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Success against virus boosts rare earths

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Original article by Angus Grigg
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 4-Jun-20

Rare earths miner Hastings Technology Metals has secured a 10-year off-take agreement with German automotive parts group Schaeffler. Hastings COO Andrew Reid says Schaeffler was keen to finalise the agreement given that rare earths supply from China has been disrupted by the pandemic and Australia has performed well in containing the coronavirus. Hastings aims to commence work on a rare earths processing plant in Western Australia in 2021, with initial production by 2023.

CORPORATES
HASTINGS TECHNOLOGY METALS LIMITED – ASX HAS,SCHAFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG

Plea to save media jobs in the regions

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 30-May-20

Regional media companies such as WIN Corporation and Australian Community Media have lobbied the federal government to further relax cross-media ownership laws. Concerns about the future of the regional media sector have been heightened by News Corp Australia’s decision to axe 36 regional and community newspapers and shift 76 titles to digital-only editions. The move will also result in the loss of hundreds of jobs. Further job cuts in the regional media are possible when the JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme ends in September.

CORPORATES
WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY MEDIA, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS

Nine budget cuts slam shut 60 Minutes chequebook

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Original article by Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 19 : 1-Jun-20

Nine Entertainment Company is believed to have ceased the controversial practice of paid interviews, as part of broader budget cuts at its flagship ’60 Minutes’ current affairs program. Former ’60 Minutes’ reporter Ray Martin says he hated so-called "chequebook journalism" when he was at the ABC, but he came to accept that it was necessary after joining the Nine Network. Nine is also believed to have reduced the staff and travel budget of ’60 Minutes’.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

$1bn NRL broadcast deal kicks off

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Original article by Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 13 & 20 : 29-May-20

The National Rugby League has negotiated a revised broadcasting rights deal with Fox Sports and Nine Entertainment for the 2020 season. The two broadcasters are believed to have been granted a 30 per cent discount for the remainder of their existing rights deals, which expire at the end of the 2022 season. Fox Sports has also agreed to extend its NRL rights deal for a further eight years. The NRL season resumed on 28 May, after a two-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED

AAP bid: consumer watchdog warns Nine and News Corp against any attempt to block sale

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Original article by Paul Smee
The Guardian – Page: Online : 25-May-20

Former News Corp CEO Peter Tonagh is heading a consortium that has tabled a bid for Australian Associated Press. The consortium also includes Samuel Terry Asset Management MD Fred Woollard and Australian Impact Investments MD Kylie Charlton. It is believed that AAP’s shareholders – News Corporation, Seven West Media and Nine – have yet to accept any offer for the news wire service. Australian Competition & Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims has stressed the importance of AAP to media diversity and competition, and he warns that any attempt by Nine and News to block its would raise concerns in regard to competition law.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

Bauer says subscriptions to its magazines have surged by over 60%

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Original article by Vivienne Kelly
Mumbrella – Page: Online : 21-May-20

Bauer Media Australia has advised that its magazine subscription sales have risen by over 60 per cent in the past month when compared to the previous month. Subscription increases for individual titles include a 97 per cent increase for ‘The Australian Women’s Weekly’ and an 81 per cent rise for ‘Woman’s Day’. When compared to the corresponding period in 2019, Bauer’s magazine subscriptions are up by 111 per cent over the past 30 days.

CORPORATES
BAUER MEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

NZME fails in its push to raid Nine’s Stuff

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 15 : 20-May-20

The High Court of New Zealand has rejected NZME’s application for an interim injunction to retain an exclusive negotiation period with Nine Entertainment regarding a deal to buy Stuff Limited. NZME has in turn withdrawn its application to the NZ Commerce Commission to approve the deal. Nine is said to be in talks with other potential buyers of Stuff, whose mastheads include the ‘Dominion Post’. NZME had proposed to buy Stuff for just $NZ1 ($0.93).

CORPORATES
NZME LIMITED – ASX NZM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, STUFF LIMITED, HIGH COURT OF NEW ZEALAND, NEW ZEALAND. COMMERCE COMMISSION

Jobs go as Ten closes 10 Daily website

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 15 : 19-May-20

The Ten Network has advised that its 10 Daily news and entertainment website will be discontinued as part of the network’s integration with US parent company ViacomCBS. About 20 jobs are expected to be lost due to the closure of 10 Daily, although it is uncertain as to whether the broader integration strategy will result in more job cuts at Ten. ViacomCBS Australia’s chief content officer Beverley McGarvey has stressed the need for Ten to be "platform-agnostic".

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, VIACOMCBS INCORPORATED

Whips cracking as Seven, Ten race for spring carnival deal

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian – Page: 19 : 18-May-20

Seven West Media’s broadcasting rights deal for about 21 races in Victoria’s Spring Racing Carnival expires on 30 June. These races include the Cox Plate and ­Caulfield Cup. The Ten Network is believed to have expressed interest in gaining the rights to these race meetings, given that it already broadcasts the four-day Melbourne Cup Carnival. Racing Victoria wants to renew its deal with Seven, although there is a push within the state’s racing industry for it to consider a bid from Ten. Seven and Racing Victoria are also joint venture partners in the Racing.com free-to-air TV channel.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, RACING VICTORIA LIMITED, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, RACING.COM

Cut-price footy: TV chiefs muscle up

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Original article by John Stensholt, Courtney Walsh
The Australian – Page: 3 : 15-May-20

The Australian Football League will face pressure from Seven West Media and Foxtel for a reduction in their broadcasting rights fees for the 2020 season. They are believed to be seeking a fee reduction of at least $125m, given that the AFL’s shortened season will feature just 17 home-and-away matches. Meanwhile, the broadcasters differ on the revised structure of the season. Seven will push for a large number of ‘blockbuster’ matches to be held early in the season in order to attract advertisers and boost ratings, while Foxtel wants high-profile matches to be played throughout the season.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE