MASS MEDIA – AUSTRALIA

Extended Play for streaming Foxtel

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 7-Sep-16

Foxtel has revealed plans to launch a lower-cost version of its Play streaming service in December 2016. The new product is expected to be offered at a similar price to rival subscription video-on-demand services such as Netflix and Stan, and Foxtel CEO Peter Tonagh is confident that it will primarily be taken up by non-Foxtel households rather than current customers. Meanwhile, Foxtel has commissioned a new TV version of "Picnic At Hanging Rock" and secured a new content deal with HBO.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, FREMANTLEMEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, HBO, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS

Anti-siphoning rules ‘rob sport’

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 7-Sep-16

Fox Sports CEO Patrick Delany says the pay-TV channel and Foxtel have invested $A1.2bn in sports over the last four years, and he argues that many sports would not be viable without this contribution. Delany has criticised the anti-siphoning list, noting that Foxtel cannot buy the exclusive rights to 1,800 sports events yet telcos and streaming video providers have no such restrictions. He also notes that the Seven Network bought the rights to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games and proceeded to charge for premium content that was streamed online.

CORPORATES
FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, SUPER RUGBY, THE A LEAGUE PTY LTD, V8 SUPERCARS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

WIN’s Gordon lifts stake in Ten

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 31-Aug-16

Bruce Gordon has raised his stake in Network Ten to 14.96 per cent, from 14.56 per cent. The transaction, involving ordinary shares and a derivative contract in Deutsche Bank, was executed via Gordon’s private investment vehicle Birketu. The billionaire believes that Ten shares are undervalued.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, BIRKETU PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, WIN TELEVISION PTY LTD

Fox Sports to give cricket rights a bash

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 29-Aug-16

Pay TV group Fox Sports could launch a dedicated cricket channel if it gains the broadcasting rights to some or all Big Bash League matches. Fox Sports is believed to be considering a bid for the domestic Twenty20 series, potentially in partnership with the Nine Network. Nine has previously expressed interest in the rights to the BBL, which has attracted strong ratings for the Ten Network. Fox Sports is also seeking rights to A-League and Socceroos matches.

CORPORATES
FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD,{SPAC}BIG BASH LEAGUE,{SPAC}NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED,{SPAC}NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC,{SPAC}CRICKET AUSTRALIA,{SPAC}TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN,{SPAC}SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM,{SPAC}THE A LEAGUE PTY LTD,{SPAC}SOCCEROOS,{SPAC}TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS,{SPAC}SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD,{SPAC}AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE,{SPAC}NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE

AEC’s slow vote count boosts news site traffic

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 23 : 29-Aug-16

Nielsen Digital Ratings (Monthly) data shows that news websites enjoyed a strong rise in traffic during July, due to the protracted vote count following the 2016 federal election. The ABC overtook news.com.au to become the most-visited free news website, with 6.5 million unique visitors, while the latter boasted 6.2 million. Meanwhile, the paywalled website of "The Australian" recorded a record 1.6 million unique visitors.

CORPORATES
THE NIELSEN COMPANY (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD,{SPAC}AUSTRALIA BUSINESS ARTS FOUNDATION,{SPAC}NEWS.COM.AU,{SPAC}NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD,{SPAC}NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS,{SPAC}NINE.COM.AU,{SPAC}NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC,{SPAC}DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA,{SPAC}MAIL ONLINE,{SPAC}MICROSOFT AUSTRALIA,{SPAC}AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION

Rio delivers Seven ad bonanza

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Original article by Glenda Korporaal
The Australian – Page: 25 : 29-Aug-16

The Seven Network’s advertising revenue from its multi-platform coverage of the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games is believed to have been within the range of $A100m to $A120m. Seven’s coverage included all three of its free-to-air channels and streaming via an Olympics app. Seven boasted a TV audience share of 45.8 per cent during the Games, compared with the Nine Network’s audience share of 40.8 per cent for its coverage of the London Olympics in 2012. Nine is said to have lost $A20m on its coverage.

CORPORATES
SEVEN ONLINE,{SPAC}SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM,{SPAC}NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED,{SPAC}NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC,{SPAC}HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN,{SPAC}DENTSU AEGIS MEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD,{SPAC}WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW,{SPAC}TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS,{SPAC}McDONALD’S AUSTRALIA LIMITED,{SPAC}SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD,{SPAC}TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION AUSTRALIA LIMITED,{SPAC}FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Turnbull reopens reform push

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Original article by Jake Mitchell,{SPAC}Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 23 : 29-Aug-16

The Australian Government is expected to amend its cross-media ownership bill to change the local content requirement to take into account a regional network’s acquisition of a metropolitan broadcaster. The previous clause only applied to a metro network’s takeover of a regional counterpart. The revised bill is likely to be introduced when Parliament resumes, after being put to the Coalition’s communications backbench committee and the party room.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS,{SPAC}LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA,{SPAC}NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA,{SPAC}AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY,{SPAC}NICK XENOPHON TEAM,{SPAC}SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL,{SPAC}NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC,{SPAC}WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD,{SPAC}TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN

Nine banks on local shows to boost ratings

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 26-Aug-16

Nine Entertainment Company has posted a 2015-16 profit of $A324.8m. This compares with a loss of $A592.2m in 2014-15, although the prior result had been marred by write-downs totalling $A732.2 million. The media group’s 2015-16 underlying profit was down 7.1 per cent at $A120.3m and revenue fell by 6.5 per cent to $A1.3bn. CEO Hugh Marks says an increase in premium local content will be a priority for the Nine Network in 2017, after a disappointing ratings performance in 2016. Shareholders will receive a final dividend of $A0.04 per share.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NIKKO ASSET MANAGEMENT GROUP, WARNER BROS, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, PROCTER AND GAMBLE COMPANY, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, NINE LIVE PTY LTD

HWT appoints Zavecz

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 25-Aug-16

Pacific Magazines CEO Peter Zavecz will leave the Seven West Media-owned publisher on 30 September 2016, to take up the role of managing director, commercial at News Corp Australia’s Herald & Weekly Times subsidiary. Meanwhile, HWT’s executive general manager Peter Clark will join the newly-created News Digital Networks Australia division.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, HERALD AND WEEKLY TIMES LIMITED, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, PACIFIC MAGAZINES PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NEWS DIGITAL NETWORK AUSTRALIA, NEWS LIFE MEDIA PTY LTD

Print is here to stay, declares Thomson

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 23 : 18-Aug-16

News Corporation CEO Robert Thomson has assured Australian employees that the media group will continue to publish print newspapers. Thomson also noted the low quality of much online news content, and stressed the importance of premium content amid global economic and geopolitical uncertainty. Thomson was addressing employees at the offices of "The Daily Telegraph" in Sydney.

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