From: Mark Smith [878fm@onthenet.com.au]
Sent: Thursday, 30 May 2002 1:09 PM
To: ERCA, Committee (SEN)
Subject: Re: Cross media ownership submission ---------corrected
version----------

Please note slight corrections made.
Regards
Mark Chapman Smith

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark Smith [mailto:878fm@onthenet.com.au]
> Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2002 12:53 PM
> To: ecita.sen@aph.gov.au
> Subject: Cross media ownership submission
>
>
> 29th May 2002
>
> Submission to the Senate Environment Communications Information Technology
> Committee from Radio 4GG Gold Coast Pty Ltd.
>
> Radio 4GG is totally opposed to the relaxation of cross media ownership
and
> the further take up of valuable radio and television spectrum by large
> international media organisations.
>
> At the outset, the basic premise of a life's work, effort and endeavour is
> to retain, own or control something of value.  Our international friends
> have not forgotten this basic truth.
>
> At the current rate of international uptake of our precious media assets,
> Australians will soon lose their unique voice, regional colour, interest
and
> essential Australian flavour forever.  A bland colourless sameness will
> prevail in the media to the benefit of a tiny handful of moguls who
through
> the simple fact of a vast holdings will take little note of localism in
any
> way that it presents itself.
>
> Cross media restrictions should apply across the country with no
delineation
> between city and regional centres.  Radio 4GG totally refutes the joint
> submission from R.G. Capital, Rural Press and the WIN Television Network.
> Many commercial television, cable, data and radio licenses should be
issued
> in every market in Australia to allow local service providers access to
> consumers.
>
> Radio 4GG Gold Coast Pty Ltd through myself as it's Director with 33 years
> of active radio broadcasting experience has tried for over 10 years to
> acquire a decent radio frequency in the Gold Coast and Tamworth regions
for
> the provision of a country music radio service on what would be described
as
> a normal high power channel.  Daily representations to the ABA, Minister
for
> Communications and Members of Federal Parliament have been to no avail.
>
> This Australian wanting to advertise and promote other Australians through
> their traditional and current high quality produced music, which in
> Australian terms has a huge history, has been totally ignored.
>
> The ABA and the Federal Government seem delighted to sell off our precious
> spectrum as fast as it can.  The results of this glee will be a disaster
for
> Australia.
>
> Radio 4GG maintains:
> 1.    Australia wide cross media ownership restrictions should be
tightened.
> 2.    Cross media ownership restrictions in regional markets where local
> parochial sentiments        are stronger generally than in city regions,
> should be tightened.
> 3.    The Government should include rebates on tax and licence fees to
> locally owned and
>        operated media outlets who demonstrate commitment and service
> provision to their local
>        communities.  That local media licence holder operators should be
> resident in their service
>        area and networking of programming restrictions should be
tightened.
> 4.    Foreign ownership of Australian broadcasting spectrum should be
> curtailed and over time
>        eliminated.  Broadcasting licence holders should be Australian
> citizens.
> 5.    Any cross media ownership should carry a huge condition of total
> localism input with no
>        networking.
>
> The uptake of modern and cost effective technology now cheaply available
to
> broadcasting service providers for the provision of localism should be
> encouraged.  My current overhead to provide a narrowcast radio format 24
> hours a day, 7 days a week, in Tamworth excluding my travel and wages is
$50
> per month.  To add 4 morning and evening local news bulletins if I was
> allowed to do so by the ABA would cost me wages for one and a half
journalists.
>
> If my power output was more than the current one watt, which is a waste of
> everybody's time, I could afford to employ one and a half journalists full
> time.  Not to mention sales and programming people.
>
> Many commercial broadcasting licenses traded by broadcasting service
> providers who want to provide a service will be the eventual outcome for
> free to air broadcasting.  The current protectionism of the tiny few who
> currently have the Governments ear, will crumble soon in the face of
direct
> satellite broadcasting service provision to consumers.
>
> Mark Chapman Smith
> Radio 4GG Gold Coast Pty Ltd
> 0410 687600
> 878fm@onthenet.com.au <mailto:878fm@onthenet.com.au>
>
>