Labor refusing to budge on media reforms
Labor says media bosses agreed with reform because there was something in it for them.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
A roll-call of Media CEOs in Canberra has failed to sway Labor in its opposition to dropping the two-out-of-three rule from the media reform package.
The rule prevents a company controlling more than two of the three media segments – radio, television and newspapers – in a single market.
Opposition communications spokeswoman Michelle Rowland told SKY News.
“We have competition laws in Australia that were written during the 1970s but we don’t say we should abolish competition laws,” she said.
“This ain’t a holistic package, it’s a grab-bag.”
Every media outlet agreed with the reforms because there was something in it for them, she suggested.
Meanwhile Pauline Hanson this week said that if the Government was serious about media reform and deficit reduction it would cut costs for ABC and SBS.
“People know my party has always been concerned about the ABC’s budget. Senator Burston has been fighting for cuts to the ABC from the moment he raised the issue in his maiden speech,” she said.
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield told ABC, “If the Australian media industry can come together, there’s no reason the Senate can’t.
“This is important for the viability of Australian media.”
2 Responses
The ALP have long memories and harbour grudges, so Rupert will have to be more patient. Newspapers and TV are both in a revenue decline and Rupert’s attempt at Social Media, My Space, also failed. Where to now? A monopoly in Sport delivered by Satellite seems possible, if only that pesky anti-siphoning law could be emasculated. Watch this space.
The ALP and the Greens won’t budge if it means giving Murdoch even more than what he has now, including over time the ability to see off Seven, Nine and the ABC.
But with Pauline, who knows, she may see TEN or the ABC killed off instead sooner than we think?