MASS MEDIA – AUSTRALIA – REGULATION

Media reform could be delayed until after budget, federal vote

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 20-Apr-16

Federal Parliament is unlikely to sit again until 2 May 2016, ahead of the Australian Government’s Budget on 3 May. The Government is now expected to postpone proposed changes to cross-media ownership laws until after the double-dissolution election on 2 July, in order to focus on the Budget. Abolition of the "reach rule" and the "two-out-of-three rule" is still on the Government’s agenda, while the Ten Network has again called for broadcasting licence fees to be reduced in the Budget.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD

News, Fairfax, Nine, Ten called to Senate inquiry

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

The CEOs of some of Australia’s largest media groups have been asked to appear before the Senate’s environment and communications legislation committee on 29 April 2016. The committee is holding an inquiry into the Federal Government’s proposed changes to cross-media ownership laws, but it is not scheduled to report its findings until 12 May. The Government must call an election no later than 11 May if it is to be held in July.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE ARTS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

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

Global funds take aim at media

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 19 & 22 : 1-Apr-16

UBS’s Justin Dwyer says the Australian Government’s proposed changes to cross-media ownership laws may prompt renewed interest in local media companies among their offshore peers and private equity firms. He suggests that companies which made offers to buy the Ten Network in 2015 could be among the potential suitors. Meanwhile, Greg Peirce of UBS says the media industry’s "structural challenges" may have more influence on merger activity in the sector than government reforms.

CORPORATES
UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, PROVIDENCE EQUITY PARTNERS INCORPORATED, DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, DICK SMITH HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX DSH, AUSTRALIA. SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE ARTS, THOMSON REUTERS PLC

Seven warns of ‘piecemeal’ threat

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 24-Mar-16

Seven West Media’s submission to a Senate inquiry into proposed changes to cross-media ownership laws argues that the reforms should be broader. The Australian Government proposes to abolish the "reach rule" and the "two-out-three rule", but Seven says other media ownership rules should also be reviewed. Seven has also called for the TV drama tax offset to be increased and Australia’s TV broadcasting licence fees to be reviewed.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD

News calls for holistic media reform package

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 22-Mar-16

News Corporation’s submission to a Senate inquiry into changes to cross-media ownership laws has supported the proposed reforms but called for them to be more extensive. The Federal Government wants to abolish the "reach rule" and the "two-out-of-three rule", but News Corp says an additional three media ownership rules should be scrapped. Regional broadcasters WIN Corporation and Southern Cross Media Group have also supported the bill, while Foxtel has argued for changes to the anti-siphoning list for the broadcasting of sports.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS)

Fifield criticises ‘analogue warriors’

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Original article by Dominic White, Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 32 : 17-Mar-16

Federal Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has refuted suggestions that cross-media ownership reforms will benefit some media groups in particular. Addressing the National Press Club in Canberra, he said the majority of media companies favour abolishing the "reach rule" and the "two-out-of-three rule". He also dismissed the concerns of some senators that the reforms would allow Rupert Murdoch to increase his control of the media sector.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Fifield hints anti-siphoning rules redundant

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 23 : 14-Mar-16

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has ruled out changes to the anti-siphoning list for sports events as part of the Australian Government’s cross-media ownership reforms. However, he has conceded that online streaming has made the anti-siphoning list less relevant, as the restrictions do not apply to companies that supply such services. Fifield also maintains that abolition of the "reach rule" and the "two-out-of-three rule" must be put to Parliament in a single bill.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Legislative and regulatory settings are out of kilter: Williams

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Original article by Max Mason
The Age – Page: 15 : 10-Mar-16

Copyright Agency chairman Kim Williams has told the RadComms conference that changes to the regulation of the media sector are needed to reflect the growth of technology companies. He noted that the Australian Communications & Media Authority currently has limited powers to regulate digital media companies such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook and Netflix.

CORPORATES
COPYRIGHT AGENCY LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY, APPLE INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, MICROSOFT CORPORATION, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

News pushes for full reform

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 9-Mar-16

News Corp CFO Bedi Singh has told a conference in the US that the Australian Government must abolish both the "reach rule" and the "two-of-three rule". The Australian Labor Party may oppose the latter, but Singh says abolishing both would provide consumers with greater choice. Singh also says the anti-siphoning list for sports broadcasts should also have been on the Government’s agenda for cross-media ownership reforms.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY