Network Insight Institute

The Coonan paper on media reform: information session

This session shared a range of expert views on how the proposals in the Minister’s current discussion paper would work in practice.  It is focused on the ‘preferred options’ in the Minister’s discussion paper called ‘Meeting the Digital Challenge:Reforming Australia’s Media in the Digital Age’.

Issues included:
1.   New (limited) multi-channel and datacasting services
2.   Spectrum management for the likely digital channels
3.   Downstream affects on program production and genres
4.   The ‘use it or lose it’ anti-siphoning principle
5.   The proposed new licence allocation procedure
6.   Timetable and planning for switch-off of analogue TV after 2010
7.   Non-BSB and Internet distribution of 'broadcast' content
8.   New 4-player and 5-player market laws replacing cross-media laws
9.   Removal of the specific foreign ownership rules
10  Likely structures of media industries and groups.

PART 1: FREQUENCIES, CHANNELS, FORMATS, GENRES
Kim Dalton, Director of TV, Australian Broadcasting Corporation; till recently, CEO of Australian Film Commission
Giles Tanner, GM, Inputs to Industry, Australian Communications & Media Authority

PART 2: THE FORM OF STATUTES AND REGULATION
Michael Reede, Partner, Clayton Utz slides
Ian McGill, Partner, Allens Arthur Robinson slides

PART 3: EFFECTS ON PLAYERS AND MARKET STRUCTURE
Chris Atkins, Partner, Communications & High Tech Strategy, Accenture slides
Bob Peters, Director, Global Media Analysis slides

Links
The two background documents, current in April 2006 were:
We recommend that attenders download and read Senator Coonan’s Meeting the Digital Challenge:Reforming Australia’s Media in the Digital Age beforehand.  You may also want to read the ACMA’s related document, Future Use of Unassigned TV channels.

«  Back

^  Top of page

Network Insight sponsors include: