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Spy law imperils journalists, ex-judge warns

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Original article by Nicola Berkovic
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 2-Feb-18

Transparency International Australia chairman and former Supreme Court of New South Wales judge Anthony Whealy has warned about the potential effects of the Federal Government’s proposed foreign interference laws. He says the new secrecy laws could be used to prosecute journalists if they receive classified ­information. Whealy has called for the Government to provide an exemption for journalists if they are acting in the public interest. The media industry has expressed similar concerns about the proposed laws.

CORPORATES
TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL AUSTRALIA, SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, HUMAN RIGHTS LAW CENTRE LIMITED

M&A talk as Gordon lifts Prime interest

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Original article by Dana McCauley, Bridget Carter
The Australian – Page: 21 : 2-Feb-18

Sources have indicated that WIN Corporation owner Bruce Gordon has increased his stake in Prime Media Group from 14.99 per cent to 24 per cent. The transaction, which is believed to have been carried out via cash-settled equity swaps, has prompted speculation that Gordon could seek to merge the two regional TV broadcasters in the wake of cross-media ownership reforms. Meanwhile, Perpetual has reduced its stake in Prime from 13.1 per cent to 7.4 per cent.

CORPORATES
PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, PERPETUAL LIMITED – ASX PPT, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, DEUTSCHE BANK AG

New Foxtel chief in hunt for millennials

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Australian – Page: 19 : 1-Feb-18

Patrick Delany has succeeded Peter Tonagh as CEO of pay-TV group Foxtel ahead of its merger with Fox Sports Australia. Delany has been CEO of Fox Sports since 2011, and previously held a number of roles at Foxtel. He has flagged plans to expand Foxtel’s customer base, with a focus on increasing its market share among audience segments such as millennials. The merger of Foxtel and Fox Sports is expected to be completed within months.

CORPORATES
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, VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH

Journos face jail just for having information

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Original article by Primrose Riordan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 31-Jan-18

The media industry has expressed concern about the potential implications of proposed foreign interference laws. Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance CEO Paul Murphy has told a parliamentary committee that journalists and news editors could potentially face criminal charges simply for receiving confidential information. Foxtel’s Bruce Meagher warned that the pay-TV group could be forced to discontinue channels that are owned by foreign governments, while Georgia-Kate Schubert of News Corp says it is uncertain as to whether the legislation would apply to digital giants such as Facebook and Google.

CORPORATES
MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AL JAZEERA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, THE GROUP OF EIGHT LIMITED

$1bn battle for cricket broadcast rights

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 20 : 29-Jan-18

One of Australia’s free-to-air TV networks could potentially bid for cricket broadcasting rights in partnership with Fox Sports. Telcos and technology companies are also believed to be interested in a broadcasting deal, with Cricket Australia set to commence negotiations in the next week. The total cost of the next five-year deal for cricket broadcasting rights could approach $A1bn, with expectations that the Big Bash League rights may cost up to $A250m, compared with $A100m under the current deal.

CORPORATES
FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, BIG BASH LEAGUE, CBS CORPORATION, NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, SKY PLC, BT PLC, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, FOOTBALL FEDERATION AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS

JB Hi-Fi wins again, but Freedom biggest improver

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 29-Jan-18

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey shows that JB Hi-Fi is again Australia’s leading electrical and furniture retailer, with a customer satisfaction rating of 90.9% in November 2017. JB Hi-Fi’s customer satisfaction improved 0.5% from a year ago to hold off a fast improving Ikea on 89.6% (up 5.2% from a year ago), and ahead of JB Hi-Fi stablemate The Good Guys on 88.7%. However, the biggest improver over the past year was Freedom, which increased its customer satisfaction rating by 6.4% to 81.8% in November – its highest rating since April 2014. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says JB Hi-Fi is in the box seat to win its fourth Roy Morgan Annual Customer Satisfaction Award at the 2017 Awards in February, adding that between them JB Hi-Fi and The Good Guys have won a total of 8 Annual Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards since 2011.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, IKEA TRADING PTY LTD, THE GOOD GUYS, FREEDOM FURNITURE, FANTASTIC FURNITURE, STEINHOFF INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LIMITED

Consumers are in surprisingly sunny mood

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 41 : 25-Jan-18

UBS forcasts that Australian retail sales will rise by 2.6 per cent overall in 2018, while growth in discretionary spending is expected to slow to just two per cent. Craig James of CommSec notes that consumers were upbeat leading into 2018, citing factors such as historically low interest rates, the strong growth in jobs in 2017 and the recent rise in the value of the Australian dollar. However, the ANZ/Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence index has eased 3.3 per cent to 119.9, although consumer confidence is still higher that its long-term average of 112.9.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH SECURITIES LIMITED, ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, NONI B LIMITED – ASX NBL, ADAIRS LIMITED – ASX ADH, LOVISA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX LOV, RETAIL FOOD GROUP LIMITED – ASX RFG, THE PAS GROUP LIMITED – ASX PGR, AUSTRALIAN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES LIMITED – ASX API, PRICELINE PHARMACY, MICHAEL HILL INTERNATIONAL LIMITED – ASX MHJ, EMMA AND ROE, KATHMANDU HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX KMD, ARNHEM INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Sport proves a winning formula for Seven West Media

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 41 : 25-Jan-18

Seven West Media hopes to retain tennis broadcasting rights when its current contract expires in 2019. Data from Seven shows that audiences for its TV coverage of the 2018 Australian Open are six per cent higher than in 2017, while there has been 135 per cent growth in the number of minutes of Open coverage streamed via its 7Tennis app. Seven CEO Tim Worner argues that free-to-air TV still attracts the largest audiences for live sports coverage.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NETFLIX INCORPORATED

Spendless Shoes tops The Athlete’s Foot

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Jan-18

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey shows that Spendless Shoes has Australia’s most satisfied shoe store customers, with a customer satisfaction rating of 86.7% in November 2017. This is a significant increase of 3.5% from a year ago. The Athlete’s Foot is close behind with a customer satisfaction rating of 86.4%, up 3.8% on a year ago. Betts/Betts Kids also has a customer satisfaction rating of 86.4%, up 16.9% over the last 12 months. In fact, all five leading shoe stores in Australia increased their customer satisfaction over the last 12 months, including fourth-placed Mathers on 84.7% and previous Annual award winners Williams The Shoemen just behind on 84.4%. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says the closeness of the results in November, with all leading shoe stores scoring customer satisfaction ratings above 80%, shows the intensely competitive nature of the industry as retailers Australia-wide deal with the entry of US retail giant Amazon.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, SPENDLESS SHOES PTY LTD, THE ATHLETE’S FOOT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BETTS, BETTS KIDS, MATHERS SHOES PTY LTD, WILLIAMS THE SHOEMEN, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED

Rebel well placed to take on Decathlon

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Jan-18

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey shows that Rebel is again Australia’s leading sports store, with a customer satisfaction rating of 89.2% in November 2017. This is up 3.0% from a year ago, as competition hots up in Australia’s sporting goods market. Closest rival Sports Power also scored an impressive customer satisfaction rating of 86.5% in November, up 2.5% over the past year, while Sportsco had a satisfaction rating of 73.7%. French sports store giant Decathlon entered the Australian sporting goods market in 2016 with an online presence, and the Decathlon "warehouse" store opened pre-Christmas in suburban Sydney is the first of up to 100 stores Decathlon plans to open in Australia. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says Rebel’s performance in 2017 has been exceptional with the company taking out several monthly Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards during the year and heavily favoured to build on its successive victories in 2015 and 2016 in the annual Roy Morgan Annual Customer Satisfaction Awards in February.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, REBEL SPORT LIMITED, SPORTS POWER, SPORTSCO PTY LTD, DECATHLON