EXECUTIVES – AUSTRALIA – APPOINTMENTS AND RETIREMENTS

GetUp! and go, Xenophon tells APC’s McGrath

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Original article by Mitchell Bingemann
The Australian – Page: 10 : 7-Jun-17

Independent senator Nick Xenophon says the Australian Press Council’s independence has been undermined by the appointment of GetUp chair Carla McGrath to its board. He says McGrath should resign, as she cannot be a board member of both the APC and the political activist group. The APC has responded to a boycott of its rulings by leading newspapers by issuing a statement in which it stresses that McGrath will not adjudicate any complaints against publishers in which there is the potential for a conflict of interests.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN PRESS COUNCIL, GETUP LIMITED, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Boycott grows over judgment by activist

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Original article by Mitchell Bingemann
The Australian – Page: 5 : 6-Jun-17

Herald & Weekly Times MD Peter Blunden has advised that its newspapers will boycott all Australian Press Council rulings in which new board member Carla McGrath participates. The boycott was initiated by HWT parent News Corp Australia in response to the appointment of McGrath, who also chairs political activist group GetUp. Community Newspapers of Australia has indicated that it may also boycott APC rulings.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, HERALD AND WEEKLY TIMES LIMITED, COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN PRESS COUNCIL, GETUP LIMITED

Calls for McGrath to resign

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Original article by Mitchell Bingemann, Chris Merritt
The Australian – Page: 23 : 5-Jun-17

Former Australian Press Council chairman David Flint says GetUp’s deputy chair Carla McGrath should never have been considered for a position on the APC board. He adds that the media cannot have confidence in the APC and its judgments if there are any concerns about political conflicts of interest. Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance CEO Paul Murphy and Communications Minister Mitch Fifield have also questioned McGrath’s appointment, while more News Corp newspapers intend to boycott APC rulings in which McGrath participates.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN PRESS COUNCIL, GETUP LIMITED, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, ADANI MINING PTY LTD, NEW MATILDA PTY LTD

Oz will boycott decisions of ‘political stack’

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Original article by Mitchell Bingemann
The Australian – Page: 1 & 8 : 2-Jun-17

The media sector has expressed concern that the appointment of Getup’s Carla McGrath to the board of the Australian Press Council could lead to a conflict of interests. McGrath is the deputy chair of the activist group, which has traditionally adopted a left-wing position when campaigning on issues such as mining, immigration and climate change. Paul Whittaker, the editor-in-chief of "The Australian", says the newspaper will boycott any rulings of the APC in which McGrath participates, given GetUp’s hostility toward News Corp Australia.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN PRESS COUNCIL, GETUP LIMITED, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF IMMIGRATION AND BORDER PROTECTION, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS PTY LTD

Howcroft tunes in to PwC marketing

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 21 : 13-Dec-16

TV executive and "Gruen" panellist Russel Howcroft will become chief creative officer at PricewaterhouseCoopers in early 2017. Howcroft has been the executive general manager of the Ten Network’s Melbourne operations for four years, while he also chairs the Think TV lobby group. PwC has hired several other former advertising industry executives in recent months.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD, THINK TV, OGILVY AUSTRALIA, TBWA, CLEMENGER BBDO (BRISBANE) PTY LTD

‘Thoughtful’ King answers BCA call

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Original article by Patrick Durkin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 8-Nov-16

Former Origin Energy CEO Grant King will succeed Catherine Livingstone as president of the Business Council of Australia. Origin’s ex-finance director Karen Moses has praised King’s appointment and says he is well-suited to his new role as head of the lobby group. King recently stepped down as Origin CEO after more than two decades at the company.

CORPORATES
BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, CHARTER HALL GROUP – ASX CHC, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, AUSTRALIA PACIFIC LNG LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

HWT appoints Zavecz

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 25-Aug-16

Pacific Magazines CEO Peter Zavecz will leave the Seven West Media-owned publisher on 30 September 2016, to take up the role of managing director, commercial at News Corp Australia’s Herald & Weekly Times subsidiary. Meanwhile, HWT’s executive general manager Peter Clark will join the newly-created News Digital Networks Australia division.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, HERALD AND WEEKLY TIMES LIMITED, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, PACIFIC MAGAZINES PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NEWS DIGITAL NETWORK AUSTRALIA, NEWS LIFE MEDIA PTY LTD

Westpac aims for 20pc Asian managers

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Original article by Misa Han
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 29-Jul-16

Westpac CEO Brian Hartzer wants the bank to have greater diversity among its staff. The bank aims to raise the ratio of its executives with an Asian background from 13 per cent to 20 per cent. Hartzer says it is primarily a business issue, although social justice is also important to him. Race discrimination commissioner Tim Soutphommasane suggests that businesses should aim for 10 per cent of their senior executives to have a non-European background.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

I’m not done yet: Leckie’s return

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 23 & 25 : 18-Jul-16

TV industry veteran David Leckie says he intends to seek another role in the media industry when his 13-year tenure at the Seven Network ends in late July 2016. Seven usurped the Nine Network – Leckie’s previous employer for more than two decades – as Australia’s top-rating free-to-air network during his tenure, which included a stint as CEO. Leckie remains upbeat about the outlook for traditional media, arguing that so-called "digital disruption" has in fact led to increased interest in broadcast TV.

CORPORATES
SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, OZTAM PTY LTD, THE NIELSEN COMPANY (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED

End of era as TV king calls it quits at Seven

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 2 : 13-Jul-16

Seven West Media’s former CEO David Leckie will sever ties with the media group when his contract expires in late June 2016. Leckie join the group in 2003, and the Seven Network began its dominance of the TV ratings during his tenure. Leckie has acted as a consultant to SWM and Seven Group Holdings since stepping down as CEO of the former in 2012. Leckie had previously worked for the rival Nine Network for more than two decades, including a stint as CEO.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SVW, PACIFIC MAGAZINES PTY LTD, YAHOO!7 COMMUNICATIONS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD