Fairfax Media Limited
From IntFX
See also: FXJ for realtime information.
Formerly known as John Fairfax Holdings Ltd., Fairfax Media Limited is an Australia-based company and is actively engaged in news, entertainment, publishing, information and advertising. It uses magazine, newspaper and electronic format to conduct its business. The company has its establishment in Australia and New Zealand and hence caters to Australasia market.
Following are major mastheads of company in Australia and New Zealand:-
- Australia: The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian Financial Review, The Canberra Times, BRW, The Sun-Herald, and The Land.
- New Zealand: The Dominion Post, The Press, The Sunday Star-Times, TV Guide and Cuisine.
Company is also into publishing some regional and community based newspapers, financial and consumer magazines. It has 9 radio licenses in Australia and is also publishing Agricultural magazines in US and New Zealand. It also provides platform for online, interactive and e-commerce services using its Fairfax Digital based out of Australia (including the #1 online news sites www.smh.com.au and www.theage.com.au and Trade Me and www.stuff.co.nz based out of New Zealand.
The company has strong focus on innovation and leadership. It has vision to become market leaders for advertisers and readers.
Following are major events of increasing reach of the company:-
- Fairfax Media and Rural Press Limited in May, 2007, merged completely to form the largest integrated metropolitan, rural and regional, print and online digital media company in Australasia. The merged entity will have publications and websites in every State and the ACT in Australia, and throughout New Zealand
- Fairfax Media joined with Macquarie Media Group Limited in July’07 on a proposal to acquire Southern Cross Broadcasting (Australia) Limited
- In Sept’07 Company confirmed the acquisition of leading online non-advisory managed funds business, InvestSMART (www.investsmart.com.au). Under the brand name of InvestSMART, company will merge with Direct Access (www.directaccess.com.au), Fairfax Digital’s distributor of personal investment products.
- Company launched brisbanetimes.com.au, businessday.com.au and afr.com
[edit] History
Fairfax Media Ltd is having lineage to Independent Newspapers Ltd (INL). INL was evolved out of the Wellington Publishing Company Limited which was founded in 1906 to publish Wellington’s morning daily newspaper, The Dominion. Through a series of acquisitions INL became New Zealand’s largest media company. In July 2003, the asset of INL was sold to Australian publisher Fairfax Holdings Ltd which was later named as Fairfax Media Ltd.
[edit] Strategy
The company is focusing on becoming truly digital medial company with contents available in print & online, on mobile and in various future development of industry. With above focus company has long term strategy of steady growth in publishing while rapid growth in internet media. Growth in publishing business will be achieved through diversification in regional business and magazine, align to cost base and increase circulation and hence readership to enhance advertising revenues.
[edit] Financial and operational performance
In 2007, the Company generated revenues of US$2.17 billion an increase of 13.9% over 2006 primarily owing to growth in digital media sales. The net profit of company has increased by 15.9% with current figure of US$ 263.5 million. Newspaper covers 77% of sales revenue; however the growth in digital /online business has been more than other segments.
