MASS MEDIA – AUSTRALIA

APN sale draws out rival bidders

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 23 : 20-Jun-16

APN News & Media is hoping to sell its regional newspapers business for $A50m, although some observers believe that a lower price is likely. News Corporation and Singapore-based Fetch Plus are among the groups that have submitted binding offers to buy the Australia Regional Media business. News Corp Australia holds a 14.9 per cent stake in APN, and executive chairman Michael Miller is a former CEO of APN.

CORPORATES
APN NEWS AND MEDIA LIMITED – ASX APN, AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL MEDIA, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FETCH PLUS INCORPORATED PTE LTD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, AQUASIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTAR UNITED COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, ABN AMRO AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NZME, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, NEW ZEALAND. COMMERCE COMMISSION

Listeners are tuning in like never before

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Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 23 : 20-Jun-16

Many Australian radio programs have attracted record cumulative audiences in 2016, including Neil Mitchell’s talk show on 3AW in Melbourne and KIIS FM’s "Kyle & Jackie O". Duncan Campbell of the Australian Radio Network says the audience figures indicate that radio should not be underestimated. Data from Commercial Radio Australia shows that metropolitan radio attracted a cumulative weekly audience of 10.3 million in 2015.

CORPORATES
3AW SOUTHERN CROSS RADIO PTY LTD, KIIS1065, AUSTRALIAN RADIO NETWORK PTY LTD, NOVA 106.9 PTY LTD, ABC RADIO, 97.3 COAST FM, SMOOTHFM, MACQUARIE MEDIA LIMITED – ASX MRN, COMMERCIAL RADIO AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NOVA ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, MEDIA FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIA

Fetch TV renews Dodo deal, adds Presto, 9Now and Spike

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 26 : 17-Jun-16

Pay television service Fetch TV has renewed its partnership with M2’s Dodo. Its platform has been expanded by the addition of new services such as Spike TV, subscription streaming service Presto and free-to-air streaming service 9Now. Fetch TV has a target of 600,000 subscribers by the end of 2016. In May 2016, it reached the figure of 400,000 subscribers.

CORPORATES
FETCHTV PTY LTD, DODO AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, M2 ENTERTAINMENT, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, SPIKE (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, ASTRO, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM

Five million Australians now have Netflix; Stan and Presto are still well behind, but growing

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 15-Jun-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that almost five million Australians aged 14+ had access to Netflix in the three months to May 2016, while 1,878,000 households now use the subscription video-on-demand service. Some 891,000 Australians in 332,000 households now have access to Stan, while Presto now reaches 353,000 people in 142,000 subscribing homes. Meanwhile, Roy Morgan estimates that 92 per cent of Netflix users (1,734,000 households) had a paid subscription in the May quarter, compared with 78 per cent of Stan subscribers (260,000 homes) and 64 per cent of Presto subscribers (around 91,000 homes).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD

The 10 most (and least) politically engaged electorates

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 15-Jun-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that just 19 per cent of Australian electors especially want to read, watch or hear any political analysis in their media during the week. The survey also shows that Greens voters are most likely to want some political analysis in their media at least once during the week (26 per cent), while ALP voters are slightly more likely than average (20 per cent) and Liberal voters are slightly less likely than average (18 per cent). Meanwhile, electorates where voters are most likely to want some political analysis in their media include Grayndler (46 per cent), Goldstein (40 per cent) and North Sydney (39 per cent). In contrast, just seven per cent of voters in the electorates of Forde, Wakefield, and Werriwa want political analysis in their media.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Guvera committed to stockmarket listing

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Original article by David Swan
The Australian – Page: 19 : 14-Jun-16

Guvera CEO Darren Herft says the streaming music provider intends to proceed with its proposed IPO. The Australian Securities & Investments Commission has subjected the group’s prospectus to increased scrutiny, but Herft says Guvera is co-operating with ASIC to address its concerns. However, Guvera’s former commercial officer Michael Wallis-Brown disputes the number of active users that is claimed in the prospectus, and says the IPO should not proceed.

CORPORATES
GUVERA LIMITED – ASX GUV, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

Fairfax advised to exit regionals

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 26 : 13-Jun-16

Australian businessman Alex Waislitz holds around two per cent of Fairfax Media’s shares via Thorney Investment Group and the listed Thorney Opportunities fund. He has suggested that Fairfax could divest its regional newspapers division, which could include merging it with the regional newspapers arm of rival News Corp Australia. Waislitz also says Fairfax should not seek to acquire or merge with a free-to-air TV network, arguing that the group should focus on growth businesses such as Domain.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, THORNEY INVESTMENT GROUP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, THORNEY OPPORTUNITIES LIMITED – ASX TOP, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, DOMAIN.COM.AU, APN NEWS AND MEDIA LIMITED – ASX APN, NEW ZEALAND. COMMERCE COMMISSION, FETCH PLUS, AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL MEDIA

Private equity gives Guvera cold shoulder

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Original article by Sally Rose
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 10-Jun-16

The proposed sharemarket float of Guvera is backed by AMMA Private Equity, which was established by Darren Herft, who also co-founded the streaming music provider. He is CEO of Guvera and executive chairman of AMMA. Australian Private Equity & Venture Capital Association CEO Yasser El Ansar is concerned that the IPO could damage the reputation of the private equity industry. El Ansar says members of AVCAL – which do not include AMMA – must comply with a strict code of conduct, which includes their relationship with the businesses in which they invest.

CORPORATES
GUVERA LIMITED – ASX GUV, AMMA PRIVATE EQUITY PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN PRIVATE EQUITY AND VENTURE CAPITAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED, BENCHMARC GROUP, PACIFIC EQUITY PARTNERS PTY LTD, CHAMP PRIVATE EQUITY PTY LTD, ARCHER CAPITAL PTY LTD, KKR AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Rich-Lister calls on $100m Fairfax buyback

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 28 : 10-Jun-16

Australian businessman Alex Waislitz holds around two per cent of Fairfax Media’s shares via Thorney Investment Group and the listed Thorney Opportunities fund. He says Fairfax could improve value for shareholders by repurchasing an additional $A100m worth of its shares, while he also advocates offloading non-core assets. However, Waislitz says Fairfax should invest more capital in real estate listings business Domain rather than selling it.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, THORNEY INVESTMENT GROUP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, THORNEY OPPORTUNITIES LIMITED – ASX TOP, DOMAIN.COM.AU, APN NEWS AND MEDIA LIMITED – ASX APN

ASIC and ASX could block Guvera float

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Original article by Sally Rose
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 9-Jun-16

The proposed IPO of streaming music provider Guvera is under scrutiny. Guvera aims to raise between $A40m and $A100m via the float, which would value the company at $A1.3bn. However, the Australian Shareholders’ Association has expressed concern that companies are permitted to list on the Australian sharemarket despite being unprofitable. Guvera booked revenue of $A1.2m in 2015 and a loss of $A81.1m.

CORPORATES
GUVERA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN SHAREHOLDERS’ ASSOCIATION, ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AMMA PRIVATE EQUITY, DH FLINDERS PTY LTD