Archaic cross-media ownership laws won’t save local content
In this cross posting from The Conversation, Michael de Percy of University of Canberra discusses media ownership laws and how changes might impact on local content.
Communication minister Malcolm Turnbull’s proposal for changes to cross-media ownership laws has reignited calls for the government to protect local content.
On the surface, it appears reasonable to expect government to regulate for the provision of local news coverage. Indeed, Nationals leader Warren Truss wants to ensure that “genuine localism” is maintained should there be any changes to cross-media ownership laws.
With Australia’s population concentrated in the larger metropolitan regions, “the bush” is rarely seen as a profitable market for commercial media operators, hence the assumption that government should intervene. But are traditional concerns about content versus carriage relevant in the NBN era?
Carriage IS an issue — Net Neutrality. If Telstra can prioritise Foxtel delivery over its broadband, and limit rival services, then carriage very much is an issue. I’d also be wary of pointing to the NBN delivering equal access to media sources and thus to diversity of voices.
The NBN argument would hold, if the government isn’t implemented their pathetic watered-down NBN. Without the ubiquity of fibre, there will not be the same business cases for online models to really threaten the existing media players.
So if the government wants to relax the media laws, deliver the fibre NBN and we will be happy 🙂
Easy to define genuine localism. It is what the ABC does everyday.
“the bush” is rarely seen as a profitable market for commercial media operators”I would say that is correct for 3 stations – Perth and Adelaide’s P&L may be pipped by NNSW and Regional QLD respectively.