MASS MEDIA – UNITED STATES

US giant to make Hayu as reality TV’s sun shines

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 3 : 12-Feb-16

US media group NBC Universal will launch its hayu subscription video-on-demand service in Australia, with subscribers to pay $A5.99 per month after a free one-month trial. Hayu will primarily specialise in reality-TV show such as "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and "The Real Housewives", with each show to be available for viewing on the same day they are broadcast in the US.

CORPORATES
NBC UNIVERSAL INCORPORATED, HAYU, COMCAST CORPORATION, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM

Netflix meets its match in blocking wars

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Chris Griffith
The Australian – Page: 3 : 22-Jan-16

Netflix has started to block Australian customers from accessing content that is exclusively available to people in the US. It is estimated that prior to its local launch in 2015, about 340,000 Australians accessed Netflix in the US using an unblocking service or virtual private network, and many still do so as some Netflix content is not available in Australia. Unblocking services are already working on ways to bypass Netflix’s new policy.

CORPORATES
NETFLIX INCORPORATED, UFLIX.COM.AU, UNBLOCK-US.COM

Hall says yes; next comes the pre-nup

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Neil Chenoweth
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 2 : 13-Jan-16

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch will marry for the fourth time after using the classifieds section of "The Times" to announce his engagement to Jerry Hall. The former model was married to Sir Mick Jagger until 1999, while Murdoch’s most recent marriage to Wendi Deng ended with a divorce settlement that is believed to have been worth about $US100m in 2013. Murdoch’s impending marriage is unlikely to have any impact on succession planning at News Corporation and 21st Century Fox.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED

All TV destined for internet in next 10 or 20 years, says Netflix CEO

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Madhumita Murgia
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 11-Jan-16

It is estimated that Netflix now accounts for 36.5 per cent of prime-time internet traffic, while 3.2 billion people in 60 countries watched Netflix content during 2015. The US-based subscription video-on-demand provider was launched in an additional 130 countries in early January 2016, which will offset slowing growth in subscriber numbers in the US. Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings has forecast that TV content will be viewed solely online within two decades. Originally published in "The Daily Telegraph".

CORPORATES
NETFLIX INCORPORATED, AMAZON STUDIOS

Murdoch’s great escape

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Neil Chenoweth
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 21-Oct-15

News Corporation’s non-voting A shares have traditionally traded higher than the B shares, which have voting rights. However, the latter traded at a 1.2 per cent premium in New York on 20 October 2015. Some 49.5 per cent of votes cast at the media group’s 2015 AGM were in favour of abolishing the dual-class share structure. The resolution was defeated by less than 900,000 shares. Scrapping the non-voting shares would have reduced the Murdoch family’s voting stake to 13.5 per cent.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, SOUTH EASTERN ASSET MANAGEMENT

Murdochs win dual-class vote

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 22 : 16-Oct-15

News Corporation shareholders have rejected a resolution to abolish its dual-class share structure at the US-based media group’s 2015 AGM in New York. Executive chairman Rupert Murdoch told the AGM that News Corp has become more profitable with a greater focus on digital media since its 2013 demerger. The group has made a number of acquisitions globally since the demerger, while it has sold a number of assets.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AMPLIFY PTY LTD, UNRULY, VIACOM INCORPORATED, CBS CORPORATION, COMCAST CORPORATION, CABLEVISION SYSTEMS CORPORATION, THE NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY, SCRIPPS NETWORKS INCORPORATED, LIBERTY MEDIA CORPORATION, UNITED STATES. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Netflix flags foray into news

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Age – Page: 23 : 16-Oct-15

US-based subscription video-on-demand provider Netflix has posted a $US29.4m ($A40.2m) profit for the September 2015 quarter, with sales totalling $US1.7bn. The number of paid subscribers rose from 62.7 million to 66 million, and the group expects this to top 70 million by the end of 2015. Meanwhile, chief content officer Ted Sarandos says a news programs is among the content that Netflix is looking to offer in coming years, although he has downplayed suggestions that it may bid for sports broadcasting rights.

CORPORATES
NETFLIX INCORPORATED, VICE MEDIA INCORPORATED, HBO

Murdoch to face shareholder revolt

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Age – Page: 40 : 14-Oct-15

News Corporation’s share structure will again come under scrutiny at the media giant’s 2015 AGM in New York. However, any resolution to abolish the dual-class structure faces a significant hurdle, as the Murdoch Family Trust holds 38.4 per cent of Class B shares, which have voting rights. Some 47.4 per cent of votes cast at the 2014 AGM were in favour of scrapping the distinction between Class B and non-voting Class A shares.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, MURDOCH FAMILY TRUST, SOUTHEASTERN ASSET MANAGEMENT INCORPORATED, NATHAN CUMMINGS FOUNDATION, LEGAL AND GENERAL ASSURANCE SOCIETY LIMITED, HERMES EQUITY OWNERSHIP SERVICES LIMITED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AMPLIFY PTY LTD, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG

Rupert Murdoch to stand down as CEO of 21st Century Fox, son James to succeed

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by
ABC News – Page: Online : 12-Jun-15

21st Century Fox has advised that James Murdoch will replace Rupert Murdoch as CEO of the US media group later in 2015 or in 2016. Rupert Murdoch will stay in the role of executive chairman, with Lachlan Murdoch as co-chairman. There has also been media speculation that Chase Carey will also stand down as president and COO of 21st Century Fox. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-12/rupert-murdoch-to-stand-down-as-ceo-of-21st-century-fox/6540286

CORPORATES
21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, FOX NEWS, CNBC, MSNBC, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SKY PLC, DOW JONES AND COMPANY

Rupert and the wolves at News Corp

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Neil Chenoweth
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 13-Feb-15

News Corporation’s succession plan does not consider the possibility of co-chairman Rupert Murdoch being incapacitated. The plan states that, on his death, four directors representing each of his adult children will assume responsibility for the company. Murdoch’s incapacity is not mentioned. The company could be an attractive takeover target, due to assets such as its stakes in REA Group and Foxtel

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, SOUTHEASTERN ASSET MANAGEMENT INCORPORATED