JOINT MEDIA RELEASE

‍SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS
The Hon David Coleman MP

MEMBER FOR MALLEE
Dr Anne Webster MP

Labor ‘shuffling the deckchairs’ in wake of sinking of TEN Mildura

Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster says she agrees with FreeTV’s assessment that regional media stakeholders are ‘shuffling the deckchairs’ after the sinking of Ten Mildura, yet another regional service swallowed up by city-centric governance.

“The peak commercial TV broadcaster body is right, the Mildura Digital TV shutdown is a consequence of government inaction on regional media reform,” Dr Webster said.

“Regrettably it is already too late for Mildura, not only losing the Ten television transmissions from 1 July. This follows the loss of local commercial TV news which has been long gone.

Yesterday Communications Minister Michelle Rowland introduced a ‘Regional Broadcasting Continuity Bill’ citing the Mildura Digital Television 30 June shutdown as justification for the intervention.

Shadow Minister for Communications David Coleman said the Albanese Government had been asleep at the wheel in local broadcasting.

“They’ve waited until four days before the shutdown to make this announcement,” Mr Coleman said.

“But all they’ve done is to invite people to pay around $800 to continue watching Ten programs.

“This is a band-aid solution which would place a further cost impost on families during this Government’s cost-of-living crisis.

“We announced support last year for scrapping the commercial broadcasting tax, which would be helpful for keeping local TV stations running.  We call on the Government to support the Coalition’s call on this issue.”

Dr Webster questioned the practicality of the Bill to enable a $800 satellite TV workaround.

“It may be far more practical for Mildura viewers to upgrade their television to access 10Play, or work out how to stream their favourite shows through the 10Play app on their phone,” Dr Webster said.

“Yet again regional Australians are asked to pay more for the services that city people can freely access. Yet again we wear the consequences of Labor’s scorched earth approach to regional Australia. Whether it is health, child care or communications, Labor’s focus is on supporting metropolitan Australians, not regional Australians.  We live in a child care desert, a health catastrophe and an increasingly barren commercial television wilderness.”