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Ex-councillor may sue over Doyle articles

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Original article by Clay Lucas, Miki Perkins
The Age – Page: 3 : 12-Jan-18

News Corp Australia has rejected claims that articles published in the "Herald Sun" about former Melbourne City councillor Tessa Sullivan were defamatory. Lord Mayor Robert Doyle has stood down pending the outcome of an investigation into Sullivan’s allegations of indecent assault and sexual harassment. Sullivan’s lawyers claim that the tone of the articles was intended to discredit her and sway public opinion in favour of Doyle.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MELBOURNE CITY COUNCIL, NEWGATE COMMUNICATIONS PTY LTD, WISEWOULD MAHONY

Syrah’s battery hopes hit US hurdle

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 11-Jan-18

Australian-listed Syrah Resources is confident that it will be able to secure a new site for its proposed graphite beneficiation plant in the US. The South Tangipahoa Parish Port Commission has terminated Syrah’s lease over the site in New Orleans where it had proposed to build the plant, after local residents expressed concern about the plant’s potential impact on air and water quality. Syrah will consider other sites in the state of Louisiana, and it remains hopeful of achieving its previously-stated target for commencing production.

CORPORATES
SYRAH RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX SYR, SOUTH TANGIPAHOA PARISH PORT COMMISSION, INCITEC PIVOT LIMITED – ASX IPL, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, HILL END GOLD LIMITED – ASX HEG

Hutchy’s merger with radio network

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Australian – Page: 18 : 9-Jan-18

Australian-listed Pacific Star Networks has revealed plans to merge with TV and radio sports content group Crocmedia, which was co-founded by sports broadcaster Craig Hutchison. Crocmedia currently supplies content to Pacific Star Network’s sports-focused radio station in Melbourne, 1116 SEN. Hutchison will become CEO and MD of Pacific Star Network if the merger is approved by shareholders in March.

CORPORATES
PACIFIC STAR NETWORK LIMITED – ASX PNW, CROCMEDIA PTY LTD, SEN 1116 AM

Old cars saving radio, but it’s headed for disruption

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Original article by Jennifer Duke
The Age – Page: 8 : 2-Jan-18

Citi analyst David Kaynes says that radio could be the next traditional media sector to be "disrupted" by internet advertising. He says the reason that radio has remained relatively immune from "digital disruption" to date is the average age of Australian cars, with owners of older cars unable to access digital radio in their vehicles. Metropolitan radio stations currently generate around 70 per cent of their weekday revenue from the drive and breakfast shifts.

CORPORATES
CITI AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, 2DAY FM AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, KISS FM

Whateley pulls up ABC stumps and jumps ship to rival radio team

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Original article by Nicole Jeffery
The Australian – Page: 3 : 2-Jan-18

Radio personality Gerard Whateley has announced he is leaving the ABC to join Melbourne radio station SEN. Whateley will start with SEN on 29 January, and says the offer to join it was "irresistible". His duties at SEN will include hosting its morning program. Whateley joined the ABC in 2004, while he also hosts Fox Footy’s "AFL 360 program", a role in which he will continue. His announcement means he will not be part of the ABC’s broadcasting team for the upcoming Sydney Test match.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK PTY LTD, FOX FOOTY CHANNEL, CROCMEDIA, PACIFIC STAR NETWORK LIMITED – ASX PNW

Why Rupert is still in the news

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Original article by Con Frantzeskos
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 38 : 21-Dec-17

Rupert Murdoch’s decision to sell the bulk of 21 Century Fox’s assets to Walt Disney Company reflects that the fact that digital disruptors have largely only affected the channels for distributing content, rather than the content itself. Murdoch will retain TV assets that primarily broadcast live content, such as news and sport, in which digital players such as Facebook and Google have made relatively limited progress to date. Murdoch is also repositioning his media empire to focus on live news and sports at a local level, which has always been his forte.

CORPORATES
21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FOX BROADCASTING COMPANY, FOX NEWS, FOX SPORTS, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED

Big ratings boost for the Big Bash

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 : 21-Dec-17

Nine Entertainment Company, the Ten Network and Fox Sports are likely to be the main bidders for the next Big Bash League broadcasting rights deal. The strong TV ratings for the first BBL match of the 2017-18 season should strengthen Cricket Australia’s bargaining power in negotiations for a new rights deal. Peak audience numbers for Ten’s coverage were 15 per cent higher than the corresponding match in 2016-17, while the Women’s BBL competition has also attracted strong TV ratings.

CORPORATES
NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, CBS CORPORATION, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BIG BASH LEAGUE, CRICKET AUSTRALIA

Amazon to trigger big change in ad spending

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 20-Dec-17

UBS forecast that Amazon will boast revenue of $A3.5 billion in Australia by 2023, while Morgan Stanley expects it to be generating revenue of $A12 billion by 2026. Search marketing firm Adthena forecasts that Amazon’s share of internet searches in retail categories could be between 40 per cent and 70 per cent by 2023, which will require existing Australian retailers to change their advertising strategies and improve their online sites. PHD Media CEO Mark Coad notes that Amazon is effectively becoming a default search engine for some consumers when it comes to looking for products.

CORPORATES
AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, ADTHENA, PHD MEDIA, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, KOGAN.COM LIMITED – ASX KGN, THE GOOD GUYS, APPLIANCES ONLINE PTY LTD, M&C SAATCHI AGENCY PTY LTD, BOHEMIA

Sky News at centre of Foxtel tussle over fees

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Australian – Page: 15 : 20-Dec-17

The proposed merger between Foxtel and Fox Sports is in doubt due to a dispute between Foxtel’s joint owners over carriage fees for Sky News. Foxtel currently pays about $A30m a year to broadcast the news channel, but Sky News owner News Corp is seeking an increase in this fee. Foxtel’s 50 per cent owner Telstra has signalled that it is open to an increase in the carriage fee, but its proposed increase is lower than that sought by News Corp. The merger between Foxtel and Fox Sports recently gained regulatory approval.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SKY NEWS, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SKY PLC

Myer profit warning a present for Lew

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Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 20 : 15-Dec-17

Solomon Lew might be more likely to get support for his push for an extraordinary general meeting of Myer shareholders after the department store chain issued another profit warning on 14 December. Lew is Myer’s largest shareholder through Premier Investments, and he has been attacking the Myer board for some months over what he claims is its flawed business strategy. Myer’s shares fell to a record low after it revealed that sales for the last two weeks were down five per cent.

CORPORATES
MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, PREMIER INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX PMV, OROTONGROUP LIMITED – ASX ORL, VERTIUM ASSET MANAGEMENT, LIVE CLOTHING, LOVER