MASS MEDIA – GREAT BRITAIN

Murdoch and conservative rivals circle Spectator and Telegraph

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Original article by Thomas Seal, Sabah Meddings, Alex Wickham
The Age – Page: Online : 15-Jun-23

News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch could be among the potential bidders for the UK’s The Telegraph newspaper and The Spectator magazine. They have been put on the market after the holding company for the two publications was placed in receivership earlier in June. Sources have indicated that Murdoch made an offer of about Stg50 million ($93 million) for The Spectator two years ago, and he is said to have long desired owing the 195-year-old magazine. However, a Murdoch bid for The Telegraph may face antitrust concerns and political opposition. Other potential contenders for The Spectator are said to include Paul Marshall, the co-founder of hedge fund Marshall Wace, while the Daily Mail & General Trust is seen as a possible buyer of The Telegraph.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MARSHALL WACE LLP, DAILY MAIL AND GENERAL TRUST PLC

BBC makes streaming move into Australia

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 22 : 6-Mar-20

The BBC and UK commercial television network ITV will launch a streaming joint venture in Australia towards the end of 2020. Britbox will operate as a 50-50 joint venture between BBC Studios and ITV, and it is expected to feature programs such as ‘Poldark’, ‘Blackadder’ and ‘Call the Midwife’. Pricing information for Britbox in Australia has not yet been released, but it costs Stg5.99 a month in the UK and US6.99 a month in the US.

CORPORATES
BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION, ITV PLC, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Boris tells BBC licence fee will be scrapped

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Original article by Tim Shipman
The Australian – Page: 9 : 17-Feb-20

The UK government proposes to overhaul the funding arrangements for the BBC by introducing a subscription fee instead of the traditional licence fee. However, BBC chairman Sir David Clementi warns that the move could result in some popular TV shows being cancelled, as well as less public service programming. The government’s proposals also include reducing the number of TV stations operated by the BBC, selling most of its radio stations and greater investment in the BBC World Service.

CORPORATES
BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION

How the Murdochs lost the fight for Sky

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Original article by Christopher Williams
The Australian Financial Review – Page: R1 & R6 : 31-May-19

The Murdoch family first tried to take full control of Sky in the UK in 2011 through News Corporation, but the attempt was unsuccessful. James Murdoch made another attempt to secure full control of Sky in 2016, this time through Fox. In announcing the bid, Murdoch expressed confidence that it would be approved by regulators within six months. Britain’s Culture Secretary Karen Bradley initially referred the bid to Ofcom, before referring it to the Competition & Markets Authority in September 2017. At around that time, Rupert Murdoch was in the process of putting together a mega media deal that would eventually end up with Comcast rather than Fox securing control of Sky.

CORPORATES
SKY PLC, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, GREAT BRITAIN. DEPT OF CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT, GREAT BRITAIN. COMPETITION AND MARKETS AUTHORITY, GREAT BRITAIN. OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS, COMCAST CORPORATION

Comcast sees Fox and raises in fight for Sky

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Original article by Keach Hagey, Chip Cummins, Ben Dummett
The Australian – Page: 21 : 13-Jul-18

US media group Comcast has trumped 21st Century Fox’s revised takeover offer for pay-TV company Sky. Comcast raised its offer for Sky from Stg12.50 to Stg14.75 per share in response to Fox’s recent move to increase its own offer to Stg14.00 per share. Sources have indicated that Comcast could potentially opt to focus on its bid for Sky rather than press ahead with its $US65bn cash bid for Fox’s entertainment assets.

CORPORATES
COMCAST CORPORATION, SKY PLC, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, GREAT BRITAIN. THE TAKEOVER PANEL, NBC UNIVERSAL INCORPORATED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, ELLIOTT MANAGEMENT CORPORATION, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Fox dangles $44bn carrot for Sky buyout

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 20 : 12-Jul-18

US media giant 21st Century Fox has increased its cash offer for UK-based pay-TV group Sky to Stg14 per share, trumping the rival cash bid of Stg12.50 per share from Comcast. Fox had initially offered Stg10.75 per share in late 2016, and the revised offer values Sky at Stg24.5bn ($43.8bn). Fox already has a 39 per cent stake in Sky, and it says the target’s independent directors have recommended that shareholders accept the revised offer.

CORPORATES
21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, SKY PLC, COMCAST CORPORATION, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Economist eyes growth potential

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 26-Oct-17

The global circulation of "The Economist" is about 1.5 million, including just 20,000 in Australia. However, chief marketing officer Michael Brunt is upbeat about the venerable magazine’s prospects in the Australian market, suggesting that it has a potential readership of about one million, based on the characteristics of the magazine’s typical reader. "The Economist" is using an experiential marketing campaign to boost local subscription numbers.

CORPORATES
THE ECONOMIST GROUP

Guardian Media Group to stick with Australia despite earnings slide

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Original article by James Chessell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 27-Jan-16

UK-based Guardian Media Group expects to post an operating loss of Stg53m ($A106.6m) for the year to 31 March 2016. The newspaper publisher has attributed the bearish outlook to a decline in print advertising revenue and lower-than-forecast growth in online advertising revenue. The group aims to reduce costs by 20 per cent, although a spokesman says it remains committed to its Guardian Australia website.

CORPORATES
GUARDIAN MEDIA GROUP PLC, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, UNITED STATES. NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY