TELEVISION BROADCASTING OF SPORTS – AUSTRALIA – REGULATION

Hanson warms to media reform

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 3 : 3-Aug-17

Foxtel CEO Peter Tonagh says Amazon’s deal to acquire the exclusive British rights to ATP tour tennis rights demonstrates the need for Australia’s anti-siphoning laws to be reviewed. The Federal Government intends to reduce the number of sports events on the list as part of its broader media reform package. Meanwhile, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has signalled that the party may be open to supporting the reforms if the Government agrees to address its concerns about the package.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, SKY PLC, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Fifield targets budget for enhanced media package

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 24-Apr-17

Changes to the anti-siphoning list for sports and a reduction in TV broadcasting licence fees are expected to be included in the Australian Government’s revised cross-media ownership reform bill. The Government hopes to gain the support of independent senator Nick Xenophon for its media bill, while it is also seeking to ban gambling advertisements during live sports broadcasts. The proposed media reforms are expected to be included in the May 2017 Budget.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, THE EMIRATES MELBOURNE CUP, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Fault call on Seven charge for tennis

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 21 : 13-Dec-16

Australian Subscription Television & Radio Association CEO Andrew Maiden has expressed concern about Seven West Media’s plan to offer paid access to exclusive online content as part of its coverage of the 2017 Australian Open. Maiden has told Communications Minister Mitch Fifield that Seven’s plans are contrary to the anti-siphoning list for sports broadcasts. A Seven spokesman has stressed that all matches broadcast by the network during the 2016-17 summer can be viewed for free.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, DISCOVERY NETWORKS ASIA PACIFIC, BBC WORLDWIDE AUSTRALIA, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED

Cricket’s pitch to reduce curbs

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 23 : 12-Dec-16

Cricket Australia has declined to comment on claims that it will push for Test and limited-overs matches against less popular nations to be removed from the anti-siphoning list. Cricket Australia has previously signalled its view that some one-day international matches should be removed from the list, which requires all international cricket matches that are played in Australia to be broadcast on free-to-air TV. In contrast, pay-TV group Foxtel has exclusive rights to some AFL and NRL matches.

CORPORATES
CRICKET AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN

Anti-siphoning list: rethink on the table

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 23 : 28-Nov-16

The Australian Government may consider changes to the anti-siphoning list for sports broadcasts as part of its broader cross-media ownership reforms. Cricket Australia wants some one-day international matches to be removed from the anti-siphoning list, while Foxtel also advocates reform. Meanwhile, a further reduction in TV broadcasting licence fees is now more likely to be made in 2017. There had been speculation that the cuts may have been included in the mid-year budget update.

CORPORATES
CRICKET AUSTRALIA, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED

Anti-siphoning rules ‘rob sport’

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 7-Sep-16

Fox Sports CEO Patrick Delany says the pay-TV channel and Foxtel have invested $A1.2bn in sports over the last four years, and he argues that many sports would not be viable without this contribution. Delany has criticised the anti-siphoning list, noting that Foxtel cannot buy the exclusive rights to 1,800 sports events yet telcos and streaming video providers have no such restrictions. He also notes that the Seven Network bought the rights to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games and proceeded to charge for premium content that was streamed online.

CORPORATES
FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, SUPER RUGBY, THE A LEAGUE PTY LTD, V8 SUPERCARS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Reforms could curb sport on free TV: Seven

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 1-Apr-16

Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner has cautioned the Australian Government against taking a "piecemeal" approach to media reform. He has told a Senate committee that relaxing cross-media ownership laws could allow the Ten Network to be acquired by pay-TV group Foxtel. This in turn could eventually result in more sporting events being removed from the anti-siphoning list and shown exclusively on pay-TV. Worner has also called for broadcasting licence fees to be scrapped or reduced.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, V8 SUPERCARS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NOVA ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, ILLYRIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Pay TV seeks early rounds of World Cup soccer in sport rights shake-up

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 32 : 15-Feb-16

The Australian Subscription Television & Radio Association will lobby Communications Minister Mitch Fifield to remove some sports events from the anti-siphoning list. These include all non-Socceroos matches in the group stages of the soccer World Cup. ASTRA CEO Andrew Maiden notes that many sporting events are not of "national importance and cultural significance" and attract low ratings on free-to-air TV, and therefore should be removed from the list.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION, WORLD CUP, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED

TV networks split on reform

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 29-Sep-15

The issue of Australia’s cross-media ownership laws is again under scrutiny, with further dissent among major TV broadcasters. Nine Entertainment Company and Prime Media Group say they will support relaxing the rules governing sports broadcasts in return for changes to the ownership regime. However, Seven West Media and Ten Network oppose any move to reduce the number of sports on the anti-siphoning list. Communications Minister Mitch Fifield plans to review the list.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS AUSTEREO PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CROSBY TEXTOR RESEARCH STRATEGIES RESULTS PTY LTD, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, IMPARJA TELEVISION PTY LTD