MASS MEDIA POLICY – AUSTRALIA

Ten in the picture as new WIN partner

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 21 : 30-Mar-16

WIN Corporation CEO Andrew Lancaster is believed to have held talks with executives from Ten Network regarding an affiliation agreement. The regional broadcaster had negotiated a six-month extension to its content supply deal with Nine Entertainment Company at the end of 2015. The timing of the 2016 federal election and the subsequent fate of proposed cross-media ownership reforms are likely to force regional TV networks to secure new affiliation deals.

CORPORATES
WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL

Seven warns of ‘piecemeal’ threat

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 24-Mar-16

Seven West Media’s submission to a Senate inquiry into proposed changes to cross-media ownership laws argues that the reforms should be broader. The Australian Government proposes to abolish the "reach rule" and the "two-out-three rule", but Seven says other media ownership rules should also be reviewed. Seven has also called for the TV drama tax offset to be increased and Australia’s TV broadcasting licence fees to be reviewed.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD

News calls for holistic media reform package

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 22-Mar-16

News Corporation’s submission to a Senate inquiry into changes to cross-media ownership laws has supported the proposed reforms but called for them to be more extensive. The Federal Government wants to abolish the "reach rule" and the "two-out-of-three rule", but News Corp says an additional three media ownership rules should be scrapped. Regional broadcasters WIN Corporation and Southern Cross Media Group have also supported the bill, while Foxtel has argued for changes to the anti-siphoning list for the broadcasting of sports.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS)

Fifield criticises ‘analogue warriors’

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Original article by Dominic White, Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 32 : 17-Mar-16

Federal Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has refuted suggestions that cross-media ownership reforms will benefit some media groups in particular. Addressing the National Press Club in Canberra, he said the majority of media companies favour abolishing the "reach rule" and the "two-out-of-three rule". He also dismissed the concerns of some senators that the reforms would allow Rupert Murdoch to increase his control of the media sector.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Free and pay TV row over licence fees

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Original article by Max Mason, Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 14-Mar-16

Australia’s free-to-air commercial TV networks argue that a reduction in broadcasting licence fees would result in increased local content. The networks’ CEOs also say it would make them more competitive against overseas streaming video providers, which are not subject to the same regulatory regime. Broadcasting licence fees were reduced by 50 per cent in 2013, but Screen Producers Australia CEO Matthew Deaner says FTA networks should have to make a firm commitment to investing in local content in return for further licence fee cuts.

CORPORATES
SCREEN PRODUCERS AUSTRALIA, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS)

Fifield hints anti-siphoning rules redundant

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 23 : 14-Mar-16

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has ruled out changes to the anti-siphoning list for sports events as part of the Australian Government’s cross-media ownership reforms. However, he has conceded that online streaming has made the anti-siphoning list less relevant, as the restrictions do not apply to companies that supply such services. Fifield also maintains that abolition of the "reach rule" and the "two-out-of-three rule" must be put to Parliament in a single bill.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Let TV stations trade spectrum: minister

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 21 : 11-Mar-16

Federal Communications Minister Mitch Fifield addressed the RadComms conference on 10 March 2016, where he outlined a proposal for TV broadcasters to share, lease or trade any spectrum that is surplus to their requirements. However, the proposal has been criticised by Australian Subscription Television & Radio Association CEO Andrew Main, who says free-to-air networks should not be "gifted" spare public spectrum and then profit from leasing it to other companies.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY

News pushes for full reform

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 9-Mar-16

News Corp CFO Bedi Singh has told a conference in the US that the Australian Government must abolish both the "reach rule" and the "two-of-three rule". The Australian Labor Party may oppose the latter, but Singh says abolishing both would provide consumers with greater choice. Singh also says the anti-siphoning list for sports broadcasts should also have been on the Government’s agenda for cross-media ownership reforms.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Crossbench not sold on case for reform

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 7-Mar-16

The Senate Standing Committee on Environment & Communications will review the Federal Government’s bill to abolish the "reach rule" and the "two-out-of-three rule". Passage of the bill may require the support of a majority of the eight crossbench Senators, although six have yet to decide their position on the proposed reforms. Independent senator Nick Xenophon argues that TV broadcasting licence fees should also be reduced, and local content requirements should be introduced for regional broadcasters.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Murdoch and Stokes rebuffed on media reform

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Original article by Dominic White, Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 2-Mar-16

The Australian Government has confirmed that its cross-media ownership reforms will abolish the "reach rule" and the "two-of-three rule". However, Seven West Media has criticised the Government for not reducing TV broadcasting licence fees, while Foxtel CEO Richard Freudenstein argues that changes to the anti-siphoning list for sporting events should have been part of the reform package. Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has indicated that the latter may be subject to change in the future.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ