NEWSPAPER PUBLISHING – AUSTRALIA

AFP raid on journo’s home trespass

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Original article by Olivia Caisley
The Australian – Page: 7 : 13-Nov-19

The High Court has been told that a warrant to search a News Corp Australia journalist’s home was invalid as it did not state the exact nature of her alleged offence. The lawyer representing Annika Smethurst also alleged that the Australian Federal Police’s search warrant infringed the implied freedom of political communication. Stephen Lloyd SC said the AFP should be either forced to delete any files it had extracted from Smethurst’s mobile phone during the raid in June, or be subject to a court order preventing any use of those files.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NATIONWIDE NEWS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN SIGNALS DIRECTORATE

15.4 million Australians read newspapers in print or online

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 1-Nov-19

Roy Morgan has released the latest readership results for Australian newspapers, for the 12 months to September 2019. Now 15.4 million Australians aged 14+ (74%) read or access newspapers in an average seven-day period via print or online, a fall of 3.7 per cent from a year ago. The standout performer over the past year is again ‘The Australian Financial Review’, which increased its total cross-platform readership by 17.1 per cent to 1,599,000; this was driven by a substantial increase in its digital audience (up 24.6 per cent to 1,359,000). ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’ is still Australia’s most widely-read masthead, with a cross-platform audience of 4,209,000, which is virtually unchanged on a year ago. Meanwhile, ‘Good Weekend’ remains Australia’s most widely-read newspaper inserted magazine, with print readership of 825,000 (down 25.2 per cent over the last year). These are the latest findings from the Roy Morgan Single Source survey of 49,462 Australians aged 14+ in the 12 months to September 2019.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Secrecy law a burden: HRC

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Original article by Nicola Berkovic
The Australian – Page: 5 : 18-Oct-19

Details of submissions to News Corp Australia’s legal challenge to the validity of a police raid on the home of journalist Annika Smethurst have been released. The Australian Human Rights Commission’s submission has broadly supported News Corp’s stance, although it has taken a different legal approach to the issue, arguing that secrecy laws limit the freedom of political expression. Constitutional law expert George Williams, says the two approaches could both support the media group’s view that the raid on Smethurst was unlawful.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Nine fights tech giants with new ad model

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 17-Oct-19

Nine Entertainment Company has used its annual ‘upfronts’ to reveal that it will adopt a cost per completed view model for advertising across its digital platforms. Clients will be charged only if a video ad is viewed in full. The move is aimed at technology giants Facebook and Google, which have attracted scrutiny over their own advertising policies. Nine has also advised that it has amalgamated the data that has been gathered across its digital platforms.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED

Carnegie finally tunes out of Macquarie

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 17 & 28 : 8-Oct-19

Nine Entertainment Company has reached the 90 per cent threshold to compulsorily acquire Macquarie Media, after venture capitalist Mark Carnegie accepted the offer of $1.46 per share. Carnegie says he had no option other than agreeing to the Nine deal, and he adds that radio – and news talk radio in particular – is a powerful media that will be a good fit for Nine’s other media assets. Nine CEO Hugh Marks has also stressed the power of talk radio and says he is looking forward to working with the Macquarie team.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, MACQUARIE MEDIA LIMITED – ASX MRN, WILSON ASSET MANAGEMENT, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED

Reforms to level media playing field

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 4-Oct-19

Traditional and digital media companies will be subject to the same regulatory regime under changes proposed by the federal government. Any reforms arising from the review of the regulatory regime are expected to be implemented in stages, as recommended by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission in the final report of its Digital Platforms Inquiry. Potential reforms could include imposing local content obligation on subscription video-on-demand services and increasing the producer tax offset for TV shows.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, AMAZON PRIME VIDEO, DISNEY+

Nine closes in on Macquarie

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 19 : 2-Oct-19

Nine Entertainment Company has lifted its stake in Macquarie Media to 88.78 per cent, with its offer of $1.46 per share due to close on 14 October. The support of Wilson Asset Management and Mark Carnegie – with Macquarie stakes of 2.9 per cent and 3.6 per cent respectively – remain crucial to whether Nine passes the 90 per cent threshold to trigger compulsory acquisition. Macquarie broadcaster Alan Jones also has a one per cent stake in the company, and advertising veteran John Singleton expects him to accept the offer.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, MACQUARIE MEDIA LIMITED – ASX MRN, WILSON ASSET MANAGEMENT

Radio deal not over till the fat lady sings

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 19 : 24-Sep-19

Wilson Asset Management holds a stake of about 2.91 per cent in Macquarie Media. WAM chairman Geoff Wilson believes that Nine Entertainment’s offer of $1.46 per share undervalues the takeover target, and that Macquarie’s independent board committee should seek a better deal. He contends that the committee must act in the best interests of minority shareholders rather than merely large investors. Wilson believes that a higher offer for Macquarie may yet emerge before Nine’s bid closes on 14 October.

CORPORATES
MACQUARIE MEDIA LIMITED – ASX MRN, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, WILSON ASSET MANAGEMENT

$80m deal: Singleton sells out of radio after 60-year career

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Original article by Zoe Samios
The Australian – Page: 1 : 23-Sep-19

Nine Entertainment Company’s hopes of gaining full ownership of Macquarie Media have been boosted after John Singleton advised that he will accept the offer of $1.46 per share unless a higher bid emerges. The advertising industry veteran has a 32.2 per cent stake in the owner of radio stations such as 2GB and 3AW, and he will gain about $80m from the transaction. Singleton says he may invest in the media sector in the future, but he adds that breeding horses and canaries are now his top priority.

CORPORATES
MACQUARIE MEDIA LIMITED – ASX MRN, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED, 2GB, 3AW SOUTHERN CROSS RADIO PTY LTD

Always independent? Lapping it up with the Libs has Fairfax throwbacks foaming

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 4-Sep-19

Nine Entertainment Company’s newspaper journalists have criticised the media group for hosting a fundraising event for the Liberal Party. They contend that the event has undermined the newspapers’ charters of editorial independence, arguing that ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’, ‘The Age’ and ‘The Australian Financial Review’ had been politically impartial under the ownership of Fairfax Media. Senior federal government ministers and business leaders were amongst those who attended the event, which raised $700,000 for the Liberal Party.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE