MASS MEDIA POLICY – AUSTRALIA

WIN loses streaming battle against Nine

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 29-Apr-16

The Supreme Court of New South Wales has dismissed WIN Corporation’s application for an injunction to stop Nine Entertainment Company from streaming its metropolitan TV channels into regional markets. Justice David Hammerschlag has ruled that live streaming does not constitute broadcasting under the parties’ affiliation agreement. WIN CEO Andrew Lancaster says the judgment demonstrates the need to scrap the "reach rule". The ruling may affect other regional broadcasters in negotiating new affiliation agreements.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, BIRKETU PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS

Media reform could be delayed until after budget, federal vote

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 20-Apr-16

Federal Parliament is unlikely to sit again until 2 May 2016, ahead of the Australian Government’s Budget on 3 May. The Government is now expected to postpone proposed changes to cross-media ownership laws until after the double-dissolution election on 2 July, in order to focus on the Budget. Abolition of the "reach rule" and the "two-out-of-three rule" is still on the Government’s agenda, while the Ten Network has again called for broadcasting licence fees to be reduced in the Budget.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD

News, Fairfax, Nine, Ten called to Senate inquiry

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 11-Apr-16

The CEOs of some of Australia’s largest media groups have been asked to appear before the Senate’s environment and communications legislation committee on 29 April 2016. The committee is holding an inquiry into the Federal Government’s proposed changes to cross-media ownership laws, but it is not scheduled to report its findings until 12 May. The Government must call an election no later than 11 May if it is to be held in July.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE ARTS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Anxious TV executives seek meeting with PM

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 11-Apr-16

The free-to-air TV industry is concerned that the Australian Government will not include a reduction in broadcasting licence fees in the May 2016 Budget. Free TV Australia is said to have lobbied Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for a meeting with industry executives to discuss the issue. Some observers have speculated that the Government may opt to progressively reduce the licence fee over several years.

CORPORATES
FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NETFLIX INCORPORATED

Free TV networks ready to campaign on licence fees

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 21 : 7-Apr-16

The metropolitan free-to-air TV networks may ramp their lobbying for a reduction in the annual broadcasting licence fee in the Australian Government’s May 2016 Budget. They are believed to have held discussions about launching an advertising campaign, which is likely to be similar to the Save Our Voices campaign that was launched by regional broadcasters.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, PIN PAYMENTS, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Government weighing up broadcasters’ revenue fees

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 : 6-Apr-16

Australia’s Communications Minister Mitch Fifield agrees that there is a need for changes to TV and radio broadcasting licence fees. However, Fifield has downplayed suggestions that a reduction in licence fees could be included in the May 2016 Budget, noting the Federal Government’s "constrained fiscal circumstances". TV networks have lobbied for the licence fee to be scrapped or reduced to just one per cent of revenue, but Fraser McLeish of Credit Suisse expects the fee to be reduced progressively over several years.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

TV licence fee cuts could fall short of networks’ hopes

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 4-Apr-16

The Australian Government has not made a final decision on whether to include a reduction in TV broadcasting licence fees in the May 2016 Budget. The fees are currently set at 4.5 per cent of broadcasters’ revenue, and TV networks want them to be scrapped or reduced to just one per cent of revenue. Credit Suisse’s Fraser McLeish expects a progressive reduction in fees to about 2.5 per cent over several years. Communications Minister Mitch Fifield recently agreed that the licence fees are high compared with the networks’ overseas peers.

CORPORATES
CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, MELBOURNE PRESS CLUB, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM

Global funds take aim at media

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 19 & 22 : 1-Apr-16

UBS’s Justin Dwyer says the Australian Government’s proposed changes to cross-media ownership laws may prompt renewed interest in local media companies among their offshore peers and private equity firms. He suggests that companies which made offers to buy the Ten Network in 2015 could be among the potential suitors. Meanwhile, Greg Peirce of UBS says the media industry’s "structural challenges" may have more influence on merger activity in the sector than government reforms.

CORPORATES
UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, PROVIDENCE EQUITY PARTNERS INCORPORATED, DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, DICK SMITH HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX DSH, AUSTRALIA. SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE ARTS, THOMSON REUTERS PLC

Reforms could curb sport on free TV: Seven

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 1-Apr-16

Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner has cautioned the Australian Government against taking a "piecemeal" approach to media reform. He has told a Senate committee that relaxing cross-media ownership laws could allow the Ten Network to be acquired by pay-TV group Foxtel. This in turn could eventually result in more sporting events being removed from the anti-siphoning list and shown exclusively on pay-TV. Worner has also called for broadcasting licence fees to be scrapped or reduced.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, V8 SUPERCARS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NOVA ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, ILLYRIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Include ABC, SBS in reform says Nine boss

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 31-Mar-16

The Australian Government’s proposed media reforms should consider the option of merging the ABC and SBS, according to Nine Entertainment Company CEO Hugh Marks. He argues that a review of the two public broadcasters should be part any media reform agenda, noting that they have changed significantly since they were initially established. ABC MD Mark Scott recently called for to be merged with SBS.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS