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Boris tells BBC licence fee will be scrapped

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Original article by Tim Shipman
The Australian – Page: 9 : 17-Feb-20

The UK government proposes to overhaul the funding arrangements for the BBC by introducing a subscription fee instead of the traditional licence fee. However, BBC chairman Sir David Clementi warns that the move could result in some popular TV shows being cancelled, as well as less public service programming. The government’s proposals also include reducing the number of TV stations operated by the BBC, selling most of its radio stations and greater investment in the BBC World Service.

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BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Lions tour for next rugby TV deal scrum

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 17-Feb-20

Rugby Australia hopes to sign off on a new broadcasting rights deal by the end of April, with Foxtel, Optus and Network Ten understood to have signed non-disclosure agreements for the negotiating process. It is believed that Rugby Australia has secured the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour to help make its five-year rights deal more appealing to broadcasters; it had previously been reported that the deal would not include the tour. Rugby Australia’s new rights deal will include over 400 matches, including New South Wales and Queensland club rights.

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RUGBY AUSTRALIA, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED

Prosecutors drop more charges against media over Pell trial

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Original article by Liz Main
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 14-Feb-20

Twenty-eight charges brought against four of the 36 journalists and media companies charged with breaching suppression orders in relation to Cardinal George Pell have been dropped. The orders were imposed in June 2018, with the media directed not to report on two trials that Pell faced over historical child sex offences until a verdict was handed down in the second trial. When Pell was found guilty in the first trial, the media reported that a high profile person had been found guilty, but that they were not allowed to report it. Prosecutors claimed that the media hints amounted to a breach of the orders.

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SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA, VICTORIA. DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Foxtel reshuffles senior executive team as it resets its operating model

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: Online : 13-Feb-20

Foxtel has promoted Les Wigan to the role of executive director of operations and technology, with responsibility for technology platforms, services and operations across the pay-TV group’s operations. Wigan is currently chief operating officer at Foxtel’s Kayo Sports streaming service. Meanwhile, Foxtel’s director of customer service Lesley Portwain will take on the newly-created role of chief customer service officer. The management reshuffle was prompted by the resignation of chief operations officer Euan Smith.

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FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, KAYO SPORTS

Rio’s Kakadu uranium takeover faces blocking stake

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 11-Feb-20

Zentree Investments has confirmed it will take part in a $476 million equity raising by Energy Resources Australia (ERA). ERA plans to use the money raised from the issue of new shares to finance the rehabiliation of uranium assets in the Northern Territory. Rio Tinto owns 68.39 per cent of ERA, and could boost its stake to over 90 per cent through the capital raising, as most of ERA’s minority shareholders are not expected to participate. This would allow it to move to move to compulsorily acquire the remaining ERA shares. Zentree currently owns 15.94 per cent of ERA, and can keep its stake at above 10 per cent if it buys around $48 million worth of new shares.

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ZENTREE INVESTMENTS, ENERGY RESOURCES OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX ERA, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

Seven warning as rugby rights deal in balance

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Original article by Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 23 : 10-Feb-20

Super Rugby matches are exclusively shown on Foxtel under Rugby Australia’s current broadcasting deal. With Foxtel having chosen not to renew its deal, RA is believed to be want at least one Super Rugby match to be shown on free-to-air TV under its next rights deal. However, factors such as low ratings for rugby matches and a crowded sports schedule may deter interest from commercial networks. Meanwhile, Seven West Media CEO James Warburton says sporting bodies need to deliver "incremental revenue and growth opportunities" for their broadcast partners.

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RUGBY AUSTRALIA, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD

News Corp profit falls as company hit by sluggish Australian economy

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Original article by Zoe Samios
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 7-Feb-20

News Corporation has released its financial results for the three months to December, reporting a profit of $US103 million ($153.1 million). This compares to a profit of $US119 million in the prior year period, while revenue was down six per cent to $US2.48 billion, with the Rupert Murdoch-controlled company blaming the torpid Australian economy for the decline. Revenue for news and information services fell $16 million, with the Australian market down nine per cent. Subscriber numbers for Foxtel, which includes streaming services Foxtel Now and Kayo, declined from 3.065 million at the end of the September quarter to 2.95 million at the end of the December quarter.

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NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOXTEL NOW, KAYO SPORTS

Reporters’ data targeted

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Original article by Tamsin Rose
Herald Sun – Page: 8 : 6-Feb-20

A Department of Home Affairs report shows that Australian Federal Police officers were granted six warrants to access the telephone data of journalists during 2018-19. This is three times more than in the previous financial year. The warrants also allowed the AFP to access 20 historical data sets containing information about the journalists’ calls, texts and emails. Government agencies were also issued with 3,561 interception warrants in 2018-19. The AFP came under scrutiny in 2019 over a series of media raids.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE

Rugby blows its Fox Sports deal

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Original article by Jamie Pandaram
The Australian – Page: 32 : 6-Feb-20

Negotiations between Rugby Australia and Fox Sports for a new broadcasting rights deal have broken deal, with the pay-TV provider choosing not to renew the deal. The current five-year deal is worth $57m a year and is set to expire at the end of 2020. Rugby Australia is expected to seek a broadcasting rights deal with Optus; the Ten Network, which is Fox Sports’ broadcast partner, may continue to show some matches on free-to-air TV. Fox Sports has held the rugby broadcasting rights since 1996.

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FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, RUGBY AUSTRALIA, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED

Media’s pitch for a legal overhaul

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Original article by Nicola Berkovic
The Australian – Page: 2 : 5-Feb-20

The media industry’s Right to Know coalition has used a submission to a review of Australia’s uniform defamation laws to advocate greater protection for public-interest journalism. The coalition argues that public interest in freedom of expression should be one of the factors that courts must consider as part of a defence to defamation claims. It has also called for an overhaul of the maximum payouts that apply in defamation cases.

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NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS)