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Global funds take aim at media

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 19 & 22 : 1-Apr-16

UBS’s Justin Dwyer says the Australian Government’s proposed changes to cross-media ownership laws may prompt renewed interest in local media companies among their offshore peers and private equity firms. He suggests that companies which made offers to buy the Ten Network in 2015 could be among the potential suitors. Meanwhile, Greg Peirce of UBS says the media industry’s "structural challenges" may have more influence on merger activity in the sector than government reforms.

CORPORATES
UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, PROVIDENCE EQUITY PARTNERS INCORPORATED, DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, DICK SMITH HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX DSH, AUSTRALIA. SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE ARTS, THOMSON REUTERS PLC

Reforms could curb sport on free TV: Seven

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 1-Apr-16

Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner has cautioned the Australian Government against taking a "piecemeal" approach to media reform. He has told a Senate committee that relaxing cross-media ownership laws could allow the Ten Network to be acquired by pay-TV group Foxtel. This in turn could eventually result in more sporting events being removed from the anti-siphoning list and shown exclusively on pay-TV. Worner has also called for broadcasting licence fees to be scrapped or reduced.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, V8 SUPERCARS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NOVA ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, ILLYRIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Lew inducted as retail legend

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 22 : 31-Mar-16

Premier Investments chairman Solomon Lew will join an exclusive group when he is inducted into the World Retail Congress Hall of Fame. He is the first Australian to be added to the hall of fame, whose members include the founders of international retail giants such as IKEA, Zara and Uniqlo. Tommy Hilfiger and Jo Malone will also be inducted into the hall of fame in 2016.

CORPORATES
PREMIER INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX PMV, WORLD RETAIL CONGRESS HALL OF FAME, IKEA INTERNATIONAL A/S, ZARA, UNIQLO COMPANY LIMITED, ARCADIA GROUP PLC, MARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA INCORPORATED, JUST JEANS PTY LTD, PETER ALEXANDER, SMIGGLE PTY LTD, DOTTI, PORTMANS PTY LTD, VOYAGER DISTRIBUTING COMPANY PTY LTD, PLAYCORP PTY LTD, CENTURY PLAZA INVESTMENTS PTY LTD, FCUK, NINE WEST AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, COUNTRY ROAD LIMITED, DAVID JONES LIMITED, WOOLWORTHS HOLDINGS LIMITED, BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED, SASS AND BIDE PTY LTD

Include ABC, SBS in reform says Nine boss

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 31-Mar-16

The Australian Government’s proposed media reforms should consider the option of merging the ABC and SBS, according to Nine Entertainment Company CEO Hugh Marks. He argues that a review of the two public broadcasters should be part any media reform agenda, noting that they have changed significantly since they were initially established. ABC MD Mark Scott recently called for to be merged with SBS.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS

Booktopia pushes ahead with plans for $150m IPO

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 30-Mar-16

Australian online book retailer Booktopia may pursue a sharemarket float in the second half of 2016. CEO Tony Nash says the bulk of proceeds from the proposed IPO will be used to finance Booktopia’s expansion plans and invested in its supply chain processes. Booktopia’s sales are forecast to exceed $A100m in 2017, and Nash is not unduly concerned about competition from The Book Depository, which is owned by Amazon.

CORPORATES
BOOKTOPIA PTY LTD, THE BOOK DEPOSITORY LIMITED, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, BOOKWORLD, PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE, ORD MINNETT GROUP LIMITED, MORGANS FINANCIAL LIMITED, TEMPLE AND WEBSTER GROUP LIMITED – ASX TPW, SURFSTITCH GROUP LIMITED – ASX SRF, IBISWORLD PTY LTD

Woolworths needs to fix more than its Homebrands

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 30-Mar-16

Marketing Focus’s Barry Urquhart says Woolworths will need to market a change in branding for its entry-level private-label products in the same way it markets national brands. Woolworths intends to phase out the Homebrand name in favour of Essentials, in a bid to counter perceptions that the private-label products of rival grocery chains are of better quality. Melbourne Business School’s Mark Ritson says Woolworths should also seek to reposition its other private-label brands.

CORPORATES
WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, MARKETING FOCUS PTY LTD, MELBOURNE BUSINESS SCHOOL, PRINCIPALS, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD

Merged Foxtel, Fox Sports ‘easier’ to float

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 20 : 30-Mar-16

Credit ­Suisse media analyst Fraser McLeish says a proposed IPO for Foxtel would be more attractive to investors if the pay-TV group was merged with Fox Sports. McLeish estimates that a merged Foxtel-Fox Sports would boast an enterprise value of about $A8.5bn. Telstra and News Corp each own 50 per cent of Foxtel, and News Corp has full ownership of Fox Sports.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED, EUROSPORT

Ten in the picture as new WIN partner

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 21 : 30-Mar-16

WIN Corporation CEO Andrew Lancaster is believed to have held talks with executives from Ten Network regarding an affiliation agreement. The regional broadcaster had negotiated a six-month extension to its content supply deal with Nine Entertainment Company at the end of 2015. The timing of the 2016 federal election and the subsequent fate of proposed cross-media ownership reforms are likely to force regional TV networks to secure new affiliation deals.

CORPORATES
WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL

Woolworths turns back on Homebrand

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 29-Mar-16

Australian-listed Woolworths will drop the Homebrand name for its entry-level range of private label products. The branding will be phased out in favour of the similarly-priced Essentials brand, in order to counter the widely-held view that the generic products of rivals Coles and Aldi offer better quality. Homebrand was launched in 1983, and currently features a much broader range of products than the Essentials range. About $A1.4bn worth of Homebrand products are sold each year.

CORPORATES
WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CAPILANO HONEY LIMITED – ASX CZZ, BEECHWORTH HONEY

Networks up ante on cricket TV rights

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 23 & 25 : 28-Mar-16

The Nine Network’s current five-year deal broadcasting rights deal for international cricket matches played in Australia is worth $A450m. Some experts believe that the next rights deal could be worth around $A700m, while broadcasting rights for the domestic Twenty20 competition could potentially top $A50m after the ratings success during the 2015-16 summer. Meanwhile, TV networks are looking at options for offsetting the ratings impact of rain-affected matches.

CORPORATES
NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, TEN REN TEA (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS, INTERNATIONAL CRICKET COUNCIL, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, DENTSU AEGIS MEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, OPTIMUM MEDIA DIRECTION PTY LTD, THE A LEAGUE PTY LTD