Free TV members from metro, regional and rural areas have today welcomed the Government’s
announcement of Michelle Rowland as Minister for Communications.
Bridget Fair, Free TV CEO, said, “I have valued the consistent engagement we have had with
Minister Rowland during her time as Shadow Minister and we look forward to working with her in
this important portfolio.
“Minister Rowland has extensive experience as Shadow Minister and a background in communications,
law, and broadcasting policy, which will be greatly valued in this role as the media industry
continues to develop and change in the coming years.
“While audience viewing habits are evolving, Australian content, and trusted Australian news and
information, continue to play a key part in Australian society”.
In its 2022 Federal Election Policy Manifesto, Free TV outlined the key policy priorities for
commercial television broadcasters, including: legislating prominence of Free TV services on
content distribution platforms; renewing and expanding the anti-siphoning list, reducing the
broadcast spectrum tax and addressing the future of remote broadcast services.
These issues will form the basis for engagement with the Minister over the coming months, and
Free TV has welcomed commitments already made by the Labor Government on some of these
issues.
Free TV broadcasters are vital to providing Australian content to audiences – recent research
indicates that 78% of Australians believe reliable free-to-air television services are crucial and that
commercial television news is among the most trusted source of news for Australians.
Free TV broadcasters invest around $1.5 billion each year in Australian content, broadcasting more
than 25,000 hours of local programming. Commercial broadcasters make a difference to
communities across the country, including regional and rural areas, where our members produce
over 35 local news bulletins daily, as well as news updates.
ENDS
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