MASS MEDIA – AUSTRALIA

Networks up ante on cricket TV rights

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

Macquarie severs ties with Southern Cross

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Original article by Dominic White, Sarah Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 21-Mar-16

Macquarie Group has sold its entire shareholding in regional TV broadcaster Southern Cross Media Group. Nine Entertainment Company recently paid $A1.15 per share for 9.9 per cent of Macquarie’s 26.1 per cent stake in Southern Cross Media. Sources have indicated that Macquarie has since offloaded all of its remaining shares to institutional investors at $A1.08 per share.

CORPORATES
MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, ALLAN GRAY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Nightly show as Bolt gets bolder

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Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 23 : 21-Mar-16

Newspaper columnist, blogger and TV presenter Andrew Bolt will move from the Ten Network to pay-TV channel Sky News. "The Bolt Report" will be broadcast five nights a week on Sky News from May 2016, after previously airing on Sunday mornings on Ten. The new version of the program will be produced by Australian News Channel, which owns Sky News. Bolt will continue to write newspaper columns for New Corp and appear on Steve Price’s nightly show on Macquarie Media radio stations.

CORPORATES
SKY NEWS, AUSTRALIAN NEWS CHANNEL PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, MACQUARIE MEDIA LIMITED – ASX MRN, 2GB, 3AW SOUTHERN CROSS RADIO PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Hywood has ‘no plan’ says ex-Fairfax exec

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 23 & 25 : 21-Mar-16

A former editor-in-chief of "The Australian Financial Review", Glenn Burge, says Fairfax Media directors have not sufficiently questioned the strategy of CEO Greg Hywood. Burge says Fairfax lacks a plan to maintain its standards of journalism, and he has criticised Hywood for saying the latest round of job losses is necessary for the media group to keep delivering "high quality journalism". He also says Fairfax is too reliant on advice from consultants.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, BAIN AND COMPANY, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, PAGEMASTERS PTY LTD, DOMAIN.COM.AU

News, Telstra discuss Foxtel and Fox Sports merger

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 21-Mar-16

Foxtel’s joint owners Telstra and News Corp may merge the pay-TV group with News Corp’s fully-owned Fox Sports. Telstra recently flagged plans to list 60 per cent of its stake in Foxtel on the sharemarket, and merging it with Fox Sports would make the IPO more attractive to investors. Foxtel’s EBITDA and revenue fell in 2015, while Fox Sports posted EBITDA and revenue of $US135m and $US500m respectively in 2014-15.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, GOLDMAN SACHS AND PARTNERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED

Fairfax journos strike over jobs

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Original article by Jake Mitchell, Sam Buckingham-Jones
The Australian – Page: 3 : 18-Mar-16

Fairfax Media’s plans to cut the equivalent of 120 full-time jobs have met with dismay among journalists who decided to protest against an editorial restructure of metropolitan mastheads. Other cost cutting measures include cuts to contributor costs and expenses. Staff at the newspapers walked out in protest on 17 March 2016. Their action will last until 21 March.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE