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Wesfarmers revamps Kmart after sales shock

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 & 14 : 15-Jan-19

Wesfarmers has advised that same-store sales for its Kmart unit fell by 0.6 per cent in the first half of 2018-19. Wesfarmers stated that earnings from its department store division, which includes Kmart, would be down around seven per cent for the half-year. Wesfarmers MD Rob Scott said Kmart’s sales decline could be attributed to a range of factors, including lower demand for womenswear and its decision to no longer sell DVDs.

CORPORATES
WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TARGET AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, COSTA GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX CGC, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, KATHMANDU HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX KMD, QUADRANT ENERGY PTY LTD

Kia, ANZ, AGL and Uber Eats nab Nine’s Australian Open sponsorship packages

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 14-Jan-19

The ANZ, AGL, Uber Eats and Kia have been signed by Nine as "cornerstone advertisers" for its inaugural coverage of the Australian Open tennis. Other companies that have signed sponsorship packages with Nine include Blackmores, Bunnings and Chemist Warehouse. Nine took over the rights to broadcast the Australian Open from Seven in March 2018, ending a four-decade long relationship with Cricket Australia. Nine’s chief sales officer Michael Stephenson says that working with Tennis Australia has been "fantastic", and that the Australian Open is the best summer marketing platform for brands.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, UBER EATS, KIA MOTORS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, BLACKMORES LIMITED – ASX BKL, BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED, CHEMIST WAREHOUSE, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, TENNIS AUSTRALIA

Today eyes comeback with fresh co-hosting combo

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: Online : 14-Jan-19

Pete Bosilkovski, the joint CEO of advertising agency VMLY&R, has described as "brilliant" the decision by Nine to have two females co-hosting "Today". Bosilkovski says it will be the chemistry between Deborah Knight and Georgie Gardner that will determine how successful Nine’s decision is. The revamp of "Today" follows the axing of Karl Stefanovic as co-host in December after 14 years in the role, while it is the first time that two women have co-hosted an Australian TV breakfast show.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, VMLY&R, NBC UNIVERSAL INCORPORATED

ABC underpaid 2500 casual staff

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 11-Jan-19

The ABC will undertake a review into how it came to underpay around 2,500 casual employees over the last six years. The public broadcaster’s chief people officer Rebekah Donaldson says it has notified the Fair Work Commission about the issue, and that it is getting in contact with current and former casual employees who might have been affected. The underpayment error was brought to the ABC’s attention by the Community & Public Sector Union; the CPSU’s ABC section secretary Sinddy Ealy says it had been concerned for some time about the ABC’s over-reliance on and payment of casual staff.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, ACTU

Mogul Gordon grabs shares to increase stake in Nine

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 10-Jan-19

Australian businessman Bruce Gordon has lifted his direct stake in Nine Entertainment Company from 7.6 per cent to 8.9 per cent. Gordon has a total economic interest in Nine of about 13.4 per cent when a 4.5 per cent stake held via a cash-settled share swap is taken into account. Gordon’s stake in Nine had been diluted by its merger with Fairfax Media.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED, BIRKETU PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT LLC

Seven opens batting with cricket rating win

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 15 : 9-Jan-19

The Seven Network says ratings figures show that more than 14 million Australians watched its coverage of the Test cricket series against India. Seven boasted a 56 per cent share of daytime commercial television ratings during its coverage of the four-Test series. The ratings for Seven’s coverage of the Big Bash League are lower than the figures achieved by previous free-to-air broadcaster Ten. However, BBL ratings have risen when the combined coverage of Seven and Foxtel are taken into account.

CORPORATES
SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, BIG BASH LEAGUE, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, KFC, VODAFONE AUSTRALIA LIMITED, OZTAM PTY LTD, REGTAM PTY LTD

Sign of the times as Fairfax goes

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 13 & 14 : 9-Jan-19

Nine Entertainment Company has confirmed that it is seeking a buyer for Fairfax Media’s events business, which has been valued at between $24m and $32m by Macquarie Group. Meanwhile, Nine has begun the process of phasing out the Fairfax Media brand; workers have used black plastic sheeting to cover the Fairfax signage on the newspaper publisher’s headquarters in the Sydney suburb of Pyrmont. Some Fairfax staff were recently relocated to Nine’s offices in the Sydney CBD in the wake of the $4.2bn merger.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED, LOTUS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, EURO PROPERTIES, SYDNEY CITY COUNCIL, SPORTS MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT 360, NINE LIVE PTY LTD, AFFINITY EQUITY PARTNERS (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, GOOGLE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Pacific making all the write moves

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 13 & 14 : 7-Jan-19

Seven West Media’s Pacific Magazines division posted EBIT of $9.6m in 2017-18, and it reduced costs by $32.2m. Pacific Magazines CEO Gereurd Roberts is upbeat about the outlook for its portfolio of titles, noting that it is the market leader in every category in which it has a presence. He adds that content is the priority for Pacific Magazines, while it aims to expand its digital business. Gereurd has also flagged the launch of a new monthly magazine in late January.

CORPORATES
PACIFIC MAGAZINES PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, BAUER MEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Pilbara set to seal Chinese funding

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 15 : 3-Jan-19

Australian-listed Pilbara Minerals is believed to have secured funding for the $231m second stage of its Pilgangoora lithium mine in Western Australia. Posco, Great Wall Motor Company, Ganfeng and Pilbara’s bondholders are said to have agreed to finance the expansion project, which will increase annual processing capacity from two million tonnes to five million. Pilbara Minerals’ shares were placed in a trading halt in late December. The stock last traded at $0.62.

CORPORATES
PILBARA MINERALS LIMITED – ASX PLS, POSCO, GREAT WALL MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED, GANFENG LITHIUM COMPANY LIMITED

Koreans baulk at cobalt deal as prices tumble

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 15 : 2-Jan-19

South Korea-based SK Innovation failed to exercise an option to acquire a 19.9 per cent stake in Australian Mines by the deadline of 31 December. Shares in the cobalt producer closed at $0.038 on the day, compared with the options’ strike price of $0.12, prompting speculation that SK Innovation will not exercise the option. A sharp fall in the price of cobalt weighed on Australian Mines’ shares in 2018.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN MINES LIMITED – ASX AUZ, SK INNOVATION, CLEAN TEQ HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX CLQ