Would be good if it gets passed but sounds like Labor want the 2/3 rule to stay.
We know why news Corp are whinging but seven have been so negative about the potential law changes. I wish Tim Wormer would just stfu and let the industry get on with consolidation to ensure the industry grows.
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Regional broadcasters welcome the announcement today by Minister Mitch Fifield that the Government will be introducing legislation to reform the media ownership laws to abolish the 75% reach rule, which prevents a broadcaster from reaching more than 75% of the Australian population and the âtwo-out-of-three ruleâ, which limits ownership to two out of three of a printed newspaper, radio and free to air television licence.
Welcoming the announcement, John Hartigan, chairman of Prime Media, said:
âAbolition of the outdated media laws demonstrates the Turnbull Governmentâs commitment to television viewers in regional and rural Australia.
âThe Prime Minister and Minister Fifield engaged deeply on these issues, and have demonstrated they have the fortitude to follow through.â
Grant Blackley, CEO of Southern Cross Austereo, said:
âI congratulate Minister Fifield, who, after extensive consultation, has announced a far-reaching package, which paves the way for meaningful media reform.
âWe encourage all Members and Senators to embrace these reforms and support a swift passage through both houses of Parliament. Itâs time for the rules to reflect media in the 21st century.â
Ian Audsley, CEO of Prime Media, said:
âI would like to thank Tim Fischer and the thousands of regional Australians who backed our âSave Our Voicesâ campaign.
âThe Ministerâs reform package will enable regional media businesses to achieve the necessary scale to determine their own future and start to reduce their dependency on others.â
Andrew Lancaster, CEO of WIN Corporation, said:
âRegional Members and Senators have opened their doors, listened and taken the time to understand the complex issues facing regional broadcasters and the impact on viewers.
âThe 75% reach rule makes absolutely no sense at a time when news, information and entertainment services are now being delivered via a diverse range of technologies and from a plethora of sources, rendering it and the âtwo-out-of-three ruleâ blunt instruments."
In accepting new local content obligations as part of the reform package, Lancaster added:
âThe new local content obligations strike a sensible balance between ensuring reasonable levels of local content are maintained upon the merger of a regional and metro broadcaster, while ensuring local news services remain financially viable in the meantime.â
Nineâs response to media reform
Nine CEO Hugh Marks commented:
âWe have been consistent in our call for full reform for what is very outdated regulation. While todayâs announcement starts a path for some ownership reform to us, thatâs not the central issue. The central issue is how do we create a level playing field that enables us to compete effectively into the future with the global brands that have entered the market, and continue to provide Australian audiences with the very best free-to-air television service. This needs to be done in a way that stimulates Australian content and Australian jobs.â
Then Labor is stupid. Who cares if they donât like News Corp joining with Ten. They obviously donât want us not to be in 21st century. It is an outdated reform that needs to go. Simple.
If you ask me, the thought of News Corp owning newspapers, a radio network and a TV station is a very scary one.
News Corp have too much control of the media in this country without owning a free to air TV network or radio stations.
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Fairfax speculating that southern cross discussing selling tv assets to ten. Ten wouldnât have the $120-150million required and would need to raise capital.
To make ten bigger this would be good. All sales out of MCN would be good for Foxtel and bring efficiencies.
Not sure what would happen to the Tasmanian affiliate of seven. Plus Darwin and Tasmanian digital are co-owned with Win.
Or the Seven and Nine affiliates in regional SA/Broken hill
[quote=âcmo, post:47, topic:492â]
Ten wouldnât have the $120-150million required and would need to raise capital.
[/quote]How about a merger of SCA and Ten? That way no capital needs to be raised, and they both get the benefit of sharing resources.
While on paper the TV arm of SCA is losing money, it does help generate sales for radio in package deals. I believe a number of package deals that include TV arenât allocated to the TV side of the books, meaning that TV doesnât perform as badly as it looks, and also the radio side of the business benefits from having TV. There would also be benefits in being able to merge TV and radio news rooms in the metros.
Also remember that SCA CEO Grant Blackley was once at Ten arguably during some of itâs more successful years.
[quote=âcmo, post:47, topic:492â]
Plus Darwin and Tasmanian digital are co-owned with Win.
[/quote]SCA run playout and programming for both these stations, as well as Ten Central which is co-owned with Imparja. In the case of a takeover, these would simply change to being co-owned by Ten and Win/Imparja, with Ten managing playout and programming.
In the case that the SCTV arm is sold to Seven, it might be possible for Ten to retain itâs share in the Ten licenses⌠though given these are supplementary digital-only licenses Iâm not sure if there would be a requirement to keep them with the âfullâ license holders.
The only way Network 10 can survive is News Corp Australia buying them out, their news bulletins merge with their digital state news hubs and Fox Sports supplying most of Tenâs sport offerings.
What if the SCTV arm was sold to Prime and not directly to Seven? Prime could buy SCTV which broadcasts 7âs signal then could be offloaded to 7 at a later date when and/or if Prime was bought out by Seven.
God no! That would be terrible.
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Case Study #1 on how terrible it would be - ESPN on ABC
Aside from Saturday night college football and NBA, most of the sport ABC showed was in one way or another shifted mostly or entirely to ESPN in the years after it âdissolvedâ ABC Sports in 2006
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In Fairfax today: Ten chairman said the network is not interested in the TV assets of Southern Cross. Sees no value in regional TV.
I think the metro networks are waiting until the ass falls out of the value of the tv stations in regional areas before they pick them up cheap. Or just merge.
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Not sure where else to post this, but
[quote]
Macquarie sell down SCA
Macquarie Group has exited a significant portion of its investment in Southern Cross Media (SCA) late this afternoon.
[/quote]via Radio Today. So, with the bank down from ~26% to ~10%, is this a sign of something more?
And later 9.9% of their remaining shares sold to Nine Entertainment. Interesting times ahead!
Sure is. Win talking to Ten and now this development.
Strong guess July 1 will be WIN10 and SC9
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Sounds that way. All this happens after Ten and SC had there 3 months exclusive period end last Thursday. Ten says they have no interest in SC licences. Gordo talks to Ten, Now this.
That probably works in 9ECâs favour.
Theyâd be able to pick up SC a fair bit cheaper than WIN when the reach rule is abolished (as far as Iâve heard), plus theyâd get to all of SCAâs radio assets too?