MASS MEDIA – AUSTRALIA

TV on track for licence fee cut

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 25-Jan-16

The Department of Communications has recommended a reduction in the annual licence fee paid by Australia’s free-to-air TV networks. Such a move could increase industry support for proposed changes to cross-media ownership laws, although Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has warned that any reduction in licence fees would have to be accompanied by increased revenue or measures to cut costs elsewhere.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, SCREEN PRODUCERS AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Big Bash can get bigger, says Ten

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 25-Jan-16

Australia’s domestic Twenty20 competition has been a ratings success for the Ten Network, with each match in the 2015-16 season attracting an average of 1.02 million viewers. Ten’s head of sports David Barham is confident that the network can gain even higher ratings in 2016-17. Ten has paid $A20m a year under its current rights deal, and some industry observers have suggested that the next BBL broadcasting deal could be worth at least $A50m a year.

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TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, BIG BASH LEAGUE, CRICKET AUSTRALIA

Cricket’s Big Bash hits a six for Ten

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 21-Jan-16

The Ten Network’s current deal to broadcast the domestic Twenty20 tournament is worth $A20m a year. However, some experts believe that the next Big Bash League (BBL) rights deal could potentially be worth between $A50m and $A60m a year, due to the success of Ten’s coverage. Each match in the 2015-16 BBL series has attracted an average audience of 1.013 million viewers, and Ten’s audience share has increased by 15 per cent year-on-year.

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TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE

Netflix growth slows, Stan lifts

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 24 : 20-Jan-16

The Stan subscription video-on-demand service gained more than 100,000 customers in December 2015, according to CEO Mike Sneesby. Stan’s subscriber base is expected to top 700,000 by 26 January 2016, one year after the service was launched. Meanwhile, data from Roy Morgan Research shows that growth in Netflix subscribers slowed in the December quarter, although it is now accessed by 2.73 million Australians.

CORPORATES
STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, WARNER BROS

Oldest station looks to lifestyle

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Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 25 : 18-Jan-16

Macquarie Media CEO Adam Lang says the group is reviewing the format of its 2UE radio station in Sydney, although he has declined to comment on reports that it will adopt a lifestyle and sponsored advertising format. It competes with ABC702 and fellow Macquarie Media station 2GB in the crowded Sydney market. Meanwhile, Macquarie is believed to be in talks with a potential buyer of 2CH, which must be divested under current media ownership laws.

CORPORATES
MACQUARIE MEDIA LIMITED – ASX MRN, RADIO 2UE SYDNEY PTY LTD, 2GB, RADIO 2CH PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, IINET LIMITED, MYOB GROUP LIMITED – ASX MYO, RAINE AND HORNE PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY, 4bc use RADIO 4BC BRISBANE PTY LTD, MAGIC 882, 3AW SOUTHERN CROSS RADIO PTY LTD, MAGIC 1278, 6PR SOUTHERN CROSS RADIO PTY LTD

Gordon’s top-up sealed Nine deal

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 23 : 18-Jan-16

Nine Entertainment Company will continue to receive 39 per cent of WIN Corporation’s advertising revenue under a six-month extension of their affiliation agreement. However, it is believed that Nine will receive an additional payment from Birketu, the private investment company of WIN owner Bruce Gordon. This will lift Nine’s share of its regional affiliate’s ad revenue to around 47 per cent.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, BIRKETU PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED

No joke: are Australians losing their sense of humour?

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 14-Jan-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey, which was carried out in the year to September 2015, has found that just 50 per cent of Australians aged 14+ now cite "something funny" as their top media content preference at least once during the week. Comedy as a genre preference has been declining consistently by around one percentage point a year since 2011, when 54 per cent of Australians said there was at least one point during the week when something funny was their preferred type of content.

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ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED,{SPAC}NETFLIX INCORPORATED,{SPAC}STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD

Megastar Millionaire wins investor vote

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Original article by Trevor Chappell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 14-Jan-16

MSM Corporation International listed on the Australian sharemarket on 13 January 2016, via a reverse takeover of Minerals Corporation. The digital media and entertainment group has developed Megastar Millionaire, a digital platform that allows users to view and vote on contestants in online talent shows. MSM shares closed at $A0.091, compared with an issue price of $A0.06 in an IPO that raised $A7m.

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MSM CORPORATION INTERNATIONAL LIMITED – ASX MSM, MINERALS CORPORATION LIMITED, DIGITAL RIOT

Hall says yes; next comes the pre-nup

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Original article by Neil Chenoweth
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 2 : 13-Jan-16

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch will marry for the fourth time after using the classifieds section of "The Times" to announce his engagement to Jerry Hall. The former model was married to Sir Mick Jagger until 1999, while Murdoch’s most recent marriage to Wendi Deng ended with a divorce settlement that is believed to have been worth about $US100m in 2013. Murdoch’s impending marriage is unlikely to have any impact on succession planning at News Corporation and 21st Century Fox.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED

Gayle hires Hockey’s lawyer for Fairfax case

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Original article by Peter Lalor, Simon King
The Australian – Page: 3 : 8-Jan-16

Australian lawyer Mark O’Brien will represent West Indian cricket player Chris Gayle in a defamation lawsuit against Fairfax Media. The lawsuit is in response to media reports that Gayle indecently exposed himself to a female employee of the team in the dressing rooms during a 2015 World Cup match in Sydney. Gayle has denied the allegations and the International Cricket Council has indicated that it is not aware of the alleged incident.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, INTERNATIONAL CRICKET COUNCIL, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, INSIGNIA SPORTS INTERNATIONAL