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March 17, 2006
talkback radio
This is a bit of an Australian media related post, so here's some background for my overseas readers: There has been a great deal of talk recently our Goverment Senate representative has recently spoke about the plans for the future of Australian media. On one hand they are saying they wish to protect cultural diversity, and on the other hand, they are proposing to remove our media cross ownership laws so that instituions that own 75% of the Newspaper market for example, can buy TV and radio stations here in Australia. It's all very concerning.
I just had a chance to have a chat with Biggsy on Melbourne's very fine 3rrr Radio which is a first for me. Talkback radio is not something I ever saw myself calling up. A big hello to any rrr listeners who have checked out my site as a result.
What I rang up to chat about - I was a bit nervous and got a little off topic, but basically, why on Earth do we continue to hire Communications Ministers such as the previous, Richard Alston and now, Helen Coonan - who seem to know very little about Communications, IT & the arts? Apparently a background in Law gives you the background you need to understand IT, Communcations Infrastructure and the Arts. As Biggsy quite rightly points out, I shouldn't be surprised at all. I guess a better word is saddened.
When the media companies who have to compete with blogs run by well funded organisations such as myself - (HAH!) they apparently need more control of the industry. They apparently think that 75% of audience reach is restrictive and represents real competition. I think that's bloody shabby corporately funded politics at the worst.
Allocate more more funding to the arts, make it less difficult and cheaper to get a license to broadcast radio into the real world - so that people can get better voice in the conventional mediums, not take away protections so that Newscorp et al, can own more of our airwaves. It's really awful to think that this kind of political double-speak & double-think can go into the media and almost no media outlets seriously question what's going on. Because it's not in their business interests obviously.
They've set a threshold that media "diversity" cannot fall below, which is much lower than the current amount of broadcasters that we currently have. It seems to me disingenuous to be saying that they're protecting media diversity and then on the other hand, take away the barriers to more media ownership by the existing big corporate players.
And keep your goddamn filthy hands of the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Foundation - Publically funded TV). The same Senator in question, has raised the potential of putting ads on the ABC. John Howard unbelievably (because my impression of the man is that he would privatize his grandmother for a quick buck) has put the kibosh on that, but it's a telling indictment of where Senator Helen Coonan is at.
Stunned by the hypocracy and the lies folks. Just stunned.
Posted by funnelbc at March 17, 2006 11:43 AM
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