Uncategorized

Fifield building support for reform

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 8-Feb-16

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield is said to be hoping to introduce cross-media ownership reforms to Parliament in March 2016, ahead of the Budget in May. Fifield has held meetings with the crossbench senators and is optimistic that they will support his push to scrap the "reach rule" and the " two-out-of-three rule". However, any reduction in TV broadcasting licence fees and changes to the anti-siphoning list for sports events are likely to be included in the Budget.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Blackstone measures Masters as retailers weigh up sites

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Catie Low
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 4-Feb-16

US private equity firm Blackstone Group has declined to comment on speculation that it may seek to acquire either the Masters Home Improvement business itself or its portfolio of stores. Meanwhile, Costco and Ikea are among the big-box retailers that are believed to be considering taking over some of the Masters stores, while Bunnings could potentially acquire about 25 outlets. David Errington of Bank of America Merrill Lynch estimates that Woolworths could recover around $A1bn from divesting its home improvement assets.

CORPORATES
WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, MASTERS HOME IMPROVEMENT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, THE BLACKSTONE GROUP LP, COSTCO WHOLESALE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, IKEA TRADING PTY LTD, SPOTLIGHT GROUP HOLDINGS PTY LTD, SPOTLIGHT STORES PTY LTD, ANACONDA STORES PTY LTD, BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, HOME TIMBER AND HARDWARE, METCASH LIMITED – ASX MTS, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, LOWE’S COMPANIES INCORPORATED, TPG CAPITAL LP, BIG W DISCOUNT STORES, CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN, BLACKSTONE REAL ESTATE ADVISORS LLC

ABC boss warns of cheap imports

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sid Maher
The Australian – Page: 6 : 4-Feb-16

The ABC’s outgoing MD Mark Scott has questioned whether profit-driven Australian media companies will continue to produce local content. Speaking at the ABC’s annual parliamentary showcase in Canberra, he argued that the public broadcaster is best-placed to deliver such content, and urged all political parties to support it. Scott also noted that low-cost international content presents a threat to local content.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, APPLE INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, RADIO NATIONAL

Fifield eyes sports rights shake-up

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 23 : 1-Feb-16

The Australian Government’s anti-siphoning list for sports broadcasts includes around 1,300 events. Communications Minister Mitch Fifield is said to be open to reducing the number of events on the list as part of his proposed media reforms. However, Fifield is not expected to introduce a bill to change cross-media ownership laws before the leadership of the National Party is resolved. Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss has given no indications as to when he intends to retire.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Seven aces digital Open coverage

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 1-Feb-16

Seven West Media’s live streaming of its tennis coverage was viewed about 4.4 million times during the summer of 2014-15. It is estimated that this will exceed eight million views in the 2015-16 summer, including users of the 7tennis app and the Plus7 live TV stream. Seven’s chief digital officer Clive Dickens notes that just one sponsor of Seven’s TV coverage chose not to take up a sponsorship package for its digital coverage. He adds that the success of the tennis coverage bodes well for Seven’s broadcast of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS

Nine pegs back Seven in revenue

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 19 : 29-Jan-16

New data shows that the Seven Network boasted a 38.5 share per cent of gross advertising revenue in the second half of 2015, while the Nine Network had a 38.2 per cent share. The Ten Network’s share of free-to-air ad revenue rose by 13 per cent during the half-year, to 23.3 per cent. Seven was also the market leader in terms of full-year ad revenue, with a 39 per cent share. Meanwhile, Seven’s total share of the prime-time viewing audience was 29 per cent in calendar 2015, ahead of Nine (27.8 per cent), Ten (19 per cent) and the ABC (17.8 per cent).

CORPORATES
SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, RUGBY WORLD CUP LIMITED

Investors back bid for Woolworths’ Home

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Catie Low
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 28-Jan-16

Allan Gray MD Simon Mawhinney says a merger between Metcash’s Mitre 10 business and the Home Timber & Hardware division of Woolworths could be a good deal if it was secured at an appropriate price. The future of the Home business is uncertain following Woolworths’ decision to exit the ill-fated Masters Home Improvement joint venture. Metcash has been touted as a potential buyer of Home, and it is said to have initiated talks with Woolworths on such a deal in mid-2015.

CORPORATES
METCASH LIMITED – ASX MTS, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, MITRE 10 LIMITED, HOME TIMBER AND HARDWARE, MASTERS HOME IMPROVEMENT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ALLAN GRAY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED, LUMINIS PARTNERS PTY LTD, DANKS HOLDINGS LIMITED, LOWE’S COMPANIES INCORPORATED, CLSA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Guardian Media Group to stick with Australia despite earnings slide

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by James Chessell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 27-Jan-16

UK-based Guardian Media Group expects to post an operating loss of Stg53m ($A106.6m) for the year to 31 March 2016. The newspaper publisher has attributed the bearish outlook to a decline in print advertising revenue and lower-than-forecast growth in online advertising revenue. The group aims to reduce costs by 20 per cent, although a spokesman says it remains committed to its Guardian Australia website.

CORPORATES
GUARDIAN MEDIA GROUP PLC, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, UNITED STATES. NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY

Producers add voice to deregulation calls

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 23 : 25-Jan-16

FremantleMedia Australia CEO Ian Hogg supports the push for changes to cross-media ownership laws, arguing that the current regime is "archaic". He has also backed recent calls for an increase in the offset for TV producers. Meanwhile, FremantleMedia COO Simon Rabbitt says TV ratings demonstrate that Australian viewers want to watch local content. He has also criticised current rules which allow New Zealand TV programs to be treated as local content.

CORPORATES
FREMANTLEMEDIA LIMITED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

TV on track for licence fee cut

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 25-Jan-16

The Department of Communications has recommended a reduction in the annual licence fee paid by Australia’s free-to-air TV networks. Such a move could increase industry support for proposed changes to cross-media ownership laws, although Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has warned that any reduction in licence fees would have to be accompanied by increased revenue or measures to cut costs elsewhere.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, SCREEN PRODUCERS AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY