MASS MEDIA – AUSTRALIA

Gordon has new tune for talks with Nine

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 22 : 20-Nov-15

Nine Entertainment Company is seeking to conclude negotiations for a new affiliate agreement with regional broadcaster WIN Corporation. However, Nine is also holding merger talks with Southern Cross Media Group. WIN owner Bruce Gordon also has 14.9 per cent stakes in both Nine and Ten Network, positioning him to play a key role in TV industry consolidation if cross-media ownership rules are relaxed.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

NRL clubs threaten breakaway over TV

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 5 : 19-Nov-15

The National Rugby League (NRL) faces a potential split over the issue of pay-TV broadcasting rights, with some teams warning that they could withdraw from the league if a deal is not finalised. The NRL had been negotiating a new deal with Fox Sports and Telstra, but it is believed to have canvassed interest from Singtel Optus, which recently secured exclusive Australian rights to English Premier League matches.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN RUGBY LEAGUE COMMISSION LIMITED, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Nine and News try to break impasse

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Original article by Darren Davidson, Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 26 : 16-Nov-15

A compromise between Nine Entertainment Company and News Corporation regarding National Rugby League (NRL) coverage is expected to take some time. The two media groups have proposed that Nine and News Corp-owned Fox Sports each broadcast one NRL match on Friday nights, while Nine would relinquish the Saturday night match, which is currently broadcast by Fox Sports. Nine recently secured NRL broadcasting rights from 2018.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Marks ushers Nine into new viewing era

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 16-Nov-15

Nine Entertainment Company is a "content business" rather than a traditional TV broadcaster, according to new CEO Hugh Marks. He has succeeded David Gyngell at a time when TV networks face growing competition from video-on-demand providers and a shift to multi-platform viewing. Nine has flagged a greater focus on local content in the next three years, after terminating a content deal with US-based Warner Bros, while it will begin live streaming of its TV channels in 2016.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, WARNER BROS, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, GROUPM COMMUNICATIONS PTY LTD, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, SOUTHERN STAR CORPORATION, ENDEMOL ENTERTAINMENT HOLDING NV, GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, MEDIA VENTURE PARTNERS PTY LTD, RGM ARTISTS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY

Fairfax faces FWC over role ‘made redundant during maternity leave’

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 26 : 16-Nov-15

Fairfax Media has declined to comment on allegations that it retrenched consumer marketing director Vicki Aristidopoulos shortly before she was due to return from maternity leave. Aristidopoulos has lodged a general protections application with the Fair Work Commission, claiming that she was not consulted by Fairfax prior to being offered a redundancy package in October 2015. Her redundancy followed a restructuring at Fairfax.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, FINANCIAL REVIEW GROUP, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS

Southern Cross, Nine in $2.2bn merger talks

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Original article by Christine Lacy, Damon Kitney, Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 19 : 13-Nov-15

Nine Entertainment Company has held merger discussions with regional broadcaster Southern Cross Media Group, and sources have suggested that there is an even chance of a deal proceeding. The "reach rule" would prohibit a full merger at present, but the deal being discussed is said to involve Nine acquiring Southern Cross’ radio stations immediately. Nine would subsequently buy Southern Cross’s TV stations if and when cross-media ownership rules are relaxed.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, SOUTHERN CROSS AUSTEREO PTY LTD, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MI9, NINEMSN PTY LTD, 2DAY FM AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TRIPLE M CORPORATION PTY LTD, THE HIT NETWORK, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, CVC ASIA PACIFIC (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT LLC, OAKTREE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, LUMINIS PARTNERS PTY LTD

2.677 million Australians have Netflix as subscriptions surpass one million homes

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 12-Nov-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that the number of Australian homes with a Netflix subscription rose by 11.4 per cent in October 2015 to 1,039,000. Some 2.677 million Australians aged 14+ now live in a home with a Netflix subscription. The survey also shows that 19.3 per cent of Australians bought a DVD in an average three-month period during the six months to September 2015, compared with 20.6 per cent in an average three months in the six months to September 2014. Likewise, the rate of downloading TV shows or movies has fallen from 10.8 per cent a year ago to 9.1 per cent in the six months following the launch of Netflix in Australia.`

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS

Nine may save by ceding Saturday night NRL

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 12-Nov-15

Fox Sports owner News Corp is continuing to hold talks with the National Rugby League regarding pay-TV broadcasting rights. The media group has indicated that it is willing to pay $A30m a year to broadcast the Saturday night NRL match, which Nine Entertainment Company acquired as part of a $A925m five-year free-to-air and streaming rights deal earlier in 2015. Nine is said to be seeking to have the cost of its deal reduced by about $A40m a year in return for relinquishing the Saturday night fixture.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN RUGBY FOOTBALL LEAGUE, OZTAM PTY LTD, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Gary Morgan – Business confidence surveys and selective reporting by the Australian media

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 11-Nov-15

It is impossible to stop "organisations" conducting "questionable" polls – sometimes ill-conceived and too often completely self-serving or even mischievous polls. However, it is a disgrace when Australia’s national news services "selectively report" only such polls. Australia’s media has a critical role to play in keeping the Australian people informed. Australia’s major media is concentrated and controlled by too few – probably soon to be fewer! This makes the ethics of journalists and media owners even more important. Good governance dictates journalists must be briefed to report all facts honestly – not report "selectively" to support their own opinion.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

NRL looks to seal deal for two Friday games

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Original article by Jake Mitchell, Brent Read
The Australian – Page: 3 : 11-Nov-15

The National Rugby League may finalise a deal for pay-TV rights in the next several weeks. Negotiations with Fox Sports are believed to involve regaining the rights to a Saturday night match, which the Nine Network secured in its recent $A925m deal with the NRL. Fox Sports would also gain the rights to a Friday night match, while Nine would broadcast a second match on Friday. Any deal is said to be condition on Fox Sports regaining the popular Saturday night match.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS