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Rivals roll up sleeves as Hamish and Andy lift Hit

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Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 7 : 30-Sep-15

Australian Radio Network executive Duncan Campbell has downplayed a rise in the ratings of the Southern Cross Austereo-owned Hit network. The drive-slot team of Hamish Blake and Andy Lee enjoyed a two per cent increase in ratings in four capital cities in the latest radio ratings survey. However, Campbell notes that Hit continues to have lower ratings than rival networks. Nova’s Paul Jackson notes that Hit has also been heavily promoting Hamish and Andy.

CORPORATES
SOUTHERN CROSS AUSTEREO PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, HIT NETWORK, AUSTRALIAN RADIO NETWORK PTY LTD, NOVA ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, KIIS 101.1, KIIS1065, TRIPLE M BUILDERS PTY LTD, 2DAY FM AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MACQUARIE RADIO NETWORK LIMITED – ASX MRN, 3AW SOUTHERN CROSS RADIO PTY LTD, 2GB, ABC RADIO, 97.3 FM, MIX 94.5, MIX102.3, SMOOTHFM

Nothing small about the small electrical market

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 28-Sep-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that Australians spend more than $A260m buying almost 1.7 million small electrical items in an average four weeks. The survey, which was carried out in the year to June 2015, also shows that Australian bought 233,500 small electrical goods from The Good Guys during an average four-week period, ahead of Harvey Norman (208,000). Meanwhile, more than one in 10 small electronic items are now purchased online (179,000 during an average four weeks). Of these, some 134,500 items are bought through online-only stores such as Appliances Online and Deals Direct. The remainder are purchased via the online sites of bricks-and-mortar retailers.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, THE GOOD GUYS, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, APPLIANCES ONLINE PTY LTD, DEALSDIRECT.COM.AU PTY LTD, BIG W DISCOUNT STORES, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TARGET AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TARGET COUNTRY, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, GODFREYS GROUP LIMITED – ASX GFY, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, BING LEE ELECTRICS PTY LTD, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, EBAY AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND PTY LTD, BETTA ELECTRICAL PTY LTD, DICK SMITH HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX DSH, BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED

TV networks split on reform

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 29-Sep-15

The issue of Australia’s cross-media ownership laws is again under scrutiny, with further dissent among major TV broadcasters. Nine Entertainment Company and Prime Media Group say they will support relaxing the rules governing sports broadcasts in return for changes to the ownership regime. However, Seven West Media and Ten Network oppose any move to reduce the number of sports on the anti-siphoning list. Communications Minister Mitch Fifield plans to review the list.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS AUSTEREO PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CROSBY TEXTOR RESEARCH STRATEGIES RESULTS PTY LTD, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, IMPARJA TELEVISION PTY LTD

Is Metcash worth more dead or alive?

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Original article by Adele Ferguson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 40 : 28-Sep-15

Metcash’s grocery wholesaling business accounts for more than 70 per cent of group earnings, but some experts have questioned whether the business will be viable in the long-term. The downturn in Metcash’s share price has prompted speculation that it may be targeted by private equity groups, with a view to a demerger. The IGA stores supplied by Metcash are also facing growing competition from Aldi, while allegations that some IGA stores have being underpaying their staff have emerged in the wake of the 7-Eleven scandal.

CORPORATES
METCASH LIMITED – ASX MTS, IGA, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, 7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, COLES GROUP LIMITED, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, FOODWORKS SUPERMARKET GROUP LIMITED, FOODLAND AUSTRALIA LIMITED, LUCKY 7 HOLDINGS PTY LTD, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MITRE 10 LIMITED, DANKS HOLDINGS LIMITED, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 100 ACCUMULATION INDEX, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, MAGELLAN FINANCIAL GROUP LIMITED – ASX MFG, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOD AND GROCERY COUNCIL, LION PTY LTD

Media laws, sports rights shake-up

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 31 : 28-Sep-15

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield says changes to cross-media laws are inevitable, arguing that they are outdated. He has also indicated that reforms may be pursued without the agreement of all media industry players, noting that full consensus may be difficult to achieve. Fifield says he is also open to reassessing the list of sporting events that must first be offered to free-to-air TV networks.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SOUTHERN CROSS AUSTEREO PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, IMPARJA TELEVISION PTY LTD

Baby Bunting plans growth spurt to double in size after ASX float

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Original article by Patrick Hatch
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 23-Sep-15

Infant supplies retailer Baby Bunting currently has 33 stores, but the group is planning an aggressive expansion following its proposed $A52m IPO. Shares will be offered at $A1.40 apiece, with proceeds of the float to be used to reduce Baby Bunting’s debt. CEO Matt Spencer forecasts that pre-tax earnings will top $A16.3m in 2015-16, with sales of $A218.6 million. The baby goods market is estimated to be worth $A2.3bn.

CORPORATES
BABY BUNTING PTY LTD

ABC sets new prime-time target of 60pc Australian content

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 22-Sep-15

Local productions will comprise just 43 per cent of the content broadcast in prime time on the ABC’s main channel in 2015. The public broadcaster’s director of television, Richard Finlayson, says ABC budget cuts have significantly affected local content, but he aims to lift this to 60 per cent within five years. The ABC is pushing for an increase in its funding and a requirement for global video-on-demand providers to help finance local TV productions.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, SCREEN PRODUCERS AUSTRALIA, BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION, CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Netflix, Google ‘should invest in Aussie content’

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 37 : 21-Sep-15

Australia’s free-to-air and pay-TV industry is estimated to invest about $A3bn in content each year. The former Australian Labor Party’s Convergence Review in 2012 noted that free-to-air broadcasters invest 3-4 per cent of their revenue in local content. Screen Producers Australia and the ABC argue that subscription video-on-demand providers such as Netflix should have a similar obligation to invest in local content.

CORPORATES
SCREEN PRODUCERS AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Cross-media ownership rules may go back on the table

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 17-Sep-15

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has advocated changing Australia’s cross-media ownership laws in the past, and comments in his first official press conference suggest that it may be back on the agenda. Turnbull noted that he first talked about the need for reforms in 1977, and said he will look forward to discussing the issue with cabinet ministers. Media law reforms were put on hold by former prime minister Tony Abbott earlier in 2015.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ

ACCC alarmed by Foxtel plan for Ten

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

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) will decide the fate of the proposed Ten Network-Foxtel equity alliance on 22 October 2015. The ACCC has raised a number of concerns about the deal in a statement of issues. They include the potential for Ten and Foxtel to dominate bidding for sports broadcasting rights and the impact of the alliance on the television advertising market, as Ten’s advertising sales team would be merged with Foxtel’s MCN. The role of 8.5 per cent Ten shareholder and News Corp executive Lachlan Murdoch is also a concern for the ACCC.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, MULTI CHANNEL NETWORK PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FOX SPORTS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, CONSOLIDATED MEDIA HOLDINGS LIMITED, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY