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Nine ‘stretched to the limit’ on cricket rights

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Original article by Vesna Poljak
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 3-May-17

Nine Entertainment Company CEO Hugh Marks says cricket coverage is still important to the Nine Network, but he concedes that the group can only afford to pay so much for the broadcasting rights. Marks adds that unlike sports such as AFL and NRL, cricket does not have a fixed scheduled each year and matches are often affected by the weather. He also says Nine must start delivering a return on its investment in other sports.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, BIG BASH LEAGUE, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE

Government considering $100m TV licence fee cuts

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 1-May-17

The Australian Government’s May 2017 Budget may include broadcasting licence fee relief for free-to-air TV networks. Options that are said to be under consideration include abolishing the existing revenue-based licence fee or replacing it with a flat fee. The licence fee reforms are intended to offset the impact of a proposed ban on gambling advertisements during live sports broadcasts. The anti-siphoning list may also be revised to compensate pay-TV groups for the loss of gambling ad revenue.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, ONE NATION PARTY

Murdoch holds the key to re-shaping television

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Original article by Aaron Patrick, Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 36 & 37 : 1-May-17

Ten Network’s market capitalisation has slumped to just $A99.7m in the wake of a recent profit warning. The 7.7 per cent stake held by News Corporation’s co-chairman Lachlan Murdoch is now worth just $A7.7m, and there is speculation that News Corp ultimately wants to acquire the struggling TV network. Ten is seeking to renegotiate or terminate its content deals with CBS and 21st Century Fox, amid declining viewership of US TV shows in Australia. Ten also faces a deadline to repay or roll over a loan facility that has been guaranteed by Murdoch, James Packer and Bruce Gordon.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NOVA ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, CBS CORPORATION, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, INSTAGRAM LLC, DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, CCZ STATTON EQUITIES PTY LTD, ITV NETWORK LIMITED, McKINSEY AND COMPANY, PROSIEBENSAT.1 MEDIA AG

Ten review to cut costs in ‘every dark corner’

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Original article by Mitchell Bingemann
The Australian – Page: 21 : 28-Apr-17

Ten Network has posted a 2016-17 interim loss of $A232.2m and advised that it expects to book a full-year underlying EBITDA loss of between $A25m and $A30m. CEO Paul Anderson has revealed plans for an 18-month "transformation program" that will seek to increase revenue and aggressively reduce costs. Ten’s directors have conceded that there is significant doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern, with a $A200m debt facility due to expire at the end of 2017.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

Smooth operators ease way to top of heap

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Original article by Stephen Brook
The Australian – Page: 3 : 28-Apr-17

Nova Entertainment’s SmoothFM topped the FM ratings in both Sydney and Melbourne in GfK’s second radio ratings survey for 2017. SmoothFM boasted an audience share of 9.9 per cent in both cities, almost five years after being launched under the Vega banner. Meanwhile, Sydney’s 2GB increased its overall audience share by 0.3 points to 11.6 per cent. Ratings for its breakfast show rose by 0.6 points to 13.5 per cent following the return of Alan Jones after an extended absence on medical grounds.

CORPORATES
SMOOTHFM 91.5 PTY LTD, SMOOTHFM 95.3 PTY LTD, NOVA ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, ILLYRIA PTY LTD, 2GB, GFK PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, KIIS1065, TRIPLE M CORPORATION PTY LTD, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED

Don’t get caught by cricket deal, Nine told

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Original article by Mitchell Bingemann
The Australian – Page: 20 : 27-Apr-17

Nine Entertainment Company’s broadcasting rights deal with Cricket Australia expires at the end of 2017. Sources have indicated that Nine will only strike a new deal that represents "fair value" for shareholders. Nine paid $A450m for its current five-year deal, and some analysts believe that it is losing between $A30m and $A40m a year as a result of the deal. Eric Choi of UBS says Nine should abandon the broadcasting rights or push for a deal that provides additional matches at no extra cost.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Abolish TV licence fees, tax Google and Facebook: Xenophon

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 26-Apr-17

The Australian Government’s May 2017 Budget is tipped to include a further reduction in TV broadcasting licence fees. Independent senator Nick Xenophon says the fees are "anachronistic" and should be scrapped for free-to-air networks. Xenophon supports increased restrictions on gambling advertisements during live sports broadcasts, but he rejects suggestions that he has struck a deal with the Government on the issue. Xenophon also favours imposing a turnover tax on Google and Facebook.

CORPORATES
NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY

Amazon will eat your business, e-tail entrepreneur warns

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Original article by Michael Bailey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 24-Apr-17

Many Australian e-commerce retailers are likely to be tempted to join Amazon Marketplace when it becomes established. However, Caroline McCulloch is not one of them. McCulloch, who is the co-founder of Frankie4, a Brisbane-based footwear designer and e-commerce retailer, says the likely negatives of joining Amazon Marketplace outweigh the possible benefits.

CORPORATES
AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, FRANKIE4 PTY LTD

Opponents line up to resist Tabcorp deal

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 37 : 24-Apr-17

Racing NSW CEO Peter V’Landys rejects suggestions that a merger between Tabcorp Holdings and Tatts Group would reduce competition for broadcasting rights for horse racing. Some submissions to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission have expressed concern that the merger would increase the market power of Tabcorp-owned Sky Racing at the expense of rivals such as Racing.com, which is a joint venture between Seven West Media and Racing Victoria.

CORPORATES
TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TAH, TATTS GROUP LIMITED – ASX TTS, SKY RACING, RACING.COM, RACING NSW, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, RACING VICTORIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, CROWNBET PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, PACIFIC CONSORTIUM

Fifield targets budget for enhanced media package

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 24-Apr-17

Changes to the anti-siphoning list for sports and a reduction in TV broadcasting licence fees are expected to be included in the Australian Government’s revised cross-media ownership reform bill. The Government hopes to gain the support of independent senator Nick Xenophon for its media bill, while it is also seeking to ban gambling advertisements during live sports broadcasts. The proposed media reforms are expected to be included in the May 2017 Budget.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, THE EMIRATES MELBOURNE CUP, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY