MASS MEDIA – AUSTRALIA

Guvera committed to stockmarket listing

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

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

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

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

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

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

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

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

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

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

Free to air squeeze on games

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Caroline Wilson
The Age – Page: 40 : 9-Jun-16

The Seven Network’s coverage of the Australian Football League will be reduced from 2017 under the new six-year broadcasting deal. Seven will only broadcast three matches in 11 rounds of the home-and-away season, compared with four at present. The Ten Network had hoped to buy the free-to-air rights to these matches from Foxtel, but negotiations have stalled. The pay-TV group is believed to have been reluctant to surrender exclusive coverage of these matches.

CORPORATES
SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX FOOTY CHANNEL, BIG BASH LEAGUE

Ten aims to build on Big Bash success

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Age – Page: 20 : 8-Jun-16

Ten Network CEO Paul Anderson is optimistic that ratings for the Big Bash League domestic Twenty20 competition will increase in the 2016-17 season, after growth of 25 per cent in capital city audiences in 2015-16. The national audience rose by 16 per cent. Ten will expand its coverage of the Big Bash League to include live broadcasts of 47 matches. The network’s current broadcasting rights deal is worth $A20m annually over five years, but this cost may rise significantly when the current deal expires in 2018.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, BIG BASH LEAGUE, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, CRICKET AUSTRALIA

SPA calls for Netflix local content quota

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 30-May-16

Screen Producers Australia CEO Matthew Deaner argues that subscription video-on-demand services should be subject to the same local content requirements as traditional TV broadcasters. The European Union has proposed a requirement for at least 20 per cent of content broadcast by streaming services in Europe to have been produced locally. Nine Entertainment Company CEO Hugh Marks says it is more important for international SVOD services to pay their full tax liabilities in Australia.

CORPORATES
SCREEN PRODUCERS AUSTRALIA, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS

Guardian and Mail Online show digital free-for-all risks

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 28 : 30-May-16

New data from Nielsen shows that "The Australian" boasted 13.3 per cent growth in its unique digital audience in April 2016, while unique visitors to the website of "The ­Australian Financial Review" rose by 19.1 per cent. The premium online content of both newspapers is subject to a paywall. In contrast, the non-paywalled Guardian Australia website recorded audience growth of just 4.2 per cent, while there was a 4.5 per cent decline in unique visitors to the Daily Mail Australia site.

CORPORATES
THE NIELSEN COMPANY (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, GUARDIAN AUSTRALIA, DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, BUZZFEED PTY LTD, VICE MEDIA INCORPORATED, MASHABLE INCORPORATED

Optus foray into sports ‘good for competition’

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 30-May-16

Australian Competition & Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims says Optus’s acquisition of local broadcasting rights for the English Premier League demonstrates the competitive environment for sports rights. Telstra has traditionally been the dominant telco in terms of sports rights, but Optus has signalled its interest in expanding its exclusive sports coverage.

CORPORATES
SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, THE A LEAGUE PTY LTD, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NETBALL AUSTRALIA, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD