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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

Nine exposed to potential class action over Don Burke allegations

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Australian – Page: Online : 28-Nov-17

The Nine Network is to investigate sexual harassment, bullying and assault allegations made against Don Burke by female staff and associates. The accusations against Burke, host of the long-running "Burke’s Backyard" show that was broadcast on Nine, were made as part of an investigation by the ABC and Fairfax Media. Roger Singh from Shine Lawyers notes media firms could be hit with significant damages claims if it was found they were negligent in their duty of care in terms of staff that had been the subject of abuse.

CORPORATES
NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, SHINE LAWYERS, CTC PRODUCTIONS PTY LTD

Snappers focus on press council ruling

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Original article by Stephen Brook
The Australian – Page: 26 : 27/11/2017

Opinions are divided over a Press Council of Australia ruling concerning a picture of a woman being pulled out of a car that had been involved in a fatal car accident. The Council ruled that the picture had breached standards in regards to the woman’s privacy and the minimisation of her distress. Russell McPhedron, who took pictures of survivors of the 1977 Granville train crash, in which 84 people were killed, says he agrees with the Council. However, David Gray, chief photographer at Reuters, says the decision was "ridiculous".

CORPORATES
PRESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA REUTERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE WALKLEY FOUNDATION FOR JOURNALISM

Sexual misconduct file imminent

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Australian – Page: 26 : 27/11/2017

Journalist Tracey Spicer’s promise to "name and shame" sexual predators in the Australian media industry could come to fruition in the week beginning 27 November. Spicer made her commitment in October, but says she has been delayed by legal issues. It is understood she has been able to collate 485 complaints concerning 65 separate alleged offenders. Child actress Sarah Monahan, who was abused by actor Robert Hughes when they appeared together in "Hey Dad", said on 25 November that she expects Spicer to disclose "household names" when she makes her revelations.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ BAUER MEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD CBS CORPORATION

Georgie will never be managed, says Karl

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Original article by Stephen Brook
The Australian – Page: 26 : 27/11/2017

Today co-host Karl Stefanovic says the program plans to increase the number of political interviews it does in 2018, but it will be making sure not to let politicians get away with any spin. New co-host Georgie Gardner says they hope to do more campaigns in 2018, while she states that she will not let Stefanovic "manage" her. Gardner was previously on "Today" for seven years as its newsreader, but left in 2014 partly to spend more time with her family. Her final show attracted the program’s highest ratings for some years.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA