COMPETITION – AUSTRALIA – REGULATION

ABC, SBS distort market: Fairfax

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Australian – Page: 24 : 9-Jul-18

Fairfax Media has used its submission to the competitive neutrality inquiry to criticise the ABC for aggressively promoting and expanding its online digital news service at the expense of commercial rivals. Fairfax has also warned that the sustainability of commercial news journalism is being threatened by the ABC’s growing push to secure content supply deals with third parties. Free TV Australia has noted that the ABC and SBS have an advantage over commercial networks as they are not subject to local content quotas.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, COMMERCIAL RADIO AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED

Media probe pledge to protect journalism

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Australian – Page: 19 & 23 : 4-Jul-18

Australian Competition & Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims says Facebook and Google are "clear competitors" to traditional media companies with regard to advertising revenue. He has told a conference in Sydney that the ACCC’s investigation into digital platforms will examine whether their growing share of ad revenue is having an impact on quality journalism in the publishing and broadcasting sector. Digital companies’ collection and use of consumer data will also be scrutinised by the inquiry.

CORPORATES
FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA LLC, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

ANZ, Citigroup and Deutsche Bank executives charged with criminal cartel offences

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Original article by Stephen Letts
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 6-Jun-18

The ANZ Bank’s global head of treasury, Rick Moscati, is among six senior banking industry executives who will face criminal cartel charges arising from ANZ’s institutional share placement in 2015. Citigroup MD John McLean and the investment bank’s global head of foreign exchange trading, Itay Tuchman, have also been charged, as has Citi’s former Australian head, Stephen Roberts. Two former Deutsche Bank executives, Michael Ormaechea and Michael Richardson, also face charges following a two-year investigation by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission. The three banks will also be prosecuted for allegedly engaging in a cartel.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY

ACCC has no power to break up AGL

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Original article by Ben Potter
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 24-May-18

AGL Energy’s market power has come under scrutiny in the wake of its refusal to back down on plans to shut down the Liddell coal-fired power station in 2022. However, former Australian Competition & Consumer Commission chairman Allan Fels says neither the competition regulator or the federal government have the power to force a company to sell assets or take action to reduce its market share. Fels says there may be a case for adding divestiture powers to section 46 of the Competition and Consumer Act, although the Harper review in 2015 rejected this in favour of an "effects test".

CORPORATES
AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, ORIGIN ENERGY ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED, ENGIE SA, ENERGYAUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD

Murray Goulburn steams ahead to tie up sale deal

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Original article by Sue Neales
The Australian – Page: 21 : 7-Mar-18

An extraordinary general meeting of Murray Goulburn’s suppliers will be held on 5 April, where they will vote on a deal to sell the dairy co-operative’s assets to Canada-based Saputo. However, the meeting is conditional on the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission approving the deal by 4 April. Saputo hopes to gain approval from the ACCC in return for agreeing to divest Murray Goulburn’s milk processing plant in Koroit. The sale to Saputo must supported by at least 50 per cent of Murray Goulburn’s suppliers.

CORPORATES
MURRAY GOULBURN CO-OPERATIVE COMPANY LIMITED, SAPUTO INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD

Media chiefs hail digital inquiry

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 19 : 27-Feb-18

Media industry executives are supportive of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s inquiry into the digital media sector. News Corp Australia executive chairman Michael Miller says it looks forward to actively participating in the inquiry, while Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner says the company is keen to express its views. Miller says the inquiry represents an opportunity to reform the digital media sector into one that offers the opportunity for all participants to compete on a "more even playing field"

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, NEWS CONNECT PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, TWITTER INCORPORATED, SNAPCHAT INCORPORATED, APPLE INCORPORATED

Insurers admit avoiding cover for risky areas

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Original article by Alice Uribe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 23-Jan-18

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission is investigating the level of competition within the general insurance sector in northern Australia, along with premium increases in that part of the country. The ACCC is due to make its final report to the Treasurer by late 2020. Insurance companies have conceded that they avoid covering some properties in the region, which is prone to cyclones, but have denied suggestions that they have engaged in "premium price-gouging".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, QBE INSURANCE GROUP LIMITED – ASX QBE, INSURANCE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, INSURANCE AUSTRALIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX IAG, SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN

Failed BP deal won’t hit Woolworths’ refit plans

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 15-Dec-17

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission has blocked the sale of Woolworths’ fuel business to BP on the grounds that it would likely push up petrol prices and reduce competition. Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci said he was disappointed by the ACCC’s decision. Woolworths was due to receive $A1.8 billion if the transaction had gone ahead, with some of the funds expected to be used on an upgrade of Woolworths’ supermarkets. Banducci said the ACCC’s decision should not impact on any refurbishment program.

CORPORATES
WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW, BP AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, SHERPA, YELLO, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AIRTASKER PTY LTD, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED

Rivals uneasy at merger of Foxtel, Sports

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 11-Dec-17

Scott Lorson, the CEO of pay-TV company Fetch, says the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission should have released a statement of issues before advising that it will not oppose the proposed merger between Foxtel and Fox Sports. Other pay-TV providers and telcos have also expressed concern about approval of the deal, which the ACCC concluded would not result in a substantial lessening of competition.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FETCHTV PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, FOXTEL NOW, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, VODAFONE HUTCHISON AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, IINET LIMITED, DODO INTERNET PTY LTD, IPRIMUS, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Game on: Foxtel, Fox Sports merger cleared

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 19 : 8-Dec-17

Shares in News Corporation and Telstra rallied on 7 December after the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission signalled that the proposed merger between Foxtel and Fox Sports would not substantially reduce competition. The two companies jointly own Foxtel, while News Corp is the sole owner of Fox Sports. Telstra’s stake in Foxtel will be reduced to 35 per cent if the merger proceeds. ACCC chairman Rod Sims says the regulator took into account the fact that Foxtel’s digital products will be available to Telstra’s rivals.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED