TELEVISION BROADCASTING – AUSTRALIA

No sign of dividends as Seven West seeks revenue lift, debt shrinkage

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Original article by Sam Buckingham-Jones
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 15-Feb-23

Seven West Media has posted a 2022-23 interim net profit of $114.9m, which is 4.6 per cent lower than previously. Revenue was down 0.5 per cent at $814.6m and EBITDA was 4.8 per cent lower at $205m. CEO James Warburton says the nine interest rate rises since May 2022 have had a significant impact on the advertising market, which he expects to decline to "mid to high single digits" in the second half. Meanwhile, Seven will seek cost savings of $15m to $20m, although Warburton has ruled out job cuts. Seven has cited "prevailing market conditions" for its decision to withhold paying a dividend again.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM

Millions tune in to Queen’s farewell

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Original article by Sophie Elsworth
The Australian – Page: 9 : 21-Sep-22

Data from OzTAM shows that 3.897 million Australians watched the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on free-to-air networks and Sky News Australia. The Seven Network’s coverage was watched by 975,000 viewers in metropolitan areas and 413,000 in regional areas, ahead of Nine with 879,000 viewers in capital cities and 223,000 in regional areas. Some 188,000 people watched the state funeral on Sky News. Meanwhile, the Ten Network relegated the funeral to a secondary channel, and just 185,000 people watched The Amazing Race Australia on its primary channel.

CORPORATES
OZTAM PTY LTD, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, SKY NEWS AUSTRALIA

Seven’s streaming arm fuels success

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Original article by James Madden
The Australian – Page: 19 : 27-Jun-22

Seven West Media’s 7plus broadcast video-on-demand platform recorded year-on-year growth of 57 per cent in 2021. Seven’s chief digital officer Gereurd Roberts recently indicated that 7plus accounted for 45 per cent of all BVOD streaming minutes in the free-to-air sector during the year, while Seven CEO James Warburton wants BVOD viewing numbers to be included in the official ratings data. Seven has dominated the ratings so far in 2022, winning 13 of the 17 weeks in metropolitan areas and every week in regional areas.

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

Eyeballs on the march as free-to-air TV slumps

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Original article by James Madden, Sophie Elsworth
The Australian – Page: 15 & 23 : 30-May-22

Analysis of ratings data from OzTAM highlights the decline of free-to-air television in Australia. SBS has increased its audience by 15 per cent since 2012, but viewership of the other FTA broadcasters has declined. This decline is particularly acute in the breakfast timeslot; the average weekday metropolitan audience of Seven Network’s ‘Sunrise’ was 260,650 in 2021, compared with 364,445 in 2012, while the average audience of Nine’s ‘Today’ has fallen from 334,954 to just 219,032. The increasingly crowded streaming market has accelerated the decline of FTA in recent years. However, Ben Willee of Spinach Advertising says TV is still a powerful medium for reaching audiences.

CORPORATES
OZTAM PTY LTD, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SPINACH ADVERTISING PTY LTD

Prime Media welcomes Seven, castigates the Nationals

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Original article by Miranda Ward
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 25-Nov-21

Prime Media Group’s CEO Ian Audsley says the proposed takeover by Seven West Media is in the best interests of the regional affiliate’s shareholders. He has told Prime’s AGM that digital disruption has had an "irreversible and negative" impact on traditional media businesses in regional Australia. Audsley also warned that Prime’s future would be uncertain if the merger does not proceed. In addition, he has criticised the federal government – and the National Party in particular – over its failure to pursue further media reforms.

CORPORATES
PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Nine boss doesn’t see need to buy WIN TV

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Original article by Miranda Ward
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 17-Nov-21

Nine Entertainment Company has ruled out following rival Seven West Media in seeking to acquire its regional television affiliate. Nine CEO Mike Sneesby says the media group is gaining significant benefits from its "very close commercial partnership" with WIN Corporation without the need to buy the regional affiliate. Nine recently revealed plans to integrate the two companies’ sales teams, just months after the new affiliation agreement began in mid-2021. Sneesby has also flagged a push to increase Nine’s digital presence across its business.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC,NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED,WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD,SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM,PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT

Seven West Media won’t commit to dividend timetable

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Original article by Miranda Ward
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 24 : 10-Nov-21

Seven West Media suspended its dividend payments in 2018, in order to focus on reducing debt. Chairman Kerry Stokes has told the group’s AGM that it will review its dividend policy in 2022, but he declined to make any commitment as to when dividends will resume. Stokes also defended the remuneration package of CEO James Warburton, whose total pay topped $7.6m in 2020-21; Stokes says that Warburton is paid for performance, and his pay reflected the challenges faced by Seven during the last year, including the global pandemic.

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SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM

Nine Network says Seven top with more over 65s

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Original article by Miranda Ward
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 8-Nov-21

The Seven Network has won the 2021 ratings year with a total audience share of 38.3 per cent, ahead of the Nine Network with 37.8 per cent. However, Nine claims to have won the key 25-54 age demographic with less than four weeks until the end of the ratings year. Nine’s head of television Michael Healy contends that the network has recorded significant growth year-on-year across the key demographics, while Seven’s growth of 0.9 share has been primarily in the 65+ age demographic.

CORPORATES
NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM

Seven West lobs new deal for Prime

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Original article by Sophie Elsworth
The Australian – Page: 15 : 2-Nov-21

Seven West Media is set to acquire regional broadcasting affiliate Prime Media in a $131.9m deal. The transaction will require approval from at least 50 per cent of Prime’s shareholders, and Seven West has indicated that investors who hold some 43.5 per cent of Prime’s shares have already expressed support for the deal. Seven West CEO James Warburton says the deal will extend the group’s audience reach and provide advertisers and media buyers with access to metropolitan and regional markets via a single platform. Seven’s previous bid for Prime in 2019 was blocked by key shareholders.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT

Short and sharp: Titles up, hours down 68 per cent for Aussie TV drama

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Original article by Karl Quinn
Brisbane Times – Page: Online : 25-Aug-21

New figures show that just 67 hours of adult drama was broadcast on Australia’s commercial television networks in 2019, compared with 208 hours in 1999. The number of hours of adult drama that was broadcast across all networks fell from 254 to 187 over this period; the latter figure includes streaming services. The researchers also note that each drama series had an average of seven episodes per season in 2019, compared with 21 in 1999. Veteran producer John Edwards fears that scripted television programs will continue to decline in Australia unless streaming services are legally required to invest in such content.

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