PUBLISHING OF – AUSTRALIA

Seven West open to closer News Corp ties

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 22-Aug-18

Seven West Media has posted a 2017-18 net profit of $135.8m, following a $744.3m loss in the previous financial year. Revenue was 3.2 per cent lower at $1.6bn and underlying EBIT fell 9.9 per cent to $235.6m, while Seven forecasts growth in underlying EBIT of 5-10 per cent in 2018-19. CEO Tim Worner says Seven may seek to strengthen its commercial partnerships or forge new deals in the wake of Nine Entertainment’s proposed merger with Fairfax Media. He notes that Seven already has an alliance with News Corp, but he has downplayed suggestions of a merger.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, YAHOO!7 COMMUNICATIONS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MARTIN CURRIE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT

Wilson confident she can defeat Bauer Media appeal over payout

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Original article by Broede Carmody
The Age – Page: 5 : 20-Apr-18

Bauer Media is challenging the size of its payout to actress Rebel Wilson after a Victorian jury found in 2017 that it had defamed her. Justice John Dixon awarded Wilson damages of $A4.5 million, which Bauer is now contesting in the Court of Appeal. Media is not challenging the judgment, but only the amount, which it claims is "manifestly excessive". It is also contesting Justice Dixon’s finding that Wilson should be compensated for roles she claims to have missed out on because of its actions, claiming that there was insufficient evidence on this issue.

CORPORATES
BAUER MEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, COURT OF APPEAL (VICTORIA), FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Wilson, Bauer quibble over costs

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Original article by Adam Cooper
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 16 : 9-Mar-18

The Supreme Court of Victoria has been told that a cost consultant has estimated that Bauer Media should be liable for about $A1.12m of the legal costs incurred by Hollywood star Rebel Wilson in a lengthy defamation lawsuit. Wilson’s legal costs arising from the case were around $A1.4m in total, and she is seeking to recover $A1.3m in costs from Bauer, in addition to the $A4.56m in damages it was ordered to pay after losing the defamation case.

CORPORATES
BAUER MEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA

Seven not seeking legal costs from Harrison

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 28-Feb-18

The long-running legal dispute between Seven West Media and former employee Amber Harrison has returned to court. Seven alleges that Harrison was in contempt of court by posting tweets about the media group despite being subject to a suppression order. Seven is seeking a declaration to this effect from the Supreme Court of New South Wales, although sources have indicated that the company is unlikely to enforce a costs order against her. Harrison left the media group in the wake of an affair with CEO Tim Worner.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES, PACIFIC MAGAZINES PTY LTD, DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Seven not seeking legal costs from Harrison

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 28-Feb-18

The long-running legal dispute between Seven West Media and former employee Amber Harrison has returned to court. Seven alleges that Harrison was in contempt of court by posting tweets about the media group despite being subject to a suppression order. Seven is seeking a declaration to this effect from the Supreme Court of New South Wales, although sources have indicated that the company is unlikely to enforce a costs order against her. Harrison left the media group in the wake of an affair with CEO Tim Worner.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES, PACIFIC MAGAZINES PTY LTD, DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Seven douses talk of deal with Fairfax

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 19 : 19-Sep-17

Sources close to Seven West Media have rejected speculation that a merger with Fairfax Media is under consideration, stating that no deal is imminent. Recent media reports suggested that Fairfax is courting the TV and print media group, but the Seven source said Fairfax may be merely seeking to attract interest from other media companies. Fairfax had previously held discussions with Nine Entertainment Company, its partner in the Stan streaming video joint venture.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, HT&E LIMITED – ASX HT1, AUSTRALIAN RADIO NETWORK PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, CBS CORPORATION, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, SHOWTIME, TPG CAPITAL LP, DOMAIN.COM.AU

Fairfax meets Seven; Nine talks on ice

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 18-Sep-17

Fairfax Media and Seven West Media have declined to comment on suggestions that they commenced discussions regarding a potential merger prior to the recent passage of the Federal Government’s cross-media ownership reforms. Sources have stressed that any such talks are preliminary and may not result in a deal. However, a key issue could be Seven’s long-term debt of more than $A800m. Fairfax had previously held talks with Nine Entertainment Company, and the two had been widely touted as merger candidates if media laws were relaxed.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, PACIFIC MAGAZINES PTY LTD, WEST AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPERS HOLDINGS LIMITED, MACQUARIE MEDIA LIMITED – ASX MRN, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, DOMAIN.COM.AU, TPG CAPITAL LP, HELLMAN AND FRIEDMAN

Wilson’s payout is a warning to media: lawyers

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Original article by Katie Walsh
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 14-Sep-17

Bauer Media has been ordered to pay Rebel Wilson a record $A4.56m in damages over a series of magazine articles that were found to have been defamatory. The Hollywood actress had alleged that the articles published in "Woman’s Day" and on its website had caused her to miss out on securing film roles in the US. Stuart Gibson of law Mills Oakley says the payout will ensure that media companies check their facts thoroughly before publishing "salacious" articles.

CORPORATES
BAUER MEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BAUER MEDIA KG, MILLS OAKLEY LAWYERS PTY LTD, SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA, MADGWICKS, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Harrison found liable to pay Seven’s costs

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Original article by Misa Han
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 18-Jul-17

Seven West Media is unlikely to enforce a costs order against former employee Amber Harrison provided she complies with a non-disclosure agreement. The Supreme Court of New South Wales has ruled that Harrison must pay Seven’s legal costs on an indemnity basis. Justice John Sacker said that Seven had incurred
"unnecessary and significant legal costs" due to Harrison’s
"unreasonable" actions in pursuing legal action against the media group.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES

‘I wouldn’t apologise for 50k,’ Harrison warns Seven

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Original article by Misa Han
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 10-Jul-17

Seven West Media is believed to have incurred legal costs of more than $A1m in its dispute with former employee Amber Harrison. Seven will seek to recover its full legal costs after insisting that Harrison must issue a public apology as part of a deal to settle the case. Harrison had offered to abandon legal action against Seven and accept a permanent suppression order, but with no apology or payment from Seven. The media group had offered to pay her $A50,000 to settle the dispute.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, JOHNSON WINTER AND SLATTERY, AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA