1 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: This is what the flucks, I'm brat and I'm justin. 2 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: It's Monday, the second of February, flex Fam. 3 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:12,640 Speaker 2: If you're planning to travel overseas in the next week, 4 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:15,760 Speaker 2: you are in luck. The Australian dollar is currently at 5 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:18,119 Speaker 2: its highest level in over three years. In fact, the 6 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 2: Australian dollar crack through seventy cents, up from sixty four 7 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 2: cents in November last year. And well, that's good for travelers, 8 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 2: it's not great news for Aussie companies exporting to the US, FOXAM. 9 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: As we kick off the new month of February, it 10 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 1: is the time to start saving for big money goals 11 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty six. But if you don't know where 12 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 1: to start, the best place to go is the Flux 13 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 1: Budgeting Tool. It connects to all your accounts in under 14 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:42,199 Speaker 1: thirty seconds, attractive spending your savings so you can get 15 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: on top of your money. So if you want to 16 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 1: learn more, make sure to download the Flex app and 17 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 1: check out the budgeting tool. 18 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:49,159 Speaker 2: Three fantastic stories today Juzzy Boy, Let's do it for 19 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 2: our first nine Entertainment has ditched its radio and regional 20 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 2: TV assets to bulk up on billboards with a eight 21 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 2: hundred and fifty million dollar acquisition. 22 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: Oh, out with the old and in with the new. 23 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 1: Moving the chess pieces around, b man, So you tell 24 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 1: me more so. Nine Entertainment is one of Australia's biggest 25 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:07,960 Speaker 1: media groups. We'd be talking free to AIRTV with Channel 26 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 1: nine aka the hosts of the Australian Open. But nine's 27 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 1: also the owner of major newspapers like the AFI, the 28 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:14,479 Speaker 1: Age of Cydney Morning Herald, not. 29 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 2: To forget stan Old Stanley and some of the major 30 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:18,760 Speaker 2: AM radio stations too. 31 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 1: These all came under nine during its merger with Fairfax 32 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:22,759 Speaker 1: back in twenty eighteen. 33 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 2: But now nine has announced it is selling its radio 34 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:29,480 Speaker 2: arm including TWOGB, three AW and four BC, for roughly 35 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:30,839 Speaker 2: fifty six million dollars. 36 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 1: But that's not all, b Man. It's also offloading its 37 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 1: regional TV network to WIN Corps. 38 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 2: At the same time, Nine is buying outdoor advertising company 39 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 2: QMS Media from Quadrant Private Equity. 40 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:42,640 Speaker 1: All up, that's going to cost them eight hundred and 41 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 1: fifty million dollars in reshaping their business for the future 42 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: of media. 43 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 2: Crazy stuff, juzy boy, So what is the key learning here? 44 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: Not all media ads are delivered equally. 45 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 2: An ad on TV doesn't have the same impact as 46 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 2: an ad on a billboard, and an add on a 47 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 2: billboard doesn't have the same impact as a digital add 48 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 2: on Instagram. So when advertised allocate their spend, they need 49 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 2: to be strategic about what the return on these investments 50 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 2: actually are. 51 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 1: Out the advertising, especially digital out of home, has been 52 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: one of the better performing segments of media in recent years. 53 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:13,519 Speaker 2: YEP, and out of home ads have grown by over 54 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 2: eight percent your own years. 55 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 1: On the other hand, the radio ad market is shrinking, 56 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 1: with radio revenue falling four percent in the September quarter alone. 57 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 2: So nine is purposefully pruning its media portfolio right now. 58 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 1: YEP, because the declining regional and radio market no longer 59 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:29,959 Speaker 1: fits in its long term strategy. 60 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 2: For our second story, Australian music artists are struggling to 61 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 2: get discovered on streaming platforms like Spotify, which is putting 62 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 2: a heap of pressure on the entire industry. 63 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 1: Go on the days of finding new music, the rage 64 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: triple j or even video hits. What is going on here? 65 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 2: So Josey Boy, Australian artists have created some of the 66 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 2: biggest cultural hits of our time. 67 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 1: Seeing Horses by Dalel Braithwaite, You're the Voice by John Farner. 68 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 2: Can't forget powder Finger classics as well. 69 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: Yep. But new data from the Australian Performing Rights Association 70 00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 1: or OPRA as they call themselves has come out. 71 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 2: And Banky opera this time a different opera. 72 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, but b man this opera. Have found that local 73 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:06,919 Speaker 1: Australian music now makes up just nine and a half 74 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 1: percent of all streams in Australia. 75 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 2: Which is down from thirty one percent over five years. 76 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:12,800 Speaker 1: And what's the reason for this decline? 77 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 2: Be man, we see jazy boy. Streaming platforms have become 78 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 2: the main way for Australians to discover new music. That's 79 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 2: according to Creative Australia, and the algorithmic bias in the 80 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 2: streaming platforms has really started to hurt Aussi artists in 81 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:27,080 Speaker 2: favor of the big global artists and this is leading 82 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:29,919 Speaker 2: to many artists concern for the future of the Australian 83 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:30,639 Speaker 2: music industry. 84 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:32,079 Speaker 1: So what is the key learning here? 85 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 2: Algorithmic bias happens when automated systems consistently favor certain outcomes. 86 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 1: We like to think that streaming killed the gatekeepers, you know, 87 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 1: no radio bosses deciding what gets played. 88 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 2: And no record label executives deciding who gets a shot. 89 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 1: But in reality, be Man, the gatekeeper didn't disappear, it 90 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 1: just became clute. 91 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 2: Algorithms now decide what gets surfaced and repeated and rewarded. 92 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 1: And be Man. These decisions by the algorithm seriously matter. 93 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 2: In fact, digital sales through platforms like Spotify and Apple 94 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 2: Music now represent over ninety one percent of total music sales. 95 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 2: According to ARIA, that's more than six hundred and fifty 96 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:07,119 Speaker 2: million dollars in revenue per year. Right now, the Spotify 97 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 2: algorithm leans towards US and UK artists who already have momentum, 98 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 2: so for. 99 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: Australian artists, this disadvantage compounds over time. 100 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 2: Less exposure leads to fewer streams. 101 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:19,479 Speaker 1: And fewer streams leads to even less exposure. 102 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 2: So jiboit. When music discovery is driven by playlists like 103 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:26,160 Speaker 2: Chill Sunday on Spotify, it means that Australian music is quietly, 104 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 2: potentially squeezed out of its own market. 105 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:32,680 Speaker 1: For our third and final story, Paramount Plus is flirting 106 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 1: with its TikTok era, as a leaked document shows they're 107 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 1: looking to open up the streaming platform to win back 108 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 1: at young eyeballs. 109 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:41,479 Speaker 2: So are we going to be seeing dance trends on 110 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 2: Paramount juzzy boy? Is that what's going on here? 111 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 1: Okay? So Paramount Plus is the streaming service of Paramount, 112 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: the media and entertainment giants. 113 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:51,359 Speaker 2: We are talking the owner of TV networks like CBS 114 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 2: in the US, as well as PATV networks or cable 115 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 2: networks like MTV and Comedy Central. 116 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:59,119 Speaker 1: It as a huge film studio where pumped out movies 117 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:01,120 Speaker 1: like Top Gun and Possible and jus boy. 118 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 2: Remember that Paramount recently merged with sky Dance in a 119 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 2: deal that valued Paramount Global at around eight billion US dollars. 120 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:10,560 Speaker 1: And now be man. A juicy internal Paramount document has 121 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 1: been leaked. 122 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:13,720 Speaker 2: We don't mind a little leak at, say jaz VOI. 123 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: Well, Paramount execs. We're talking about turning the Paramount plus 124 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:18,560 Speaker 1: app into a bit of a TikTok s scap. We're 125 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 1: talking a short form feed within the mobile app that 126 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:23,720 Speaker 1: we show up to one million short form video clips 127 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 1: in the air, and these clips would all be taken 128 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 1: from Paramount's existing shows and movies to start with. 129 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 2: Then, longer term, Paramount is also exploring usage generated content. 130 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:35,280 Speaker 1: And Paradot isn't alone here. Netflix, Disney Plus and others 131 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:37,800 Speaker 1: are all testing short form video in their apps. 132 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:40,880 Speaker 2: Too, because traditional TV viewing is defining and TikTok style 133 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:42,479 Speaker 2: consumption keeps rising. 134 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:44,839 Speaker 1: And all of a sudden, each platform are converging to 135 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:47,159 Speaker 1: look and feel a little bit more like each other. 136 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 2: So what's the key learning here? 137 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:51,839 Speaker 1: Platform convergence is when different types of platforms start borrowing 138 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:54,719 Speaker 1: each other's core features until they start to blur together. 139 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 2: Social apps are attracting longer form content. 140 00:05:57,200 --> 00:05:59,279 Speaker 1: And streaming apps are getting some shorter. 141 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:01,560 Speaker 2: Form content, but ultimately, the thing they all have in 142 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 2: common is that they're chasing more and more attention from 143 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:05,040 Speaker 2: their users. 144 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:07,600 Speaker 1: We know that the average time spent on streaming services 145 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:10,040 Speaker 1: in the US is about an hour and ten minutes per. 146 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:12,479 Speaker 2: Day, and the average TikTok user spends more than one 147 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:14,680 Speaker 2: hour and thirty minutes on the app every day. 148 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 1: Wow, so paramount once a slice of that TikTok attention. 149 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 2: The thinking is a short form part of the app 150 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 2: would create a front door for users to open the 151 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:24,280 Speaker 2: app daily rather than let's say, just once a week. 152 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:25,840 Speaker 1: Everyone wants to get it on top of their money 153 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty six, the cash rates potentially rising and 154 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:30,360 Speaker 1: the cost of living rising too. The best way to 155 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: get on top of your money is the Flex Budgeting Tool. 156 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: Tracks are spending, tracks are saving, and it helps you 157 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 1: get on top of your money. Download the app and 158 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 1: check it out today. 159 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:39,800 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening, and we'll see you on Wednesday.