Australia’s most service-oriented retailers announced

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 4-Mar-19

The winners of the 14 retail categories in the Roy Morgan 2018 Customer Satisfaction Awards include a mix of first-timers and veterans. Kmart (Discount Department Store of the Year), Discount Drug Stores (Chemist/Pharmacy of the Year) and Ikea (Furniture/Electrical Store of the Year) are among the first-time winners. Among the repeat champions were Foodland (Supermarket of the Year), Myer (Department Store of the Year), Bunnings (Hardware Store of the Year), Rebel (Sports Store of the Year) and The Reject Shop (Discount Variety Store of the Year for the seventh year running).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED, DISCOUNT DRUGSTORES PTY LTD, IKEA TRADING PTY LTD, FOODLAND AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED, REBEL SPORT LIMITED, THE REJECT SHOP LIMITED – ASX TRS