Media reform off the dining table

Fairfax is reporting Prime Minister Tony Abbott had a private dinner with Seven West Media chairman Kerry Stokes in Broome on Saturday night.

The dinner comes two months after the government held off media reforms – Seven has been against dropping the Reach Rule which Nine, regional broadcasters and Fairfax support.

The government has indicated it is wants industry consensus before it considers media reform.

Sources told Fairfax that neither the media reform issue, nor possible cuts to television networks’ licence fees, were on the agenda during the “social catch-up”.

Prime Media Group chairman John Hartigan said, “We have made clear our views [on reform] in a formal setting to the Prime Minister, in his office, which he was nice enough to invite us to. But we have not had the opportunity to put our views in such a tranquil setting.”