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ACCC recommends “stable & adequate funding” for ABC, SBS.

Digital Platforms Inquiry recommends stable funding for public broadcasters to continue their journalism.

ABC and SBS should receive “stable and adequate funding” to continue their journalism, according to the ACCC Digital Platforms Inquiry.

“In Australia, the two publicly funded broadcasters, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Special Broadcasting Service Corporation (SBS), are the predominant means by which the Government has addressed the potential under-provision of public interest journalism,” the inquiry concluded.

“In recognition of the role performed by the ABC and SBS in addressing the public good nature of
journalism and consequent risk of under provision of public interest journalism, the ACCC recommends that stable and adequate funding be provided to the ABC and SBS.

“However, while the public broadcasters have performed, and will continue to perform, an extremely important role in addressing under-provision of certain forms of journalism and contributing to media plurality, a wider range of news sources should also be active in the provision of all categories of journalism in order to ensure depth of coverage and broader range of media voices throughout Australia.

“Further, the public broadcasters are not currently resourced to fully compensate for the decline in local reporting previously produced by traditional commercial publishers.”

Australians’ time spent online

The report, which largely considers the impact of Facebook and Google on media content creators, has been welcomed by networks.

Nine CEO Hugh Marks:

“We’d like to congratulate the ACCC and the government for the initiative they’ve taken and for the comprehensive nature of the response.

“The ACCC has successfully identified the steps that need to be taken to bring about change for the benefit of Australian consumers and Australian businesses, in what is a complex area.

“We’re enthused by the strength of the Government’s clear commitment to implement that change – to protect the personal rights of Australians using digital platforms, to ensure the accuracy and reliability of information provided to Australians and to provide a framework that will assist content creators and owners to fairly monetise the results of their work.

“We look forward to being involved constructively with the ACCC and the government as we move through to outcomes. We stress the importance of taking action within the timeframes recommended by the ACCC.”

Network 10’s chief operating officer Annabelle Herd:

“This world-first report recognises that while these companies have changed the world in so many ways, not all of those changes are good.

“It has taken a long time to get to this point and there is still a way to go to implement most of the recommendations. These are complex issues and, no doubt, there will be heavy push back.

“However, it does feel like the glamour of the global digital players has worn off in Canberra and for the first time there seems to be a strong political will to address big issues like inadequate regulation, lack of transparency, and the impact on Australian media companies, consumers and local content producers.”

Free TV CEO, Bridget Fair said:

“The ACCC’s ground-breaking report lays bare the unprecedented levels of market dominance of Google and Facebook and the impact that they have had on media companies and the millions of Australians that rely on them.

“We have been calling for a strong regulatory response that allows our members to fairly monetise their content on the digital platforms since our initial submission to this inquiry in April 2018. The ACCC Final Report goes a long way towards delivering this outcome.

“We particularly congratulate the ACCC on its recommendation for a Code of Conduct which would force Google and Facebook to negotiate fairly with Australian news media businesses. The ability of Australian media companies to monetise their content on the digital platforms is critical for their future.

“Free TV has also consistently stated that our media laws have failed to keep pace with the dramatic changes in the media landscape. Pleasingly the ACCC has recognised the need for a harmonised media regulatory framework. We hope that the most obvious cases of regulatory disparity can be addressed quickly.

“Commercial television broadcasters are the cornerstone of the Australian production sector and invest significantly in trusted news and local journalism, as well as Australian entertainment, drama and live sport.

“Minister Fletcher highlighted the importance of cultural policy objectives. Our focus is having a regulatory framework that supports the ability of Free TV broadcasters to continue playing our critical role in meeting this objective.

“Accountability and transparency are central to curbing the unrestricted market power of Google and Facebook. We welcome the increased focus on anti-competitive conduct that will come from having a dedicated digital markets team within the ACCC.

“On the taking down of illegal material, the ACCC has clearly identified the deficiencies in the current processes for seeking removal. We need a rapid and efficient process of having illegal material removed from the digital platforms. We think that the proposed mandatory standard on takedown of pirated copyright material to be issued by the ACMA is a positive step towards this outcome.

“We look forward to working with the Government over the next 12 weeks to implement the ACCC’s recommendations.”

2 Responses

  1. “The ACCC’s ground-breaking report lays bare the unprecedented levels of market dominance of Google and Facebook and the impact that they have had on media companies and the millions of Australians that rely on them.”

    I’m always baffled by this. Google and Facebook have become the juggernauts they have because they’re offering a product consumers enjoy. It’s rather frustrating when governments around the world then wish to impede restrictions on successful companies. I understand what the ACCC is wishing for but confused how they’re going to achieve it in an ever changing media landscape.

    1. One of the ideas being proposed is for Google News paying for the news content it aggregates from other websites. That seems fair – allow Google to keep providing the content, but still make sure the journalists who do the hard work get their fair share.

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