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Cat’s plan for regional powerhouse

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich, John Durie
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 28 : 31-Oct-19

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission will scrutinise Seven West Media’s takeover bid for regional affiliate Prime Media Group, with a decision on the $64m deal to be made on 18 December. Meanwhile, Antony Catalano and Alex Waislitz have built a 10.26 per cent stake in Prime, which would prevent Seven from compulsorily acquiring the company. Catalano says the Seven deal is not in the best interests of regional media. Catalano has also revealed that he held merger talks with Prime Media earlier in 2019. Catalano and Waislitz recently bought Nine Entertainment’s regional newspapers.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY MEDIA, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, THORNEY INVESTMENT GROUP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SPHERIA ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, WA CHESS INVESTMENTS

Foxtel customers get the loyal treatment

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 19 : 30-Oct-19

Subscribers who sign up to Foxtel’s new customer loyalty program will receive a range of exclusive offers. The Foxtel First loyalty scheme will reward customers based on the length of time they have been a subscriber. The launch of the customer loyalty program comes ahead of the impending entry of Disney+ and Apple TV+ into Australia’s streaming video market, where they will compete with established players such as Foxtel, Netflix and Stan.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, DISNEY+, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, APPLE INCORPORATED, FOXTEL NOW, KAYO SPORTS, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD

ABC raid could scare off sources

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Original article by Hannah Wootton
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 30-Oct-19

The Federal Court has adjourned its hearing into the ABC’s legal challenge to the validity of a police raid on its Sydney headquarters in June. Matt Collins, SC, who is representing the public broadcaster, has told the court that whistleblowers will be reluctant to contact journalists if the Australian Federal Police’s search warrant is not overturned. Amongst other things, the ABC’s case is based on the implied freedom of political communication in the Constitution.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

You’re at dangerous crossroads, warns legendary news anchor

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Original article by Steve Jackson
The Australian – Page: 1 : 29-Oct-19

US broadcaster Larry King believes that Australia needs to adopt similar laws to the first amendment to the US Constitution, which protects freedom of speech and freedom of the press. King says he was shocked to learn of Australian Federal Police raids on a journalist’s home and on the ABC’s Sydney headquarters in June, saying he would have reacted with violence if his home had been raided in such a fashion.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Foxtel, NBCU close to TV, streaming deal

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 28-Oct-19

Foxtel is believed to be aiming to launch its new drama and entertainment streaming video service in March or April 2020. Foxtel is said to be close to finalising a new content agreement with US media giant NBCUniversal for both its broadcast and streaming video-on-demand services, after recently striking a new content deal with the BBC. The new subscription video-on-demand service will target consumers who want access to Foxtel content but do not want a pay-TV subscription.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NBC UNIVERSAL INCORPORATED, BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION, KAYO SPORTS, FETCHTV PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, APPLE INCORPORATED, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

Seven keen to tackle NRL rights

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Original article by Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 23 : 28-Oct-19

Seven West Media has expressed interest in bidding for the National Rugby League’s broadcasting rights when the Nine Network’s current deal expires in 2022. CEO James Warburton adds that Seven may look at gaining the State of Origin broadcasting rights if it cannot secure the full NRL rights. The proposed move on NRL rights is believed to be aimed at boosting Seven’s audience share in Sydney and Brisbane, where its average audience for Australian Football League matches is much lower than Nine’s NRL coverage.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, OZTAM PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS

JB Hi-Fi says low interest rates a double-edged sword for retailers

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 25-Oct-19

JB Hi-Fi has advised that its Australian stores recorded same-store sales growth of 3.7 per cent in the September quarter, while its New Zealand arm’s same-store sales were up 3.8 per cent. JB Hi-Fi CEO Richard Murray says group sales are still expected to increase by about 2.2 per cent to $7.65bn in 2019-20. He notes that while consumer confidence has improved since the 18 May federal election, the cash rate’s fall to a record low has also prompted some fears about the state of the economy.

CORPORATES
JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, THE GOOD GUYS, NICK SCALI LIMITED – ASX NCK, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL

Attorney-General hits out at press campaign

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 2 : 25-Oct-19

Attorney-General Christian Porter has rejected suggestions that journalists should receive a blanket exemption from national security and criminal laws. Responding to the Right to Know campaign, Porter argued that allowing the media industry to contest the issuance of a warrant against a journalist could potentially stop the police from preventing a serious crime. He conceded that there is scope for changes in some areas, such as Freedom of Information laws.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, WIKILEAKS

Seven set to bring back Big Brother

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 24-Oct-19

The Seven Network will seek to boost its prime-time ratings in 2020 by reviving reality-TV shows ‘Big Brother’ and ‘Farmer Wants a Wife’, which previously aired on rival networks. Other new shows that were unveiled at Seven West Media’s annual upfronts include dramas ‘RFDS’ and ‘Between Two Worlds’, and a new cooking show that will be co-hosted by former ‘MasterChef’ judges Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan. CEO James Warburton says ‘Big Brother’ will immediately change the network’s audience demographic.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, PACIFIC MAGAZINES PTY LTD, BAUER MEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL

Rio eyes US lithium market with pilot plant

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 19 : 23-Oct-19

Rio Tinto has approved the development of a $US10m ($14.6m) pilot plant that will produce lithium from waste rock at its borate operations in the US. Rio Tinto executive Bold Baatar says the company could potentially become the largest producer of battery-grade lithium in the US. Rio Tinto may invest $US50m in a full-scale processing plant if the trials are successful, producing about 5,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent each year.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, ALBERMARLE CORPORATION, KIDMAN RESOURCES LIMITED, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, IONEER LIMITED – ASX INR