 Final logo used from 2020 until 2026 | |
 Headquarters inOsborne Park | |
| Formerly | West Australian Newspapers Holdings Limited (1992–2011) |
|---|---|
| Company type | Public |
| ASX: SWM | |
| Industry | Media |
| Predecessor | Seven Media Group |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Defunct | 7 January 2026 |
| Fate | Merged withSouthern Cross Media Group |
| Successor | Southern Cross Media Group |
| Headquarters | 50 Hasler Road,, Australia |
Key people | Kerry Stokes (Chairman) Jeff Howard (CEO) |
| Products | Television Radio Newspapers Magazines Websites |
| Revenue | $1.4 billion (2024/25) |
| $159 million (2024/25) | |
| $57 million (2024/25) | |
Number of employees | 5,000+ |
| Parent | Seven Group Holdings (40.2% July 2025) |
| Website | sevenwestmedia.com.au |
Seven West Media Limited was an Australian diversified media business, with an extensive presence in broadcast television, radio, print and online publishing.
Seven West Media owned theSeven Network, Australia's second-largest commercial television network (by audience and advertising market share). It also ownedThe West Australian,The Sunday Times and theCommunity Newspaper Group.
Seven Group Holdings Ltd (SGH), a company controlled byAustralian Capital Equity, was Seven West Media's largest shareholder, with over $1 billion in Seven West Media shares and $250 million of Seven West Media convertible preference shares (CPS).[1]
In September 2025, Seven West Media andSouthern Cross Media Group announced their intention to merge. The merger was completed on 7 January 2026.
The West Australian newspaper was owned by the publicly listed company West Australian Newspapers Limited (WAN) from the 1920s. In 1969, theMelbourne basedHerald & Weekly Times (HWT) bought WAN and published the paper until 1987, whenNews Limited acquired HWT. News Limited sold WAN toBell Group in 1987[2] The following yearBond Corporation, gained control of Bell Group and hence the paper. This ownership structure survived only for a few years until the collapse of Bond Corporation. A newly formed company, West Australian Newspapers Holdings, then purchased the newspaper from the receivers before beingfloated in an oversubscribed $185 million public offering.[3]
In January 2005, WAN in a 50/50joint venture withPublishing & Broadcasting Limited purchasedHoyts fromConsolidated Press Holdings.[4] In September 2007, WAN sold its stake in Hoyts toPacific Equity Partners.[5]
Kerry Stokes acquired 14.9% through theSeven Network and becamechairman of West Australian Newspapers in 2009. Stokes appointed Chris Wharton asCEO of West Australian Newspapers and Brett McCarthy as editor.[6][7][8]
TheSeven Network (commonly known as Channel 7 or simply Seven) dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on theVHF7 frequency were established inMelbourne andSydney. The Seven Network is one of five main free-to-air networks in Australia.
The Seven Network began as a group of independent stations inSydney,Melbourne,Brisbane,Adelaide andPerth.[9]HSV-7Melbourne, licensed to theHerald & Weekly Times (owners of two local papers at the time,The Herald andThe Sun), was the first station in the country to use theVHF7 frequency.[9][failed verification] It launched on 4 November 1956, soon joined on 2 December byAmalgamated Television ServicesATN-7 in Sydney.[10]
TVW-7 Perth began broadcasting almost two years later, on 16 October 1959, as the city's first commercial station. It was licensed to TVW7, a subsidiary ofWest Australian Newspapers, publisher ofThe West Australian.[9]BTQ-7 followed on 1 November, signing on as Brisbane's second commercial television station.[9][10] In 1969 the Melbourne based Herald and Weekly times group purchased WA Newspapers . The HWT group already owned HSV 7 and ADS 7 and under the media laws of the time was required to sell TVW 7. A new company was formed and floated on thePerth Stock Exchange, TVW Enterprises Pty Ltd.
ADS-7 in Adelaide launched on 24 October 1959 as the final capital city VHF7 station. TVW Enterprises purchased Adelaide's SAS 10 in 1971. In 1987 ADS 7 station swapped frequencies withSAS-10, with the latter becomingSAS-7.[9]
TheBell Group, completed a takeover on TVW Enterprises in 1982.[10] TheHerald & Weekly Times, owner ofHSV-7 andADS-7, was sold toNews Limited in December 1986 who sold off HSV toJohn Fairfax & Sons soon afterwards, for $320 million, while ADS 7 was sold toFrank Lowy's Northern Star (owners of the10 Network stations in Sydney and Melbourne).[10] Fairfax went on to axe a number of locally produced shows in favour of networked content from its Sydney counterpart,ATN-7 (also owned by Fairfax at the time).[11]
In 1987, Fairfax sold its stations toQintex.[11] Qintex had previously bought, and subsequently sold off, stations in Brisbane and regionalQueensland before taking control of the network.[10] The next year, another new logo was introduced along with eveningsoap operaHome & Away and a relaunchedSeven National News, now known asSeven News. The network expanded in 1988 when Skase bought out Bell Group's two stations for $130 million creating the first owned and operated national network of the five mainland city Channel 7 stations.[11]
A failed $1.5 billion bid forMGM Studios in the same year sent Qintex into receivership.[10] Christopher Skase fled Australia in 1990 in order to escape extradition.[11] The business' assets were bundled together by receivers and made into a new company,Seven Network Limited, in 1991.[10]
The network was re-listed as a public company on theAustralian Securities Exchange in 1993.[12] In 1995, Stokes acquired 19.9% of the public company and was elected chairman. He askedAlan Jackson to be its CEO for a number of years in the late 1990s.[13] Shortly after it acquiredSunshine Television, a Seven Network affiliate in regional Queensland, Sunshine Television's regional stations effectively became a part of the Seven Network, identical in appearance and programming to the rest of the business' stations. Seven Queensland won the annual audience ratings for the first time in 1998.[14]
The year 2000 saw Seven as the host broadcaster for theSydney Olympics. The network adopted a new logo. In 2003, Stokes appointedDavid Leckie as CEO of Seven andPeter Meakin as Head of News and Current Affairs. In January 2006, the Seven Network,Pacific Magazine and online portalYahoo Australia and New Zealand combined in a joint venture to form Yahoo!7, representing all three companies' online assets.[15] This venture is now Australia's most popular internet portal[citation needed] and the joint venture is driving a range of online and IPTV businesses. Seven is building and acquiring a range of broadband businesses, including wireless broadband groupUnwired,VOIP operator Engin and has become the Australian licensee forTiVo,[16] due to be launched in 2008. The group has also established a strategic 20 per cent shareholding inWest Australian Newspapers.
Since 2007, the Seven Network has been the highest rating television network in Australia, ahead of theNine Network,Network 10,ABC andSBS.[17] In 2011, the Seven Network won all 40 out of 40 weeks of the ratings season for total viewers.[18] Seven is the first to do this since the introduction of the OZtam ratings system in 2001.[19] As of 2014[update] it was the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach.[20]
68% owned by Kerry Stokes (as of 2014[update]), Seven Network is a network of commercial free-to-air television stations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide, as well as regional Queensland and Perth.[21] The platform, as well as a 33 per cent stake inSky News Australia, now reaches 98 per cent of Australians. Seven has also established a major magazine publishing business,Pacific Magazines which, as of 2014[update], accounted for more than 20 per cent of magazines sold in Australia.
In 2006, Seven Network andKKR[22] created a new joint venture, Seven Media Group, a multi-faceted media company combining a presence in broadcast television, magazine and online applications.
7HD was officially announced on 15 September 2007, with theSeven Media Group announcing its intention to start ahigh definition multichannel.[23] By the end of 2007, the Seven Network had become the most watched network in the country, dominating morning and prime time slots.[24]
On 21 February 2011, Seven Media Group announced its intention to merge with West Australian Newspapers Holdings Limited (WAN). WAN purchased Seven Media Group fromSeven Group Holdings and partner U.S. private equity firmKKR, and announced the new company would be known as "Seven West Media".[25] On 11 April 2011, the acquisition was approved by WAN shareholders.[26] On 21 May 2013, KKR sold its remaining 12% stake in Seven West Media.
In May 2020, Seven West Media soldPacific Magazines toBauer Media Group, including leading lifestyle brandsMarie Claire,Women's Health,Who,New Idea andHome Beautiful.[27][28]
In February 2021, bothGoogle andFacebook in Australia made deals with Seven West Media for the latter to provide news coverage. These agreements came after the government planned to implement a law "that would force tech companies to pay news outlets for content"[29] to ensure that digital platforms would provide a "contribution to the sustainability of the Australian news industry".[30]
On 18 August 2022, Seven West Media announced it will take equity in View Media Group via its Seven West Ventures subsidiary.[31]
In June 2024, Seven West Media announced it would cut up to 150 jobs and restructure into three divisions: Television, Digital and Western Australia.[32]
In May 2025, Seven West Media announced its intention to purchaseSouthern Cross Austereo's regionalSeven Network affiliate stations inTasmania,Darwin,Spencer Gulf,Broken Hill,Mount Isa and Remote Central and Eastern Australia for $3.75 million. The sale was completed in July 2025.[33]
Following Seven West Media's acquisition of Southern Cross Austereo's television assets, Seven andSouthern Cross Media Group (owners of SCA) announced in September 2025 their intention to merge. Seven West Media was suspended from theAustralian Securities Exchange (ASX) on 24 December 2025, with the merger completed on 7 January 2026 and Seven was delisted from the ASX.[34][35]
The Chairman of Seven West Media isKerry Stokes, who is also chairman of Seven Group Holdings. He is retired as Chairman of Seven West in January 2026 after the Southern Cross merger is completed.[36]
On 26 June 2012, Seven West Media announced formerNine Network executiveDavid Leckie's transition from chief executive officer of Seven West Media to a new role as executive director, media for Seven Group Holdings.[37]
Don Voelte, the former managing director and CEO ofWoodside Energy and a director of Seven West Media, was appointed CEO and managing director of Seven West Media. He subsequently stepped down to become managing director and chief executive officer of Seven Group Holdings and was replaced byTim Worner who became the CEO.[38]
proposed news media bargaining code that would force tech companies to pay news outlets for content.
Google, meanwhile, had already been trying to get ahead of the new legislation by announcing partnerships with some of the country's largest media organizations, including Rupert Murdoch's News Corp (NWS) and Seven West Media. Facebook revealed its own deal with Seven on Tuesday.