MASS MEDIA – AUSTRALIA

Foxtel’s revenue jumps in first half

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 22 : 19-Feb-16

Pay-TV group Foxtel recorded 7.4 per cent growth in broadcast subscriber numbers during the first half of 2015-16, while its total subscriber base rose by 8.1 per cent. Foxtel’s EBIT for the half-year was 7.7 per cent lower at $A434m, although revenue rose by 5.5 per cent to $A1.66bn. The company’s subscriber churn rate fell from 11.4 per cent to 10.2 per cent.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, CBS CORPORATION, SHOWTIME

Roadshow, Foxtel in battle against piracy

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 19-Feb-16

Australian-listed Village Roadshow and a group of Hollywood studios want local ISPs to block access to a file-sharing website called SolarMovie. They will pursue action in the Federal Court under the Copyright Amendment (online infringement) Act. Pay-TV group Foxtel is also relying on the statute in a bid to block access to websites that allow people to download pirated copies of its TV shows.

CORPORATES
VILLAGE ROADSHOW LIMITED – ASX VRL, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, DISNEY STUDIOS, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, WARNER BROS, PARAMOUNT STUDIOS, UNIVERSAL STUDIOS, SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, DODO INTERNET PTY LTD, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, SCREEN PRODUCERS AUSTRALIA, COMMUNICATIONS ALLIANCE LIMITED

The average Foxtel subscriber watches eight channels

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 17-Feb-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 24 per cent of Australians aged 14+ who have a Foxtel subscription say there are between six and 10 channels that they especially choose to watch. The survey, which was carried out in the year to December 2015, also shows that 15 per cent of subscribers cite 11-15 channels, nine per cent cite 16-20 channels and six per cent have an extensive must-watch list comprising 21 or more channels. Meanwhile, 21 per cent of subscribers cite two to five channels of particular interest, and five per cent have just one channel that they especially choose to watch.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

It’s all about a cut in licence fees: Worner

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 19 : 18-Feb-16

Seven West Media has posted a 2015-16 interim net profit of $A135.2m, compared with a loss of $A993.6m previously. Underlying net profit rose by 2.1 per cent to $A140.3m, but revenue eased 4.1 per cent to $A896.7m. The TV division’s EBIT rose by two per cent to $A185.4m and revenue fell by 2.1 per cent to $A662.9m, while the newspaper division’s earnings fell 22 per cent to $A24m. CEO Tim Worner says reducing TV broadcasting licence fees should be the highest priority on the Federal Government’s media reform agenda.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, PACIFIC MAGAZINES PTY LTD, MACQUARIE SECURITIES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, SEVEN GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SVW, TOTALIZATOR AGENCY BOARD (WESTERN AUSTRALIA), RACING VICTORIA LIMITED

Stop the presses: Kennett fears digital Age

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Original article by Chip Le Grand, Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 18-Feb-16

Fairfax Media has rejected suggestions that a restructuring of its newsrooms could result in its Sydney office assuming greater control over the editorial content of Melbourne’s "The Age". Ex-Victorian premier Jeff Kennett and a former editor of "The Age", Bruce Guthrie, have expressed concern that the changes may lead to the print edition being discontinued in favour of a digital-only business model.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, THE BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP PTY LTD, BAIN AND COMPANY

Fairfax about-face to cost 70 jobs at NZ subsidiary

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Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 21 : 17-Feb-16

Fairfax Media subsidiary Pagemasters will resume responsibility for subediting and production work on the group’s Australian metropolitan newspapers. The work was shifted to Fairfax Editorial Services in New Zealand in 2014, which prompted concern among journalists about quality control issues. The latest move is aimed at reducing costs and will result in the loss of about 70 jobs at Fairfax’s New Zealand division.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, PAGEMASTERS PTY LTD, FAIRFAX EDITORIAL SERVICES

Seven, Ten grab market share from Nine

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 16-Feb-16

Data from SMI shows that Australia’s total advertising sales fell by 2.4 per cent year-on-year to $A483.1m in January 2016. TV advertising sales fell by 5.1 per cent to $A215m, with sales in metropolitan markets down 1.5 per cent at $A159.3m. The Seven Network’s shares of advertising revenue rose from 41.4 per cent to 41.8 per cent, while Ten Network’s share increased from 24.4 per cent to 25.9 per cent. They benefited from coverage of the Australian Open and the Big Bash League domestic Twenty20 cricket competition.

CORPORATES
SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SMI MEDIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS, BIG BASH LEAGUE, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED

Advertisers see better times for TV sector

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 32 : 15-Feb-16

A new report from media-buying agency Starcom Mediavest shows that advertisers are upbeat about the outlook for the Australian ad market. They expect advertising expenditure to rise by 2.8 per cent in 2016, while media owners forecast growth of 2.6 per cent. However, advertisers expect a 2.6 per cent decline in free-to-air TV advertising expenditure in 2016, although digital TV advertising is tipped to record double-digit growth in 2018 as more consumers view content online.

CORPORATES
STARCOM MEDIAVEST GROUP, DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP, WALT DISNEY COMPANY

Fairfax modelled a future with no newspapers and 40pc fewer journos

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 15-Feb-16

Fairfax Media is tipped to reveal a significant restructuring program in 2016, aimed at reducing costs. Internal documents produced in early 2013 estimate that the media group could shed 205 full-time members of its editorial team by discontinuing the print editions of "The Age" and "The Sydney Morning Herald". Meanwhile, publishing print editions of these mastheads only on Saturdays would enable Fairfax to cut 150 editorial positions.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, PAGEMASTERS PTY LTD, AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS

Sky’s the limit for Seven and News

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 23 : 15-Feb-16

News Corporation has been seeking to acquire Australian News Channel (ACN), which owns Sky News Australia, for the last year. ACN is owned by Nine Entertainment Company, BSkyB and Seven West Media, and the latter is said to be keen to retain its stake in the pay-TV channel. Seven also jointly owns the Presto subscription video-on-demand service in partnership with Foxtel, in which News Corporation has a 50 per cent stake.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN NEWS CHANNEL PTY LTD, SKY NEWS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SKY PLC, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NOVA ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, C7 PTY LTD, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, AUSTAR UNITED COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED, CONSOLIDATED MEDIA HOLDINGS LIMITED, SEVEN GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SVW