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Govt poised to announce sweeping media reforms

Licence fees, Reach Rule, Anti-Siphoning list & Gambling ads all part of new media package.

There are reports today that the Turnbull government will announce the biggest shake-up of media rules in years.

News Corp reports the multi-faceted package is expected to include:

  • TV licence fees of $130m a year, tipped to be replaced by a spectrum fee around $40m a year
  • Axing “2 out of 3” rule which prevents media organisation from owning a TV station, radio station and newspaper in one media market
  • Scrapping the rule preventing any TV network reaching more than 75% of the population
  • Ban on gambling ads in Live sport during family viewing times
  • Gambling ad rules to remain after 8:30pm
  • Trimming of anti-siphoning list to allow Pay TV to bid for more events

Tuesday’s Budget will also include $30 million over four years to help subscription TV maintain and increase coverage of women’s sports, niche sports and high-participation sports which have struggled to get air-time.

The package reportedly has the support of Free to Air networks, including regional broadcasters, ASTRA and News Corp.

The ripple effect of such change will be long-lasting, likely to result in mergers & acquisitions, some of which could mean job losses, and potentially fewer media voices in some markets. But other moves such as lowering licence fees could also lead to more jobs.

The package is timely for TEN, seeking a drop in licence fees and potentially another owner seizing control before or after possible receivership….

15 Responses

  1. I can see a synergy with Bruce Gordon buying Ten. He will vould change two letters, T for W and E for I. Won’t even need to change the logo color but add the icon of Australia. Makes a lot of sense….

  2. So the commercial sector gets more reductions on reductions they’d already had to the tune of millions of dollars. But the community TV stations, which receive no government funding, get pushed off the airwaves.

  3. Current rules suited the world of 1987 but the new ones suit the way we live and consume media in 2017 and how the Networks have evolved.

    1. But that’s the thing – they not only haven’t evolved, they’ve fought and kicked & screamed and dragged their feet all they way. Every little bit of the “evolution” they’ve claimed as “innovation” happened 5 or 10 (or in a couple of cases, 15) years after it was normal in the UK, Europe, or even the US.

      And they’ve just been rewarded for that…

  4. So the networks donated enough to the Liberal party to have fees cut.

    And Murdoch paid enough to get permission to buy TEN…and have Foxtel able to bid on more exclusive sporting events.

    Man wouldn’t it be nice if the Federal government (both parties are guilty here) looked out for citizens rather than billionaires?

  5. I don’t know how certain a acquisition of Ten by News would be give Bruce Gordon’s majority stake. He may indeed have plans to put in an offer to counter any potential move one from News.

    I feel the changes will, in the long run, benefit the market and make for a more robust media industry. If a strong company such as News is able to reshape the landscape this should be good for the industry, in my opinion. I understand some people dislike the Murdoch empire but they wouldn’t have got to where they are today if everyone disagrees with their direction. More about this could be read from Fairfax Media and their current problems.

  6. About time , now we can all get all the channels every where, and maybe , like in the U.K. , overseas companies like Sony tv could come on board , More money for the government in spectrum fees !!

    1. Viewers in the UK are getting used to paying extra for everything they watch on TV, football, cricket, movies etc. Not a situation I’d like to see here. Terrestrial TV is in decline so the Govt is more likely to sell spectrum to mobile phone companies.

  7. The main change that needs to be made is stopping Murdoch from getting his grubby hands on any more media outlets. He controls far too much as it is.

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