TELEVISION – PRODUCTION AND DIRECTION – AUSTRALIA

Hutchy’s merger with radio network

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Australian – Page: 18 : 9-Jan-18

Australian-listed Pacific Star Networks has revealed plans to merge with TV and radio sports content group Crocmedia, which was co-founded by sports broadcaster Craig Hutchison. Crocmedia currently supplies content to Pacific Star Network’s sports-focused radio station in Melbourne, 1116 SEN. Hutchison will become CEO and MD of Pacific Star Network if the merger is approved by shareholders in March.

CORPORATES
PACIFIC STAR NETWORK LIMITED – ASX PNW, CROCMEDIA PTY LTD, SEN 1116 AM

Seven production head Brad Lyons takes redundancy

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Australian – Page: Online : 1-Dec-17

Seven’s director of production Brad Lyons will leave the television station at the end of 2017, after he opted to take a voluntary redundancy. Lyons joined Seven in 1997, with "Dancing with the Stars", "My Kitchen Rules", and "The Amazing Race Australia" just some of the programs he has been involved with. CEO Tim Worner noted that Lyons was held in high regard by both Australian and overseas production firms, and that he had made an "outstanding contribution" to Seven.

CORPORATES
SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED

TV networks face slug for local content fund

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 15-Aug-17

The Australian Government is continuing to hold talks with Senate crossbenchers regarding its cross-media reform bill, which is slated to be debated on 15 August. The Greens remain open to negotiation, and the party has proposed that TV networks should be required to contribute to a "local content fund". This was a key recommendation of the Convergence Review in 2012. The Greens’ Sarah Hanson-Young has also advocated an increase in funding for the ABC and SBS, while One Nation wants their funding to be reduced.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

Local content slides at ABC

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Original article by Stephen Brook
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 11-Jul-17

New figures show that the ABC produced 52 hours of drama in 2015-16, compared with 69 in 2012-13, while its output of factual programs fell from 547 hour to just 87. The ABC’s content budget fell by nine per cent over the four-year period. The ABC’s former head of TV, Kim Dalton, has claimed in the past that local content has become a lower priority for the public broadcaster since he stepped down in 2013. The ABC argues that it broadcasts more Australian-made content than its commercial rivals, and it should not be subject to local content quotas.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SCREEN PRODUCERS AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN FILM COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED

Foxtel, Village’s landmark win to block pirates

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Original article by Jake Mitchell, David Swan
The Australian – Page: 19 & 22 : 16-Dec-16

The Federal Court of Australia has ruled that ISP must block access to five illegal file-sharing websites within 15 days. Foxtel and Village Roadshow had launched separate legal proceedings in a bid to combat the pirating of films and TV shows. Village Roadshow’s joint CEO Graham Burke has welcomed the judgment, arguing that the local film and TV production industry would collapse if action is not taken against such websites. Foxtel and Village Roadshow will have to pay the ISPs’ costs for blocking the infringing sites.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, VILLAGE ROADSHOW LIMITED – ASX VRL, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, IINET LIMITED, M2 GROUP LIMITED, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, WARNER BROS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, ASHURST AUSTRALIA

Calls for Netflix to invest in local industry

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 12-Dec-16

Netflix will provide some financing for the second series of ABC drama "Glitch", but Screen Producers Australia CEO Matthew Deaner argues that overseas subscription video-on-demand companies should invest more in local film and TV content. In 2012, the Convergence Review recommended the introduction of a "uniform content scheme", while the European Union has proposed minimum local content requirements for SVOD providers.

CORPORATES
SCREEN PRODUCERS AUSTRALIA, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, BEYOND PRODUCTIONS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS

Homegrown mini-series driving a ratings resurgence at Foxtel

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 23 & 25 : 12-Dec-16

Pay-TV company Foxtel has invested heavily in the production of local dramas in 2016. This commitment has paid off, with Foxtel recording ratings growth and a number of Australian Academy of Cinema & Television Arts awards. Brian Walsh, Foxtel’s executive director of television, is upbeat about the outlook for 2017, but he concedes that competition for viewers will intensify. In addition to a slate of local productions, Foxtel will also have exclusive content from HBO in the US.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF CINEMA AND TELEVISION ARTS, HBO, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, AMAZON PRIME VIDEO, BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS

Guthrie defends Netflix, ABC deal

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 17-Nov-16

ABC MD Michelle Guthrie has defended the public broadcaster’s deal to produce a second series of drama "Glitch" in partnership with Netflix. She has told the Screen Forever conference that ABC viewers now expect drama shows to have the same production values as those produced by subscription video-on-demand services, and notes that producing such content is becoming increasingly expensive. The co-production deal will give Netflix global streaming rights to "Glitch".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, MATCHBOX PICTURES PTY LTD, FILM VICTORIA, AMC NETWORKS, SUNDANCE TV

Foxtel’s Tonagh looks within for TV content

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Original article by David Swan
The Australian – Page: 22 : 17-Nov-16

Pay-TV group Foxtel could start producing its programs in-house instead of simply licensing them, according to CEO Peter Tonagh. He says the cost of Foxtel’s content is continuing to rise, adding that the company intends to redirect more of its expenditure to exclusive content. Tonagh has also told the Screen Forever conference that there has been an increase in Foxtel subscriptions over the last 12 months, while Netflix subscriptions have fallen. He added that some consumers have cancelled their Netflix or Stan subscription after signing up to Foxtel.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, HBO

ABC Netflix deal angers rivals

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 23 & 25 : 7-Nov-16

An ABC spokesman has defended the public broadcaster’s decision to produce a second series of drama "Glitch" in partnership with Netflix. The US-based subscription video-on-demand provider is believed to be contributing about 15 per cent of the production costs. Netflix will stream the series outside of the Australian market at the same time as it is broadcast by the ABC. The deal has been questioned by Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner and Nine Entertainment Company CEO Hugh Marks.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, FILM VICTORIA, NBC UNIVERSAL INCORPORATED