Telstra will float its booming Chinese real estate classifieds business, SouFun, but will then sell down its stake.
It made the surprise announcement last night, giving scant detail except to say the process of preparing the business for an initial public offering was under way.
In the latest confirmation of changing times in traditional publishing, the Trading Post is dumping its weekly print edition to move online.
The classified advertising icon, which was immortalised in the hit film “The Castle” will publish its final print edition at the end of October.
Newspapers are now struggling because the revenues they used to receive from classifieds have shifted to the internet (ABC News: Giulio Saggin, file photo)
The head of online classifieds company carsales.com.au says newspaper publishers are suffering because they have been too slow to react to the growth of the internet.
The online company, which was founded nearly 15 years ago, was floated on the share market last week.
Newspapers are now struggling because the revenues they used to receive from classifieds have shifted to the internet.
AUSTRALIA'S internet job classifieds leader Seek said yesterday the fall-off in employment ads in 2008-09 had not been as pronounced as expected, prompting a re-rating of the company that triggered a substantial rally in its shares.
Seek's shares yesterday rose 71c, or 15 per cent, to $5.35 on their biggest single day of volumes since May. The rise pushed Seek's share price to its highest level in almost a year.
The largest sharemarket float since the global financial crisis -- that of the country's online car classifieds leader, Carsales.com.au -- is set to be launched to the public today in an initial public offering that values the company at $812 million.
Iconic classifieds publication The Trading Post may cut its weekly printed edition in order to focus on its online operations.
According to a report in today's Australian, the Telstra-owned newspaper could be shut down as early as October after 40 years in print.
Online marketplace eBay says its Australian website is experiencing a similar downwards trend in sales as its other sites worldwide and has cut fees to bolster its local listings.
Managing director of eBay Australia and New Zealand Deborah Sharkey said eBay.com.au averages around five million visitors each month.
It's shaping up as a battle of the online giants.
In one corner are the current champions of Australia's online real estate classifieds, realestate.com.au and Domain, and in the other corner is the challenger Google.
And there's no need for introductions.
While more than 90 per cent of Australians online use Google, the popular search engine is now looking to enter the property search market.
The fall in advertising at Australian metropolitan daily newspapers in recent months may be starting to level off, with new figures showing Fairfax Media's classified page ad volumes in June recorded their lowest rate of decline since late last year.
Leading real estate agents, the Ray White Group, has sold its entire $80 million-plus holding in online property classifieds leader REA Group to a range of existing and new shareholders.
It seemed a statement of the obvious when Rupert Murdoch recently observed that classified revenues are undoubtedly migrating to the web, probably not to return to traditional media. Classifieds migration, an issue that has been confronting newspapers since home broadband became ubiquitous, is one of the most talked about themes among media analysts.
Sydney, Australia (NewswireToday) -- The online classifieds advertising market experienced 26 percent growth in 2008 to finish the calendar year valued at AU$498 million finds Frost & Sullivan.
The Fairfax newspaper group, whose mastheads date back to the 19th century, is finding itself coming to grips with 21st century reality. Already hit by a slump in circulation and profits, Standard and Poor's thinks Fairfax's advertising revenue is in for a tumble and has downgraded its credit rating as a result.
Here’s a story you won’t read in The Age or The Sydney Morning Herald tomorrow: This newspaper is publishing 50 fewer classified advertising pages each week than it was a year ago, according to the latest research by Goldman Sachs JB Were. This reduction in advertising translates into at least $1 million off this newspaper’s profits every week compared to a year ago.
WEST Australian Newspapers has warned its profit could fall by close to a quarter this year because the global recession had put an end to the mining boom, hurting employment classifieds and other advertising.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
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