Fed: Murdoch remains critical of media reforms

AAP General News (Australia)
08-09-2006
Fed: Murdoch remains critical of media reforms

SYDNEY, Aug 9 AAP - Media mogul Rupert Murdoch remains a critic of the federal government's
media reforms, although he says he hasn't given the issue much thought of late.

Two months ago, Mr Murdoch urged the federal government to expand its overhaul of media
ownership rules or dump its planned changes altogether.

Communications Minister Helen Coonan has since unveiled the government's blueprint
for reshaping media regulations, lifting restrictions on foreign and cross-media ownership
and setting out plans for the move to digital television.

Asked for his opinion today, Mr Murdoch, the chairman and chief executive officer of
media group News Corp, had little to say.

"Frankly I haven't thought a lot about it since I left Australia two months ago," he
told reporters on a conference call following the release of News Corp's annual profit
result.

"I know there's a lot of developments but I haven't changed my opinion on what those
early proposals were."

Under the proposed changes, limits on foreign companies owning a share of the national
media will be lifted and Australian firms will get the chance for the first time to own
print, radio and TV interests in one city or regional area.

But media firms will not be able to own more than one TV station or two commercial
radio stations in the one market, and a minimum of five commercial owners in capital cities
and four in regional areas will apply.

News Corp labelled the reforms a policy failure after the package was announced last
month, saying the changes to cross-media and foreign ownership restrictions would distort
the market, reduce diversity and shore up protection for commercial television.

Speaking in Sydney in June, Mr Murdoch said the government should use the reforms to
make Australia's media industry a more open playing field, and otherwise the proposed
changes should not go ahead.

Asked today if News Corp would be interested in bidding for digital spectrum, Mr Murdoch
said: "No."

He said News Corp would not be lobbying the government about the reforms.

"We don't lobby, we just make public what our position is," he said.

AAP mn/sp

KEYWORD: MEDIA MURDOCH

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