“How soon will we get to a ‘trigger event?'”

On Friday media bosses appeared before a Senate committee on media reform.

The committee had been quizzing them on everything from acquisitions to regional affiliates, streaming and local content.

Barely 5 hours before Nine issued a joint press release announcing affiliation with Southern Cross Nine CEO Hugh Marks was asked an interesting question.

“Will we see a trigger event soon?” he was asked.

“A trigger event in terms of (if) the Reach Rule is removed?” he answered. “I don’t know that there’ll be a rush of mergers and acquisitions.

“The business has changed dramatically. My focus is on a content business. As a content business the platform starts to become less relevant.

“What does adding an acquisition regional Australia to ourselves as a content business? I’m not sure.

“Perhaps very little.”

While Marks’ reply was fashioned around mergers or takeovers, the Nine / Southern Cross deal also may have come as a surprise to TEN CEO Paul Anderson.

Appearing on the same day Anderson was also asked when we would see a trigger event.

“I have no idea,” he replied. “I actually don’t.”

Meanwhile Hugh Marks was also asked what the ‘secret ingredients’ were to making local content successful.

“Location, good talent, on site, in the story, being part of the story…. those are the things that make effective news & current affairs,” he said.

One can’t help but wonder if being “part of the story” is what got 60 Minutes into trouble….