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Liberals warn Nats could derail media changes

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 17-Feb-16

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield hopes to introduce legislation to abolish the "reach rule" and the "two-out-of-three rule" by mid-2016. However, there are concerns that the cross-media ownership reform agenda may be threatened by the National Party’s stance on local content requirements for regional TV broadcasters. Liberal Senator Dean Smith says regional broadcasters are already struggling financially and any media reforms should not subject them to increased regulation.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Media shakeup: extra points for local TV news

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Original article by Laura Tingle
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 16-Feb-16

Proposed changes to Australia’s cross-media ownership laws will be presented to Cabinet ministers shortly. The National Party is believed to be close to accepting a deal to ensure that regional TV broadcasters continue to provide local content if the "reach rule" and the "two-out-of-three rule" are abolished. The Federal Government has proposed the introduction of a points system which would require regional broadcasters to provide around 30 minutes of local content each day.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY

Seven, Ten grab market share from Nine

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 16-Feb-16

Data from SMI shows that Australia’s total advertising sales fell by 2.4 per cent year-on-year to $A483.1m in January 2016. TV advertising sales fell by 5.1 per cent to $A215m, with sales in metropolitan markets down 1.5 per cent at $A159.3m. The Seven Network’s shares of advertising revenue rose from 41.4 per cent to 41.8 per cent, while Ten Network’s share increased from 24.4 per cent to 25.9 per cent. They benefited from coverage of the Australian Open and the Big Bash League domestic Twenty20 cricket competition.

CORPORATES
SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SMI MEDIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS, BIG BASH LEAGUE, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED

Fairfax modelled a future with no newspapers and 40pc fewer journos

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 15-Feb-16

Fairfax Media is tipped to reveal a significant restructuring program in 2016, aimed at reducing costs. Internal documents produced in early 2013 estimate that the media group could shed 205 full-time members of its editorial team by discontinuing the print editions of "The Age" and "The Sydney Morning Herald". Meanwhile, publishing print editions of these mastheads only on Saturdays would enable Fairfax to cut 150 editorial positions.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, PAGEMASTERS PTY LTD, AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS

Sky’s the limit for Seven and News

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 23 : 15-Feb-16

News Corporation has been seeking to acquire Australian News Channel (ACN), which owns Sky News Australia, for the last year. ACN is owned by Nine Entertainment Company, BSkyB and Seven West Media, and the latter is said to be keen to retain its stake in the pay-TV channel. Seven also jointly owns the Presto subscription video-on-demand service in partnership with Foxtel, in which News Corporation has a 50 per cent stake.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN NEWS CHANNEL PTY LTD, SKY NEWS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SKY PLC, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NOVA ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, C7 PTY LTD, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, AUSTAR UNITED COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED, CONSOLIDATED MEDIA HOLDINGS LIMITED, SEVEN GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SVW

Pay TV seeks early rounds of World Cup soccer in sport rights shake-up

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 32 : 15-Feb-16

The Australian Subscription Television & Radio Association will lobby Communications Minister Mitch Fifield to remove some sports events from the anti-siphoning list. These include all non-Socceroos matches in the group stages of the soccer World Cup. ASTRA CEO Andrew Maiden notes that many sporting events are not of "national importance and cultural significance" and attract low ratings on free-to-air TV, and therefore should be removed from the list.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION, WORLD CUP, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED

WIN sues Nine over regional streaming

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 11-Feb-16

Nine Entertainment Company (NEC) recently began offering live streaming of its primary channel, which allows the media group to reach regional audiences. However, regional affiliate WIN Corporation is expected to ask the Supreme Court of New South Wales to grant an interim injunction to prevent NEC from streaming 9Now in regional areas. WIN is owned by Bruce Gordon, who also has a 14.95 per cent stake in NEC.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT

Scott drops a farewell bombshell on SBS

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Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 3 : 10-Feb-16

ABC MD Mark Scott has told a Senate estimates hearing that the focus of SBS has shifted from its original role of a multicultural broadcaster to one offering more general interest content. He argued that there is now less distinction between the ABC and SBS, and said the Federal Government could eventually consider merging them. Meanwhile, Scott has indicated that the ABC will seek an extra $A25m to $A30m per year in its triennial funding package to increase its investment in regional and rural content.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS)

JB Hi-Fi grabs bigger share after Dick Smith’s demise

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 20 : 9-Feb-16

Listed consumer electronics retailer JB Hi-Fi has posted a 2015-16 interim net profit of $A95.2m, which is 7.5 per cent higher than previously. Sales were 7.7 per cent higher at $A2.12bn, while same-store sales rose by 5.2 per cent. CEO Richard Murray has forecast that the group’s full-year profit will be within the range of $A143m to $A147m, with expectations that sales will total $A3.9bn. Shareholders will receive an interim dividend of $A0.63 per share.

CORPORATES
JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, DICK SMITH HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX DSH, PLATYPUS ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, CITIGROUP PTY LTD

2DayFM rejects Kyle and Jackie talk

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 19 & 22 : 9-Feb-16

The contracts of KIIS 106.5 FM breakfast show hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie Henderson expire at the end of 2016. However, Southern Cross Media Group CEO Grant Blackley says his company has not held talks with the popular duo about returning to 2DayFM. There has been a sharp fall in the radio station’s ratings and revenue since they left in 2014. Meanwhile, Blackley says Southern Cross could potentially end its affiliation agreement with Ten Network if cross-media ownership reforms proceed.

CORPORATES
SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, SOUTHERN CROSS AUSTEREO PTY LTD, KIIS1065, 2DAY FM AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, APN NEWS AND MEDIA LIMITED – ASX APN, AUSTRALIAN RADIO NETWORK PTY LTD