MASS MEDIA – AUSTRALIA

Telstra mulls Foxtel IPO

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1&8 : 18-Mar-16

Telstra is believed to be considering a sharemarket float or sale of its stake in pay TV Foxtel. As Foxtel is worth between $A8 billion and $A9 billion in total, Telstra could receive $A4.5 billion for its 50 per cent stake in the company. Foxtel announced on 17 March 2016 that its CEO Richard Freudenstein will be replaced by News Corporation Australia CEO Peter Tonagh.

CORPORATES
TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD

Television ad market slumps as Nine, regional broadcasters’ shares slide

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

Standard Media Index data shows that free-to-air TV advertising revenue in Australia’s capital cities fell by 4.6 per cent to $A182.6m in February 2016. The Seven Network’s share of ad revenue rose from 39 per cent to 40.4 per cent, while the Nine Network’s share fell from 39.9 per cent to 35.5 per cent and the Ten Network’s share rose from 21.1 per cent to 24.3 per cent. Meanwhile, regional TV networks’ ad revenue was down 11.3 per cent, but there was 2.3 per cent growth in ad revenue for the subscription TV industry.

CORPORATES
SMI MEDIA INCORPORATED, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE

Seven CEO slams TV, film tax benefit gap

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 15-Mar-16

The Australian Government’s tax offset for TV producers is just 20 per cent at present, compared with 40 per cent for producers of feature films. The free-to-air and pay-TV industry has urged the Government to match the tax offset for the film industry, with Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner arguing that many TV shows that are currently on hold would be in production if there was a level playing field. Ten Network CEO Paul Anderson adds that the tax offset’s current cap of 65 per cent should be abolished.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SCREEN PRODUCERS AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS

Foxtel price rise sparks backlash

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 15-Mar-16

Pay-TV group has defended its decision to increase the cost of its basic package by $A1 per month to $A26, arguing that it is the first price rise in two years. Foxtel boasts around 2.7 million subscribers, and the modest increase could add about $A30m to its annual revenue. However, some customers complained on social media, noting that Foxtel is raising its prices after losing the English Premier League rights.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Ten rebuffs Southern Cross offer to sell assets

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 14-Mar-16

Regional broadcaster Southern Cross Media Group has offered to sell its TV assets to Ten Network during negotiations for a new affiliation agreement. However, Ten chairman David Gordon has ruled out any such deal, saying the metropolitan broadcaster is not interested in buying Southern Cross’s TV stations. Regional broadcasters are facing growing competition from the streaming services offered by metropolitan networks and offshore players such as Netflix.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, TRIPLE M CORPORATION PTY LTD, HIT NETWORK, FREEHILLS PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, APN NEWS AND MEDIA LIMITED – ASX APN, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Free and pay TV row over licence fees

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Original article by Max Mason, Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 14-Mar-16

Australia’s free-to-air commercial TV networks argue that a reduction in broadcasting licence fees would result in increased local content. The networks’ CEOs also say it would make them more competitive against overseas streaming video providers, which are not subject to the same regulatory regime. Broadcasting licence fees were reduced by 50 per cent in 2013, but Screen Producers Australia CEO Matthew Deaner says FTA networks should have to make a firm commitment to investing in local content in return for further licence fee cuts.

CORPORATES
SCREEN PRODUCERS AUSTRALIA, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS)

Let TV stations trade spectrum: minister

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 21 : 11-Mar-16

Federal Communications Minister Mitch Fifield addressed the RadComms conference on 10 March 2016, where he outlined a proposal for TV broadcasters to share, lease or trade any spectrum that is surplus to their requirements. However, the proposal has been criticised by Australian Subscription Television & Radio Association CEO Andrew Main, who says free-to-air networks should not be "gifted" spare public spectrum and then profit from leasing it to other companies.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY

Expert called upon to settle REA, Domain fight

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Original article by Andrew Jefferson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 9-Mar-16

The legal dispute between Australian-listed REA Group and Fairfax Media-owned Domain will return to court on 21 March 2016, after the case was adjourned on 8 March. The case centres on allegations by REA that an advertising campaign by Domain was misleading and deceptive, by claiming that it boasts the nation’s leading property app. Justice Bernard Murphy proposed that the two parties hire an independent expert to determine which property app has the most listings.

CORPORATES
REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, REALESTATE.COM.AU, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, DOMAIN.COM.AU, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Fairfax accused of misleading app claims

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Original article by Andrew Jefferson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 8-Mar-16

Australian-listed REA Group has alleged in the Federal Court that an advertising campaign by property listings rival Domain was misleading and deceptive. The legal action centres on ads that were published by Domain owner Fairfax Media in its newspapers in February 2016. The ads claimed that the Domain app is more widely used than REA’s realestate.com.au app and has a higher user rating on Apple’s app store. REA has disputed these claims.

CORPORATES
REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, REALESTATE.COM.AU, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, DOMAIN.COM.AU, FEDERAL COURT OF APPEAL (CANADA)

Kelly urges Nine-Fairfax mega-merger

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 23 : 7-Mar-16

Fairfax Media CEO Greg Hywood recently ruled out merging with Nine Entertainment Company if cross-media ownership laws are relaxed. However, Nine’s former CFO Simon Kelly believes that the media group should merge with both Fairfax and regional broadcaster Southern Cross Media. He argues that a three-way merger would create a multi-platform company with about 30 per cent of the advertising market and revenue of around $A4bn.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, APN NEWS AND MEDIA LIMITED – ASX APN, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NOVA ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, MULTI CHANNEL NETWORK PTY LTD, OAKTREE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC, APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT LLC, THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INCORPORATED, TICKETEK