Mitch Fifield: Don’t count out attempts to change the media ownership laws just yet

Tim Burrowes

February 7, 2017 10:26

Communications Minister, Mitch Fifield, has signalled that the Government wants to make it easier for Australia’s major media players to go through mergers.

Fifield used a round of interviews to reiterate that the Coalition remains keen to change the laws around media ownership despite fading hopes of getting changes through Parliament.

At present, individual TV networks are allowed to reach just 75% of the population while media companies can only own two-out-of-three media platforms – from radio, TV and newspapers – in any city.

Media ownership snapshot (click to enlarge) | Source: ACMA

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Tim Burrowes

Tim Burrowes is the publisher of Mumbrella and Unmade. He co-founded Mumbrella in 2008 and sister title Unmade in 2021. He's worked in the UK, Middle East, Asia & Australia and has specialised in writing about the communications world for the last 25 years. He wrote the book Media Unmade, published in 2021, and became the presenter of MediaLand on ABC Radio National in 2025.