The TV rights thread part II

[NRL-TGG]

Well done Gallop for negotiating a deal last time around, making it virtually impossible to unbundle the rights. All this and we still paid unders last time.

This man should not be the CEO moving forward.

He must be made to pay for this.

Geez, wait until we see what happens before you kill anyone off.

 

[Brutus]

Geez, wait until we see what happens before you kill anyone off.

We've waited long enough.

 

[Perth Red]

sadly for some of us Fox is the only option to watch NRL.

 

[bobmar28]

sadly for some of us Fox is the only option to watch NRL.

Hopefully that is about to change. League should be on digital channels in the southern states for the next TV rights contract.

 

[juro]

Is Perth in a southern state now???

 

[El Diablo]

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-new...es-debt-matter-for-owners-20111109-1n6nf.html

Gyngell - Nine's debt matter for owners
November 9, 2011 - 1:49PM

AAP

Nine Entertainment chief executive David Gyngell says the company's debt is a matter for shareholders, not management.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the ninemsn digital marketing summit in Sydney on Wedneday, Mr Gyngell said Nine was a well-run business and the Channel Nine television network was going to stay on air regardless of who ultimately owned the company.

"Clearly, there are some shareholder challenges and shareholders are going to have to sort those challenges out," Mr Gyngell said.

"We will support them to sort those out wherever possible. But, it's really a shareholder issue. It's not a company issue for management to take care of."

Earlier this week, it was reported that Nine's auditors, Ernst & Young, said in the company's 2010/11 accounts "a renegotiation of terms, sale waiver, recapitalisation or the sale of assets could be necessary" in the year ahead for Nine to meet one of its debt covenants.

Nine Entertainment was bought by private equity firm CVC Asia Pacific in 2006 and holds about $3.66 billion of debt due to be refinanced between 2013 and 2014.

It owns, among other properties, the Channel Nine television network in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

It is also a joint-venture partner in the ninemsn network of websites with Microsoft and magazine publisher ACP.

Mr Gyngell said Nine Entertainment was targeting $420 million of earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in 2011/12.

Nine posted EBITDA of $400.8 million in 2010/11, according to a report of the company's accounts in The Australian Financial Review newspaper on Tuesday.

"You don't have to be a rocket scientist to work out Channel Nine will still be going to air in one year, two years, three years time, no matter who are the owners," Mr Gyngell said.

"My role will be to ensure I protect those businesses to the best of my ability."

Earlier this year, there was speculation Nine was preparing to launch an IPO (initial public offer), but that never eventuated as global market conditions deteriorated.

Mr Gyngell said it would be tough to get a float away in the current environment "unless it was a float that was because the shareholders decided that that was the best outcome".

"The market is not ready for a float, any float," Mr Gyngell said.

He also said the company's magazine titles, which include The Australian Women's Weekly, Woman's Day, Australian Gourmet Traveller, madison and GRAZIA, were not for sale, adding he believed there were more valuable together.

"Some of the stories about our magazines and those sorts of things are just not true," Mr Gyngell said.

"Breaking them up doesn't actually bring any shareholder value."

© 2011 AAP

 

[El Diablo]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...ief-to-take-over/story-e6freuy9-1226190395265

News Limited chair John Hartigan to step down, Foxtel chief to take over

News Limited newspapers
November 09, 2011 4:16PM

NEWS Limited Chairman and CEO John Hartigan will step down after 41 years with the company, Rupert Murdoch announced today.

He will be replaced by Foxtel CEO Kim Williams AM.

Mr Richard Freudenstein, currently Chief Executive Officer of The Australian and News Limited’s digital media business, News Digital Media, has been appointed Chief Executive of FOXTEL.

The appointments are effective December 5.

In a tribute to Mr Hartigan, Mr Murdoch said: “John’s decision ends a distinguished 41 year career with News in which he has given us exemplary service and incredible leadership.

"John has been an outstanding reporter, an editor with few peers and an inspiring executive. Few people have contributed as much as John to the quality of journalism in Australia. He has earned enormous respect among both colleagues and competitors.

"I thank John for contributing so much to our company and applaud his great integrity and immense talent as a journalist and an executive,” said Mr Murdoch.

Mr Kim Williams AM, takes over as Chief Executive Officer of News Limited after a highly successful career spanning free to air and pay television, film and music production and the arts.

He has been Chief Executive Officer of FOXTEL since December 2001. Prior to that, he was Chief Executive of a number of major Australian media businesses including Fox Studios Australia, Southern Star Entertainment and the Australian Film Commission. He was also previously a senior executive at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Kim Williams has been Chairman of the Sydney Opera House since 2005. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2006.

 

[El Diablo]

i woder if this is good or bad?

Williams hated RL and was never keen to pay for it

dunno about this Freudenstein fella

 

[duylm]

http://www.newsdigitalmedia.com.au/about-us/management-team/richard-freudenstein

Chief Executive Officer - News Digital Media and The Australian

Richard Freudenstein is the chief executive officer of News Limited’s digital business, News Digital Media and The Australian, Australia’s only national broadsheet newspaper.
Mr Freudenstein was appointed Chief Executive Officer of News Digital Media in October 2006. Since then he has led the remarkable transformation of the company, taking it from being an also ran to become one of Australia’s biggest and most innovative digital businesses. In 2010, his role was expanded to oversee the operations of The Australian as it continues to broaden its print and digital operations.
He joined News Limited after seven years at British Sky Broadcasting (Sky), the last six as chief operating officer. Prior to joining Sky, Mr Freudenstein worked in a number of senior roles at FOXTEL in Australia.
During his time in the United Kingdom, Mr Freudenstein served as chairman of the Royal Television Society, chairman of Nickelodeon UK and as a director of the English National Ballet.
Mr Freudenstein is chairman of realestate.com.au Ltd, chairman of CareerOne.com.au – a joint venture between News Limited and Monster Worldwide, and is a director of News Limited, ESPN Star Sports, FOXTEL and The Bell Shakespeare Company.

Director of the english national ballet, dang it, does that make him an AFL fan by default?

On a serious note, he came from British Sky, so he must have a brain of some sort.

 

[El Diablo]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/media/seven-net-profit-up-128-million/story-e6frg996-1226189861338

Stokes: Nine will be in hands of banks within a year

by: SALLY JACKSON and SIMON CANNING
From: The Australian
November 09, 2011 11:50AM

SEVEN Group Holdings chairman Kerry Stokes has predicted that rival Nine Entertainment Co will be owned by the banks within a year, based on dire reports this week of its accounts.

"It's always sad to see a competitor in financial difficulty. And obviously they are in financial difficulty," he said. "That will have repercussions for our industry.

"As indicated, within the next 12 months the banks will own the company. There is no equity left."

A report in Tuesday's The Australian Financial Review said a major write-down of Nine's magazine business ACP Magazines had wiped out the last of the equity in Nine, which is struggling under a $3.6 billion debt burden.

Nine, ultimately owned by private equity group CVC Asia Pacific, also owns the Nine Network television stations and Ticketek and stakes in Sky News and ninemsn.

In Nine's 2010-11 accounts auditors Ernst & Young said there were doubts about the company's ability to continue as a going concern unless it was able to repay or renegotiate $975 million of debt in 2014.

Mr Stokes said he took no pleasure in the troubles of a competitor.

"I'm very sad about that," he said. "We like to have healthy competitors, it's good for the industry."

Even as Mr Stokes was making those comments, Nine Entertainment chief executive David Gyngell was praising Seven at the Ninemsn Digital Summit in Sydney.

Talking about discussions surrounding a potential float of Nine, he said: "The best benchmark in the business - and a business I think is a very well run, well respected media company - is Seven West, and their valuations and forward trading are six and a half to 6.8 times earnings."

Mr Gyngell said Nine had debt challenges but it was for the shareholders to work out.

"You don't have to be a rocket scientist to work out that Channel Nine is still going to air in a year, two years, three years time, no matter who (are) the owners," he said.

Mr Stokes was speaking after Seven's annual meeting in Sydney this morning, where he told shareholders the company's net profit after tax for the six months ending December 31 would be in the range of $140 million to $150m, up from $128m in the same period last year.

"While meaningful corresponding comparisons on earnings are difficult due to changes in the company's structure over the past 12 months, we have seen the strengthening in performance for Seven Group and the creation of a new company, Seven West Media,'' Mr Stokes said.

"And, while building our core businesses and creating a new media company, we have exceeded the results outlined in the merger scheme documentation for the formation of Seven Group Holdings."

Mr Stokes criticised the federal government's carbon tax, which passed into law yesterday.

"It has got nothing to do with greening the planet," he said. "This is a wealth re-distribution tax."

Commenting on calls in the government's media inquiry to break up the dominance of Rupert Murdoch's Australian newspaper business News Limited (which publishes The Australian), Mr Stokes said he saw "no need for that".

"Anything that acted retrospectively would be a disaster," he said.

 

[El Diablo]

Forgot to post a link

Best coverage of a live sports event
Nine Network, Australia - 2010 State of Origin - NSW v QLD Game 1
Russian Travel Guide TV, Russia - Khanty-Mansiysk World Chess Olympiad
BBC Birmingham, UK - Stoke City in the FA Cup Final
Eurosport, France - IRC SimulCam Coverage
NDTV, India - The World Cup of Joy
Sony Professional & Others, UK - Wimbledon in 3D

http://www.aib.org.uk/newsContent.asp?node_id=8,95&content_id=2411

Nine somehow nominated for an award.

bill_baxter Bill Baxter



Nine Network Australia wins Best Live Sports Coverage for 2010 State of Origin. International Broadcasting Awards (London)

 

[Rockin Ronny]

"In a tribute to Mr Hartigan, Mr Murdoch said: Few people have contributed as much as John to the quality of journalism in Australia."

This is similar to congratulating Ivan Milat for his contribution to population reduction.

 

[andrew057]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/media/seven-net-profit-up-128-million/story-e6frg996-1226189861338

Good riddance nein.

 

[beave]

if 9 are broke, surely this doesn't bode well for us as they won't be able to throw a competitive bid up at us allowing 7 to not really have pay that much more to get the rights to the game??

 

[Raiderdave]

if 9 are broke, surely this doesn't bode well for us as they won't be able to throw a competitive bid up at us allowing 7 to not really have pay that much more to get the rights to the game??

then they don't get the only commodity that did make them any money

you need to make money
you hop on the back of something that can do this
NRL & RL in general is just that thing.

turn up at NRL HQ crying with the poor box out , Gallop will release the hounds :badgrin:

 

[beave]

will he though???

 

[Goddo]

if 9 are broke, surely this doesn't bode well for us as they won't be able to throw a competitive bid up at us allowing 7 to not really have pay that much more to get the rights to the game??

Well, 9 being broke might be a good thing.

7/10 (whoever) has to bid 20% more than 9's first bid to break the first and last rights agreement.

So if 9 are weak and put up a modest bid, its then more likely that 7/10 will push hard. Once the first and last rights are gone, they are gone for good.

Unless 9 bid big initially and hang onto first and last rights, I think a 7/10 joint bid is probably most likely to win at this stage. Something like 7 get Origin, Finals and Friday nights, 10 get Internationals, Sunday/Monday footy.

Basically, the first and last rights that 9 has makes up for financial weakness, and will likely encourage competition.

 

[El Diablo]

http://www.adnews.com.au/adnews/free-tv-audiences-hit-seven-year-high

Free TV audiences hit seven-year high

10 Nov 2011

By Wenlei Ma

Free TV Australia has claimed more people are tuning in to free-to-air television this year, with higher increases in regional areas than its metro counterparts.

According to OzTam data collated by Free TV, 14.3 million people watch free-to-air (FTA) television everyday. Free TV said it was seven-year high.

Average audiences across the day increased 4.7% in metro markets while regional markets saw a 10.2% rise. Average audiences in the peak evening viewing period increased 5.5% in metro areas and 13% in regional areas.

FTA share of viewing in the evenings increased from 65.8% to 67.1% in metro areas and from 64.5% to 67.6% in regional areas. The results are from analysis conducted by Free TV over survey period one to nine.

Free TV Australia director of marketing, Rhonda Brown, said: "Even with the range of entertainment and information options available today, viewers are still tuning in to commercial free-to-air television in huge numbers, with each of the top 40 programs every week consistently garnering at least one million viewers."

 

[franklin2323]

Good riddance nein.

Yep. I wonder how much money they pissed away showing 1960's shows over NRL on GEM & normally in the other states.

 

[Raiderdave]

Well, 9 being broke might be a good thing.

7/10 (whoever) has to bid 20% more than 9's first bid to break the first and last rights agreement.

So if 9 are weak and put up a modest bid, its then more likely that 7/10 will push hard. Once the first and last rights are gone, they are gone for good.

Unless 9 bid big initially and hang onto first and last rights, I think a 7/10 joint bid is probably most likely to win at this stage. Something like 7 get Origin, Finals and Friday nights, 10 get Internationals, Sunday/Monday footy.

Basically, the first and last rights that 9 has makes up for financial weakness, and will likely encourage competition.

yes this is the other big factor amongst a few that make 9's money woes a good thing

1) a poor bid from 9 will see their first & last rights clause broken & the NRL won't ever include one for an FTA provider ever again.

2) 9 have indicated they will challenge the NRL in court to try n stop it from unbundling the game ...this won't happen if they lose the rights which will happen if they don't pay up

3) 9 have indicated they won't share their telecasts with Foxtel , 7/10 won't have any issues doing this , bringing an AFL type pay deal into play with foxtel able to broadcast all 8/9 NRL games live & there for willing to pay substantially more for this.


9 are vunerable , & Ch 7 in cohorts with 10, will do everything in their power to see them off right there n then when they bid for RL , it will be a critical blow to 9 to lose RL.

9 know its going to be on , & will try n find the dosh somewhere & a lot of it to try n hold 7/10 off
& survive for the next 5 year.

nah, its not all bad that nein is struggling..... not bad at all.