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Curb on mega-payouts to celebrities

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Original article by Chris Merritt
The Australian – Page: 2 : 24-Jul-20

A proposed national model law will be on the agenda of a Council of Attorneys-General meeting on 27 July. The national model laws includes changes to defamation laws, including replacing the existing defence of statutory qualified privilege for media companies with a new defence of public interest journalism. The model bill will also seek to address the rising cost of defamation payouts, amid a growing trend for judges to bypass existing caps on damages for causing harm to a person’s reputation.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. COUNCIL OF ATTORNEYS-GENERAL

TV networks prepare for second half of COVID-19 marathon

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Original article by Natasha Gillezeau
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 13-Jul-20

The Nine Network has a total audience share of 27.8 per cent halfway through the ratings year, ahead of the Seven Network’s 26.5 per cent and the Ten Network’s 18.7 per cent. Free-to-air networks have been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic, which has disrupted production schedules and affected advertising revenue. However, Daniel Cutrone of media buyer Avenue C says the challenging conditions in 2020 present opportunities for advertisers who would not usually consider TV as an option.

CORPORATES
NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, AVENUE C

ABC joins calls for tech titans to pay for news

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 7 : 9-Jul-20

The ABC’s MD David Anderson has used a National Press Club speech to argue that the public broadcaster should be included in a revenue-sharing agreement with digital companies such as Google and Facebook. He said this revenue could be reinvested in public interest journalism. Anderson also contended that the ABC provides "great value" in return for its annual budget of more than $1bn. The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s draft mandatory code for digital companies is expected to be released by the end of July.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

Newspaper publisher ACM may close presses in Victoria, SA and Canberra, shedding 200 jobs

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Original article by Emilia Terzon
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 9-Jul-20

Regional newspaper publisher Australian Community Media may shut down four of its nine printing plants. ACM has declined to comment on the likely job losses if the printing presses in Albury-Wodonga, Ballarat, Canberra and Murray Bridge are shut down; the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union estimates that about 200 people would be retrenched, primarily in Ballarat. ACM says reduction in printing volumes due to the coronavirus pandemic means it has excess print capacity.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY MEDIA

Wilson one of AAP’s mystery investors

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 7-Jul-20

Wilson Asset Management founder Geoff Wilson is a member of the consortium that has acquired the newswire business of Australian Associated Press. Wilson has stressed that he contributed to the consortium via a privately-owned entity rather than any of his listed companies. The 35-member consortium finalised the deal in late June, and will formally take control of the business on 1 August.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS PTY LTD, WILSON ASSET MANAGEMENT

Reynolds calls for local push on rare earths

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 7-Jul-20

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds says Australia and its partners are working to boost the supply of rare earths and other minerals that are important to their defence forces. Her comments come as Australia and other Western nations seek to cut their dependence on China for rare earths. The federal government’s Northern Australian Infrastructure Facility will provide $150 million in financial support for a proposed mineral sands mine in Western Australia that will include rare earths capacity. The NAIF is also considering supporting Arafura Resources’ $1.1 billion rare earths project in the Northern Territory.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, ARAFURA RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX ARU, NORTHERN AUSTRALIA INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITY, LYNAS CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX LYC

Can the Federal Government’s $50 million regional media bailout package save community newspapers?

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Original article by Ainsleigh Sheridan, Peta Doherty
abc.net au – Page: Online : 3-Jul-20

Launched in April, the federal government’s $50 million Public Interest News Gathering fund aims to support high quality news in rural Australia. The fund has announced that it is offering financial assistance to five television stations, 13 radio stations and 92 newspapers, with major media companies Australian Community Media and Seven West Media among those to receive assistance. Country Press Australia president Bruce Ellen claims small regional publishers did not get overly much in the way of money from the fund. Noting the federal government gave regional airlines $300 million, he questions whether the government values independent and local journalism

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY MEDIA, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, COUNTRY PRESS AUSTRALIA

Feds eye charges for ABC reporter

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 3 : 3-Jul-20

A spokesman for Attorney-General Christian Porter has declined to comment on the Australian Federal Police’s decision to refer an ABC journalist for possible prosecution. The AFP has forwarded a brief of evidence to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions following a two-year investigation into the ‘Afghan Files’ case. However, the brief only names one of the ABC journalists responsible for the series of reports, Dan Oakes. Porter would have to approve any decision to prosecute Oakes, and he has previously stated that he would be unlikely to authorise the prosecution of journalists for publishing classified information.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT

Regional media to get $50 million lifeline

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 29-Jun-20

News publishers account for 92 of the 107 regional media companies that will receive a combined $50m in emergency relief funding under the federal government’s Public Interest News Gathering program. Some $20m has been allocated to TV broadcasters, publishers will receive $18m in total and radio broadcasters have been allocated $12m. The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in a sharp fall in advertising revenue for the media sector.

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ACM brings back bulk of print titles

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 29-Jun-20

Regional newspaper group Australian Community Media will shortly resume publishing at least 50 of the print mastheads that were suspended in April due to the coronavirus pandemic. The move affected about 80 non-daily titles, and sources have indicated that a decision has yet to be made as to when the remaining mastheads will resume publication. ACM CEO Allen Williams has urged regional communities to support their local newspapers to ensure that they are financially sustainable.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY MEDIA