Media control We encourage diversity in Australian broadcasting services. Web. The 2013 federal election demonstrated the corrosive effects of concentrated media ownership on democracy. But this division needs to be understood from a deeper ideological perspective. There is a pressing need to rethink policy and regulation in light of the ongoing transformations surrounding digital convergence. Web. For Australia the second pivotal moment arrived in 2006. 26 May 2015. Boreham, Glen. The Government has announced the most significant reforms to Australian media regulation in a generation, focusing on the control and ownership of Australia’s media outlets and the provision of local television content in regional Australia. Whereas those firmly against interventionist government measures can be broadly summarised as coming from an economic policy approach that favours markets over public interest (Pusey and McCutcheon 26; Papandrea). The justification for the rules is that the effective functioning of a democracy requires a diverse ownership of the daily mass media to ensure that public life be reported in a fair and open manner. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is the broadcasting regulator for radio and television in Australia, and also the co-regulatory Online Content Scheme. Instead of Fairfax being overtaken as ‘most analysts had predicted’ (Pusey and McCutcheon 28), this significant merger created ‘the largest print and online media company in Australasia’ (Ricketson cited in Pusey and McCutcheon 28). Regulation in Australia has particular restrictions on the ownership and the regulation of content. ( Log Out /  Although Australia's media ownership laws have remained unchanged for over a decade, debate on the desirability of reform has continued unabated. This merger allowed Fairfax control of a third capital city masthead newspaper and also ‘scores of regional outlets’ (Warren 273), which included Rural Press’s nine newspapers and then ‘an additional three regional newspaper titles’ by mid-2007 (Pusey and McCutcheon 29). Introduction Although Australia's media ownership laws have remained unchanged for over a decade, debate on the desirability of reform has continued unabated. ( Log Out /  This diversity forms the crux of the argument in support of government intervention. Even government reports had predicted ‘that the rules would lead to consolidation’ (Pusey and McCutcheon 26), and then Prime Minister John Howard believed it was ‘economically unviable for there to be large numbers of media players’ because of the relatively small Australian population (Warren 274). The current regulations toward media ownership in Australia can be attributed toward the Broadcasting Services Act of 1992. Due to the rapidly changing, convergent media environment, the issues of media ownership, policy and regulation are in a state of flux. The Broadcasting Services Amendment (Media Ownership) Act 2006 controls the ‘rules under which media ownership’ operate and were last amended in 2007 once the Coalition federal Government achieved a majority in both Houses of Parliament (Given “Cross-Media Ownership” 263). Ed. “New Media or More of the Same? That inquiry’s report noted that: You can read the full response here. The snapshot provides an overview only of the main interests in major TV and radio networks and related newspapers. They are not meant to give a full picture of all media interests in Australia. Therefore, a small number of media owners have gained control over the Australian media landscape. The Broadcasting Services Act 1992 tells us how we define these companies. When asked for a source to support her assertion, a spokesman for Michelle Rowland sent The Conversation a detailed response drawing from a wide range of sources, including the 2012 Finkelstein inquiryinto media and media regulation. Prior to the 2007 changes, restrictions aimed at stopping media owners from multi-sector concentration and dominance. This includes the right to consume whatever media you choose. Guide to Media and Content Regulation in Asia Pacific Baker & McKenzie 3 Australia • open narrowcasting services (limited / special interest services made generally available) can be provided under a class licence under the BSA; and • international broadcasting services (services delivered from Australia but targeted at audiences outside Australia) ( Log Out /  CBS beat a joint bid from Australian media moguls Lachlan Murdoch and Bruce Gordon, which prompted the Government to reform existing media ownership laws by way of the Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Broadcasting Reform) Act 2017 (Cth) (Broadcast Reform Amendments), which repealed key cross-media ownership limitations (discussed in question 5.3 below). The Senate has cleared the way for an overhaul of Australia's media ownership rules. Firstly this essay will outline the debate around media ownership in Australia. In Australia, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Special Broadcasting Corporation (SBS) are … Clearly this points to the Australian Government being motivated by economic rather than public interest objectives. The problems arising from dominance and concentration include ‘abuses of power, lack of diversity of opinion, conflicting interests and suppression of journalistic freedom’ (Pearson and Brand 7, 28-29; Doyle, cited in Pusey and McCutcheon 23), all of which run counter to the ideals of a healthy democracy. The Senate has cleared the way for an overhaul of Australia's media ownership rules. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. “2012, Convergence review: final report.” Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy. Others, however, argue that excessive consolidation of media ownership threatens the system of checks and balances. Because existing regulation has been based around traditional forms of media, it often fails to allow for the wide boundary shifts that are occurring. Again this points to economic interests displacing the public interest. Reform is certainly necessary, but it must also consider the wider social and public factors at risk, and not just the commercial concerns of business owners. THE PRICE OF FREEDOM: NEW MEDIA OWNERSHIP LAWS AND A FREE AUSTRALIAN PRESS CHRISTOPHER WARREN* I INTRODUCTION ‘Fewer voices. The removal of foreign ownership restrictions resulted in a ‘dramatic and largely unanticipated impact’ that took ownership of free-to-air television networks ‘offshore into private institutional ownership’ (Cunningham 86). While the argument for attracting investment can be judged by economic objectives, it is difficult to evaluate ‘intangible social benefits that do not lend themselves to economic qualification’ (Papandrea 309). Fewer choices.’ This was the slogan chosen by the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance – the trade union and professional association of media workers – in our campaign against the new media ownership laws. There … Corporate interests had taken priority over public interest, effectively disregarding concerns over what a lack of diversity means for the ideals of a healthy democracy. The act specifies that the ABC must maintain an “independent national broadcasting service”. Stuart Cunningham and Sue Turnbull. Updated Updated 14/09/2017. Through a discussion of the main arguments for and against government regulation and an examination of… This economic position asserts that it is only through consolidation that business can attract investors allowing for the growth needed ‘to compete in a globalised world’ (Cunningham 85). Web. The Australian Content Standard (2005) mandates a 55% quota of Australian content on television between 6 am and midnight. s. 61AB. The lifting of ownership rules that were designed to stop such groups dominating across different sectors has led to greater concentration of media ownership in Australia (Pusey and McCutcheon 23). Consumers who have complaints about programs on television and radio or certain types of … Who is the A.C.M.A. Normative social policy objectives can be difficult to assess and the ‘principle of diversity’ is a highly contested issue in the debate about media ownership and control (Cunningham 85; Waller 277). Clear divisions between media sectors no longer exist as categories become increasingly blurred, and regulation of media industries has necessitated significant policy modification (Cunningham and Turnbull 4). The Federal Government's bill to change media ownership and regulation has passed the Senate 31 votes to 27. Their analysis specifically focused on ownership concentration across the sectors affected by cross-media rules, namely, commercial radio and television services and newspapers. ‘The new ruled allowed established players to reposition themselves across media for the first time since 1987’ (Pusey and McCutcheon 28). It will then summarise the main effects of the 2007 changed media laws, particularly on the vulnerable regional sector, and more widely on the public interest. The debate around media ownership in Australia can broadly be divided into those ‘for’ and ‘against’ regulation. R Harding-Smith, Media ownership and regulation in Australia, Centre for Policy Development, Sydney, 2011, accessed 11 December 2014. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. In many countries, government ownership equates to government control of the media.In Australia, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Special Broadcasting Corporation (SBS) are both owned by the federal government. The total number of controllers decreased across the two broadcasting sectors: commercial radio decreased from 34 controllers in 2007 down to 32 in 2010; and commercial television decreased from 8 controllers in 2007 to 7 in 2010, ‘despite the release of new licences’ (Cunningham 86; ACMA 2007, 2010c cited in Pusey and McCutcheon 28). This debate has been fuelled by the advent of new media technologies, a number of inquiries proposing regulatory changes, and the self-interest of those media organisations that report the controversy. Mass media are seen as a social medium that contributes to building strong nations, Web. Changes to ownership laws placed ‘an increased emphasis on market forces’ (Pusey and McCutcheon 30), with the main beneficiaries being the media owners. A printing press had been transported to … With the removal of these cross-media ownership and foreign ownership laws, media players were then able to access greater portions of different types of media. The danger of allowing economic interests to completely displace public interest is antithetic to the objectives of a healthy democracy. Media Concentration in Australia.” Media International Australia 140 (2011): 22-34. Further, Pusey and McCutcheon argue that this is why some forms of varying regulatory intervention are thus essential and ‘integral to ensuring a balance’ between these competing commercial and public interests (23). Deregulation, its supporters argue, would make foreign investment an ‘easier and more attractive proposition’, in turn leading to massive increases in national investment. 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