NEWSPAPER PUBLISHING – AUSTRALIA

Fairfax’s Hywood reassures nervous investors on print

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 29-Feb-16

Fairfax Media CEO Greg Hywood has downplayed concerns that the group could discontinue the print editions of its metropolitan newspapers. He argues that in addition to revenue from advertising and subscribers, newspapers allow Fairfax to boost audiences for digital assets such as Domain and Drive. He adds that any shift to a digital-only model would not have a significant financial impact on Fairfax, due to the cost savings achieved in its print business in recent years.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, DOMAIN.COM.AU, DRIVE.COM.AU, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Hywood delivers frank verdict on future of newspapers

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Original article by Dominic White
The Age – Page: 27 : 22-Feb-16

Fairfax Media CEO Greg Hywood says the group is committed to "quality journalism", but concedes that this may not necessarily include print newspapers in the future. However, he has downplayed suggestions that Fairfax may discontinue its print editions in the near-term, noting that a rival media group has been forecasting this for several years. Fairfax recently revealed plans for an editorial restructuring.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Stop the presses: Kennett fears digital Age

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Original article by Chip Le Grand, Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 18-Feb-16

Fairfax Media has rejected suggestions that a restructuring of its newsrooms could result in its Sydney office assuming greater control over the editorial content of Melbourne’s "The Age". Ex-Victorian premier Jeff Kennett and a former editor of "The Age", Bruce Guthrie, have expressed concern that the changes may lead to the print edition being discontinued in favour of a digital-only business model.

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FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, THE BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP PTY LTD, BAIN AND COMPANY

Fairfax about-face to cost 70 jobs at NZ subsidiary

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Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 21 : 17-Feb-16

Fairfax Media subsidiary Pagemasters will resume responsibility for subediting and production work on the group’s Australian metropolitan newspapers. The work was shifted to Fairfax Editorial Services in New Zealand in 2014, which prompted concern among journalists about quality control issues. The latest move is aimed at reducing costs and will result in the loss of about 70 jobs at Fairfax’s New Zealand division.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, PAGEMASTERS PTY LTD, FAIRFAX EDITORIAL SERVICES

Fairfax modelled a future with no newspapers and 40pc fewer journos

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 15-Feb-16

Fairfax Media is tipped to reveal a significant restructuring program in 2016, aimed at reducing costs. Internal documents produced in early 2013 estimate that the media group could shed 205 full-time members of its editorial team by discontinuing the print editions of "The Age" and "The Sydney Morning Herald". Meanwhile, publishing print editions of these mastheads only on Saturdays would enable Fairfax to cut 150 editorial positions.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, PAGEMASTERS PTY LTD, AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS

Roy Morgan Newspaper Print Readership and Cross-Platform Audience Results for December 2015

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 4-Feb-16

Roy Morgan Research has released its Print Readership and seven-day Cross-Platform Audience results for Australian newspapers for the year to December 2015. Readership of the weekday edition of "The Age" has fallen by 16.1 per cent, while readership of the Saturday and Sunday editions fell by 15.4 per cent and 19 per cent respectively. However, readership of the weekend edition of "The Australian Financial Review" increased by 25.2 per cent. "Smart Investor" had the highest growth in readership of newspaper inserted magazines. Meanwhile, 10 of the 14 major mastheads expanded their digital reach in 2015, as more Australians accessed newspaper content via website or app. Roy Morgan Research CEO Michele Levine says Ro Morgan Audiences is a game-changing new tool that can measure and evaluate unique digital audiences across devices, and provide owners and advertisers with twice-daily updates on who has been reached, how many times, via which of their devices.

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ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Murdoch pays tribute as agenda-setting editor retires

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 2 : 3-Dec-15

The editor of Sydney’s "The Daily Telegraph", Paul Whittaker, will succeed Chris Mitchell as editor-in-chief of "The Australian". Mitchell has been in the role since 2002, after a previous three-year stint as editor of the national broadsheet. News Corporation’s co-chairman Rupert Murdoch, as well as News Corp Australia executive chairman Michael Miller and CEO Peter Tonagh, have praised Mitchell’s contribution to the media group’s flagship Australian newspaper.

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NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, QUEENSLAND NEWSPAPERS PTY LTD

Fairfax investor Waislitz backs cuts

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Original article by Damon Kitney
The Australian – Page: 23 : 25-Nov-15

Media reports have suggested that News Corp Australia intends to retrench 55 journalists, while there is speculation that further job cuts are planned at Fairfax Media. Businessman Alex Waislitz does not expect the quality of journalism to be affected by the job cuts, and he argues that it is essential for companies in "sunset industries" to reduce costs in order to survive. Waislitz holds around two per cent of Fairfax’s shares via Thorney Investment Group and Thorney Opportunities Limited.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, THORNEY INVESTMENT GROUP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, THORNEY OPPORTUNITIES LIMITED – ASX TOP, DOMAIN.COM.AU, IANGELS

Fairfax faces FWC over role ‘made redundant during maternity leave’

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 26 : 16-Nov-15

Fairfax Media has declined to comment on allegations that it retrenched consumer marketing director Vicki Aristidopoulos shortly before she was due to return from maternity leave. Aristidopoulos has lodged a general protections application with the Fair Work Commission, claiming that she was not consulted by Fairfax prior to being offered a redundancy package in October 2015. Her redundancy followed a restructuring at Fairfax.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, FINANCIAL REVIEW GROUP, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS

Turnbull moves to dump reach rule

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Original article by Darren Davidson, Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 23 : 9-Nov-15

The issue of changes to cross-media ownership laws is expected to be the agenda for federal cabinet ministers in coming weeks, with the "reach rule" likely to be scrapped. Communications Minister Mitch Fifield also favours abolishing the "two-out-of-three" rule, although this may be opposed by the Australian Labor Party. The government is also believed to have agreed to abolish TV broadcasters’ licence fees, as the emergence of subscription video-on-demand services has reduced the value of these licences.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED