John Hartigan lashes government over media reform as regional TV networks ready ad blitz
Hartigan says Canberra is being “bloody minded” on media reform
The chairman of regional broadcaster Prime Media John Hartigan has accused Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s office of being “bloody-minded” in its refusal to move on media law reforms.
The former News Corp CEO’s comments to Mumbrella come as Australia’s three major regional TV networks Prime, WIN and Southern Cross Austereo, prepare to launch a major advertising campaign across television, radio and digital aimed at forcing Canberra to take action on the issue.
Both Abbott and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull have said they want “consensus” among the major media owners before they introduce reforms to laws which affect ownership and how much of the population media networks can reach.
Given the Murdoch minions in full throttle attack dog outrage this week, we need to get Ruperts hand of the throat of democracy in Oz, UK and US.
After the total disaster that aggregation was for regional voice, can someone explain how dropping reach and allowing metro to buy regional, actually improves services for regional people? Bruce Gordon sings from the same songbook saying 100% is the answer as he closes down regional newsrooms. I know that regional news is not the answer, but 100% reach is about redusing operating costs, not maintaining or increasing in regional areas. Good luck ‘mobilising 9 million regional Australians’ so that they can sing for the end of local access to their television services. Regional Australians are not hayseeds.
How does consolidation with a larger entity make regional news production any less expensive and more profitable?
Hartigan just wants to position Prime for a sale. As if he cares about localism.