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News Corp Australia revenues fall as advertising drops and subscriptions stay flat

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Original article by Ben Butler
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 9-Aug-19

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation has reported a profit of $US155 million ($228 million) for the year to June, compared to a loss of around $US1.5 billion for the previous corresponding period. The company’s News UK division recorded a revenue decline of 10 per cent in the last three months of 2018-19, while News Corp Australia’s revenue was down by seven per cent in the same period. Revenue from News Corp’s subscription division, which includes pay TV unit Foxtel and its on-demand sports service Kayo, was down 13 per cent for 2018-19.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Lynas calls for US backing of rare earth firms

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 20 : 8-Aug-19

Lynas Corporation MD Amanda Lacaze addressed the annual Diggers & Dealers forum on 7 August. She said the US will need to provide financial support to rare earths producers in order to ensure that it has a secure long-term supply of the minerals, which are critical for electric vehicles and military weapons. Lacaze says she expects Lynas to receive support from the US, given that the company is set to become the only producer of heavy rare earths outside of China.

CORPORATES
LYNAS CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX LYC, DIGGERS AND DEALERS FORUM, BLUE LINE CORPORATION

Secretive government agency linked to AFP raid on ABC, documents show

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Original article by John Lyons
abc.net au – Page: Online : 7-Aug-19

The Australian Federal Police has released documents relating to the recent raid on the Sydney offices of the ABC, in response to a Freedom of Information request from Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick. However, the AFP has withheld some documents on the grounds that they contain material relating to a government agency that is exempt from FOI laws. Patrick says the AFP’s actions show that a second agency was involved in the investigation that led to the raid, and he believes that it is either ASIO or the Australian Signals Directorate. He has urged the federal government to reveal which agency was involved.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, CENTRE ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION, AUSTRALIAN SIGNALS DIRECTORATE, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN SECRET INTELLIGENCE SERVICE

Home Affairs fights to restrict media

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Original article by Mark Schliebs
The Australian – Page: 6 : 7-Aug-19

The Department of Home Affairs has used its submission to a parliamentary inquiry into press freedom to argue that the existing rules governing police search warrants are adequate. The Right to Know Coalition recently told the inquiry that the media industry should have the right to challenge warrants that are used to gather evidence against journalists. Home Affairs has contended that there is the potential for material evidence to be destroyed if there is advance notice that a warrant is to be issued. The ABC has rejected this suggestion, arguing that the destruction of ­evidence is a criminal offence under existing laws.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY JOINT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY, AUSTRALIA’S RIGHT TO KNOW COALITION OF MEDIA COMPANIES, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Recession – what recession? asks Amazon

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Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 19 : 6-Aug-19

Rocco Braeuniger, Amazon’s country manager for Australia, says he has not seen any indication that the retail sector is in the poor state that some retailers and media commentators have claimed. He was speaking at the launch of a new Amazon service called Launchpad, which aims to help start-ups and small businesses that want sell their products via Amazon. A spokesperson for David Jones’s parent company Woolworths Holdings recently claimed that the retail sector is in a recession.

CORPORATES
AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, DAVID JONES LIMITED, WOOLWORTHS HOLDINGS LIMITED

Media coalition seeks right to fight warrants

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Original article by Leo Shanahan
The Weekend Australian – Page: 8 : 3-Aug-19

The Right to Know Coalition has used its submission to a parliamentary inquiry into freedom of the press to call for changes to the rules governing the issuance of police warrants. The coalition, which comprises 14 media companies and organisations, argued amongst other things that the media industry should have the right to challenge warrants that are used to gather evidence against journalists, and that all such applications should be put to an independent judge in open court. The inquiry was commissioned in response to the recent media raids.

CORPORATES
RIGHT TO KNOW COALITION, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS

NBL season on a roll in joint TV rights deal

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 31-Jul-19

The National Basketball League has struck a broadcasting rights deal with ESPN and public broadcaster SBS, which will replace Fox Sports and the Nine Network as its broadcast partners. However, the NBL will receive a share of the TV networks’ advertising revenue in lieu of a broadcasting rights fee. The two-year deal provides for 67 NBL matches to be shown on the SBS Viceland channel, while live streams of every match in the NBL season will be available via the SBS-on-demand service.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE, ESPN SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ESPN INCORPORATED, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION, BASKETBALL AUSTRALIA

China rare earth demand soft: Lynas

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 20 : 30-Jul-19

Rare earths producer Lynas Corporation has advised that its sales for the June quarter totalled 4,723 tonnes, compared with 5,030 tonnes in the three months to March. CEO Amanda Lacaze says demand for rare earths remains soft, despite ongoing trade tensions between the US and China. The subdued price for rare earths has prompted Lynas to increase the stockpiles at its processing plant in Malaysia. Lacaze adds that Lynas is still in talks with the Malaysian government regarding the renewal of its operating licence.

CORPORATES
LYNAS CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX LYC

Netflix comes to Foxtel, but it’s no cheaper

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Original article by Tegan Jones
gizmodo.com.au – Page: Online : 24-Jul-19

Foxtel subscribers will be able to access content from Netflix under an alliance between the two companies. Foxtel users with an IQ4 set-top box have begun to receive software upgrades that will enable them to view Netflix content, while those with an IQ3 box will have to wait a bit longer. Foxtel will also provide customers with a new remote control with a dedicated Netflix button as part of the changes, although customers who have been Foxtel for less for eight years will have to pay for it. Foxtel customers with a package worth at least $49 will be able to get Netflix for free for six months; after that they will have to pay the same as it currently costs for a stand-alone Netflix subscription.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED

MasterChef hosts’ exit to hit revenue, viewers

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Original article by Zoe Samios
The Australian – Page: 7 : 25-Jul-19

Nunn Media MD Chris Walton says the Ten Network’s ratings and revenue will be affected by the departure of ‘MasterChef’ judges George Calombaris, Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan. Nunn adds that sponsors of the reality-TV show will be "sceptical" about a new team of judges for the next season. Ten is parting ways with the trio after failing to reach agreement on a new pay deal. OzTAM figures show that the 2019 season finale of ‘MasterChef’ attracted 831,000 metropolitan viewers, compared with 1.126 million in 2018.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, NUNN MEDIA PTY LTD, OZTAM PTY LTD, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED