MASS MEDIA – AUSTRALIA

ABC indulged ‘activist agenda’, says V’landys

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Original article by Kieran Gair
The Australian – Page: 7 : 15-Oct-20

Racing NSW CEO Peter V’landys has given evidence in his defamation lawsuit against the ABC and one of its journalists. The case centres on a story that appeared on the ‘7.30’ current affairs program in October 2019; it featured an interview with V’landys that was spliced with graphic footage of retired racehorses being killed at a Queensland abattoir. V’landys claimed that the story "pandered to an activist agenda" and alleges that the ABC failed to make it clear that he has no jurisdiction over racehorses in Queensland. V’landys is seeking aggravated damages.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, RACING NSW

Nine, Foxtel rugby match nears finish

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian – Page: 18 : 15-Oct-20

Sources have indicated that a decision on Rugby Australia’s next broadcasting rights deal could be made within days. Rugby Australia has held meetings with executives from Foxtel and Nine Entertainment, and the discussions are said to be "well advanced". Foxtel currently holds the broadcasting rights, while Nine could potentially broadcast one Super Rugby match each week as well as the Wallabies’ matches. Any deal with Nine could also include more extensive rugby coverage via its Stan streaming video service.

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RUGBY AUSTRALIA, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD

Broadcast deal is off and racing

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Original article by James Madden
The Australian – Page: 19 : 12-Oct-20

The coronavirus pandemic has prompted key sports codes such as the AFL and NRL to renegotiate their current broadcasting rights deals. However, horse racing coverage has attracted a growing audience during the pandemic, which is likely to result in a significant increase in the cost of the sport’s next broadcasting rights deals. Meanwhile, the fourth running of ‘The Everest’ is expected to attract record TV ratings on 17 October.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, RACING NSW

Judge takes swipe at media on privacy

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Original article by Michael Pelly
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 28-Sep-20

High Court judge Patrick Keane criticised the ‘old media’ in a recent speech titled ‘Too Much Information: civilisation and the problems of privacy’. Justice Keane claimed that media owners had a degree of self-interest in their push to have existing defamation laws changed, and that when it comes to choosing between the right to privacy and the right to know, they are likely to favour the right "with the dollar signs attached". The states recently agreed to introduce reforms to defamation laws which they argue in part will better protect public interest journalism, but so far New South Wales is the only state to have passed the uniform legislation.

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HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Kayo climbs off canvas to hit new high

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 23-Sep-20

Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany says the pay-TV group now boasts nearly two million sports subscribers across its broadcast and streaming platforms. The Kayo Sports streaming service now has more than 600,000 subscribers, compared with 542,000 in early August. Kayo’s subscriber base fell to around 331,000 in May after the coronavirus pandemic forced major sports such as the Australian Football League and National Rugby League to temporarily put their 2020 seasons on hold.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, KAYO SPORTS, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE

ABC, SBS under threat in regional areas

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 12 : 18-Sep-20

Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor has become involved in a dispute between the nation’s public broadcasters and Regional Broadcasters Australia. The dispute, over maintenance and repair charges for broadcast equipment, has resulted in more than 400 residents in the New South Wales town of Goulburn not being able to access the ABC or SBS. Taylor, whose electorate of Hume covers Goulburn, says many of these residents are elderly and depend on the ABC and SBS for news and information. He has asked the ABC, SBS and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher to try to find a solution to the dispute.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), REGIONAL BROADCASTERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Facebook will be loser if it bans news: Sims

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 22 : 18-Sep-20

Facebook and Google would be forced to pay for news content that is posted on their platforms under the mandatory code of conduct proposed by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission. Facebook has threatened to ban all news on its platform in response to the code, but ACCC chairman Rod Sims contends that such action could weaken the social media company. Sims has also rejected claims made in public campaigns by Facebook and Google that the proposed code will give news publishers access to their algorithms.

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FACEBOOK AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, GOOGLE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

PM tells Google and Facebook: You’re bluffing

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 8-Sep-20

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has told Facebook and Google that he does not give into coercion. The two technology companies are unhappy about federal government plans to make them pay news publishers for their content; Facebook has threatened to pull Australian and international content from its Facebook and Instagram platforms in response to the code, while Google has stated it will have to cull news content from search results. Morrison said he is happy to call their bluff on the issue.

CORPORATES
GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

No conflict for journalists as spooks

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Original article by Aaron Patrick
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 8-Sep-20

Australia Defence Association executive director Neil James says journalists who provide information to their own country’s intelligence service should not be viewed as spies. James was commenting on a report that former ABC foreign correspondent Peter Barnett may have assisted Australian intelligence services in the 1960s and 1970s. Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance president Marcus Strom contends that providing information to an intelligence agency would be viewed as a conflict of interest for a journalist that would have to be declared under their code of ethics.

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AUSTRALIA DEFENCE ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE

Australia’s top cop says raiding journalist’s home was no mistake

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Original article by Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson
Herald Sun – Page: Online : 1-Sep-20

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw appeared before a Senate inquiry into press freedom on 31 August. He told the inquiry that the AFP had been right to raid the home of News Corp Australia journalist Annika Smethurst in mid-2019, despite the fact that the search warrant was subsequently ruled to be invalid by the High Court. Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance CEO Paul Murphy told the inquiry that contestable search warrants are necessary to ensure press freedom. However, Kershaw and Department of Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo argued that allowing such warrants would be "detrimental to the workings" of the police.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS