MASS MEDIA – AUSTRALIA

Different audiences: ACCC won’t oppose Nine-Fairfax deal

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 9-Nov-18

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission advised on 8 November that it would not oppose the proposed merger between Nine Entertainment and Fairfax Media. Fairfax shareholders will now vote on the transaction on 19 November, while the Federal Court will then need to approve the deal. If both Fairfax shareholders and the Federal Court give the go-ahead for the merger, the combined entity, to be known as Nine, will begin on trading on 10 December. The ACCC cited the fact that Nine and Fairfax had mostly different content that targeted different audiences as the main reason for not opposing their merger.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, CGI GLASS LEWIS PTY LTD, OWNERSHIP MATTERS PTY LTD, ISS PROXY AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN SHAREHOLDERS’ ASSOCIATION

Fairfax, Nine deal set to get the nod

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 19 : 8-Nov-18

Brian Han of Morningstar expects the proposed merger between Nine Entertainment Company and Fairfax Media to receive regulatory approval on 8 November. Han says the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission is likely to take into account the impact of digital on traditional media when deciding whether to approve the $4bn deal. Nine Entertainment posted a 2017-18 net profit of $209.7m, while Fairfax made a loss of $63.8m.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, MORNINGSTAR PTY LTD, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, MST MARQUEE, DOMAIN HOLDINGS AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX DHA, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, MACQUARIE MEDIA LIMITED – ASX MRN, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED

Bonuses risk igniting ABC powder keg

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Original article by Deborah Cornwall, Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 3 : 7-Nov-18

ABC journalists have raised the prospect of industrial action over severe staff shortages at a time when the public broadcaster’s executives are receiving large bonuses. Members of the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance’s ABC house committee have sought meetings with acting chairman David Anderson to express the journalists’ concerns, but he has declined to do so. Liberal senator Eric Abetz is also seeking an explanation for the ABC’s decision to give one executive a bonus of more than $230,000 in 2017-18.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

‘ABC wallowing in money’: Abetz takes swipe at $250,000 bonus

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 7 : 6-Nov-18

Liberal senator Eric Abetz has criticised the ABC’s executive remuneration policy, arguing that the public broadcaster needs to justify its excessively high salaries. Abetz was responding to revelations that one ABC executive was paid more than $692,000 in 2017-18, including a bonus of $232,500. He adds that the ABC and its supporters cannot complain about lack of sufficient funding while paying exorbitant salaries.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, FRIENDS OF THE ABC, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Guthrie’s pay up as ABC lost millions

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Original article by Stephen Brook, Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 1 & 7 : 1-Nov-18

The ABC’s annual report shows that the public broadcaster booked an operating loss of $71.2m in 2017-18, compared with expectations of a $3.09m surplus. The loss has been attributed to factors such as $54.7m in redundancy costs and higher investment in local content. The annual report also shows that former MD Michelle Guthrie was paid $963,991 in 2017-18, an increase of 8.2 per cent. Ex-chairman Justin Milne was paid $187,213 in his first – and only – full year in the role.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

CBS tries to find Ten’s inner wild child

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 7 : 1-Nov-18

Ten Network has used its annual "upfronts" to launch a new logo and the rebranding of its secondary channels. ONE will be rebadged as 10 Boss, with a focus on US dramas and sport, and a target audience of men and women over the age of 40. Eleven in turn will be renamed 10 Peach, targeting the 16-to-39 age demographic. Ten will also launch a subscription video-on-demand service in December, offering a large library of content.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, CBS CORPORATION

UK-style digital tax may hit local media

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Original article by Andrew White
The Australian – Page: 21 : 31-Oct-18

Britain’s proposed digital services tax is primarily aimed at US-based technology companies, but experts suggest that traditional Australian media companies and online classifieds groups could be hit if the federal government introduces a similar tax. News Corp Australia, Fairfax Media, Seek, Domain and Carsales.com are among the local companies that could potentially be affected by any move to impose a digital services tax. The government will shortly release a discussion paper on the issue.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK, DOMAIN HOLDINGS AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX DHA, CARSALES.COM LIMITED – ASX CAR, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, GREAT BRITAIN. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, ERNST AND YOUNG, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION

Film, TV aim to build on record year

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 30-Oct-18

Australia’s film and TV industry spend a record $718m on local productions in 2017-18, which is seven per cent higher than previously. Spending on feature films rose from $287m to $321m, although spending on TV dramas fell from $321m to $295m. However, Screen Australia’s COO Michael Brealey notes that expenditure on drama remained above its five-year average. Local film and TV production is forecast to remain strong in 2018-19, while Screen Australia expects the federal government’s location incentive program to boost the number of international productions.

CORPORATES
SCREEN AUSTRALIA, VILLAGE ROADSHOW LIMITED – ASX VRL, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED

Media could sue secretive activists

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Original article by Brad Norington
The Australian – Page: 2 : 30-Oct-18

Sky News has been the main target of online activist group Sleeping Giants Oz, which has urged advertisers to boycott the pay-TV channel and other media companies that it has accused of promoting hate speech. However, legal experts have warned that there are a range of potential options for media companies if they elect to sue Sleeping Giants Oz, including for loss of earnings and damage to their trade or business. Matthew Collins QC notes that there is no defence of anonymous free speech in Australia.

CORPORATES
SKY NEWS AUSTRALIA, SLEEPING GIANTS OZ, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, 2GB, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, FUJITSU AUSTRALIA LIMITED, HYUNDAI AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MITSUBISHI CORPORATION, SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, KFC

Seven West prepares to face its cricket test

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Original article by Stephen Brook
The Australian – Page: 24 & 26 : 29-Oct-18

Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner expects the Seven Network’s cricket coverage to boost its ratings in December, which is traditionally a challenging month for the network. He is confident that the $450m broadcasting rights deal will quickly prove its worth. Seven’s cricket coverage was a highlight of the network’s annual "upfronts", which it used to showcase new and returning programs, as well as the launch of 7food network. Seven West’s director of sales Natalie Harvey stresses that the new multichannel will target a different audience to SBS’s Food Network.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), YAHOO!7 COMMUNICATIONS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, YAHOO! INCORPORATED, OATH, DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED