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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

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

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