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Senior ABC executive plans departure

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Original article by Stephen Brook
The Australian – Page: 24 : 1-Oct-18

Sources within the ABC have indicated that the public broadcaster’s editorial director Alan Sunderland intends to retire in the next six months or so. He stresses that his impending retirement is not related to the recent management upheaval at the ABC. Sunderland was appointed to the position in April 2013, and he says that he had always intended to be in the role for no more than five years. Sunderland has effectively been editor-in-chief at the ABC, and former MD Jonathan Shier says the two roles should be separate.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Negotiators go toe to toe for Foxtel-AFL rights deal

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Original article by David Swan
The Australian – Page: 24 : 1-Oct-18

Australian Football League CEO Gillon McLachlan says broadcasting rights deals such as the $2.5bn deal struck in 2015 are very stressful when they are being negotiated. He notes that the landmark rights deal with Seven West Media, Foxtel and Telstra took years to negotiate, but it was only finalised at the last minute. The record deal was announced at a press conference which was attended by senior executives from the AFL, Seven, News Corp Australia and Telstra.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS

Worner sings praises of live sport after surge in ratings

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian – Page: 24 : 1-Oct-18

The Seven Network’s coverage of the 2018 Australian Football League Grand Final boasted an average audience of 3.38 million, compared with 3.54 million in 2017. The audience peaked at around 4.3 million, up from 4.19 million in 2017. Seven’s broadcast of a Twenty20 women’s international cricket match also attracted a big audience. Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner has stressed the importance of live sports for the network, adding that sports broadcasting rights will become even more valuable in the future. Foxtel also recorded strong growth in audience numbers for its AFL coverage in 2018.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, WEST COAST EAGLES FOOTBALL CLUB, COLLINGWOOD FOOTBALL CLUB, RICHMOND FOOTBALL CLUB, SYDNEY ROOSTERS RUGBY LEAGUE FOOTBALL, MELBOURNE STORM RUGBY LEAGUE CLUB LIMITED, BRISBANE BRONCOS RUGBY LEAGUE CLUB LIMITED, NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS, SOUTH SYDNEY RUGBY LEAGUE CLUB, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY FOOTBALL CLUB

Guthrie’s fear of looking like idiot

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Original article by Deborah Cornwall, Stephen Brook
The Australian – Page: 1 & 8 : 26-Sep-18

The ABC’s former MD Michelle Guthrie defended her performance in the role at a meeting on 13 September at which she was asked to resign. She told ABC chairman Justin Milne and board member Donny Walford that she had made much progress in a transformation program, including a restructuring that significantly cut the public broadcaster’s management ranks. Guthrie asked to be allowed to remain in the role for at least another year so she could complete the transformation program. She may pursue legal action over her sacking only halfway through her five-year term.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, NEW CHAMBERS, JOHNSON WINTER AND SLATTERY, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM

Comcast outbids Fox and Walt Disney Co. with $40-billion offer for Europe’s Sky TV

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Original article by Meg James
Los Angeles Times – Page: Online : 22-Sep-18

The independent directors of pan-European satellite broadcaster Sky plc have endorsed Comcast’s successful bid in a corporate auction that was organised by the UK’s Takeovers Panel. Comcast offered $US22.75 per share for Sky, valuing its bid at nearly $US40bn. The rival bid from Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox – which has a 39 per cent stake in Sky – was $US20.63 per share, which equates to about $US35bn. The auction followed a protracted bidding war for Sky, and Fox’s deal to sell the bulk of its entertainment assets to Walt Disney Company.

CORPORATES
SKY PLC, COMCAST CORPORATION, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, GREAT BRITAIN. THE TAKEOVER PANEL, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FOX NEWS CHANNEL, HULU LLC

Sport can save free-to-air: Netflix founder

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Original article by Yolanda Redrup
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 28 : 24-Sep-18

Marc Randolph, the co-founder of subscription video-on-demand giant Netflix, says commercial free-to-air TV networks must adapt to changes in how consumers view content. Randolph notes that consumers increasingly prefer to binge-watch content such as drama; he has also stressed the importance of live content such as sports for traditional broadcasters, noting that viewers have not yet embraced such content via Netflix. Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner says that while live content is important for TV broadcasters, general entertainment remains a key element of the Seven Network’s programming.

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NETFLIX INCORPORATED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, OVO MOBILE

4K AFL on Foxtel’s Netflix of sport

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Original article by David Swan
The Australian – Page: 19 : 21-Sep-18

Foxtel has advised that it will broadcast some Australian Football League matches in the 4K ultra-high-definition format during the 2019 season. Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany says one match per round is likely to be initially broadcast in the new format, with additional 4K coverage to be added as more of the high-definition cameras become available in Australia. Delany has also indicated that Foxtel will unveil details of a new sport-focused streaming video service in the next several months.

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FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NETFLIX INCORPORATED

Stokes rejects ABC: I didn’t plot to oust PM

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Original article by Darren Davidson, Sam Buckingham-Jones
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 20-Sep-18

Seven West Media chairman Kerry Stokes has refuted suggestions that himself and fellow media magnate Rupert Murdoch had any role in the demise of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. The ABC has claimed in reports on its evening news bulletin and online that in the lead-up to the ousting of Turnbull, Murdoch told Stokes that Turnbull had to go. The reports were filed by the ABC’s national political editor, Andrew Probyn, who has previously worked for Seven West Media. Stokes says Probyn should therefore know that he does not engage in "speculative political gossip".

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, WEST AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPERS HOLDINGS LIMITED

Lew urges Wilson to help fix Myer board

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 17-Sep-18

Geoff Wilson’s Wilson Asset Management has become a substantial shareholder in retailer Myer, with a 5.5 per cent stake. Solomon Lew, whose Premier Investments holds a 10.8 per cent stake in Myer and who has been unhappy with its performance since Premier acquired its stake in March 2017, has called on Wilson to help him toss out the Myer board. However, Wilson has indicated that he is happy to support new Myer CEO John King and his senior managers, while he has queried the rationale behind Lew’s attacks on the Myer board.

CORPORATES
MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, WILSON ASSET MANAGEMENT, PREMIER INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX PMV

Officeworks tipped for more growth

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 18-Sep-18

Wesfarmers’ Officeworks division posted earnings growth of 8.3 per cent in fiscal 2018, with sales rising by 9.1 per cent and return on capital up 13 per cent. MD Mark Ward is upbeat about the outlook for Officeworks, expressing confidence that it can maintain the recent growth momentum. Although Ward will retire in late 2018, Wesfarmers has yet to appoint a successor as it is focused on the upcoming demerger of Coles.

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OFFICEWORKS SUPERSTORES PTY LTD, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, ONTHEGO PTY LTD