news ltd slams proposed media rules

Do we really want one man to have the power to control the media in Australia.??????


http://www.afr.com/p/national/news_ltd_slams_proposed_media_rules_miChfcsdGO1CzfW4RfsQXO


"Australian media bosses have slammed the Gillard government’s wide-ranging changes to media rules, saying a new regulator to oversee print and online news content and a public interest test for mergers are unnecessary and a threat to free speech."

The long-awaited response to the Convergence Review and Finkelstein Inquiry was announced on Tuesday by Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, who will have a tough job getting the package passed after giving the opposition and crossbench just over a week to respond.

Rupert Murdoch’s News Ltd has the most to lose from the new rules because the Foxtel pay television business would be included in a public interest test administered by a Public Interest Media Advocate (PIMA), who would decide whether media acquisitions should be approved. Foxtel, which is a joint venture between News Ltd and Telstra, is currently exempt from rules restricting media ownership.