Senate committee delays reach rule decision

A joint senate committee examining whether to abolish the 75 per cent audience reach rule for television broadcasters has delayed its interim report because it “has not yet reached an agreed position”.

The joint committee, which held a half-day hearing in Canberra on Monday attended by media bosses, was due to release the report today.

“The committee has agreed that it is not in a position to issue an interim report and wishes to consider further evidence,” chair Senator Matt Thistlethwaite said.

It will accept further submissions until April 5.

TEN statement:

Ten Network welcomes the decision today by the Joint Select Committee on Broadcasting Legislation to not issue an interim report on the removal of the 75% audience reach rule.

As Ten Network outlined in its submission to the Committee on March 18, the only guaranteed outcome from removing the audience reach rule – in isolation from other changes – will be less diversity.

Ten Network’s position has been consistent: any change should only be done after a careful and diligent consideration of all existing diversity protection measures. Pulling one major policy lever by rushing this change through Parliament without looking at the bigger picture would not be good media policy.

The removal of the reach rule cannot be considered in isolation. The Convergence Review recommended removing the ‘two out of three’ rule, the ‘two to a market’ radio licence rule and the ‘one to a market’ television licence rule in addition to the reach rule alongside the introduction of a public interest test and the expansion of the current ‘voices’ test.

The Government’s proposed media reform package does not follow that recommendation and instead only picks out two parts of it.

The fate of the reach rule is critically important in terms of media diversity and local news services in regional Australia. This is an issue of national significance.

Source:  NineMSN