LOBBYING – AUSTRALIA

Slashed TV fee delivers windfall

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 4 : 29-Apr-16

The office of Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has declined to comment on speculation that the Australian Government’s May 2016 Budget will include a reduction in TV broadcasters’ licence fees. Free-to-air networks have lobbied the Government in the lead-up to the Budget, and some media reports have suggested that it will agree to their request. Pay-TV group Foxtel has argued that any reduction in licence fees should be accompanied by changes to the anti-siphoning list for sports events.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED

Anxious TV executives seek meeting with PM

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 11-Apr-16

The free-to-air TV industry is concerned that the Australian Government will not include a reduction in broadcasting licence fees in the May 2016 Budget. Free TV Australia is said to have lobbied Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for a meeting with industry executives to discuss the issue. Some observers have speculated that the Government may opt to progressively reduce the licence fee over several years.

CORPORATES
FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NETFLIX INCORPORATED

Free TV networks ready to campaign on licence fees

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 21 : 7-Apr-16

The metropolitan free-to-air TV networks may ramp their lobbying for a reduction in the annual broadcasting licence fee in the Australian Government’s May 2016 Budget. They are believed to have held discussions about launching an advertising campaign, which is likely to be similar to the Save Our Voices campaign that was launched by regional broadcasters.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, PIN PAYMENTS, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Regionals push for local news services

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 5-Oct-15

Australia’s regional TV broadcasters will propose a number of safeguards to ensure that local content levels are maintained if cross-media ownership laws are scrapped. Among other things, they have suggested that a "change of control" clause be added to their broadcasting licence, to prevent further reductions in local news services. Local news accounts for about 15 per cent of regional networks’ costs, and they argue that this is one of the few areas in which they can make further cost savings.

CORPORATES
PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SOUTHERN CROSS AUSTEREO PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, IMPARJA TELEVISION PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NBN TELEVISION

Turnbull looks at licence fee cuts

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 26 : 27-Jul-15

Australia’s commercial TV networks have received some support from Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull for their push to have broadcasting licence fees reduced. It is believed that Free TV Australia will be invited to press its case for a licence fee reduction to key policymakers, while Commercial Radio Australia will push for a reduction in radio broadcasting licence fees. However, Turnbull seems unlikely to pursue changes to anti-siphoning laws for broadcasting sporting events.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, COMMERCIAL RADIO AUSTRALIA LIMITED, 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, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Turnbull to talk up fee cuts

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 20-Jul-15

The CEOs of free-to-air TV networks will be able to press their case for a reduction in licence fees when they meet with Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull on 23 July 2015. The annual licence fee is currently set at 4.5 per cent of each network’s revenue, but they believe that the fee should be reduced or scrapped due to competition from new media players such as streaming video providers. Free TV Australia also argue that Australia’s licence fees are higher than in countries such as the UK.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED

Ron Walker’s cancer drug crusade pays national dividends

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Original article by Anne Hyland
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 : 29-Jun-15

The Australian Government will subside a cancer treatment that has been credited with saving the life of businessman Ron Walker. Keytruda will be added to the list of cancer drugs that are subsidised via the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, which means cancer patients will pay at most just $A37.70 to access the drug. It would previously have cost some $A150,000 per year to be treated with Keytruda. Walker had lobbied the Government to subsidise the drug.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, MERCK AND COMPANY INCORPORATED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Tax plonk more, says Grange man

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 5-Jun-15

Treasury Wine Estates and Pernod Ricard are lobbying for reforms to Australia’s wine equalisation tax system. They favour a standardised tax rate for all wines, irrespective of the price or quality. Penfolds Grange winemaker Peter Gago is also in favour of reform, arguing that the nation’s wine industry needs to focus more on the premium end of the wine market and encourage local consumers to drink wines that are of a higher quality.

CORPORATES
TREASURY WINE ESTATES LIMITED – ASX TWE, PERNOD RICARD SA, PENFOLDS WINES PTY LTD, JACOB’S CREEK PTY LTD, ABSOLUT VODKA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, MAGILL ESTATE

Paid parental leave fight gears up

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Original article by Joanna Mather, Lucille Keen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 22-May-15

Women on Boards chair Ruth Medd is among the individuals and organisations that have lobbied Prime Minister Tony Abbott to abandon proposed changes to the taxpayer-funded paid parental leave scheme. They have urged Abbott to reconsider the reforms, and argue that the Australian Government should aim to increase paid leave from 18 weeks to 26 weeks. Meanwhile, Chief Executive Women president Diane Smith Gander says the Government could seek a compromise on the reforms.

CORPORATES
WOMEN ON BOARDS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, CHIEF EXECUTIVE WOMEN, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR AUSTRALIAN WOMEN LIMITED, UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE, MERCER INVESTMENTS PTY LTD

Co-pay fight in waiting rooms

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Original article by Joanna Heath
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 19-Dec-14

The Australian Medical Association opposes the introduction of a $A5 co-payment for visits to the doctor. It intends to send campaign posters and pamphlets to doctors around the country. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has also expressed its opposition to the proposed changes

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED, THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL PRACTITIONERS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA, THE PHARMACY GUILD OF AUSTRALIA