NEWSPAPER PUBLISHING – AUSTRALIA

APN cautious about bold step

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 21-May-15

APN News & Media does not expect its revenue to be significantly affected by plans to paywall the websites of its regional newspapers in Queensland. CEO Michael Miller notes that Australian consumers have become used to paying for digital content. The paywalled news sites will use a metered model, whereby a limited number of articles can be read each month without a subscription.

CORPORATES
APN NEWS AND MEDIA LIMITED – ASX APN, ALLAN GRAY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, GANNETT, JOHNSTON PRESS PLC

Murdoch eyes radio assets in APN play

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Original article by Dominic White, Sarah Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 20-Mar-15

Independent News & Media (INM) and Baycliffe have exited the share register of Australian-listed APN News & Media. INM netted about $A180m for its 191 million shares, while Baycliffe offloaded 125 million shares for $A117m. Meanwhile, News Corporation has built a 14.99 per cent stake in APN, although under existing media ownership laws it is prohibited from increasing this. APN shares were placed in a trading halt at $A0.94 on 19 March 2015

CORPORATES
APN NEWS AND MEDIA LIMITED – ASX APN, INDEPENDENT NEWS AND MEDIA PLC, BAYCLIFFE LIMITED, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NOVA ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, KIIS1065, AUSTRALIAN RADIO NETWORK PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, 101.7 WS-FM, NOVA 96.9 PTY LTD, SMOOTHFM, 2DAY FM AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NZME, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, ALLAN GRAY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Hockey claim for ‘substantial’ damages in Fairfax case

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Original article by Marianna Papadakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 18-Mar-15

The defamation case brought by Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey against Fairfax Media continued on 17 March 2015. Hockey is being represented by Bruce McClintock, SC, who told the court that in addition to general damages his client should receive aggravated damages. McClintock argued that the three Fairfax newspapers that published the allegedly defamatory articles should be treated separately in any assessment of general damages

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, NORTH SYDNEY FORUM, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Long-form journalism proves a hit

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 23-Feb-15

Data from Roy Morgan Research shows that readership of "The Saturday Paper" rose to 99,000 in the second half of 2014. Schwartz Media CEO Rebecca Costello says the print edition of the weekly newspaper now boasts more than 20,000 subscribers. Founding editor Erik Jensen says he believed that there was demand for a weekend newspaper with a focus on long-form journalism. The newspaper celebrates its first anniversary on 1 March 2015

CORPORATES
SCHWARTZ MEDIA PTY LTD, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, SPINACH ADVERTISING PTY LTD, BANK OF MELBOURNE LIMITED, MERCEDES-BENZ AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ROLEX WATCHES AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Fairfax unveils buyback surprise

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Original article by Max Mason, Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 20-Feb-15

Australian-listed Fairfax Media has reported a 2014-15 interim underlying net profit of $A86m, which is 0.6 per cent lower than previously. Revenue from operations fell by 12.9 per cent to $A943.3m, while the media group will undertake an on-market share buyback over the next 12 months. It plans to repurchase up to 121 million shares, which equates to five per cent of the stock on issue

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, DOMAIN.COM.AU, CITIGROUP PTY LTD

Murdoch’s bet on newspapers pays off: once silted, the river is flowing again

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 22 : 7-Nov-14

The first quarter 2014-15 net income of Australian-listed media group News Corporation has come in at $US65m ($A75m), up from $US27m previously. Revenue also grew 4% to reach $US2.15bn, and EBITDA rose 21% to $US170m. While the revenue of the print assets across the globe fell 3% to $US1.45bn, this was compensated for by the good performance of new digital ventures. The 62% stake held by News in online real estate classifieds business REA Group was a factor. On 6 November 2014 News stock closed $A1.12 higher at $A18.08

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, MOVE INCORPORATED, HARLEQUIN MILLS AND BOON, CITIGROUP PTY LTD

Rinehart in secret talks on Fairfax

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Original article by Sharri Markson
The Australian – Page: 19 : 10-Sep-14

A spokesman for mining magnate Gina Rinehart has downplayed speculation that she is planning to make a takeover bid for Fairfax Media. Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting holds a 14.99 per cent stake in the media group, and it has been revealed that she held talks with Matt Handbury regarding a bid for Fairfax in 2012. Handbury sold Murdoch Magazines in 2004 and Murdoch Books in 2012

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, HANCOCK PROSPECTING PTY LTD, MURDOCH MAGAZINES PTY LTD, MURDOCH BOOKS PTY LTD, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, ALLEN AND UNWIN PTY LTD

Fairfax-Nine rumours quashed

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 27-Aug-14

The combined stake of 36% in Nine Entertainment held by US-based hedge funds Oaktree Capital and Apollo Global Management will come out of escrow on 28 August 2014. There have been claims in News Corporation newspaper "The Australian" that rival publisher Fairfax Media is preparing to acquire a major holding in Nine. However due to current cross-media ownership laws it would only be able to purchase 14.99% of the free-to-air TV group, and Fairfax has rejected the speculation

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, OAKTREE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC, APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT LLC, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, CITIGROUP PTY LTD

Generational shift may end print: Murdoch

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 14-Jul-14

The co-chair of News Corporation, Rupert Murdoch, has commented on the future of print media in Australia. He was interviewed by Paul Kelly, editor at large at newspaper "The Australian". Murdoch, who had set up the new publication in 1964, said he was not certain that it would still exist in a format other than the digital version when it turns 70. He noted that younger readers prefer online newspapers, and that these also offer the opportunity to embed video content. Murdoch added that "The Australian" had often struggled to make a profit

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Hywood defends strategy amid online disruption

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Original article by Stefanie Balogh
The Australian – Page: 23 : 2-Jul-14

The audience at an event staged at the Australian National University by Fairfax Media’s "The Australian Financial Review" on 1 July 2014 heard from Greg Hywood. The Fairfax CEO argued that the recent closing of newspaper printing plants in Melbourne and Sydney was an example of positive digital disruption, as more readers can now be reached via smartphone apps and web pages with the same content at a fraction of the capital cost. Hywood says the move had effectively saved Fairfax $A599.2m. The outlook for its long-term debt rating of "BB+" has also been lifted by credit ratings agency Standard & Poor’s, from "negative" to "stable"

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, STANDARD AND POOR’S (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY