Network Ten equity has no value, according to KPMG report

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 11-Oct-17

An independent expert’s report from KPMG has concluded that the Ten Network has an equity value of between negative $A529.2m and negative $A543.7m, or negative $1.055bn when the debt claims of CBS and 21st Century are taken into account. The negative valuation could make it harder for Lachlan Murdoch and Bruce Gordon to challenge the transfer of Ten’s shares to CBS Corporation. They will have a deadline of 13 October to decide whether to launch a legal challenge.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CBS CORPORATION, KORDA MENTHA AND COLLEAGUES PTY LTD, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED

Kaufland bid a shock to industry veteran

Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 10-Oct-17

Businessman Roger Drake says Australia’s supermarket sector is the most competitive it has been in four decades. Competition is set to intensify with confirmation that Kaufland will enter the local market. It recently paid $A25m for a 3.6-hectare site in Adelaide, and Drake says he had expected the German group’s first store to be in Sydney or Melbourne. Drake notes that independent greengrocers appear to have been hit harder by Aldi’s entry to the South Australian market than the Foodland stores that he owns in the state.

CORPORATES
KAUFLAND STIFTUNG & CO KG, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, FOODLAND AUSTRALIA LIMITED, DRAKE FOODMARKETS, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BIG W DISCOUNT STORES, CBRE PTY LTD

CA inks subcontinent TV deal

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 10-Oct-17

Sony Pictures Networks India has secured a deal for exclusive broadcasting and digital rights on the sub-continent to all international cricket matches in Australia for six years. The deal with Cricket Australia covers both men’s and women’s cricket matches, and Sony Pictures is believed to have paid slightly more than Star India paid under the current rights deal. Meanwhile, Cricket Australia hopes to finalise a new rights deal with Australian broadcasters by the end of the upcoming summer.

CORPORATES
SONY PICTURES NETWORKS INDIA PVT LTD, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, STAR INDIA, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, BIG BASH LEAGUE, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, CBS CORPORATION, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS

Ten report could spark challenge

Original article by Dana McCauley
The Australian – Page: 24 : 9-Oct-17

Failed bidders for the Ten Network have until 13 October to challenge the transfer of its shares to US media giant CBS Corporation. A KPMG report to be released on 9 October may determine whether there will be a legal challenge to the CBS deal. The report concludes that Ten has negative net worth, but Lachlan Murdoch and Bruce Gordon are believed to have commissioned their own independent expert’s report which includes a positive valuation of Ten’s shares.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CBS CORPORATION, KORDA MENTHA AND COLLEAGUES PTY LTD, ILLYRIA PTY LTD, BIRKETU PTY LTD, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, VIACOM INCORPORATED, CHANNEL 5 BROADCASTING LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD

Fifield strikes back at ABC’s Guthrie

Original article by Dana McCauley
The Australian – Page: 24 : 9-Oct-17

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has defended the Federal Government’s move to make the ABC disclose the salaries of presenters who are paid more than $A200,000 and to require the public broadcaster to be "fair and balanced". He was responding to a speech by ABC MD Michelle Guthrie, in which she argued that changes to the ABC’s charter were not necessary and were politically motivated. The changes were part of a deal struck with One Nation to secure cross-media ownership reforms in the Senate.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, ONE NATION PARTY, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Myer leads David Jones for satisfaction

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Oct-17

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that department store group Myer had a customer satisfaction rating of 88.6% in August 2017, ahead of David Jones on 85.1%. Myer has improved its customer satisfaction rating by 2.4% points over the last year, while David Jones showed a decline of 1.5% points. A year ago, David Jones had a satisfaction rating of 86.6%, marginally ahead of Myer (86.2%). The survey also shows that David Jones has its highest customer satisfaction rating among "Pre-Boomers" (those aged 71+) with 89.7%, compared with 87.6% for Myer. Meanwhile, Myer has its highest satisfaction rating (91.0%) among "Generation X" (aged 42 to 56), compared with 86.5% for David Jones.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, DAVID JONES LIMITED

Online advance makes mergers unclear: Sims

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 9-Oct-17

The Federal Government’s cross-media ownership reforms are expected to be endorsed by the lower house in coming weeks, after being passed by the Senate in September. The reforms are tipped to prompt consolidation in the sector, but Australian Competition & Consumer chairman Rod Sims says "closeness of competition" will be a key factor in deciding whether to approve deals. He notes that while media diversity has increased with the growth of online news, there is now more overlap between traditional media such as TV and newspapers, which both have an online presence.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, OOH!MEDIA LIMITED – ASX OML, APN OUTDOOR GROUP LIMITED – ASX APO, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, CBS CORPORATION

Daigou retailer sells well on ASX debut

Original article by Jessica Sier
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 : 6-Oct-17

So-called "daigou" retailer AuMake performed strongly on its sharemarket debut on 5 October. AuMake, which raised $A6 million from the issue of shares at $A0.08 each, traded as high as $A0.235. Founders Joshua Zhou and Lynn Zheng own 17 per cent of AuMake, while CVC is its biggest institutional investor. AuMake currently has six stores in Sydney and generates over $A13 million a year in revenue.

CORPORATES
AUMAKE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED – ASX AU8, CVC LIMITED – ASX CVC, ITM CORPORATION LIMITED, AUGEND LIMITED, TITAN ENERGY SERVICES, WECHAT, BELLAMY’S AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX BAL, THE A2 MILK COMPANY LIMITED – ASX A2M

ABC pulls the plug on Lateline and The Link

Original article by Stephen Brook
The Australian – Page: 5 : 6-Oct-17

The ABC has confirmed that current affairs program "Lateline" will not return in 2018. The show, which was first broadcast in 1990, will be replaced by a late-evening news bulletin. Current host Emma Alberici will become the public broadcaster’s chief economics correspondent. Weekly program "The Link" will also not be renewed, and host Stan Grant will take up the role of the ABC’s chief Asia correspondent. The ABC will redirect funding for these shows to its investigative unit and its team of specialist reporters.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Ten to give A-League ‘maximum exposure’

Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 5-Oct-17

Ten Network hopes its coverage of A-League soccer will be as successful as its broadcasts of the Big Bash League domestic Twenty20 competition in recent years. Ten has committed to providing live coverage of one A-League match each week, beginning on 7 October, while it will also broadcast the A-League finals and grand final. The two-year deal to simulcast Fox Sports’ coverage will be the first the time that A-League matches have been broadcast on a commercial free-to-air network.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, THE A LEAGUE PTY LTD, BIG BASH LEAGUE, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, CBS CORPORATION, MELBOURNE VICTORY FOOTBALL CLUB PTY LTD, SYDNEY FOOTBALL CLUB