Licence fee win boosts TV, radio

Original article by Stephen Brook
The Australian – Page: 19 : 29-Jun-17

Free TV chairman Harold Mitchell and Commercial Radio Australia CEO Joan Warner have welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to waive broadcasting licence fees for the 2016-17 financial year. The Government proposes to permanently replace broadcasting licence fees with a spectrum charge as part of its media cross-ownership reforms. Shares in listed media companies rallied after the one-off waiver was announced. It is expected to save broadcasters about $A127m.

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FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, COMMERCIAL RADIO AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY

Media rules ‘utterly outdated’

Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 2 : 28-Jun-17

The support of the Greens or One Nation will be crucial to the passage of the Australian Government’s media cross-ownership laws in the Senate, but both parties have concerns about the impact on media diversity. However, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull argues that Google and Facebook are the main competitive threat to local media groups, rather than each other. He notes that the existing media laws pre-date the internet and pay-TV.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN

Media bill set to be left in the cold

Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 4 : 23-Jun-17

Independent senator Nick Xenophon wants an impasse over cross-media ownership reforms to be resolved during Parliament’s winter break. The media bill has been sidelined, with the Federal Government focusing on passing its schools funding package. The Nick Xenophon Team will press for safeguards to ensure media diversity if the "two-out-of-three" rule is abolished. The media industry has backed the reforms, but one TV industry source has warned that this will not be the case if the Government seeks to split the bill.

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NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Ten’s fate left hanging on media reforms

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 22 : 23-Jun-17

The first meeting of Ten Network’s creditors will be held on 26 June, and the second is scheduled to be held by 18 July. However, administrator KordaMentha may seek to delay the second creditors’ meeting pending the fate of the Federal Government’s cross-media ownership reforms. The Senate is unlikely to pass the bill before Parliament rises for the winter recess, so early August will be the Government’s first opportunity to push ahead with the reforms.

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TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, KORDA MENTHA AND COLLEAGUES PTY LTD, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, PPB HOLDINGS PTY LTD, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

‘Libs have Buckley’s chance’ of quick win on media reform

Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 2 : 22-Jun-17

The Australian Government has prioritised its schools funding package over the media reform bill in the Senate, although Communications Minister Mitch Fifield is said to still be aiming for a vote on the latter in coming days. However, independent senator Nick Xenophon says there is little chance of the media reforms getting through the Senate before Parliament’s winter recess. The Nick Xenophon Team and the Greens are open to supporting the reforms, subject to measures aimed at safeguarding media diversity.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Fifield wants Senate media vote this week

Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 2 : 21-Jun-17

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield is keen for the Senate to vote on cross-media ownership reforms as soon as possible, although One Nation’s Brian Burston says a vote on the bill is unlikely this week. One Nation opposes abolition of the "two-of-three" rule, and Burston notes that his party’s alternative of a "three-out-of-four rule" has had a lukewarm response from the Government. Meanwhile, the Greens may be willing to support scrapping the two-of-three" rule, but only if action is taken to safeguard media diversity.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Crunch time as Coalition woos Hanson media vote

Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 4 : 20-Jun-17

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says the Australian Labor Party supports key elements of the Federal Government’s proposed media reforms, but it still opposes scrapping the "two-out-of-three rule". Labor’s caucus will decide its stance on the bill on 20 June 2017, ahead of debate in the Senate. The support of One Nation may be crucial to passage of the legislation in the upper house, and the party has suggested the alternative of a "three-out-of-four" rule.

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AUSTRALIAN ABALONE EXPORTS PTY LTD, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM

Crossbenchers threaten blockade on media bill

Original article by Rosie Lewis, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 4 : 15-Jun-17

The Australian Government requires the support of at least 10 Senate crossbenchers for its cross-media ownership reform bill, which will be introduced to Parliament in coming days. Gaining the support of the Nick Xenophon Team will be crucial, given that One Nation has reiterated its opposition to abolition of the "two-out-of-three" rule. The Australian Labor Party also opposes scrapping this rule, while the Greens’ Scott Ludlam has warned that the proposed reforms will reduce media diversity.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN

One Nation seeks Qld deal in media laws

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 5-Jun-17

One Nation may be open to a compromise on the Federal Government’s cross-media ownership reforms. One Nation currently opposes the abolition of the "two-out-of-three" rule, but a spokesman says it would consider the reform if measures are put in place to prevent further concentration of media ownership in Queensland. The minor political party’s support may be crucial to the passage of the media bill, given that Labor and the Greens oppose scrapping the two-out-of-three rule.

CORPORATES
ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL MEDIA, APN NEWS AND MEDIA LIMITED – ASX APN, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, NICK XENOPHON TEAM

Calls for McGrath to resign

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.

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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