MASS MEDIA – AUSTRALIA

Nine, Seven draw knives over cooking clashes

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 27-Jul-15

Starcom MediaVest’s Andy Taylor has questioned the merits of free-to-air networks putting similar reality TV shows in the same timeslot. Nine Network will launch cooking show "The Hotplate" on 28 July 2015, while Seven Network will debut "Restaurant Revolution" in the same timeslot. Taylor expects both shares to attract big audiences, but warns of the potential for viewer fatigue. The final of Ten’s "MasterChef" will be broadcast on 27 July.

CORPORATES
STARCOM MEDIAVEST GROUP, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN NETWORK OPERATIONS, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, SMI MEDIA INCORPORATED, YOUNG AND RUBICAM PTY LTD, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Murdochs on notice over Foxtel grab for Ten Network

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 29 : 27-Jul-15

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) will consider Foxtel’s equity alliance with the Ten Network in the context of the Murdoch family’s broader media holding, according to chairman Rod Sims. Foxtel proposes to acquire a 15 per cent stake in Ten, but the ACCC will take into account the fact that News Corp has a 50 per cent stake in Foxtel and News Corp executive Lachlan Murdoch has an 8.5 per cent stake in Ten. The effect on competition in bidding for sports broadcasting rights is likely to be a key consideration for the ACCC.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, ILLYRIA PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, MULTI CHANNEL NETWORK PTY LTD, NOVA ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, SEVEN GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SVW, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CONSOLIDATED MEDIA HOLDINGS LIMITED, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY

Turnbull calls for TV licence trade-offs

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 24-Jul-15

The CEOs of Australia’s commercial TV networks pressed their case for a reduction in broadcast licence fees when they met with Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull on 23 July 2015. Turnbull has acknowledged that the networks are facing growing competition from companies such as streaming video providers, but he told the networks that they will need to suggest ways to offset the fall in government revenue if licence fees are reduced.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, 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, FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Hockey hit with costs on Fairfax case

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Marianna Papadakis, Katie Walsh
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 23-Jul-15

Treasurer Joe Hockey faces a huge legal bill after the Federal Court ordered Fairfax Media to pay just 15 per cent of his legal costs in a defamation lawsuit. Hockey was awarded $A200,000 in damages over tweets and newspaper advertising posters that were deemed to be defamatory. However, it is estimated that Hockey’s total legal costs in defending the case could be around $A300,000. Hockey failed to prove that published newspaper articles relating to the tweets and posters were defamatory.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, ACA LAWYERS PTY LTD, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY, GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY

Turnbull set to grill TV executives

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 23-Jul-15

The CEOs of most of Australia’s metropolitan and regional commercial TV networks will meet with Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull on 23 July 2015. They will press their case for a reduction in annual broadcasting licence fees, an issue on which there is rare consensus in the industry. However, Turnbull is tipped to take a tough stance after the networks thwarted the Federal Government’s bid to allow public broadcaster SBS to show more advertisements each hour.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, 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, FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Nine’s the one again when it comes to news

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 23 & 25 : 20-Jul-15

The Seven Network boasts a 30 per cent audience share so far in the 2015 ratings year, compared with 31.2 per cent at the same time in 2014. Nine Network’s audience share has fallen to 27.6 per cent, while Ten Network has increased its share. However, Nine has won every week of the prime-time news ratings battle in both Sydney and Melbourne. Nine’s evening news bulletin has benefited from a strong lead from "Millionaire Hot Seat", while "A Current Affair" is dominating the 7pm timeslot.

CORPORATES
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, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, TWITTER INCORPORATED

Turnbull to talk up fee cuts

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 20-Jul-15

The CEOs of free-to-air TV networks will be able to press their case for a reduction in licence fees when they meet with Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull on 23 July 2015. The annual licence fee is currently set at 4.5 per cent of each network’s revenue, but they believe that the fee should be reduced or scrapped due to competition from new media players such as streaming video providers. Free TV Australia also argue that Australia’s licence fees are higher than in countries such as the UK.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, 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, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED

Netflix adds another 400,000 Australians in June – now up over 1.42 million

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 14-Jul-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 1.42 million Australians aged 14+ in 559,000 homes had a Netflix subscription in June 2015. The survey also shows that 8.4 per cent of households with fixed broadband have a Netflix subscription. However, 16.8 per cent of households with fixed broadband through iiNet (or one of its standalone subsidiaries) have Netflix, compared with 11.7 per cent of Optus’s fixed broadband customers and 5.2 per cent of Telstra’s fixed broadband customers. Meanwhile, 9.6 per cent of homes with an NBN connection use Netflix.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, IINET LIMITED – ASX IIN, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, INTERNODE SYSTEMS PTY LTD, WESTNET PTY LTD, ADAM INTERNET PTY LTD, M2 GROUP LIMITED – ASX MTU, DODO INTERNET PTY LTD, IPRIMUS, APPLE INCORPORATED, FETCHTV PTY LTD, CHROMECAST

Kyle, Jackie O slip but Jones still king

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 8-Jul-15

The latest radio ratings survey by GfK shows that 2GB presenter Alan Jones continues to dominate Sydney’s breakfast slot, with a 16 per cent audience share. The audience share of KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O eased from 10.2 per cent to 8.6 per cent, although Duncan Campbell of Australian Radio Network expects their ratings to rebound. The Hit Network’s breakfast show team of Dan and Maz recorded a modest ratings increase.

CORPORATES
GFK PTY LTD, 2GB, MACQUARIE RADIO NETWORK LIMITED – ASX MRN, 101.7 WS-FM, TRIPLE M CORPORATION PTY LTD, KIIS1065, AUSTRALIAN RADIO NETWORK PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS AUSTEREO PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, THE HIT NETWORK, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

PM rejects rural MP concerns over media law reform

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 3-Jul-15

Prime Minister Tony Abbott says changes to cross-media ownership laws will only be on the agenda if all media groups support reform. MPs in regional electorates have called for the current laws to be scrapped, amid concerns that regional TV broadcasters will be forced to cut jobs and local news services. Meanwhile, Fairfax Media CEO Greg Hywood says the competition regulator should closely examine Ten’s proposed equity deal with Foxtel, due to News Corp’s 50 per cent stake in the latter.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, DOMAIN.COM.AU, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, MULTI CHANNEL NETWORK PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL