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ABC chair Ita Buttrose calls for press freedom campaign

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: Online : 11-Sep-19

ABC chairwoman Ita Buttrose says that the media’s ability to report on corruption or maladministration should not be viewed as a threat to national security. Buttrose has told the New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties annual dinner on 10 September that the media needs the backing of the general community to ensure it can do its job properly. The ABC, Nine Entertainment and News Corp Australia have been lobbying the government to amend legislation that impacts the work of journalists, following recent AFP raids on the ABC’s Sydney headquarters and the home of a News Corp Australia journalist.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, NEW SOUTH WALES COUNCIL FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Coles, Woolies strike out on beauty boom

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 10-Sep-19

Sales of non-food groceries in supermarkets fell by 0.7 per cent in the 12 months to May, according to IRI, while sales of packaged food rose by 2.3 per cent in the same period. Health and beauty sales in supermarkets were down 0.1 per cent, while sales of general merchandise products fell 4.6 per cent. Alistair Leathwood from IRI says consumers are making more informed decisions about purchases because of the amount of information they are getting online, allowing them to buy items that they would normally buy in supermarkets at other outlets for a cheaper price.

CORPORATES
IRI COLES GROUP LIMITED – ASX COL WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW

Ten scraps Rove’s new show after two weeks

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 23 : 9-Sep-19

Beverley McGarvey has defended the axing of ‘Saturday Night Rove’ after it was on air for just two weeks. McGarvey, who is Ten Network’s chief programming officer, says the program, which was hosted by three-time Gold Logie winner Rove McManus, had not been able to attract a decent audience. McGarvey notes that Saturday night is a very challenging timeslot, and that there were a number of factors that had led Ten to decide that audience figures for ‘Saturday Night Rove’ were unlikely to improve.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED

Lynas may build processing, waste storage site on BHP’s doorstep

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 7-Sep-19

Lynas Corporation has signed a memorandum of understanding with the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder regarding sites for a rare earths cracking and leaching plant. Lynas must build and have the plant up and running within four years, so as to continue conducting part of its rare earths processing in Malaysia. The MOU provides Lynas with exclusivity on two sites, including one adjacent to BHP’s nickel smelter. The cracking and leaching plant is tipped to cost around $500 million to construct.

CORPORATES
LYNAS CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX LYC, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP

PM rejects fears on press freedom

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Original article by Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 2 : 6-Sep-19

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has stressed that the Coalition is "absolutely" committed to press freedom. He has also expressed his view that there are sufficient protections for whistleblowers, while he has defended the Australian Federal Police over the recent raid on the Canberra home of Australian Signals Directorate officer Cameron Gill. News Corp Australia executive Campbell Reid has claimed that the AFP raid was aimed at intimidating potential whistleblowers into not approaching the media.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIAN SIGNALS DIRECTORATE, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, LAW COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Always independent? Lapping it up with the Libs has Fairfax throwbacks foaming

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 4-Sep-19

Nine Entertainment Company’s newspaper journalists have criticised the media group for hosting a fundraising event for the Liberal Party. They contend that the event has undermined the newspapers’ charters of editorial independence, arguing that ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’, ‘The Age’ and ‘The Australian Financial Review’ had been politically impartial under the ownership of Fairfax Media. Senior federal government ministers and business leaders were amongst those who attended the event, which raised $700,000 for the Liberal Party.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE

Lawyers unite to stop erosion of freedoms

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Original article by Chris Merritt
The Australian – Page: 6 : 4-Sep-19

The Australian Federal Police raids on the ABC’s Sydney offices and the home of a News Corp journalist continue to attract scrutiny. Law Council president Arthur Moses will use a National Press Club speech on 4 September to express concern that Australians’ rights and freedoms are being eroded in the interests of ensuring national security. Victorian Bar president Matt Collins will in turn urge changes to the nation’s defamation laws. The ABC and News Corp are expected to challenge the legality of the AFP raids under the implied freedom of political communication in the Constitution.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, LAW COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, VICTORIAN BAR INCORPORATED, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), ALLIANCE FOR JOURNALISTS’ FREEDOM

Retail king Harvey says: ‘I’m never going to retire’

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Original article by Carrie LaFrenz
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 2-Sep-19

Harvey Norman chairman Gerry Harvey says the company recorded three per cent growth in same-stores sales during the first two months of 2019-20. The furniture and consumer electronics retailer’s pre-tax net profit for 2018-19 was 8.4 per cent higher than previously, at $574.56m. Meanwhile, Harvey has ruled out retirement, despite approaching his 80th birthday.

CORPORATES
HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN

Streaming subscriptions on the rise as TV ad revenue comes under pressure

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Original article by Stephanie Chalmers
abc.net au – Page: Online : 2-Sep-19

Overall television advertising revenue was down by over four per cent in 2018-19, but revenue from advertising on broadcaster video-on-demand services jumped 32 per cent. Research by Telsyte indicates that over 50 per cent of Australian households have a video-on-demand paid subscription, with 43 per cent of households having more than one subscription. New Seven West Media CEO James Warburton says the company is exploring possible streaming partnerships in the subscription video-on-demand sector.

CORPORATES
TELSYTE PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Competition no worry for Lynas

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 20 : 30-Aug-19

Rare earths miner Lynas Corporation has posted a 2018-19 net profit of $80m, compared with $53.1m previously. However, EBITDA fell to $100.7m and revenue was also lower at $363.5m. Meanwhile, CEO Amanda Lacaze is not unduly concerned by the mining sector’s growing interest in rare earths, arguing that increased competition could benefit Lynas. She is also optimistic that the Malaysian Government will renew the company’s full operating licence after agreeing to extend its current licence by six months.

CORPORATES
LYNAS CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX LYC, NORTHERN MINERALS LIMITED – ASX NTU, ILUKA RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX ILU