CABLE TELEVISION – UNITED STATES

ABC dismisses Fox News’ Four Corners complaint

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Original article by Zoe Samios
The Age – Page: Online : 8-Nov-21

The ABC’s internal complaints department has found that "Fox and the Big Lie" did not breach the national broadcaster’s code of practice. The two-part Four Corners documentary examined how US cable network Fox News covered the 2020 presidential election. Fox News called for an external inquiry into the Four Corners story shortly after it had been broadcast, and the ABC is said to have provided Fox with a detailed response as to why its complaints had been dismissed. The ABC recently commissioned a review of its procedures for handling complaints, its first such review in 12 years.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, FOX NEWS

Comcast surrenders to Disney in bid for 21st Century Fox

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Original article by Anousha Sakoui, Gerry Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 20-Jul-18

Comcast will press ahead with its takeover bid for pan-European broadcaster company Sky after withdrawing from the bidding war for the bulk of 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets. Comcast’s cash offer of $US65bn for the Fox assets forced rival bidder Walt Disney Company to increase its offer to $US71bn. Disney’s bid has received clearance from antitrust regulators.

CORPORATES
21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, COMCAST CORPORATION, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, SKY PLC, AT&T CORPORATION, TIME WARNER INCORPORATED, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF JUSTICE, UNIVERSAL PICTURES, NBC TELEVISION NETWORK, MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE INCORPORATED

Disney’s Fox bid wins US approval

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Original article by Edmund Lee, Cecilia Kang
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 29-Jun-18

Walt Disney’s proposed $US71bn deal to acquire the bulk of 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets has been cleared by the US Justice Department, only six months after it was initially proposed. However, the Justice Department has ruled that ESPN owner Disney must divest Fox’s regional sports to satisfy competition concerns. Jefferies media analyst John Janedis says the Fox board will probably be obliged to see if rival suitor Comcast makes a revised bid, but he notes that any such offer would take at least six months to receive approval from the DoJ.

CORPORATES
21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF JUSTICE, ESPN INCORPORATED, JEFFERIES AND COMPANY, HULU LLC, AT&T CORPORATION, TIME WARNER INCORPORATED, CNN, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, SKY PLC, STAR INDIA, MARVEL ENTERPRISES, LUCASFILM, PIXAR, FOX NEWS CHANNEL

Disney, Fox agree on $97bn merger

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Original article by Keach Hagey, Erich Schwartzel
The Australian – Page: 24 : 22-Jun-18

Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger has ruled out a deal with Comcast to carve up the entertainment assets of 21st Century Fox. Sources have indicated that Fox and Disney are finalising the terms of the latter’s $US71.3bn ($A96.8bn) cash and scrip deal, which has trumped Comcast’s $US65bn cash bid. Fox shareholders are expected to emerge with about 19 per cent of the enlarged Disney via the revised deal, compared with around 25 per cent under its previous scrip-only offer.

CORPORATES
21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, COMCAST CORPORATION, FOX NEWS, FOX BROADCASTING COMPANY, COWEN AND COMPANY, MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE INCORPORATED, S&P GLOBAL RATINGS, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, SKY PLC, STAR INDIA, HULU LLC

Fox agrees to Disney offer

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Original article by
The Australian – Page: 22 : 21-Jun-18

Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox has accepted Walt Disney Company’s revised offer of more than $US70bn for the bulk of its entertainment assets. Disney had originally proposed a scrip-only bid worth $US52.4bn, but it has agreed to allow Fox shareholders to accept a combination of cash and shares. The cash component will be attractive to major Fox shareholders such as the Murdochs, given the capital gains tax implications of a cash-only bid. Disney’s latest offer has trumped Comcast’s $US65bn cash bid.

CORPORATES
21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, COMCAST CORPORATION, SKY PLC, STAR INDIA, HULU LLC, FOX NEWS, FOX BROADCASTING COMPANY

$86bn bid for Fox ignites Disney fight

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Original article by Shalini Ramachandran, Erich Schwartzel
The Australian – Page: 25 : 15-Jun-18

US media group Comcast has offered $US35 per share for the bulk of 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets, valuing its bid at about $US65bn ($A86bn). Fox has advised that it will "carefully review and consider" the cash bid, which has trumped Walt Disney Company’s scrip bid. The Disney offer is valued at $US29.18 per share based on Fox’s current share price. Fox would retain assets such as Fox News and its broadcast TV network if either bid succeeds.

CORPORATES
21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, COMCAST CORPORATION, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, FOX NEWS, FOX BROADCASTING COMPANY, AT&T CORPORATION, TIME WARNER INCORPORATED, HBO, CNN, WARNER BROS, BARCLAYS BANK PLC, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, HULU LLC, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED

Ruling will unleash new wave of tie-ups

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 14-Jun-18

Comcast’s proposed bid for the entertainment assets of 21st Century Fox is more likely to proceed after a US court approved AT&T’s deal to acquire Time Warner. Shares in Fox have rallied amid expectations that Comcast will trump Walt Disney Company’s $US52bn offer for the bulk of Fox’s assets. Media analyst Craig Moffett says the AT&T-Time Warner merger is likely to prompt further consolidation in the media sector.

CORPORATES
AT&T CORPORATION, TIME WARNER INCORPORATED, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, COMCAST CORPORATION, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, CNN, HBO, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF JUSTICE, STAR INDIA, HULU LLC, SKY PLC, VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED, BTIG LLC, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED

Content the future for telcos: media bosses

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 & 14 : 25-Oct-16

Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner says A&T’s proposed acquisition of Time Warner has major implications for both telcos and media companies. He believes that more deals of this nature are possible, noting the growing importance of content to telcos. Southern Cross Media Group CEO Grant Blackley says such deals could occur in Australia, and points out that under current media ownership laws his company could be acquired by Telstra but it could not merge with Fairfax Media.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TIME WARNER INCORPORATED, AT&T CORPORATION, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, SINGAPORE TELECOMMUNICATIONS LIMITED, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BEIN SPORTS, THE A LEAGUE PTY LTD, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, VODAFONE AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Time Warner is Murdoch’s lost chance

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Original article by Neil Chenoweth
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 25-Oct-16

Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox had the opportunity to acquire Time Warner in 2014 and create a media giant worth $US160bn. Time Warner rejected the $US80bn bid and sought a higher offer, but this would have required 21st Century Fox CEO Chase Carey to remain at the helm at a time when Murdoch was preparing his sons to succeed him. James and Lachlan Murdoch were subsequently appointed CEO and co-executive chairman respectively. The proposed $US85bn ($A112bn) acquisition of Time Warner by AT&T may prompt other mega mergers, but the Murdochs may not be able to pursue such deals without relinquishing control of their media empire.

CORPORATES
21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, TIME WARNER INCORPORATED, AT&T CORPORATION, FOX NEWS, SKY PLC, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SKY ITALIA SPA, SKY DEUTSCHLAND AG

Murdoch quells Fox News concerns after Ailes departure

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 23 : 5-Aug-16

21st Century Fox has posted a net profit of $US2.8bn ($A3.7bn) for fiscal 2016, compared with $US8.4bn previously, although the prior result was bolstered by asset sales. The media group’s EBITDA rose by two per cent to $US6.6bn, while revenue was one per cent higher at $US27.3bn. 21st Century Fox’s co-executive chairman Lachlan Murdoch has stressed that the resignation of Fox News CEO Roger Ailes will have no effect on the cable news channel’s editorial position or strategic direction.

CORPORATES
21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, FOX NEWS, DIRECT BROADCAST SATELLITE TELEVISION, SKY ITALIA SPA, SKY DEUTSCHLAND AG, SKY PLC, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD