MASS MEDIA – AUSTRALIA

Nine ‘stretched to the limit’ on cricket rights

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Original article by Vesna Poljak
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 3-May-17

Nine Entertainment Company CEO Hugh Marks says cricket coverage is still important to the Nine Network, but he concedes that the group can only afford to pay so much for the broadcasting rights. Marks adds that unlike sports such as AFL and NRL, cricket does not have a fixed scheduled each year and matches are often affected by the weather. He also says Nine must start delivering a return on its investment in other sports.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, BIG BASH LEAGUE, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE

Government considering $100m TV licence fee cuts

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 1-May-17

The Australian Government’s May 2017 Budget may include broadcasting licence fee relief for free-to-air TV networks. Options that are said to be under consideration include abolishing the existing revenue-based licence fee or replacing it with a flat fee. The licence fee reforms are intended to offset the impact of a proposed ban on gambling advertisements during live sports broadcasts. The anti-siphoning list may also be revised to compensate pay-TV groups for the loss of gambling ad revenue.

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

Murdoch holds the key to re-shaping television

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Original article by Aaron Patrick, Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 36 & 37 : 1-May-17

Ten Network’s market capitalisation has slumped to just $A99.7m in the wake of a recent profit warning. The 7.7 per cent stake held by News Corporation’s co-chairman Lachlan Murdoch is now worth just $A7.7m, and there is speculation that News Corp ultimately wants to acquire the struggling TV network. Ten is seeking to renegotiate or terminate its content deals with CBS and 21st Century Fox, amid declining viewership of US TV shows in Australia. Ten also faces a deadline to repay or roll over a loan facility that has been guaranteed by Murdoch, James Packer and Bruce Gordon.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NOVA ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, CBS CORPORATION, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, INSTAGRAM LLC, DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, CCZ STATTON EQUITIES PTY LTD, ITV NETWORK LIMITED, McKINSEY AND COMPANY, PROSIEBENSAT.1 MEDIA AG

Ten review to cut costs in ‘every dark corner’

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Original article by Mitchell Bingemann
The Australian – Page: 21 : 28-Apr-17

Ten Network has posted a 2016-17 interim loss of $A232.2m and advised that it expects to book a full-year underlying EBITDA loss of between $A25m and $A30m. CEO Paul Anderson has revealed plans for an 18-month "transformation program" that will seek to increase revenue and aggressively reduce costs. Ten’s directors have conceded that there is significant doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern, with a $A200m debt facility due to expire at the end of 2017.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

Smooth operators ease way to top of heap

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Original article by Stephen Brook
The Australian – Page: 3 : 28-Apr-17

Nova Entertainment’s SmoothFM topped the FM ratings in both Sydney and Melbourne in GfK’s second radio ratings survey for 2017. SmoothFM boasted an audience share of 9.9 per cent in both cities, almost five years after being launched under the Vega banner. Meanwhile, Sydney’s 2GB increased its overall audience share by 0.3 points to 11.6 per cent. Ratings for its breakfast show rose by 0.6 points to 13.5 per cent following the return of Alan Jones after an extended absence on medical grounds.

CORPORATES
SMOOTHFM 91.5 PTY LTD, SMOOTHFM 95.3 PTY LTD, NOVA ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, ILLYRIA PTY LTD, 2GB, GFK PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, KIIS1065, TRIPLE M CORPORATION PTY LTD, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED

Don’t get caught by cricket deal, Nine told

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Original article by Mitchell Bingemann
The Australian – Page: 20 : 27-Apr-17

Nine Entertainment Company’s broadcasting rights deal with Cricket Australia expires at the end of 2017. Sources have indicated that Nine will only strike a new deal that represents "fair value" for shareholders. Nine paid $A450m for its current five-year deal, and some analysts believe that it is losing between $A30m and $A40m a year as a result of the deal. Eric Choi of UBS says Nine should abandon the broadcasting rights or push for a deal that provides additional matches at no extra cost.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Media companies next in line to feel full force of Amazon’s arrival

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 12 : 27-Apr-17

Andrew McLeod of Morgan Stanley says Australian media groups as well as retailers are likely to be affected by Amazon’s entry into the domestic market. He says retailers accounted for 20-30 per of overall advertising expenditure in 2016, and competition from Amazon may prompt local retailers to reduce their ad spend. McLeod adds that retailers are among the biggest source of ad revenue for TV networks, and the "Amazon effect" could prompt some retailers to shift more of their ad spend from traditional media to online.

CORPORATES
MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, DAVID JONES LIMITED, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, AMAZON PRIME VIDEO, AMAZON WEB SERVICES LLC, AUDIBLE TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

Foxtel’s new streaming service is Now ready

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 24-Apr-17

The Foxtel Play subscription video-on-demand service is tipped to be relaunched as Foxtel Now. Pay-TV company Foxtel is expected to relaunch the service in coming weeks, backed by a marketing campaign. Foxtel is also still on track to launch its "puck" device by the end of 2017. Arris, which makes Foxtel’s iQ3 set-top box, is believed to have secured the contract to supply the puck, which allows consumers to view streaming video via a TV.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOXTEL PLAY, ARRIS GROUP INCORPORATED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SKY PLC, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION, DISCOVER, VIACOM INCORPORATED, ROKU INCORPORATED, TECHNICOLOR INCORPORATED, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, IPRIMUS, DODO AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, THE A LEAGUE PTY LTD

Opponents line up to resist Tabcorp deal

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 37 : 24-Apr-17

Racing NSW CEO Peter V’Landys rejects suggestions that a merger between Tabcorp Holdings and Tatts Group would reduce competition for broadcasting rights for horse racing. Some submissions to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission have expressed concern that the merger would increase the market power of Tabcorp-owned Sky Racing at the expense of rivals such as Racing.com, which is a joint venture between Seven West Media and Racing Victoria.

CORPORATES
TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TAH, TATTS GROUP LIMITED – ASX TTS, SKY RACING, RACING.COM, RACING NSW, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, RACING VICTORIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, CROWNBET PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, PACIFIC CONSORTIUM

Sport betting ads to be banned ‘siren to siren’

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Original article by Nick Tabakoff, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 5 : 20-Apr-17

The Coalition of Major Professional & Participation Sports’ executive director Malcolm Speed has warned that a proposed ban on gambling advertisements during live sports broadcasts could affect the value of media rights deals. He adds that restrictions are already in place and further regulation will ultimately affect funding for sports at "grassroots" level. Federal Cabinet ministers are expected to approve the ban in late April 2017. Senator Nick Xenophon says the new regulations should be accompanied by a reduction in broadcasting licence fees.

CORPORATES
COALITION OF MAJOR PROFESSIONAL AND PARTICIPATION SPORTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, SPORTSBET AUSTRALIA, CROWNBET PTY LTD