MASS MEDIA – AUSTRALIA

Big Tech to pay annual charge

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 4 : 17-Feb-21

The federal government has agreed to make a number of ‘technical’ changes to its media bargaining code. Amongst other things, digital platforms such as Google and Facebook will now pay news publishers an annual lump sum, rather than per click or snippet, while the requirements for them to give notice of changes to their algorithms will be simplified. Meanwhile, JPMorgan estimates that Seven West Media could gain up to $69.2m a year from its newly-struck content deal with Google. Other news publishers are also believed to be in talks with Google.

CORPORATES
GOOGLE INCORPORATED, GOOGLE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Google threat lifts support for new code

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Original article by John Davidson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 9-Feb-21

Consumer research company Pureprofile asked over 1,000 Australians their views on the federal government’s proposed media bargaining code and the operation of online platforms. The code would force Facebook and Google into binding arbitration if they cannot come to an agreement with media companies over payment for the use of their news content. On the question of whether Google’s threat to shut down its search engine in Australia if the code goes ahead made them more or less likely to support the code, 34 per cent of respondents stated it would make them more likely. Pureprofile CEO Martin Filz claims that Google has "underestimated the backlash against Big Tech".

CORPORATES
FACEBOOK INCORPORATED,GOOGLE INCORPORATED,PUREPROFILE LIMITED – ASX PPL

Nine to pay costs in Aston ruling

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Original article by Cameron England
The Australian – Page: 3 : 9-Feb-21

The Federal Court has awarded indemnity costs to Elaine Stead in her defamation case against newspaper columnist Joe Aston. The indemnity costs will be backdated to 22 April, when Nine Entertainment Company rejected Stead’s offer to settle the case for $190,000. Stead was recently awarded ordinary and aggravated damages totalling $280,000 over several articles that were published in the ‘Australian Financial Review’. Nine could potentially face a total bill of more than $2.5m arising from the defamation case.

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NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC,FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Rod Sims’ big tech fixation blinds him to Murdoch’s monopoly

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Original article by Kevin Rudd
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 39 : 8-Feb-21

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation controls 70 per cent of print readership in Australia, and his power is arguably set to increase under the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s proposed news media bargaining code. ACCC chairman Rod Sims has become so fixated about new digital technology monopolies that he seems to have forgotten about Murdoch’s existing one. The code will see Google and Facebook compelled to pay for Fox News-style clickbait, while it is high time there was a royal commission to look at both existing and new media monopolies.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, FOX NEWS, SKY NEWS

The three most likely: Nine’s search for new CEO narrows

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich, James Madden
The Australian – Page: 19 : 8-Feb-21

Nine Entertainment Company is widely tipped to appoint an internal candidate to succeed Hugh Marks as CEO. Oscar Oberg of Wilson Asset Management and Brian Han of Morningstar both expect either Nine’s head of publishing Chris Janz or Stan CEO Mike Sneesby to get the job. However, Carl Fennessy of Endemol Shine Australia is believed to be the leading external candidate to replace Marks, who has stepped down in the wake of revelations of his relationship with a junior executive.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, WILSON ASSET MANAGEMENT, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, ENDEMOL SHINE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Facebook, Google code ‘won’t breach trade pact’

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Original article by John Kehoe, Miranda Ward
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 22-Jan-21

There have been claims that proposed laws that would see Google and Facebook pay publishers for their journalism would breach the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement. However, federal government ministers are confident that this is not the case, having received legal and international trade advice on the matter, while Nine Entertainment CEO Hugh Marks stated recently that there is "clearly no breach of the free trade agreement". Executives from news publishers, the big digital platforms and the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission will appear before a Senate hearing on 22 January to be questioned about the proposed news media and digital platforms mandatory bargaining code.

CORPORATES
GOOGLE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, FACEBOOK AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Google, Facebook fight code in Senate

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Original article by David Swan, Patrick Commins
The Weekend Australian – Page: 3 : 16-Jan-21

A Senate committee is holding an inquiry into the proposed mandatory media bargaining code between technology companies and traditional publishers, and is due to report on 12 February. Google and Facebook are set to voice their opposition to the code at a public committee hearing on 22 January; Google has threatened to quit Australia if the code is made law, while Facebook has stated it will ban the sharing of news on its Australian platform. The code will compel Google and Facebook to mediate with publishers over the value of their news, with fines of up to $10 million possible if they fail to comply.

CORPORATES
GOOGLE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FACEBOOK AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Frydenberg joins protest against media blocking

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Original article by Miranda Ward
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 15-Jan-21

Google’s revelation that it has ‘experimented’ with changes to its search and news algorithm has attracted scrutiny from the federal government. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says digital platforms should be paying for news content rather than removing stories from Australian news publishers from its search results. Communications Minister Paul Fletcher says this issue demonstrates the power imbalance between Google and traditional news publishers.

CORPORATES
GOOGLE INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS

Google doubles down on claims news bargaining code will break search

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Original article by Miranda Ward
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 7-Jan-21

Google Australia has repeated previous claims that the federal government’s proposed bargaining code between traditional media companies and digital companies will ‘break’ the way its search function works. Google does not object to the principle of paying to support journalism, but contends it should be done differently to what the government is proposing. It argues that its $1.3 billion global licensing program is the best mechanism for it to negotiate with media publishers and pay for their content, while it contends the government’s code will favour some media companies over others.

CORPORATES
GOOGLE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Foxtel, Telstra extend AFL rights deal

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 24-Dec-20

Foxtel has secured a deal with the Australian Football League to extend its existing broadcasting rights deal by two years. Telstra has also extended its rights deal to include the 2023 and 2024 seasons, while the Seven Network struck a similar deal earlier in 2020. The three companies will pay a combined $946m for broadcasting and streaming rights for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Telstra will also become the official technology partner of Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium, which is owned by the AFL.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD,TELSTRA COMMUNICATIONS PVT LTD,AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE,SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED,SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM