MASS MEDIA – UNITED STATES

Time Warner is Murdoch’s lost chance

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Original article by Neil Chenoweth
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 25-Oct-16

Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox had the opportunity to acquire Time Warner in 2014 and create a media giant worth $US160bn. Time Warner rejected the $US80bn bid and sought a higher offer, but this would have required 21st Century Fox CEO Chase Carey to remain at the helm at a time when Murdoch was preparing his sons to succeed him. James and Lachlan Murdoch were subsequently appointed CEO and co-executive chairman respectively. The proposed $US85bn ($A112bn) acquisition of Time Warner by AT&T may prompt other mega mergers, but the Murdochs may not be able to pursue such deals without relinquishing control of their media empire.

CORPORATES
21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, TIME WARNER INCORPORATED, AT&T CORPORATION, FOX NEWS, SKY PLC, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SKY ITALIA SPA, SKY DEUTSCHLAND AG

News Corp sees a property-led future

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 10-Aug-16

Media giant News Corporation has posted a 2015-16 profit of $US179m, compared with a $US147m loss in 2014-15. Group revenue was three per cent lower at $US8.3bn, while its newspaper division’s revenue was down seven per cent at $US5.3bn. However, revenue at its digital real estate services business rose by 32 per cent to $US822m. This division includes property listings businesses such as REA Group and Realtor.com. News Corp CEO Robert Thomson expects the division to become the group’s biggest source of earnings.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, REALTOR.COM, MOVE INCORPORATED, IPROPERTY GROUP LIMITED, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS AMERICA MARKETING INCORPORATED, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INCORPORATED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS

Murdoch quells Fox News concerns after Ailes departure

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 23 : 5-Aug-16

21st Century Fox has posted a net profit of $US2.8bn ($A3.7bn) for fiscal 2016, compared with $US8.4bn previously, although the prior result was bolstered by asset sales. The media group’s EBITDA rose by two per cent to $US6.6bn, while revenue was one per cent higher at $US27.3bn. 21st Century Fox’s co-executive chairman Lachlan Murdoch has stressed that the resignation of Fox News CEO Roger Ailes will have no effect on the cable news channel’s editorial position or strategic direction.

CORPORATES
21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, FOX NEWS, DIRECT BROADCAST SATELLITE TELEVISION, SKY ITALIA SPA, SKY DEUTSCHLAND AG, SKY PLC, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

REA, Move home in on a world of realty

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 25 : 29-Jul-16

Media giant News Corporation has launched a global real estate listings portal that combines the resources of its property websites in 56 countries. The global network will feature more than three million property listings, from websites such as REA Group, Move’s realtor.com, Mansion Global and PropTiger. News Corp has a 62 per cent stake in Australian-listed REA and an 80 per cent stake in Move. REA in turn has a 20 per cent stake in Move.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, MOVE INCORPORATED, REALTOR.COM, MANSION GLOBAL, PROPTIGER

Exit of irreplaceable Ailes would be an ‘existential tailspin’ for Fox

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 12 : 21-Jul-16

21st Century Fox has downplayed media reports in the US which have suggested that Fox News chairman and CEO Roger Ailes is poised to step down. Ailes has been accused of sexually harassing a former Fox News employee. Fox News has become the highest-rating and most profitable news channel since it was launched in 1996, and contributes more than $US1bn in free cash flow to 21st Century Fox each year. Media experts believe that Ailes’ departure would have a big impact on 21st Century Fox, with some saying that there is no obvious successor.

CORPORATES
21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, FOX NEWS, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, BTIG LLC, CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, 20TH CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, STAR TV, SKY PLC

Cancellations, price rises slow subscriber growth at Netflix

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 20-Jul-16

US-based Netflix has posted a profit of $US40.8 million for the June 2016 quarter, which is 54.8 per cent higher than the same period in 2015. However, Netflix increased its global subscriber base by just 1.7 million during the quarter, compared with its own expectations that it would gain 2.5 million customers. An increase in its prices also resulted in a rise in Netflix’s customer churn rate. The company has noted that lower growth in international subscribers was to be expected after it launched in markets such as Australia in 2015.

CORPORATES
NETFLIX INCORPORATED

Cricket Australia signs deal with NBC in international Big Bash bid

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 11-Jul-16

Australia’s domestic Twenty20 cricket series, the Big Bash League, will be broadcast by US cable TV channel NBC Sports Network. The one-year deal will make 10 BBL matches available to a potential audience of around 83 million US homes. Cricket Australia has also secured a new five-year deal with US cable channel Willow covering all forms of the sport. Negotiations for new broadcasting deals in New Zealand and Asia are the next items on Cricket Australia’s agenda, ahead of negotiations for a new local broadcasting deal.

CORPORATES
CRICKET AUSTRALIA, NBC SPORTS NETWORK, WILLOW, BIG BASH LEAGUE, COMCAST CORPORATION, ASIAN TELEVISION NETWORK, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD

News Corp faces shareholder revolt after 2015 near miss

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 9-May-16

The Nathan Cummings Foundation is expected to use News Corporation’s 2016 AGM to renew its push for the media giant to abolish its dual-class share structure. Some 49.5 per cent of votes cast at the 2015 AGM supported a resolution to scrap the distinction between News Corporation’s voting and non-voting shares. The Murdoch family owns 39.4 per cent of the voting stock.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NATHAN CUMMINGS FOUNDATION, HERMES EQUITY OWNERSHIP SERVICES LIMITED, MURDOCH FAMILY TRUST, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Netflix’s quarter ruined by Australia

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Original article by John McDuling
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 24 : 20-Apr-16

Netflix has forecast that it will gain an additional two million subscribers in non-US markets during the June 2016 quarter. The group had added 2.4 million subscribers in international markets in the previous corresponding period. Netflix says it will be hard to match the surge in subscribers following its launch in Australia and New Zealand in 2015.

CORPORATES
NETFLIX INCORPORATED

Hayu can’t keep up with the Kardashians

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 26 : 18-Apr-16

Technical problems have plagued the Hayu subscription video-on-demand service of US media giant NBC Universal. The reality TV-focused Hayu was launched in March 2016, but some users in Australia have complained that streaming TV shows on Hayu is very slow. A spokesman for NBC Universal concedes that there have been issues with Hayu but says the company is addressing these problems.

CORPORATES
NBC UNIVERSAL INCORPORATED, HAYU, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, COMCAST CORPORATION, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, UNIVERSAL PICTURES, UNIVERSAL STUDIOS, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED