Stephen Conroy: Rupert Murdoch’s wisdom made me give all that money to the free TV networks
Stephen Conroy has cited Rupert Murdoch’s public comments about the economics of television as one of the reasons he decided to give Australia’s TV networks a multi-million dollar discount on their licences.
When the announcement was made in February that the networks were getting the unexpected discounts, amounting to more than $200m, the Government cited a need to guarantee local content as the reason for giving free TV the leg-up.
The decision to give free TV the money created a furore, particularly in the pages of Murdoch’s News Ltd papers and from pay TV player Foxtel, in which Murdoch’s News Corp is a quarter owner. Foxtel has not received any similar government subsidies.
But in newly published transcripts from this week’s Senate Estimates Committee, Conroy said that although he has never met him, Rupert Murdoch’s views influenced him to hand over the money.
Is this guy for real? I shudder to put my economic situation in his hands …
If the Govt’s motive was truly to encourage local content creation then why don’t they give more grants and incentives to local producers and talent?
Why are the TV stations getting the money?
Because if you give the money to local producers they make Movies for six lesbians in Footscray.
If you give it to the TV stations they are duty bound to find the most professional people to produce something that is watched by a million people and provides hundreds of jobs.
“Rupert Murdoch acknowledges it—one of the main competitors of the free-to-air network.”
Clearly, Senator Conroy has never heard of Fox Network in the US. I hardly think Mr Murdoch is merely a competitor for FTA.
The real problem with advertising – online or otherwise – is the lack of money i.e. everyone is BROKE!
Could this possibly be why the networks have never given Conroy a grilling over the internet filter ever even once combined at all? 7pm Project was not a grilling.
Conroy is weird. Everything he says is weird. I don’t think he has the first, faintest idea about media and communication. Is that why he got his portfolio?
Can you believe this Conroy guy?
Why would Murdoch even give Conroy the opportunity to meet with him. Like the government, Conroy is a waste of space.
Ooh, my aching eyeballs following Conroy metamorphose from a blubbering idiot to a total moron
First, did Nine really get 2.5 Men for $1k per ep?!?! Deal of the century!
I agree with Winston Smith. The licence fee revenue should have been put into a “Television Development Fund” .. just like their is a fund for film (which TV can currently dip into as well). Independent producers as well as networks via their commisioning of local production could apply to the TDF for full or partial funding of local productions and co-productions. This would give an enormous boost to seeing local content on our screens as well as giving local up-and-comers the chance of a break and some decent financial returns, and keep a lot of our fabulously talented production staff employed more than part-time during the year.
Absolutely loved it, Senator Conroy. Throwing Murdoch’s words back in his face made my day. Much better to give it to the TV Stations to make programs they know their audiences will want to watch rather than to individual groups who pander to their own creative (!) work which FTA audiences won’t watch.