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Media buyers divided on News Corp’s pull from AMAA audit

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Original article by Zoe Samios
Mumbrella – Page: Online : 13-Dec-17

Nunn Media MD Chris Walton and Tom Rankin of 303MullenLowe are among media agency executives to have criticised News Corp Australia’s decision to withdraw its newspapers from the Audited Media Association of Australia’s circulation audit. Meanwhile, Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says there is a need for an independent research body to measure media. "I’m sure the AMAA will be described as unnecessary expenditure. But it comes at a time when advertisers and their agencies are crying out for truth and accuracy in measurement," Levine said. "The time for media and their industry bodies (OzTAM, EMMA etc) measuring themselves is fast drawing to an end. The confluence of digital media, outdoor, direct, point of sale and traditional media means more than ever advertisers and their agencies want , and need, a single source of truth – not media’s own claims or industry’s own claims."

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUDITED MEDIA ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, ROY MORGAN LIMITED, NUNN MEDIA PTY LTD, 303 MULLENROWE, HAVAS MEDIA PTY LTD, PHD GROUP PTY LTD

Department stores set for decade-long tumble

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Original article by Luke Misthos
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 12-Dec-17

The value of Australia’s department store sector will decline to $A16.7 billion (excluding the value of GST) in 2027, according to Morningstar. The sector is currently valued at $A17.5 billion. Morningstar predicts that sales earned by "bricks and mortar" department stores will decline by two per cent annually between now and 2027, while the number of physical stores will fall by 26 per cent. Morningstar contends that Kmart is best-equipped to meet the challenge posed by Amazon.

CORPORATES
MORNINGSTAR PTY LTD, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, TARGET AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, DAVID JONES LIMITED, WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW, BIG W DISCOUNT STORES

News Corp tipped to cut print circulations 30pc

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Original article by Aaron Patrick
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 12 : 12-Dec-17

There is speculation that News Corp Australia will reduce the print circulation of some newspapers by 25-30 per cent following its decision to cease reporting print sales data. Industry sources have suggested that News Corp may also have decided to stop distributing bulk copies of its newspapers, which Fairfax Media has already done. Fairfax Media also reduced the print circulation of some titles in 2014.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS

Rivals uneasy at merger of Foxtel, Sports

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 11-Dec-17

Scott Lorson, the CEO of pay-TV company Fetch, says the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission should have released a statement of issues before advising that it will not oppose the proposed merger between Foxtel and Fox Sports. Other pay-TV providers and telcos have also expressed concern about approval of the deal, which the ACCC concluded would not result in a substantial lessening of competition.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FETCHTV PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, FOXTEL NOW, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, VODAFONE HUTCHISON AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, IINET LIMITED, DODO INTERNET PTY LTD, IPRIMUS, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Game on: Foxtel, Fox Sports merger cleared

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 19 : 8-Dec-17

Shares in News Corporation and Telstra rallied on 7 December after the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission signalled that the proposed merger between Foxtel and Fox Sports would not substantially reduce competition. The two companies jointly own Foxtel, while News Corp is the sole owner of Fox Sports. Telstra’s stake in Foxtel will be reduced to 35 per cent if the merger proceeds. ACCC chairman Rod Sims says the regulator took into account the fact that Foxtel’s digital products will be available to Telstra’s rivals.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED

Amazon just warming up, warn analysts

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 20 : 7-Dec-17

Melanie Sanders of Bain & Company has forecast that e-commerce giant Amazon will boast Australian sales of between $A8bn and $A10bn within 5-10 years, making it the nation’s sixth-biggest retailer. Consumers have criticised the limited product range offered by Amazon when it officially launched in Australia, but Sanders argues that the company probably opted for a low-key launch in order to test its systems. Retail industry analysts have warned Australian retailers against becoming complacent based on Amazon’s local launch on 5 December, while Amazon itself says its sales for the day were higher than for any previous country launch.

CORPORATES
AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, BAIN AND COMPANY, UGAM, WORLD FIRST AUSTRALIA, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, BIG W DISCOUNT STORES, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, METCASH LIMITED – ASX MTS, IGA, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN

Local retailers brace as Amazon opens

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Original article by Chris Griffith, Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 2 : 5-Dec-17

The Australian retail website of e-commerce giant Amazon will be officially launched on 5 December. Consumers will be able to purchase a range of goods at significantly lower prices, with discounts of up to 30 per cent on some clothing and toy brands. Consumers will be able to purchase goods directly from Amazon or from merchants that sell their goods via the Amazon Marketplace. Consumers who order goods worth more than $A49 in total will receive free delivery. Amazon is forecast to gain up to $A200m worth of local sales at Christmas.

CORPORATES
AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, OFFICEWORKS SUPERSTORES PTY LTD, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TARGET AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BIG W DISCOUNT STORES, BABY BUNTING GROUP LIMITED – ASX BBN, REBEL SPORT LIMITED, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, DAVID JONES LIMITED, CALVIN KLEIN INCORPORATED, TOMMY HILFIGER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FISHER-PRICE INCORPORATED, BONDS INDUSTRIES LIMITED, PUMA AUSTRALIA, LEGO AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SOL-SANA, L’OREAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SONOS INCORPORATED, SUNBEAM CORPORATION LIMITED

Seven production head Brad Lyons takes redundancy

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Australian – Page: Online : 1-Dec-17

Seven’s director of production Brad Lyons will leave the television station at the end of 2017, after he opted to take a voluntary redundancy. Lyons joined Seven in 1997, with "Dancing with the Stars", "My Kitchen Rules", and "The Amazing Race Australia" just some of the programs he has been involved with. CEO Tim Worner noted that Lyons was held in high regard by both Australian and overseas production firms, and that he had made an "outstanding contribution" to Seven.

CORPORATES
SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED

Myer trims staff hours to cut costs

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 28-Nov-17

Department store chain Myer is cutting staff hours at its poorer performing stores to help reduce costs, although the move appears at odds with CEO Richard Umbers’ New Myer strategy. A key feature of the strategy involves boosting "customer facing hours". Myer’s same-store sales fell by 2.1 per cent in the three months to October, and Umbers told its AGM on 24 November that there had been no improvement since then. Myer has been the subject of sustained attack recently from major shareholder Solomon Lew over its performance.

CORPORATES
MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, PREMIER INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX PMV, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, DEUTSCHE BANK AG

Triple J moves Hottest 100 from Australia Day

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Original article by Broede Carmody
The Age – Page: 3 : 28-Nov-17

Radio station Triple J will no longer count down its 100 top songs of the year on Australia Day, announcing on 27 November that it would move the Hottest 100 to the fourth weekend in January. Triple J stated a survey of listeners had found that 60 per cent had supported the change of date. The decision was initially prompted by an online petition started in August, with Triple J asked to move the Hottest 100 from Australia Day out of respect to Indigenous Australians. The Greens have welcomed the change, but federal Minister for Communications Mitch Fifield said he was "bewildered" by the change in date.

CORPORATES
TRIPLE J PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS