MASS MEDIA – AUSTRALIA

Doubts over Netflix’s local content pledge

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 25 : 4-Apr-16

Australian subscription video-on-demand providers Stan and Presto have commissioned local programs, but US-based rival Netflix has yet to do so. Netflix’s chief content officer Ted Sarandos indicated in 2015 that the group will eventually begin producing content in Australia. However, Netflix has started to submit its original content for classification in Australia, and it has broadcast a range of Australian content in overseas markets.

CORPORATES
STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, NINE PINES PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Reforms could curb sport on free TV: Seven

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 1-Apr-16

Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner has cautioned the Australian Government against taking a "piecemeal" approach to media reform. He has told a Senate committee that relaxing cross-media ownership laws could allow the Ten Network to be acquired by pay-TV group Foxtel. This in turn could eventually result in more sporting events being removed from the anti-siphoning list and shown exclusively on pay-TV. Worner has also called for broadcasting licence fees to be scrapped or reduced.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, V8 SUPERCARS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NOVA ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, ILLYRIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Include ABC, SBS in reform says Nine boss

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 31-Mar-16

The Australian Government’s proposed media reforms should consider the option of merging the ABC and SBS, according to Nine Entertainment Company CEO Hugh Marks. He argues that a review of the two public broadcasters should be part any media reform agenda, noting that they have changed significantly since they were initially established. ABC MD Mark Scott recently called for to be merged with SBS.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS

Merged Foxtel, Fox Sports ‘easier’ to float

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 20 : 30-Mar-16

Credit ­Suisse media analyst Fraser McLeish says a proposed IPO for Foxtel would be more attractive to investors if the pay-TV group was merged with Fox Sports. McLeish estimates that a merged Foxtel-Fox Sports would boast an enterprise value of about $A8.5bn. Telstra and News Corp each own 50 per cent of Foxtel, and News Corp has full ownership of Fox Sports.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED, EUROSPORT

Ten in the picture as new WIN partner

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 21 : 30-Mar-16

WIN Corporation CEO Andrew Lancaster is believed to have held talks with executives from Ten Network regarding an affiliation agreement. The regional broadcaster had negotiated a six-month extension to its content supply deal with Nine Entertainment Company at the end of 2015. The timing of the 2016 federal election and the subsequent fate of proposed cross-media ownership reforms are likely to force regional TV networks to secure new affiliation deals.

CORPORATES
WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL

Networks up ante on cricket TV rights

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 23 & 25 : 28-Mar-16

The Nine Network’s current five-year deal broadcasting rights deal for international cricket matches played in Australia is worth $A450m. Some experts believe that the next rights deal could be worth around $A700m, while broadcasting rights for the domestic Twenty20 competition could potentially top $A50m after the ratings success during the 2015-16 summer. Meanwhile, TV networks are looking at options for offsetting the ratings impact of rain-affected matches.

CORPORATES
NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, TEN REN TEA (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS, INTERNATIONAL CRICKET COUNCIL, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, DENTSU AEGIS MEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, OPTIMUM MEDIA DIRECTION PTY LTD, THE A LEAGUE PTY LTD

Netflix halo effect dulls Foxtel lustre

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Dominic White
The Age – Page: 23 : 28-Mar-16

A survey by Canstar Blue shows that Netflix has the highest rating in terms of overall customer satisfaction among Australian users of subscription-based TV services. Netflix received five out of five stars, while Foxtel received just three stars. It is estimated that Netflix has gained more than one million customers since launching in Australia in March 2015. A key challenge for Foxtel is the fact that even its entry-level package costs more than a Netflix subscription.

CORPORATES
NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, CANSTAR BLUE PTY LTD, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, CBS CORPORATION, SHOWTIME, NBC UNIVERSAL INCORPORATED, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Quantity is not quality in media revamp

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Greg Hywood
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 39 : 29-Mar-16

Fairfax Media’s latest round of redundancies will not affect its commitment to quality journalism. Fairfax currently boasts more than 700 journalists across its publications, including 520 at its three flagship newspapers. In contrast, "The Australian Financial Review" boasted just 25 journalists in 1976. Analysis shows that many articles published by Fairfax are read by only a handful of people, so the media group will use its editorial restructure to focus on stories that are of most interest to consumers.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, MELBOURNE PRESS CLUB, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, NEW SOUTH WALES. INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION, ESSENDON FOOTBALL CLUB

Scott says ABC must tackle ‘too narrow’ editorial focus

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Gina Rushton
The Australian – Page: 2 : 29-Mar-16

ABC MD Mark Scott says any cut in funding for the public broadcaster in the Australian Government’s May 2016 Budget could result in job losses and a reduction in content. He adds that a funding cut would result in a 10 per cent reduction in the ABC’s news budget. Scott, who will shortly step down after a decade in the role, also says the ABC has "strong editorial standards" but must ensure that it provides sufficiently broad editorial coverage.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

News move to increase stake in Foxtel will trigger ACCC interest

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 : 23-Mar-16

News Corporation would have a 51 per cent stake in the merged Foxtel-Fox Sports if the deal and a proposed IPO of Telstra’s stake in Foxtel proceeds. A second option would be for News to buy out Telstra’s 50 per cent stake in Foxtel. Australian Competition & Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims says any move by News to increase its stake in Foxtel would attract scrutiny. However, he notes that the media group already has significant influence at Foxtel.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, SKY PLC, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, GOLDMAN SACHS AND PARTNERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE