Original article by Jane O’Sullivan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 3-Sep-15
The sale of the Peter Elliott collection was quite successful. The first day of the auction on 31 August 2015 ended with 100 per cent clearance rate by volume. Mossgreen reported that, out of 1015 lots, only 22 lots did not find a buyer. The three-day auction generated $A7.03 million in sales.
CORPORATES
MOSSGREEN AUCTIONS
Original article by Miranda Ward
Mumbrella – Page: online : 2-Sep-15
News Corporation has reported a loss of $US149 million ($A201.7 million) for 2014-15. Robert Thomson, CEO of the company, said that advertising remains "challenging". New products will be developed to stimulate growth in digital subscriptions. Thomson received $US10.29 million as total remuneration in 2014-15, compared with News Corp co-chairman Rupert Murdoch’s $US5.07 million.
CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, WPP GROUP PLC, FOX SPORTS, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD
Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 : 2-Sep-15
Myer has reported a fall of 21.3 per cent in underlying net profit to $A77.5 million in 2014-15. Net profit declined 70 per cent to $A29.8 million. Total sales increased 1.7 per cent to $A3.19 billion. Myer CEO Richard Umbers said on 1 September 2015 that the company would reorient its business model towards wealthy customers. Myer plans to invest $A600 million in new products and services.
CORPORATES
MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, WOOLWORTHS HOLDINGS LIMITED, DAVID JONES LIMITED, TOPSHOP, AUSTRALIA POST, PLATYPUS ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, PERPETUAL INVESTMENTS
Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 31-Aug-15
The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) is scrutinising Foxtel’s proposed acquisition of 15 per cent of Ten Network. Fairfax Media raised concerns that the acquisition would reduce competition in the sports rights market. Nine Entertainment raised similar objections. The ACCC is due to make a decision on the deal by 10 September 2015.
CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, MULTI CHANNEL NETWORK PTY LTD, KFC
Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 31-Aug-15
Prime Media Group chairman John Hartigan is an advocate of media reform which Seven Group opposes. Hartigan suggests that Seven Group CEO Ryan Stokes’ criticism of Prime Media’s strategy is an attempt to persuade Prime’s shareholders that Seven should have a seat on the board of the regional broadcaster. Seven has an 11 per cent stake in Prime.
CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, WIN TELEVISION PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, IMPARJA TELEVISION PTY LTD
Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 31-Aug-15
Foxtel is under commercial pressure to acquire the future pay television rights to show National Rugby League (NRL) games. OzTAM’s recent ratings figures suggest that NRL games are important for Foxtel’s ratings. If Foxtel fails to secure more games, more than $A350 million of its $A3.1 billion annual revenue could be at risk.
CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, OZTAM PTY LTD, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, FOX SPORTS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM
Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 17 : 31-Aug-15
The Seven and Nine TV networks intend to increase advertisement prices, with price rises of about 30 per cent. The average cost of a 30-second TV spot for a prime-time Australian Football League or National Rugby League match would rise to $A39,000, from $A30,000. The rises are necessary to recover the costs associated with new sports broadcast rights deals.
CORPORATES
SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, SILVER POINT CAPITAL LP, OAKTREE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC, APOLLO GROUP INCORPORATED
Original article by Dominic White, John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 44 : 25-Aug-15
Stripping Foxtel of its exclusive rights to a Saturday night game has brought the wrath of News Corp down on National Rugby League (NRL) CEO Dave Smith. It is believed News executives were embarrassed when the NRL unveiled a surprise $A925 million broadcasting rights deal with Nine Entertainment, leaving them out of the loop.
CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NINE FILMS AND TELEVISION PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FOX SPORTS, OPTUS VISION HOLDINGS PTY LTD, SUPER LEAGUE, DIRECT FACTORY OUTLETS PTY LTD
Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 23 : 24-Aug-15
Australia’s public broadcasters, the SBS and ABC, are ratings-driven despite reassurances to the contrary. They recently tried to use terrorist sympathiser Zaky Mallah to increase their ratings which was an exercise in cynicism. ABC MD Mark Scott keeps saying that the public broadcaster does not need to seek higher ratings but this is just rhetoric.
CORPORATES
SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION
Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 25 : 24-Aug-15
The nominations for the Australian Commercial Radio Association Awards indicate that a generational change is occurring in talk radio. Former 3AW station manager Shane Healy says the style of Derryn Hinch and Alan Jones can be compared to preaching where listeners are told to accept the presenter’s opinions as their own. Young broadcasters are closer to listeners and do not take themselves as seriously as their older colleagues.
CORPORATES
COMMERCIAL RADIO AUSTRALIA LIMITED, RADIO 2UE SYDNEY PTY LTD, MACQUARIE RADIO NETWORK LIMITED – ASX MRN, 3AW SOUTHERN CROSS RADIO PTY LTD, 6PR SOUTHERN CROSS RADIO PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION
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