Today, digital disruption is everywhere. We’ve written about this previously  – and talked about the massive shift in advertising dollars from old to new media. With TEN group entering voluntary administration, we thought we’d have a closer look at what’s happening, and the prospects for mainstream media. continue…

by Lisa Fedorenko Posted in Media Companies

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If you ever feel overwhelmed by the daily avalanche of news – real and fake – you’re not alone. Information overload can be quite a burden, and can make it hard to understand an issue and make good decisions about it. So, how might an investor cut through the noise? One strategy is to use news aggregator applications. continue…

by Ben MacNevin Posted in Insightful Insights, Media Companies

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At the beginning of this month, Seven West Media (ASX: SWM) announced its full year financial results which fell short of market expectations. In addition, earnings guidance for the next financial year were also below expectations. In a brutal two-day period following the announcement of its results, Seven West Media’s share price declined by 28 per cent. In dollar terms, more than $400 million was wiped off the value of the company. continue…

by Andrew Macken Posted in Companies, Media Companies

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Name the Company which has been Australia’s number one player in its field for ten consecutive years, has recorded $2.54 billion of “Significant Losses” in the past four financial years and will likely see its Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (excluding Significant Items) decline by 45 per cent over the five years to June 2017?  continue…

by David Buckland Posted in Editor's Pick, Media Companies, Technology & Telecommunications

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Fairfax Media Limited (ASX: FXJ) announced yesterday that it has acquired 100% (up from 50%) of the shares on issue of Metro Media Publishing Holdings (MMPH). You can read the announcement on the ASX here.

In a nutshell, Fairfax will issue 68.5 million new shares which implies a transaction value of $72 million (including $18.5 million in cash). The firm’s current shareholders will receive 65% of their consideration in shares and the remaining balance in cash. continue…

by Scott Shuttleworth Posted in Companies, Media Companies

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Just the other day we met with two executives from Village Roadshow Limited (ASX: VRL), Graham Burke, Managing Director and Adrian Fernando from investor relations, to discuss some of the trends in their business. It was quite an interesting meeting.

Although it was a bit of speed date – trying to fit in six company meetings in a day – we did spend a reasonable amount of time understanding not only their opportunities for development of theme/water parks in South East Asia, but also on the future of content delivery in Australia. continue…

by Scott Shuttleworth Posted in Companies, Media Companies, Technology & Telecommunications

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It’s always remarkable to observe changes in entire industries from new technologies and consumer behaviours. The music industry is a great example of this ongoing evolution. The below chart was doing the rounds on Twitter last week, and illustrates the peaks and troughs of the revenue associated with US recorded music over time. As shown, digital downloads displaced CDs, which displaced cassettes and vinyl. continue…

by Andrew Macken Posted in Consumer discretionary, Media Companies

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You never really know what you might uncover about a business by reading the annual report of another… continue…

by Ben MacNevin Posted in Media Companies

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At this time each year, we look forward to the release of Warren Buffett’s missive to his Berkshire Hathaway shareholders. Most interesting to me is this year’s discussion about Newspapers. It is interesting because there was a time, not that long ago, when Warren Buffett had said he would not buy a newspaper at any price. As you read this year’s Letter, you quickly discover Warren Buffett can quickly change his view…

It may interest you to know that during the past fifteen months, he and Charlie acquired 28 daily newspapers at a cost of $344 million.
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by Roger Montgomery Posted in Market commentary, Media Companies

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Free-to-air-TV is doing it tough.

Two of Australia’s highly respected and sought-after media executives, James Warburton from Ten Network and APN’s Brett Chenoweth, have lost their jobs in as many weeks.

Network Ten’s (ASX:TEN) strategic position appears confused and it is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Is it trying now to appeal to a broader demographic, where it is a clear number three; or will it return to the youth audience, where their move away from linear television is gaining traction?

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by David Buckland Posted in Media Companies

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