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New spy laws still not good enough: Dreyfus

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Original article by Primrose Riordan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 14-Mar-18

Media companies have warned that journalists could still be jailed under draft amendments to the Federal Government’s proposed espionage laws. The amendments would provide limited legal protection for journalists who receive and report on classified information. The media industry’s joint submission argues that journalists would still be required to defend their actions in court. The Opposition’s legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus says the amendments are flawed and will not be supported by Labor.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS PTY LTD, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, WEST AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPERS HOLDINGS LIMITED

Exiting Bunnings UK is the least bad outcome for Scott

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 13-Mar-18

The recent Arctic-like weather that afflicted the UK and Ireland was a mixed blessing for Wesfarmers’ struggling Bunnings business there. The inclement weather did not help its nursery operations, but it did lead to increased demand for products like sand, salt and snow shovels. The impact of the bad weather may extend the time needed for the strategic review that Wesfarmers CEO Rob Scott announced into Bunnings UK and Ireland in February to be completed. JP Morgan has concluded that it will cost Wesfarmers less to pull out of the UK and Ireland than it will for it to stay there.

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WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW

Back to the drawing board for Footy Show

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: Online : 12-Mar-18

Nine director of sport Tom Malone is planning to make some tweaks to the rugby league version of the "Footy Show", after some aspects of the first program for 2018 were seen as somewhat underwhelming by viewers. The show underwent a number of changes during the off-season, with Erin Molan replacing Paul Vautin as host and former executive producer Glenn Pallister no longer with the show. Meanwhile, ratings for Nine’s first rugby league match of the season, which saw St George Illawarra Dragons beat the Brisbane Broncos 34-12, were down 5.6 per cent year-on-year.

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NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Network Ten focused on Big Bash League, Cricket Australia calls for bids by Easter

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Original article by Max Mason, John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 12-Mar-18

Cricket Australia wants bids for its next broadcasting deal to be submitted by Easter, with tender details sent to interested parties in the week ending 9 March. Ten is said to be very keen to retain the rights to the Big Bash League, and could potentially bid as much as $A60 million a year. Nine and Fox Sports are understood to be planning a bid that would cover all Cricket Australia’s broadcasting rights, including the BBL. Cricket Australia is said to be seeking a deal of around $A150 million a year.

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CRICKET AUSTRALIA, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, CBS CORPORATION, KORDA MENTHA AND COLLEAGUES PTY LTD

Wilson, Bauer quibble over costs

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Original article by Adam Cooper
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 16 : 9-Mar-18

The Supreme Court of Victoria has been told that a cost consultant has estimated that Bauer Media should be liable for about $A1.12m of the legal costs incurred by Hollywood star Rebel Wilson in a lengthy defamation lawsuit. Wilson’s legal costs arising from the case were around $A1.4m in total, and she is seeking to recover $A1.3m in costs from Bauer, in addition to the $A4.56m in damages it was ordered to pay after losing the defamation case.

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BAUER MEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA

Fairfax and NZME to hash out new merger terms

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 7-Mar-18

Fairfax Media hopes to successfully challenge the New Zealand Commerce Commission’s decision to block the proposed merger of its NZ business with NZME. The two companies will appeal against a court ruling which upheld the Commerce Commission’s May 2017 decision to block the deal on competition grounds. However, Fairfax and NZME have terminated a September 2016 merger implementation agreement, and they will negotiate a new deal if their appeal succeeds.

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FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, STUFF LIMITED, NZME LIMITED – ASX NZM, NEW ZEALAND. COMMERCE COMMISSION, HIGH COURT OF NEW ZEALAND

Foxtel-Fox Sports merger hails new era in content

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 7-Mar-18

Foxtel customers will have access to 201 channels after joint owners News Corp Australia and Telstra finalised a deal to merge the pay-TV company with News Corp’s fully-owned Fox Sports. Telstra will reduce its stake in Foxtel to 35 per cent as a result of the deal. Meanwhile, Foxtel CEO Patrick Delaney has flagged plans to launch a series of genre-based streaming video services, with the aim of targeting consumers who have shunned its traditional broadcast products.

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FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, COMCAST CORPORATION, SKY PLC, WALT DISNEY COMPANY

Lynas sees rare chance in trade row

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Original article by Glenda Korporaal
The Australian – Page: 17 & 28 : 6-Mar-18

Lynas Corporation has posted a 2017-18 interim profit of $A63m, compared with a $A19.3m loss for the previous corresponding period. Revenue was up 75 per cent at $A200.9m, while the rare earths miner reduced its debt to $US256.5m. CEO Amanda Lacaze says the Federal Government’s proposed collaboration with the US on the development of rare earths is positive for the local industry, adding that Lynas has contacted the office of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull regarding the issue.

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LYNAS CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX LYC, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Softened spy laws sent for scrutiny

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 4 : 6-Mar-18

The Federal Government has amended proposed foreign interference laws in response to the media industry’s concern about the impact on freedom of the press. Although journalists will not be exempt from the laws, they will only face criminal prosecution for reporting on classified documents if their actions pose a threat to public safety or national security, or affect an ongoing criminal investigation. The amendments will be scrutinised by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence & Security.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION

Sky News, Nine explore finance-reporting JV

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 5-Mar-18

Nine Entertainment Company has declined to comment on reports that it is holding talks with pay-TV channel Sky News Business regarding a finance reporting joint venture. However, a spokeswoman for Sky News owner News Corp has confirmed that the two companies have held such talks. The proposed alliance would distribute finance content on free-to-air, pay-TV and online channels, and could potentially include the launch of a new business channel. Nine and News Corp may also jointly bid for cricket broadcasting rights.

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NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SKY NEWS BUSINESS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN NEWS CHANNEL PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, CBS CORPORATION, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, CARADVICE.COM.AU PTY LTD, SKY PLC, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED