Xenophon win a vote to defend journalism

CROSSBENCH senator Nick Xenophon insists a deal he has struck on media ownership reforms will help journalism recover from its crisis, despite criticism from Labor and the Greens.

The government secured an agreement with the Xenophon team on Wednesday, clinching his crucial bloc of three votes and paving the way for the package to be rubber- stamped by parliament yesterday.

“I’ve done my level best to try and redress the crisis that journalism is facing in this country,” he told reporters.

“This is the best package to ensure that we can actually get more journalists being employed, not fewer.”

Senator Xenophon admits the changes will allow for a consolidation of the media but says he does not want to see more companies go into administration.

The package’s centrepiece will allow a proprietor to control more than two out of three platforms – TV, radio or newspaper – in one licensed market.

It will also repeal the reach rule, which prevents a proprietor exercising control of commercial television broadcasting licences where the combined licence area exceeds 75 per cent of Australia’s population. Other measures include:

• Establish a $ 60.4 million fund for regional and small publishers with a turnover of less than $ 30 million to be overseen by the Australian Communications and Media Authority with input from bodies such as the Press Council.

• 200 scholarships of up to $ 40,000 a year subsidised by the government. They would not be restricted to smaller publications but would have a regional focus.

• Australian Competition and Consumer Commission inquiry into Facebook, Google and the impact internet giants have on the media industry.

Labor and the Greens opposed scrapping the “two out of three” rule, arguing it would lead to a higher concentration of media ownership.