MASS MEDIA – AUSTRALIA

Activist’s press role a bad call, says ALP

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 3 : 8-Jun-17

The Australian Press Council is facing growing scrutiny over the appointment of GetUp’s deputy chair Carla McGrath to its board. Shadow communications minister Michelle Rowland says confidence in the APC may be undermined by the appointment of a senior member of the political activist group, and she has stressed the need for the APC to ensure that it avoids any conflicts of interest. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is a former director of Getup.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN PRESS COUNCIL, GETUP LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

GetUp! and go, Xenophon tells APC’s McGrath

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Original article by Mitchell Bingemann
The Australian – Page: 10 : 7-Jun-17

Independent senator Nick Xenophon says the Australian Press Council’s independence has been undermined by the appointment of GetUp chair Carla McGrath to its board. He says McGrath should resign, as she cannot be a board member of both the APC and the political activist group. The APC has responded to a boycott of its rulings by leading newspapers by issuing a statement in which it stresses that McGrath will not adjudicate any complaints against publishers in which there is the potential for a conflict of interests.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN PRESS COUNCIL, GETUP LIMITED, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Foxtel’s rebranding to help boost subscribers

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 7-Jun-17

Foxtel has confirmed that its Foxtel Play subscription video on-demand service will be relaunched as Foxtel Now, as part of a major overhaul of the pay-TV group’s branding. Foxtel will also launch a "puck" streaming device in the second half of 2017, which may provide access to rival services such as Netflix and Stan. Foxtel CEO Peter Tonagh says Foxtel Now is unlikely to gain customers at the expense of its traditional pay-TV service, as they target different segments of the market. Foxtel’s rebranding includes a new logo.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOXTEL NOW, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS

Boycott grows over judgment by activist

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Original article by Mitchell Bingemann
The Australian – Page: 5 : 6-Jun-17

Herald & Weekly Times MD Peter Blunden has advised that its newspapers will boycott all Australian Press Council rulings in which new board member Carla McGrath participates. The boycott was initiated by HWT parent News Corp Australia in response to the appointment of McGrath, who also chairs political activist group GetUp. Community Newspapers of Australia has indicated that it may also boycott APC rulings.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, HERALD AND WEEKLY TIMES LIMITED, COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN PRESS COUNCIL, GETUP LIMITED

Rebel told me lies, journalist tells court

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Original article by Tessa Akerman
The Australian – Page: 3 : 6-Jun-17

The Victorian Supreme Court is continuing to hear a defamation case brought by actress Rebel Wilson against Bauer Media. Wilson contends that her career in Hollywood was tarnished as a result of articles about her in Bauer’s magazines in mid-2015 that alleged she had lied about her age and other parts of her life. Caroline Overington, who wrote a magazine story about Wilson that was published in January 2015, told the court that she based her story on what Wilson had told her, and that she was "shocked" to subsequently learn that much of it was untrue.

CORPORATES
BAUER MEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA

Don’t believe Google, this monopoly is not journalism’s friend

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Original article by Michael Miller
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 37 : 31-May-17

Google Australia MD Jason Pellegrino claims that news publishers can withdraw their content from Google News and Google Search at any time. Google’s 95 per cent share of the search market in Australia means that this is not an option. This market dominance means that local publishers are highly dependent on Google to distribute their free content and drive traffic to their websites. Meanwhile, Google is seeking to deter publishers from offering subscriber-only content, as this affects its own advertising revenue. Media reforms are necessary to ensure a level playing field for local news publishers.

CORPORATES
GOOGLE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Australians say ‘No’ to 100% foreign ownership of Fairfax

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 26-May-17

An Australia-wide Roy Morgan Survey has found that 78% of Australians aged 14+ do not want Fairfax Media to be 100% owned by either of the two overseas owned institutions that have lodged multi-billion dollar bids for the company. Meanwhile, 17% of Australians say that overseas-owned institutions should be allowed to buy Fairfax outright. The survey, which was conducted from 22-24 May 2017, also shows that 53% of Australians are in favour of allowing overseas-based institutions to own a minority stake in Fairfax. A larger majority of L-NP supporters (59%) are in favour of this option for Fairfax than ALP supporters (51%). The survey has also found that the internet is now the main source of information for 51% of Australians, compared to 24% for TV and 12% for both newspapers and radio.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, TPG CAPITAL LP, HELLMAN AND FRIEDMAN

Second bid pleases Fairfax shareholders

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 22-May-17

Dealogic notes that the two rival bids for Fairfax Media are the largest takeover offers for any publisher worldwide so far in 2017. Allan Gray Australia MD Simon Mawhinney has welcomed Fairfax’s decision to allow TPG Capital and Hellman & Friedman to undertake due diligence. However, neither suitor is likely to make a formal bid before 30 June. TPG Australia boss Joel Thickins has told a Senate committee that the private equity firm will expand the Fairfax business and retain its charter of editorial independence.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, TPG CAPITAL LP, HELLMAN AND FRIEDMAN, ONTARIO TEACHERS’ PENSION PLAN, ALLAN GRAY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CONTANGO ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED – ASX CGA, MARTIN CURRIE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED, MACQUARIE CAPITAL PTY LTD, DOMAIN.COM.AU

More husbands than wives call the shots on Pay TV, and only 1 in 2 Aussie couples decide together

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 15-May-17

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that half of Australia’s married or de facto couples have at least one subscription or pay TV service in their home. In 50 per cent of these homes, the decisions about whether, when and which provider were made together. The survey, which was carried out in the year to December 2016, also shows that in 30 per cent of cases, the man decided, while the woman did so in 20 per cent. Meanwhile, films are the number one content of interest to both husbands and wives with subscription or pay TV in the home. Overall 60 per cent say they are "very" or "quite" interested in watching new release or older films, ahead of News & Current Affairs and Documentaries, which are each of interest to 52 per cent of couples.

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ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

More Australians are reading magazines – they just don’t need to own a copy

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 12-May-17

Roy Morgan has released the latest Australian Magazine Readership results for the 12 months to March 2017, showing an overall increase in magazine readership despite recent downward trends in circulation. Some 12.6 million Australians aged 14+ (63.4 per cent) read print magazines, the latest data for the 12 months to March 2017 shows – up 2.4 per cent compared with the year before. Australians are spending more on experiences and less on physical things, and this includes magazines. For magazines, the decline in circulation declines reflects the decrease in physical ownership of issues. Readership, however, has not followed the same downward trend. Instead, magazine readership overall – as well as engagement with a number of categories – has been comparatively stable, demonstrating that although Australians are showing less of a need to own magazines, they remain highly engaged with magazine content.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED