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Posted in The Australian today.

Pauline Hanson warms to media reform


Pauline Hanson’s party has appeared to soften its position on an overhaul of media laws originally designed for a pre-internet era. Picture: Kym Smith

• Darren Davidson
• The Australian
• 12:00AM August 3, 2017
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• Darren Davidson
  
  Media Editor
  Sydney
  https://plus.google.com/110880742894784650896
  @darrendavidson
  

One Nation has opened the door to supporting the Turnbull government’s media reform bill as Pauline Hanson’s party appeared to soften its position on an overhaul of laws originally designed for a pre-internet era.
The Turnbull government received a double boost with Senate crossbencher Nick Xenophon, who is trying to win support for the reforms from crossbenchers, saying he had made “progress” on a package of amendments to safeguard journalism jobs. The comments came as internet behemoth Amazon outbid British pay-TV operator Sky to win exclusive ATP tour tennis rights for Britain.
Peter Tonagh, chief of Foxtel, jointly owned by News Corp, publisher of The Australian, said the move underlined why the nation’s anti-siphoning laws governing the broadcast of live sport no longer served their original purpose, and merely highlighted how the rules only really applied to Foxtel.
Without Labor’s backing of the media reform laws, Communications Minister Mitch Fifield must win over either the Greens or the bloc of four One Nation senators, as well as Senator Xenophon’s team.
Responding to Senator Xenophon’s comments, a representative for One Nation told The Australian last night: “Media reform is still on the table. We haven’t dismissed it totally.
There would be a long list of amendments required for us to support it, but we’re still talking and will continue with that attitude going back into a sitting week next week.
“We’ve been speaking to some industry leaders. We want to sit down and speak with Mitch Fifield again, and establish where they are at with some of the ideas we have put forward.”
One Nation is seeking Queensland safeguards to allay concerns the party has about the removal of the two-out-of-three ownership rule, which prevents a person from controlling a newspaper, TV network and radio station in the same market.
Ahead of federal parliament returning next week, Senator Xenophon has been working on a package to safeguard journalism jobs. “I believe there has been progress,’’ Senator Xenophon said yesterday.
“I want there to be a position where there could be a package of measures ... that will mean more journalists on the ground, more camera operators, more local content and better coverage of news.
“If you have those reforms in place it makes it more palatable among those who’ve got concerns about the two-out-of-three rule going.”
The bill has been listed for debate on August 9. Ramping up political pressure on the opposition to vote for the changes, Senator Fifield said “Labor’s approach is ‘talk to the hand’, whereas crossbench, independent and minor party colleagues have and continue to engage constructively”.
“Labor opportunistically voted against the whole package in the house. This is about the future of Australian media voices which my Senate colleagues, apart from Labor, understand.”
The two-out-of-three ownership rule is a key sticking point despite growing evidence that traditional media outlets are struggling to compete in an industry under siege from tech giants that can circumvent the laws.
Senator Fifield responded, stating: “The government has legislation before the parliament to reform the anti-siphoning regime by reducing the scope of the list and reducing the automatic delisting period.
“These changes along with abolition of the reach and 2/3 ownership rules and other elements of the package will give Australian media organisations a fighting chance in an increasingly globally competitive environment.”
Amazon is on a hiring spree in Australia with plans to fill 230 positions and build an editorial team. Current vacancies include managing editor and content roles.