Strange 24 hours for the SCA and Seven West Media merger

Yesterday, October 22, Seven its Upfront ’26 media event spruiking its suite of offerings for 2026. There is lots of sport on offer and Mick Molloy looks like he’s going to add another TV show to his breakfast radio commitments. CEO Jeff Howard spoke of the potential merger with SCA saying that 7plus and LiSTNR would work together and he was excited at the ‘tremendous potential’, but the only reference to SCA in the media release was:

“This year, Seven added Southern Cross Media’s regional TV licences, giving the network 100% national coverage and creating a one-stop shop for brands wanting to reach every corner of Australia.”

Interesting for an upfront media release looking ahead to only mention SCA in what was already behind.

SCA also released a Q&A about the potential merger with Board Chairman Heith Mackay-Cruise (pictured). You can watch that here: https://www.sca.com.au/investors/reports-announcements/

For a company in the authentic communication business I’ve rarely seen something so scripted. I understand that it is an exercise in selling the benefits of the merger to shareholders but, when the transcript is not edited and the message feels like a client who insists on reading their own commercial, I’m not sure that the impact was as positive as it could have been with a more relaxed approach.

There are several hiccups towards the success of this merger already. One is Sandon Capital Investment‘s intent to remove non-executive directors including Mackay-Cruise plus CEO John Kelly at the next SCA AGM to be held on November 24. The second is the ACCC getting involved due to the acquisition potentially having the effect of substantially lessening competition in a market. Mackay-Cruise also says SCA has been working closely with ACMA to make sure they are compliant with regulations.

It will be a few weeks yet before we know if this is merger is a viable proposition. More will surely be revealed at Seven West Media’s own AGM at 10:30am AEDT on Thursday November 6.

Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and podcaster.