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Foxtel’s $8b float plans delayed

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 : 18-Apr-16

Foxtel’s joint owners, News Corp and Foxtel, initially planned to list the pay-TV company on the Australian sharemarket in the second half of 2016. However, the proposed IPO is believed to have been pushed back to 2017. Negotiations over a new broadband arrangement are said to be a key issue. Plans for the IPO also include merging News-owned Fox Sports with Foxtel. Foxtel faces growing competition from subscription video-on-demand companies such as Netflix.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, GOLDMAN SACHS AND PARTNERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CITIGROUP PTY LTD

News, Fairfax, Nine, Ten called to Senate inquiry

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 11-Apr-16

The CEOs of some of Australia’s largest media groups have been asked to appear before the Senate’s environment and communications legislation committee on 29 April 2016. The committee is holding an inquiry into the Federal Government’s proposed changes to cross-media ownership laws, but it is not scheduled to report its findings until 12 May. The Government must call an election no later than 11 May if it is to be held in July.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE ARTS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Anxious TV executives seek meeting with PM

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 11-Apr-16

The free-to-air TV industry is concerned that the Australian Government will not include a reduction in broadcasting licence fees in the May 2016 Budget. Free TV Australia is said to have lobbied Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for a meeting with industry executives to discuss the issue. Some observers have speculated that the Government may opt to progressively reduce the licence fee over several years.

CORPORATES
FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NETFLIX INCORPORATED

Bauer urged to expand under new boss Chan

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 21 : 8-Apr-16

Former Pacific Magazines CEO and COO Nick Chan will succeed David Goodchild as CEO of magazine publisher Bauer Media Australia. Chan is also a former COO of Bauer when it was known as ACP Magazines. Dentsu Aegis Australia CEO Simon Ryan says Bauer could become a "powerful" media group in Australia under Chan, but he will need the support of its board to make acquisitions. There has been speculation that Bauer could expand into radio broadcasting.

CORPORATES
BAUER MEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BAUER MEDIA KG, PACIFIC MAGAZINES PTY LTD, ACP MAGAZINES LIMITED, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, NOVA ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, COMMERCIAL RADIO AUSTRALIA LIMITED, THE TEXT MEDIA GROUP LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, PHD CREATIVE PTY LTD

Free TV networks ready to campaign on licence fees

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 21 : 7-Apr-16

The metropolitan free-to-air TV networks may ramp their lobbying for a reduction in the annual broadcasting licence fee in the Australian Government’s May 2016 Budget. They are believed to have held discussions about launching an advertising campaign, which is likely to be similar to the Save Our Voices campaign that was launched by regional broadcasters.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, PIN PAYMENTS, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Analysts tip Nine shares to recover

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Original article by Max Mason
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 23 : 7-Apr-16

Nine Entertainment Company’s share price closed 2.2 per cent higher at $A1.18 on 6 April 2016. The stock had shed 23.7 per cent in the previous trading session, in response to a sharp fall in earnings for the third quarter of 2015-16. Nine was hit by disappointing ratings, but some media buyers expect its performance to improve with several popular programs set to return shortly. Meanwhile, UBS and Deutsche Bank analysts have "buy" recommendations on the stock.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SMI MEDIA INCORPORATED, OZTAM PTY LTD

Government weighing up broadcasters’ revenue fees

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 : 6-Apr-16

Australia’s Communications Minister Mitch Fifield agrees that there is a need for changes to TV and radio broadcasting licence fees. However, Fifield has downplayed suggestions that a reduction in licence fees could be included in the May 2016 Budget, noting the Federal Government’s "constrained fiscal circumstances". TV networks have lobbied for the licence fee to be scrapped or reduced to just one per cent of revenue, but Fraser McLeish of Credit Suisse expects the fee to be reduced progressively over several years.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Nine and Ten to duke it out for Big Bash League

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 4-Apr-16

Nine Entertainment Company will seriously consider bidding for the rights to the domestic Twenty20 cricket tournament, says CEO Hugh Marks. The 2015-16 Big Bash League was a ratings success for the Ten Network, whose current broadcasting rights deal is worth $A20m a year. Media industry analysts have suggested that the next deal could cost between $A50m and $A60m a year. Ten CEO Paul Anderson says the network is keen to retain the BBL rights.

CORPORATES
NINE FILMS AND TELEVISION PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, BIG BASH LEAGUE, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION, NETFLIX INCORPORATED

Marks’ roadshow moves suggest Nine contemplating a merger with Southern Cross

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 23 : 4-Apr-16

A merger between Nine Entertainment Company and regional broadcaster Southern Cross Media Group is widely tipped if cross-media ownership reforms proceed. Nine CEO Hugh Marks indicated in March 2016 that the group had no plans to resume merger discussions. However, he is believed to have told investors that synergies from a merger with Southern Cross could be worth about $A90m annually.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, NBN TELEVISION, RGM ARTISTS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED

TV licence fee cuts could fall short of networks’ hopes

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 4-Apr-16

The Australian Government has not made a final decision on whether to include a reduction in TV broadcasting licence fees in the May 2016 Budget. The fees are currently set at 4.5 per cent of broadcasters’ revenue, and TV networks want them to be scrapped or reduced to just one per cent of revenue. Credit Suisse’s Fraser McLeish expects a progressive reduction in fees to about 2.5 per cent over several years. Communications Minister Mitch Fifield recently agreed that the licence fees are high compared with the networks’ overseas peers.

CORPORATES
CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, MELBOURNE PRESS CLUB, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM