MASS MEDIA – AUSTRALIA

Facebook lashes algorithm watchdog oversight

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 13-Dec-18

Social media giant Facebook has questioned the merits of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s proposal for a new regulator to be given responsibility for monitoring digital platforms’ algorithms. Facebook’s Andy O’Connell says the proposal is unnecessary and unworkable, and he has rejected suggestions that the company lacks transparency regarding its algorithms. He adds that Facebook will continue to engage with the ACCC as the competition watchdog prepares to release the final report of its inquiry into digital platforms in mid-2019.

CORPORATES
FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, GOOGLE INCORPORATED

Please explain … call for ABC, SBS transparency

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 13-Dec-18

The federal government’s competitive neutrality inquiry into public broadcasting has concluded that the ABC and SBS are competing fairly with their commercial rivals. However, the inquiry has recommended greater transparency with regard to the public broadcasters’ business activities, their use of taxpayer funding and compliance with their charters. Amongst other things, the inquiry also recommended a shift toward longer-term funding arrangements for the ABC and SBS.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, ERNST AND YOUNG, BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, ONE NATION PARTY

Digital titans far from ad land’s biggest problem

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Original article by Michael Bailey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 12-Dec-18

Adveritas CEO Matthew Ratty estimates that advertising networks account for up to 40 per cent of fraudulent online ad revenue in Australia each year, making them a larger problem for the sector than digital giants such as Google and Facebook. He says the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s proposed crackdown on digital platforms should be broadened to include ad networks. Meanwhile, Indago Digital’s Tom Sadler says all advertisers that spend more than $5,000 a month online should use a third-party verification tool.

CORPORATES
ADVERITAS LIMITED – ASX AV1, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, INDAGO DIGITAL, DIGIVIZER PTY LTD, ESSENCE, GROUPM COMMUNICATIONS PTY LTD, UBER TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED

Nine swings axe on digital editorial jobs

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 19 : 12-Dec-18

Nine Entertainment Company has advised that a restructuring of its Allure Media subsidiary will result in the loss of about 12 editorial positions. Nine will merger website publisher Allure Media and Pedestrian.TV, a digital publishing business. The job cuts include four journalists at Business Insider and seven at Popsugar, an entertainment, fashion and fitness news website. The affected staff are among 92 who were retrenched following Nine’s merger with Fairfax Media. Insiders say more job cuts are likely.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, ALLURE MEDIA PTY LTD, PEDESTRIAN.TV, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED

Rules risk entrenching giants

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Original article by Michael Bailey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 11-Dec-18

LegalVision’s James Adler has questioned the merits of the ACCC’s proposal for an "opt-in" regime for the collection and use of customers’ personal data by digital platforms. Adler warns that the proposal would adversely affect many local digital start-ups while increasing the competitive advantage of established players such as Google and Facebook.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, LEGALVISION PTY LTD, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED

Ten surrenders but BOSS hasn’t left court

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Original article by Nick Tabakoff
The Australian – Page: 19 : 11-Dec-18

Nine Entertainment Company may still proceed with legal action over the rebranding of the Ten Network’s digital channel despite a backdown by the broadcaster. Ten has advised that its 10 Boss channel will be rebadged as 10 Bold after Nine claimed that its logo was too similar to the "Boss" magazine supplement of "The Australian Financial Review". Nine has issued a statement in which it notes that the trademark dispute is still before the courts.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED, CBS CORPORATION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, MACQUARIE MEDIA LIMITED – ASX MRN

Facebook and Google face clamp on customer data

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 11-Dec-18

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission has concluded that Google and Facebook have substantial market power. The 378-page preliminary report of its inquiry into digital platforms has made 11 recommend­ations aimed at making digital players more accountable with regard to their use of customers’ data and how their algorithms work. Amongst other things, the ACCC has noted that the digital giants have contributed to declining investment in local news and journalism.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Tech titans face crackdown

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Original article by Sarah-Jane Tasker
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 10-Dec-18

The preliminary report of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s review of digital giants’ impact on the media and advertising markets will be released on 10 December. Amongst other things, the report raises concerns about the lack of transparency regarding the algorithms used by digital companies and whether such companies have engaged in "discriminatory conduct". The ACCC may also recommend establishing a regulatory auth­ority that would have the power to investigate digital companies over such conduct.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, ALPHABET INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, INSTAGRAM LLC, WHATSAPP INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, WORLD FEDERATION OF ADVERTISERS

Nine holds its ground over Singo buyout

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Original article by Nick Tabakoff
The Australian – Page: 25 & 27 : 10-Dec-18

Nine CEO Hugh Marks says he has held talks with advertising industry veteran John Singleton about buying his 32 per cent stake in Macquarie Media. However, Marks has dismissed speculation that Nine will pay at least $2 per share to take full ownership of Macquarie in the wake of the merger with Fairfax Media. Marks also says Nine is committed to retaining the print editions of Fairfax’s key mastheads. He adds that the websites of Fairfax newspapers are likely to feature more of Nine’s video content, but Fairfax content will in turn largely continue to be exclusive.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, MACQUARIE MEDIA LIMITED – ASX MRN, 2GB, 3AW SOUTHERN CROSS RADIO PTY LTD, RADIO 4BC BRISBANE PTY LTD, DOMAIN HILL PROPERTY GROUP PTY LTD, DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED

Seven kicks off cricket’s new era

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 7-Dec-18

Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner says there has been a positive response to the Seven Network’s inaugural cricket broadcast under its new rights deal. The first day of the series against India marked the first time in four decades that the Nine Network has not broadcast Test matches played in Australia. Seven will also broadcast selected Big Bash League matches, while Foxtel has exclusive coverage of one-day internationals. The Nine Network in turn has replaced Seven as the free-to-air broadcaster of tennis in Australia.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, BIG BASH LEAGUE, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TENNIS AUSTRALIA, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, IPG MEDIABRANDS