MASS MEDIA – AUSTRALIA

Ten’s fate in reclusive billionaire’s hands

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 17 : 18-Dec-14

Takeover target Ten Network staged its AGM on 17 December 2014, which was attended by 15% stakeholder Bruce Gordon. He is the largest individual investor in the free-to-air TV group, which has received an offer worth $A590m or $A0.23 a share from pay TV provider Foxtel and US ally Discovery Communications. Other major stockholders who would need to support the deal are mining heiress Gina Rinehart with 10%, as well as respective News Corporation and Crown ­Resorts chairs Lachlan Murdoch and James Packer. Possible rival suitors for Ten are Anchorage Capital and Saban Capital

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED, ANCHORAGE CAPITAL PARTNERS PTY LTD, SABAN CAPITAL GROUP INCORPORATED, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN

Little Christmas cheer for almost 100 ABC journalists who face redundancy

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Anna Patty
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 8 : 18-Dec-14

ABC employees have been given a deadline of 5pm on 19 December 2014 to accept voluntary redundancies. Some journalists were informed of their retrenchment on 17 December, and the ABC has been criticised for its handling of the job cuts. The ABC is expected to retrench about 100 staff, and a spokeswoman has indicated that they will not be leaving the public broadcaster immediately unless they choose to do so

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Ten battle delays AFL talks

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 19 : 17-Dec-14

The negotiations on the new broadcasting rights deal for Australian Football League (AFL) matches have been rescheduled for early 2015. The AFL Commission, keen to maximise the potential gains, will wait for the current takeover speculation on Ten Network to be resolved. The free-to-air TV groups are set to pay between $A1.5bn and $A1.6bn in the agreement covering the next five seasons, up from $A1.258bn previously. Among Ten’s suitors is a consortium of Foxtel and Discovery Communications that has made an offer worth $A590m

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE COMMISSION, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

Free TV ad revenue to plummet

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Paul McIntyre
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 15-Dec-14

IPG Mediabrands expects digital media’s share of advertising revenue to rise from 36.5 per cent to 56 per cent over the next five years. The share of commercial free-to-air TV networks will fall from 26.6 per cent to just 19.9 per cent. The firm’s chief investment officer, Victor Corones, expects Australia’s advertising market to record overall growth of one per cent in 2014, rising to 3.8 per cent in 2015

CORPORATES
MEDIABRANDS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, MAGNA GLOBAL PTY LTD, THE NIELSEN COMPANY (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, ASSOCIATION OF NATIONAL ADVERTISERS INCORPORATED, WAL-MART STORES INCORPORATED, FORD MOTOR COMPANY, NESTLE SA, MASTERCARD INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED, PERNOD RICARD SA, CADREON PTY LTD, VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED

Advertising spending set for growth spike, says WPP

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 20 : 9-Dec-14

The advertising market in Australia is tipped to grow 4.1% to $A13.7bn in 2015, according to global market leader by revenue WPP. This compares with 2.8% and $A13.1bn for 2014, and is the best result since 2010. However WPP’s annual outlook report also shows that in the newspapers segment the decline will continue, with a fall of 9.5% to $A1.8bn. Online will experience strong growth, but less rapid than the 21.5% seen in 2013 and only coming in at 13.4% to $A5.7bn

CORPORATES
WPP GROUP PLC, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, GROUPM COMMUNICATIONS PTY LTD

ACCC to monitor Ten takeover bid

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 25 : 8-Dec-14

Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) chair Rod Sims has foreshadowed official confirmation that it will watch the takeover negotiations for Ten Network. A joint bid valued at $A590m for the free-to-air TV group has been prepared by pay TV provider Foxtel and US-based Discovery Communications. There are possible regulatory concerns due to the involvement of Foxtel, which in 2012 gained permission for its merger with rival Austar only after the ACCC noted the emergence of internet streaming TV services

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, AUSTAR UNITED COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, CONSOLIDATED MEDIA HOLDINGS LIMITED, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SILVER EAGLE ACQUISITION CORPORATION, SABAN CAPITAL GROUP INCORPORATED, ANCHORAGE CAPITAL PARTNERS PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, DEUTSCHE BANK AG

Foxtel puts ACCC in picture on Ten

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 19 : 5-Dec-14

The stock of Ten Network on 4 December 2014 closed $A0.025 lower at $A0.20, as investors assessed the modest offers made by takeover suitors. Pay TV group Foxtel has formed an alliance with US-based Discovery Communications to launch a bid worth $A590m for the free-to-air TV business, and a briefing on the proposal has been given to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission by Foxtel’s legal counsel. Meanwhile Foxtel CEO Richard Freudenstein says a recent discounting campaign has brought a marked increase in new subscriber growth

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, V8 SUPERCARS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CONSOLIDATED MEDIA HOLDINGS LIMITED, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, SABAN CAPITAL GROUP INCORPORATED, ANCHORAGE CAPITAL PARTNERS PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG

‘And…. cut!’ The TV viewers left in the dark now that Margaret and David won’t be At The Movies

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 4-Dec-14

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that in the year to September 2014, 5.9 per cent of Australians aged 14+ gave "At The Movies" four and a half stars, citing it as a TV program that they "especially choose to watch". Some 2.2 per cent named it as a show that they "really love to watch". The survey also found that around 75 per cent of who really love "At The Movies" went to the cinema in an average three-month period in the year to September 2014, compared with just 46% of the general population

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS)

Three-way fight for ailing Ten

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 19 : 4-Dec-14

Competing bids worth between $A510m and $A664m have been prepared for Australian free-to-air TV group Ten Network, which along with adviser Citigroup is seeking at least $A770m. Pay TV provider Foxtel and US-based ally Discovery Communications are one suitor, and interest has also been voiced by private equity firm Saban Capital Group and hedge fund Anchorage Capital Partners. They would need the approval of News Corporation co-chair Lachlan Murdoch, Crown Resorts chair James Packer and WIN Corporation owner Bruce Gordon

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED, SABAN CAPITAL GROUP INCORPORATED, ANCHORAGE CAPITAL PARTNERS PTY LTD, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, CVC ASIA PACIFIC (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, KOHLBERG KRAVIS ROBERTS AND COMPANY, KKR AND COMPANY LP, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM

Offer for Ten cut after briefings

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Dominic White, Jared Lynch
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 3-Dec-14

Prospective buyers of the Ten Network were required to submit non-indicative bids by 2 December 2014. Foxtel and Discovery Communications have offered to pay between $A0.20 and $A0.25 per share for the free-to-air broadcaster, compared with an initial indicative offer of $A0.26 per share. Ten shares closed at $A0.24 on 2 December. Time Warner, which was also mooted as a bidder for Ten, has elected not to proceed with an offer, while Anchorage Capital and Saban are also seen as potential bidders

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED, TIME WARNER INCORPORATED, ANCHORAGE CAPITAL PARTNERS PTY LTD, SABAN CAPITAL GROUP INCORPORATED, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN, PROVIDENCE EQUITY PARTNERS INCORPORATED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, GOLDMAN SACHS AND PARTNERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD