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Foxtel leads ad streaming wars

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich, Zoe Samios
The Australian – Page: 25 : 9-Dec-19

Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany says streaming and data are a focus for the pay-TV group, noting that it has invested a lot of money on data in the last year. About 53 per cent of Foxtel customers with an IQ4 set-top box used video-on-demand in October, compared with 45 per cent in July. Meanwhile, the launch of Kayo Sports has attracted new advertisers to Foxtel, which has also introduced a new six-second advertising format.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, KAYO SPORTS, FOXTEL MEDIA, FOXTEL NOW, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, OOH!MEDIA LIMITED – ASX OML

Foxtel cuts jobs, locks in finance after restructure

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 22 : 6-Dec-19

Foxtel has confirmed that it has cut about 30 jobs following a recent restructuring which resulted in the amalgamation of three of the pay-TV group’s creative teams. The job losses comprises about 20 employees and 10 contractors, including some positions that are currently vacant. Foxtel recently completed a deal to finance its debt, with major shareholder News Corp providing it with loans that mature in 2027.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, KAYO SPORTS

ABC stands firm on Olympics coverage

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 3 : 28-Nov-19

The ABC will not back down on its decision to cease providing radio coverage of the Olympic Games. The ABC’s MD David Anderson and chair Ita Buttrose held talks with the Australian Olympic Committee’s president John Coates and CEO Matt Carroll on 27 November. However, a spokesman for the public broadcaster has confirmed that the ABC will not bid for the radio broadcasting rights for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Commercial radio networks are believed to have ruled out bidding for the broadcasting rights.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

JB Hi-Fi tunes in to smaller stores

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Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 17 & 20 : 26-Nov-19

Consumer electronics retailer JB Hi-Fi will open its first ‘Express’ store in Melbourne’s Southbank precinct on 26 November. CEO Richard Murray says the 68sq m store will target cash and carry buyers who want to make small purchases. JB Hi-Fi is capitalising on the growing trend toward small-format retail stores, with plans to open more stores in airports and office towers that are similar in size to the 250sq outlet at Sydney Airport’s international terminal. Murray says JB Hi-Fi is looking at opening additional stores at airports.

CORPORATES
JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, COLES GROUP LIMITED – ASX COL, WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW, DAVID JONES LIMITED

Bauer ready to sack magazine luminaries

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 19 : 26-Nov-19

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission will shortly rule on Bauer Media’s proposed acquisition of Pacific Magazines. Bauer is said to be identifying roles that will be duplicated if the merger is approved, with a view to downsizing the combined workforce. Bauer CEO Brendon Hill has declined to comment. There has been speculation that Bauer may sell its magazines business to private equity firm Mercury Capital.

CORPORATES
BAUER MEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, PACIFIC MAGAZINES PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, MERCURY CAPITAL PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Fake News?

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Media Update – Page: Online : 26-Nov-19

The Australian newspaper this week claimed 1,803,000 print readers of their Monday to Friday newspaper – fake news? Roy Morgan average issue readership of The Australian (Monday to Friday) is 291,000 (down 12,000 in a year) and The Weekend Australian 547,000 (down 38,000 in a year). The Australian also reported a year-on-year increase of 800,000 online readers to 1,892,000, an 80% increase. Unfortunately News Corporation does NOT subscribe to any Roy Morgan data which is Australia’s only independent source of all media measurement – Roy Morgan media audience estimates have been the measurement ‘currency’ for nearly 50 years history. Many have been critical of audience claims by Facebook, Google, etc. It is important that all audience information used by media in Australia to sell marketers advertising space is accurate. News Corp should only use and support accurate media measurement data! A correction in The Australian is not enough.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Foxtel fortified by $1.6bn debt deal

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Original article by Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 24 : 25-Nov-19

Pay-TV group Foxtel has completed a deal to refinance some $US1.1bn ($1.6bn) worth of debt. It is said to include a $US900m debt facility with a syndicate of commercial banks. The deal comes as Foxtel seeks to increase its presence in the subscription video-on-demand market with the launch of a drama-focused streaming service in 2020. It will complement Kayo Sports, which now boasts some 443,000 subscribers and recently won the SportsPro OTT Award for the best user experience.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, KAYO SPORTS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, HANA FINANCIAL GROUP INCORPORATED, DISNEY+, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

Catalano takes aim at irrelevant rules restricting rural TV

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian – Page: 24 : 25-Nov-19

Antony Catalano contends that a rule which limits media companies to one TV broadcasting licence in a single market is "antiquated" and "completely outdated". He notes that the so-called ‘one-in-a-market rule’ does not apply to radio stations, newspapers or news websites. Catalano adds that he has discussed the issue with Communications Minister Paul Fletcher and is prepared to launch a campaign for reform via Australian Community Media if the federal government does not take action. Catalano and Alex Waislitz bought the regional newspaper business earlier in 2019.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY MEDIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL

Seven merger a matter of survival for Prime

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 22-Nov-19

Prime Media Group chairman John Hartigan says the federal government is not acting quickly enough on reforms that will allow consolidation in the media sector. He has warned that Seven West Media’s takeover bid is crucial for the survival of both Prime and regional journalism. Australian Community Media’s executive chairman Antony Catalano has queried this claim, arguing that Prime should therefore have undertaken a formal sale process to allow other potential buyers to make an offer.

CORPORATES
PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY MEDIA

MinRes to keep lithium mine running

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 19 : 21-Nov-19

Mineral Resources has advised that output at its Mount Marion mine in Western Australia is still expected to be within the range of 360,000 to 380,000 tonnes of lithium concentrate in 2019-20, at an average cost of nearly $600 a tonne. CEO Chris Ellison has told the group’s annual meeting that concentrate grading six per cent lithium has fetched around $US600 ($879) per tonne in recent months, after averaging $1,182/tonne in 2018-19. He added that Mineral Resources’ earnings are currently being driven by its iron ore and mining services operations.

CORPORATES
MINERAL RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX MIN, ALBERMARLE CORPORATION, PILBARA MINERALS LIMITED – ASX PLS, ALITA RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX A40, GALAXY RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX GXY, ALTURA MINING LIMITED – ASX AJM