Sky TV’s today reported a full-year net profit of $147.1 million – even worse than it warned about in May, when it warned NPAT would be at the bottom end of its guidance ($153-159 million; last year the pay TV broadcaster made $171.8 million).

Read more ($): http://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/john-fellet-skys-surprise-jump-subs-playing-second-fiddle-russell-stanners

"Former Council of Trade Unions boss Helen Kelly has catalysed a renewed push for cannabis liberalisation. A non-smoker all her life, Ms Kelly is dying of lung cancer at the shockingly young age of 51."

Read more ($): http://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/cannabis-reform-needed-please-cut-crap-mh

"King Tuheitia Paki is calling for Maori to have a share in New Zealand’s sovereignty by 2025."

Read more ($): http://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/hidesight-king-gambit-turns-rump-trump-rh

"The more a website can copy video footage from other broadcasters under the news reporting exemption, the better the service it can present to its audience and the greater its potential to generate revenue."

Read more ($): http://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/hunter-corner-media-copyright-conundrum-th

"You know what would be amazing? It would be really amazing if the news media applied the same gimlet-eyed standards it rightly uses on matters involving the private sector – in cases where a company isn’t running a prison too well, say – when a local council has been left in charge of a town’s water supply that ends up getting contaminated and sickening thousands."

Read more ($): http://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/media-watch-matt-smokin-gun-fluffs-puff-test-dc

"What is John Key waiting for?

Last July he floated the idea of a land tax on non-residents as one way the government could regain control of a rampant Auckland housing market. "

Read more ($): http://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/other-hand-vancouver-opportunity-bh

This week two carmakers announced strategic partnerships with tech companies, designed to further their respective autonomous vehicle development programmes.

Read more ($): http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/ride-sharing-catalyst-more-autonomous-vehicle-development-193407

In last week’s NBR, an unnamed “veteran lawyer” dissed submissions to the Commerce Commission opposing the merger. Surprising stuff, so I’ll deal with his points, relying only on what he should have read in the submissions, but doesn’t refer to, and mostly from what Vodafone and Sky themselves say. From the mouths of babes …

Read more ($): http://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/vodafone-and-sky-veteran-lawyer-needs-new-reading-glasses-mw

A special report on insolvency law and practitioners says regulation falls “significantly short” when questions about competence, honesty, ethics and accountability arise.

Read more ($): http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/report-slams-loose-regulations-insolvency-industry-cg-p-193423

New York gives a hint of the future for electricity networks, says Vector [NZX: VCT] chief executive Simon Mackenzie, as new technology upends the previous staid certainties of the heavily regulated sector.

Read more ($): http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/vector-seeks-more-freedom-regulatory-shackles-th-p-193436