MASS MEDIA – AUSTRALIA

ABC underpaid 2500 casual staff

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 11-Jan-19

The ABC will undertake a review into how it came to underpay around 2,500 casual employees over the last six years. The public broadcaster’s chief people officer Rebekah Donaldson says it has notified the Fair Work Commission about the issue, and that it is getting in contact with current and former casual employees who might have been affected. The underpayment error was brought to the ABC’s attention by the Community & Public Sector Union; the CPSU’s ABC section secretary Sinddy Ealy says it had been concerned for some time about the ABC’s over-reliance on and payment of casual staff.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, ACTU

Mogul Gordon grabs shares to increase stake in Nine

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 10-Jan-19

Australian businessman Bruce Gordon has lifted his direct stake in Nine Entertainment Company from 7.6 per cent to 8.9 per cent. Gordon has a total economic interest in Nine of about 13.4 per cent when a 4.5 per cent stake held via a cash-settled share swap is taken into account. Gordon’s stake in Nine had been diluted by its merger with Fairfax Media.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED, BIRKETU PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT LLC

Seven opens batting with cricket rating win

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 15 : 9-Jan-19

The Seven Network says ratings figures show that more than 14 million Australians watched its coverage of the Test cricket series against India. Seven boasted a 56 per cent share of daytime commercial television ratings during its coverage of the four-Test series. The ratings for Seven’s coverage of the Big Bash League are lower than the figures achieved by previous free-to-air broadcaster Ten. However, BBL ratings have risen when the combined coverage of Seven and Foxtel are taken into account.

CORPORATES
SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, BIG BASH LEAGUE, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, KFC, VODAFONE AUSTRALIA LIMITED, OZTAM PTY LTD, REGTAM PTY LTD

Sign of the times as Fairfax goes

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 13 & 14 : 9-Jan-19

Nine Entertainment Company has confirmed that it is seeking a buyer for Fairfax Media’s events business, which has been valued at between $24m and $32m by Macquarie Group. Meanwhile, Nine has begun the process of phasing out the Fairfax Media brand; workers have used black plastic sheeting to cover the Fairfax signage on the newspaper publisher’s headquarters in the Sydney suburb of Pyrmont. Some Fairfax staff were recently relocated to Nine’s offices in the Sydney CBD in the wake of the $4.2bn merger.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED, LOTUS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, EURO PROPERTIES, SYDNEY CITY COUNCIL, SPORTS MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT 360, NINE LIVE PTY LTD, AFFINITY EQUITY PARTNERS (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, GOOGLE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Pacific making all the write moves

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 13 & 14 : 7-Jan-19

Seven West Media’s Pacific Magazines division posted EBIT of $9.6m in 2017-18, and it reduced costs by $32.2m. Pacific Magazines CEO Gereurd Roberts is upbeat about the outlook for its portfolio of titles, noting that it is the market leader in every category in which it has a presence. He adds that content is the priority for Pacific Magazines, while it aims to expand its digital business. Gereurd has also flagged the launch of a new monthly magazine in late January.

CORPORATES
PACIFIC MAGAZINES PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, BAUER MEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Karl exits, Nine eyes all-women Today

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Original article by Nick Tabakoff
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 20-Dec-18

The Nine Network is believed to be considering a major revamp of its ‘Today’ breakfast show in 2019, after sacking co-host Karl Stefanovic. Options that are under consideration are said to include having all on-air roles filled by women in order to boost the show’s appeal to female viewers. There is speculation that several other ‘Today’ presenters will be dropped, although they are expected to take on other roles at Nine. The network also recently terminated the services of Peter Stefanovic.

CORPORATES
NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Seven ponders WA regional paper sale

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 17-Dec-18

Seven West Media has declined to comment on speculation that it may seek a buyer for some of its regional newspapers in Western Australia. News Corp Australia and Nine Entertainment Company are also believed to be interested in divesting some regional newspapers, and industry insiders say there could be potential for a single buyer to acquire assets from all three companies given that the newspapers have limited geographic overlap.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, WEST REGIONAL NEWSPAPERS, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY MEDIA, AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL MEDIA, HT&E LIMITED – ASX HT1, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, ALLEGRO FUNDS PTY LTD, ANCHORAGE CAPITAL PARTNERS PTY LTD, TPG CAPITAL LP, DOMAIN HOLDINGS AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX DHA

Facebook lashes algorithm watchdog oversight

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 13-Dec-18

Social media giant Facebook has questioned the merits of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s proposal for a new regulator to be given responsibility for monitoring digital platforms’ algorithms. Facebook’s Andy O’Connell says the proposal is unnecessary and unworkable, and he has rejected suggestions that the company lacks transparency regarding its algorithms. He adds that Facebook will continue to engage with the ACCC as the competition watchdog prepares to release the final report of its inquiry into digital platforms in mid-2019.

CORPORATES
FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, GOOGLE INCORPORATED

Please explain … call for ABC, SBS transparency

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 13-Dec-18

The federal government’s competitive neutrality inquiry into public broadcasting has concluded that the ABC and SBS are competing fairly with their commercial rivals. However, the inquiry has recommended greater transparency with regard to the public broadcasters’ business activities, their use of taxpayer funding and compliance with their charters. Amongst other things, the inquiry also recommended a shift toward longer-term funding arrangements for the ABC and SBS.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, ERNST AND YOUNG, BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, ONE NATION PARTY

Digital titans far from ad land’s biggest problem

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Original article by Michael Bailey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 12-Dec-18

Adveritas CEO Matthew Ratty estimates that advertising networks account for up to 40 per cent of fraudulent online ad revenue in Australia each year, making them a larger problem for the sector than digital giants such as Google and Facebook. He says the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s proposed crackdown on digital platforms should be broadened to include ad networks. Meanwhile, Indago Digital’s Tom Sadler says all advertisers that spend more than $5,000 a month online should use a third-party verification tool.

CORPORATES
ADVERITAS LIMITED – ASX AV1, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, INDAGO DIGITAL, DIGIVIZER PTY LTD, ESSENCE, GROUPM COMMUNICATIONS PTY LTD, UBER TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED