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Kenny rejects Murdoch climate coverage attack

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 16-Jan-20

News Corporation’s climate coverage continues to attract scrutiny following criticism by James Murdoch, a director of the global company and the son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch. However, News Corp Australia commentator Chris Kenny contends that News Corp is one of the few media organisations that provide "fact-based, varied and realistic debate" on the issue. He adds that global coverage of climate change tends to be dominated by "alarmist and hysterical views". Former News Corp Australia employee Emily Townsend recently alleged that the company has engaged in a misinformation campaign to divert attention from climate change during the bushfires crisis.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SKY NEWS, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED

James Murdoch criticises father’s news outlets for climate crisis denial

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Original article by Jim Waterson
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 15-Jan-20

The climate coverage of News Corp Australia’s newspapers has come under scrutiny in the wake of the bushfires crisis. James Murdoch and his wife Kathryn have issued a joint statement in which they criticise the media group’s continued climate change denial stance. Murdoch is a director of parent company News Corporation, and he stepped down as CEO of 21st Century Fox when it was sold to Walt Disney Company. Media mogul Rupert Murdoch told shareholders at New Corp’s 2019 AGM that there are no climate change deniers at the company.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FOX NEWS, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, WALT DISNEY COMPANY

News, Murdochs give millions to aid victims

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich, Lachlan Moffet Gray
The Australian – Page: 5 : 15-Jan-20

News Corporation has announced a number of initiatives to assist communities that have been affected by the bushfires. It will donate $5m to bushfire relief programs, while executive chairman Rupert Murdoch will personally donate another $2m. Co-chairman Lachlan Murdoch recently donated $2m to the bushfire relief fund. News Corp Australia will also donate all revenue from metropolitan newspaper sales and advertising on 21 January to the bushfire relief appeal, while Foxtel will donate the proceeds from special advertising packages for its broadcasts of charity sports events and the Fire Fight concert.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE

Bushfires likely to impact Australian retailers, analysts say

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Original article by Dominic Powell
The Age – Page: Online : 9-Jan-20

Bryan Raymond of Citigroup says the bushfires crisis is likely to have a near-term impact on major retailers, as the smoke blanketing large cities will reduce foot traffic and some stores in bushfire-affected areas have closed temporarily. Hardware and outdoor equipment retailers are expected to be among the hardest hit, although Raymond notes that they may receive a boost as the nation rebuilds after the disaster. He adds that there is unlikely to be much impact on the sales of grocery giants Coles and Woolworths.

CORPORATES
CITIGROUP PTY LTD, COLES GROUP LIMITED – ASX COL, WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED, METCASH LIMITED – ASX MTS, SUPER RETAIL GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUL, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN

Cyclone Blake brings good news to WA’s Pilbara with heavy rains a boon to the Bamboo Creek operations of Haoma Mining NL

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Kitchener Open-Cut Mine at Bamboo Creek (Haoma Mining NL) filling with water after Cyclone Blake dumps copious amounts of precipitation on Western Australia’s Pilbara Region near Marble Bar – January 8, 2020.

 

Flooding rains at Bamboo Creek (Haoma Mining NL) after Cyclone Blake dumps significant precipitation on WA’s Pilbara Region near Marble Bar – January 8, 2020.

 

Bamboo Creek - Flooding River 01

Picture of creek filled with flooding rains at Bamboo Creek (Haoma Mining NL) after Cyclone Blake dumps significant precipitation on WA’s Pilbara Region near Marble Bar – January 8, 2020.

 

Bamboo Creek - Flooding River 02

Picture of creek filled with flooding rains at Bamboo Creek (Haoma Mining NL) after Cyclone Blake dumps significant precipitation on WA’s Pilbara Region near Marble Bar – January 8, 2020.

 

Bamboo Creek - Filling Mine 01

Picture of Kitchener Open-Cut Mine at Bamboo Creek (Haoma Mining NL) filling with water after Cyclone Blake dumps copious amounts of precipitation on Western Australia’s Pilbara Region near Marble Bar – January 8, 2020.

 

Bamboo Creek - Filling Mine 02

Picture of Kitchener Open-Cut Mine at Bamboo Creek (Haoma Mining NL) filling with water after Cyclone Blake dumps copious amounts of precipitation on Western Australia’s Pilbara Region near Marble Bar – January 8, 2020.

 

Bamboo Creek - River Flowing into Open Cut Mine 01

Picture of Kitchener Open-Cut Mine at Bamboo Creek (Haoma Mining NL) filling with water after Cyclone Blake dumps copious amounts of precipitation on Western Australia’s Pilbara Region near Marble Bar – January 8, 2020.

 

Bamboo Creek - River Flowing into Open Cut Mine 02

Picture of Kitchener Open-Cut Mine at Bamboo Creek (Haoma Mining NL) filling with water after Cyclone Blake dumps copious amounts of precipitation on Western Australia’s Pilbara Region near Marble Bar – January 8, 2020.

Harris Scarfe to cut 440 jobs, shut 21 stores

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Original article by Lucas Baird
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 7-Jan-20

Failed department store group Harris Scarfe will be restructured prior to its sale. This will result in the closure of 21 stores nationwide, including eight in New South Wales and three in Victoria. This will leave 44 stores for prospective buyers of the group, which collapsed in late December. The store closures will result in the loss of about 440 jobs; Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees’ Association secretary Josh Peak says the union’s priority will be to ensure that retrenched workers receive their full entitlements.

CORPORATES
HARRIS SCARFE HOLDINGS LIMITED, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, DELOITTE RESTRUCTURING SERVICES, ALLEGRO FUNDS PTY LTD, GREENLIT BRANDS

Maurice Newman demands ABC apologise over Tex Perkins obscene gesture at NY Eve performance

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Original article by David Ross
The Australian – Page: Online : 2-Jan-20

Former ABC chairman Maurice Newman has accused the public broadcaster of breaching its charter during its New Year’s Eve coverage. The ABC aired footage of singer Tex Perkins making an obscene gesture towards Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Newman said the ABC should apologise for the incident, while Liberal senator Eric Abetz said both Perkins and the ABC should apologise for what occurred. A spokesperson for the ABC said it had no prior knowledge that Perkins was going to make such a gesture, while it noted its New Year’s Eve coverage had help to raise more than $2 million to help communities affected by the bushfires.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Yuletide bounce falls flat for shops

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Original article by Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 3 : 24-Dec-19

AMP Capital’s Shane Oliver says the bushfire crisis is likely to affect consumer sentiment during the retail sector’s crucial Christmas trading period. He notes that consumer confidence had already been dampened by factors such as low wages growth, a high underemployment rate and economic uncertainty. The Australian Retailers Association has forecast that consumer spending will by rise 2.6 per cent to $52.7bn between 14 November and 24 December, while it expects spending at post-Christmas sales to rise 2.4 per cent to $18.7bn.

CORPORATES
AMP CAPITAL INVESTORS LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Warning on coverage as Rugby Australia toys with Optus deal

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich, Zoe Samios
The Australian – Page: 15 : 23-Dec-19

Rugby Australia commenced talks with Optus regarding a broadcasting rights deal in November, after rejecting a ‘rollover’ agreement with incumbent broadcaster Foxtel. However, WPP AUNZ director John Steedman warns that a deal with Optus would be ‘disastrous’ for rugby due to the telco’s smaller audience. He also notes that advertisers would prefer a deal with a free-to-air or pay-TV network. Atomic 212 chairman Barry O’Brien agrees that rugby should be on free-to-air or pay-TV.

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RUGBY AUSTRALIA, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, WPP AUNZ LIMITED – WPP, ATOMIC 212, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Seven grabs Prime stake as takeover tanks

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 15 & 21 : 20-Dec-19

Seven West Media has become the biggest shareholder in Prime Media Group, after the latter’s shareholders rejected a merger proposal. Some 53.53 per cent of votes cast at Prime’s scheme meeting opposed the deal; chairman John Hartigan has described it as a "disappointing outcome" for both the majority of Prime’s shareholders and the regional TV sector. Meanwhile Seven has issued 30 million of its shares to Spheria Asset Management in return for 54.6 million shares in Prime, giving Seven a 14.9 per cent stake in its regional affiliate.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SPHERIA ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY MEDIA, BAUER MEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, PACIFIC MAGAZINES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION