Media Wrap: Is game swapping on the cards? Media bosses call for tech players to pay tax

Sarah Homewood
By Sarah Homewood | 24 August 2015
 

Is game swapping on the cards?

The Australian is reporting News Corp is set to demand the NRL reverse its decision to strip the top-rating Saturday evening match from Fox Sports. Nine Network secured the TV rights to NRL in a $925 million-dollar deal, however the way its contract is structured, trading games is not off the table, and The Australian claims that Nine has not ruled out surrendering the Saturday night game — provided Fox Sports agrees to sell Nine a Saturday AFL game.

The Australian Financial Review's (AFR) take on the story is that the other player in the mammoth $2.5 billion-dollar AFL rights deal, Seven West Media, has signalled it could be interested in buying future NRL games if Nine is willing to sell. Seven chief executive Tim Worner told The AFR: "In the lifetime of this deal there will be a lot of discussions take place."

Media bosses call for tech players to pay tax

The heads of CarSales, SEEK, REA and Fairfax Media have joined the long list of businesses which are calling on the government to make Google, Facebook and other offshore giants charge GST on their digital advertising, The AFR is reporting. These bosses told the AFR that their own businesses are put at a significant disadvantage because overseas digital players do not have to collect GST on digital ads.

Latham's career in tatters

The Australian is reporting that Mark Latham's recent string of outbursts could spell the end of his media career. Most recently the former opposition leader ­delivered an expletive-laden ­performance at the Melbourne Writers Festival, and according to The Australian, this could see that any deals he had in the works to appear in the media could be put on ice.

No change to Seven's dividends

Kerry Stokes' Seven Group Holdings says it does not have any plans to change its dividend policy, denying speculation it will stop paying a dividend on its listed preference shares, The AFR is reporting. The AFR previously highlighted speculation in the market that the diversified company would not pay a dividend on its $500 million worth of redeemable, convertible preference shares. Seven Group issued a statement on Friday morning, denying any change to its dividend policy. "This speculation is false and is rejected," Seven Group said.

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