STREAMING VIDEO – AUSTRALIA

New media reforms to hurt Australian TV production

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Original article by Rod Myer
The New Daily – Page: Online : 9-Feb-22

The federal government’s latest media reforms will require streaming providers to invest at least five per cent of their Australian revenue in local content. This is well below the 10 per cent local content quota that the government had flagged in September 2020, while streaming services will not be penalised for failing to meet the revised quota unless Communications Minister Paul Fletcher decides to intervene. Screen Producers Australia CEO Matt Deaner is concerned that streaming services will produce local content in name only, using all-American casts to make US-style programs in Australia.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS, SCREEN PRODUCERS AUSTRALIA

Foxtel on track to top 5m subscribers

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Original article by James Madden
The Australian – Page: 13 & 20 : 1-Oct-21

Pay-TV and streaming group Foxtel currently boasts more than four million customers, and CEO Patrick Delany has told the inaugural strategy day that it aims to lift this to five million within three years. Foxtel will also target annual revenue of $3bn. Delany noted that Foxtel has been transformed from a one-product company several years ago to one with multiple revenue streams as its focus has shifted from traditional linear broadcasting to subscription video-on-demand. Some 53 per cent of Foxtel’s customers now subscribe to one of its streaming services, compared with eight per cent in 2016. Delany also said that the question of an IPO is a matter for Foxtel’s shareholders.

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FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Telstra CEO Andy Penn would support a Foxtel IPO

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Original article by David Swan, James Madden
The Australian – Page: Online : 17-Sep-21

Telstra CEO Andy Penn says the telco would retain its stake in Foxtel should the pay-TV and streaming group pursue a sharemarket float. He regards Telstra as a long-term investor in Foxtel, but concedes that its 35 per cent would most likely be diluted via an IPO. Penn adds that Telstra would be open to an IPO if it provided more opportunities for Foxtel in the future. He also says Foxtel’s focus on digitisation has allowed it to meet the challenges presented by streaming rivals such as Netflix.

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FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NETFLIX INCORPORATED

Sky News Australia denies broadcasting Covid misinformation, saying YouTube is totalitarian

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Original article by Amanda Meade
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 7-Sep-21

Sky News Australia CEO Paul Whittaker says he does not accept the suggestion that it "directly or indirectly" promoted misinformation about COVID-19. Whittaker was appearing before the Senate’s media diversity inquiry, and was responding to a question by Senator Sarah Hanson-Young. Commenting on the decision by YouTube to remove 23 Sky News videos on the grounds that they breached its medical misinformation policies, Whittaker accused YouTube of being "totalitarian".

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SKY NEWS, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED

Lachlan Murdoch asked to appear at parliamentary inquiry into YouTube’s suspension of Sky News Australia

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Original article by Amanda Meade
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 2-Sep-21

A Senate committee has invited News Corporation’s co-chairman Lachlan Murdoch to appear before an inquiry into media diversity. The inquiry has been reconvened in the wake of a recent move by YouTube to temporarily suspend Sky News Australia content from its platform for allegedly breaching its Covid misinformation policy. Sky News CEO Paul Whittaker and presenters Alan Jones, Rita Panahi and Rowan Dean have also been asked to front the inquiry. YouTube executive Leslie Miller will also appear before the inquiry.

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NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SKY NEWS, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED

ViacomCBS launches Paramount+

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Original article by Miranda Ward
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 28 : 9-Aug-21

The new Paramount+ subscription video-on-demand service will offer a range of exclusive international content and new locally-produced drama when it debuts in Australia on 11 August. ViacomCBS has also invested some $300m on sports broadcasting rights, with soccer competitions such as the A-League and W-League to be shown on both Paramount+ and the Ten Network. Unlike rival streaming services such as Stan and Binge, Paramount+ will have direct access to the output of US film and television studios.

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VIACOMCBS INCORPORATED, PARAMOUNT+, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, THE A LEAGUE PTY LTD, THE W LEAGUE PTY LTD, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, BINGE

Inconsistent YouTube rules challenged by Sky

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Original article by Sophie Elsworth
The Australian – Page: 21 : 9-Aug-21

Sky News Australia CEO Paul Whittaker has asked YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki for a clearer explanation as to why 21 of Sky’s videos were removed from its platform and why it was banned from uploading content for seven days. Whittaker contends that YouTube’s policies on COVID-19 are "internally inconsistent and incapable of compliance", while he has asked for an explanation of remarks made by YouTube to other media groups as to why Sky was suspended. YouTube was apparently quoted as saying it was suspended for "content that denies the existence of COVID-19". Whittaker says Sky absolutely rejects that suggestion.

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SKY NEWS, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED

Seven strikes gold with Games coverage

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Original article by Miranda Ward
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 28 : 9-Aug-21

The Tokyo Olympic Games have been a ratings boon for the Seven Network, with new data showing that 19.95 million Australians watched its coverage of the first 11 days of the showcase event. Viewers have also embraced Seven’s streaming coverage, watching more 4.6 billion minutes via 7plus during the first 14 days of the Olympics. Seven now boasts some 9.1 million registered users of 7plus, up from 6.4 million prior to the Olympics. Chief digital officer Gereurd Roberts says the strong growth in uptake of the free streaming service demonstrates the power of the Olympics and the success of Seven’s strategy.

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SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, 7PLUS

Sky News Australia to face Senate inquiry after week-long YouTube suspension

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Original article by Amanda Meade
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 6-Aug-21

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young wants to know why the Australian Communications & Media Authority has not taken action against Sky News Australia over the broadcasting of misinformation when YouTube has. Her query follows YouTube suspending Sky News content from its platform for seven days for breaching its medical misinformation policies. Hanson-Young chairs the Senate’s media diversity inquiry; she has recalled the inquiry during the week beginning 9 August in order to question executives from ACMA, YouTube and Sky News.

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SKY NEWS, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Sky News numbers boom in crisis

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Original article by Sophie Elsworth
The Australian – Page: 17 : 19-Jul-21

Sky News Australia CEO Paul Whittaker says many viewers have discovered the pay-TV group’s content during the pandemic and continued to watch it. He notes that a growing number of viewers are accessing Sky News content via digital platforms rather than Foxtel. An online survey undertaken by Hoop Group shows that Sky News videos were viewed 95.6 million times on YouTube in June, a year-on-year increase of 248 per cent, while viewership on Facebook rose by 170 per cent. Sky News now boasts over 1.8 million YouTube subscribers and more than 1.1 million Facebook followers.

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SKY NEWS AUSTRALIA, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, HOOP GROUP, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED