EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY CHECK AGATINST DELIVERY
FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIAN RADIO BROADCASTERS/ SYDNEY TIME CLUB
SYDNEY 3 DECEMBER 1986
Mrs Cameron, Members of FARB, members of the Time Club,
ladies and gentlemen.
Anybody who has ever produced a talk-back radio show will
know that politicians are no strangers to radio. I suppose
I am no exception to that. Indeed I always enjoy
participating in talk-back because it's an excellent way of
keeping in touch with the Australian public, of letting them
know what we're doing and of hearing their concerns and
complaints. Sometimes hearing them pretty forcefully, too.
The stimulating thing about talk-back is that listeners will
ask your view about nearly every issue under the sun; and
of course they're entitled to as good a response as you can
give. But though we discuss almost everything on talk-back, we
seldom discuss radio itself which is a shame in view of
the gigantic contribution radio has made and will continue
to make to Australian society, and in view of the very great
changes taking place in the Australian media industry
overall. So today, instead of talking on radio, I want to talk about
radio which is fitting because the very wide
representation of the radio industry present here today
means I am talking, in effect, to radio.
I want to address today the key question facing us all in
government as well as in the radio industry: that is, how
to ensure that radio continues to serve the best interests
of the Australian community in the future as it has done
for several decades already.
In particular I want to address the issue of the
introduction of FM radio to regional areas, a development
which as you all know is imminent.
The rapid pace of change is affecting radio as it is
affecting the rest of the Australian society. We must
master the technological ' challenge facing us. We must adapt
to our new competitive trading environment. We must learn
to minimise restraints to growth where they exist. We must
critically examine if we can simplify and reduce the amount
of costly regulation which we have inherited.
My Government has been given the responsibility of steering
Australia through a time of very profound economic change.
We are proud of our achievements in bringing about the
conditions for future economic growth. Australian industry
is poised to reap the benefits of a new competitiveness.
And to their eternal credit, the Australian people have
shown their willingness to make sacrifices in the interests
of securing adequate living standards for the future.
As part of this adaptation to new economic and technological
circumstances, some industries have undergone quite
considerable change. One common theme running through the
Government's involvement in for example the revitalisation
of employment and investment in the car and steel
industries, or in the announcement of new ownership and
control rules for the television industry, has been the
creation of a more competitive environment.
The radio industry is now, as you know, undergoing a similar
process.
With the introduction of the new FM licences, the radio
industry faces potentially major change.
The Government believes the increased utilisation of this
public resource the FM band will yield substantial new
consumer benefits.
But we are determined also that the process of change in the
radio industry will take full account of your views and the
views of other sections of the industry. We know from
experience that the best route to smooth structural
re-adjustment is through detailed analysis, close
consultation with affected parties, and, only then, a
careful and balanced Government decision.
We would all have liked it better, of course, if this
process could have been completed more speedily.
But it is necessary to achieve the right decision, and that
process involves balancing competing industry opinions,
expert views and government priorities. Inevitably this
takes time.
FARB has, I know, expressed dissatisfaction with the length
of time that it has taken for the issue of new FM radio
licences in Australia to be determined. You have rightly
noted that it is ten years since a commitment was made to
introduce new FM services nationally.
For much of the three and a half years my Government has
been in office, we have given priority to the greater
problem of regional television. I make no apology for this.
However, we are now committed to moving quickly on the
introduction of FM services, particularly in regional areas.
We believe the members of FARB, and the Australian listening
public as a whole, will ultimately benefit from this change.
The Minister for Communications, Michael Duffy has, I know,
already made clear to you that the Government's preferred
option is to provide additional services by means of
independent operators that is, to introduce competition.
I believe that all elements of the industry FARB, FAIR,
other independents, the Tribunal, and the Government are
agreed that the supplementary licence scheme needs change if
it is to be made workable. In its current form there must
be strong doubts that the scheme would ever work
effectively. only two hearings have been completed under it. They have
taken two years, and they have yet to result in any new
service. I hasten to point out, having noted that Deirdre O'Connor is
here, that this is not meant to be a criticism of the
Tribunal. Rather it exemplifies how unworkable is the
system the Tribunal must administer.
A substantial amount of information, and various competing
proposals, or options, have now-, been put forward on how to
streamline the supplementary scheme process. I should
emphasise that the Government has not yet made its decision
on this issue.
obviously, where there is doubt about the means by which
additional services are to be provided, the Tribunal
represents the appropriate arbitrator. But where there is
not based on the best available information, including
that offered by the industry the Government must consider
whether it can continue to delay the delivery of services to
the public by the imposition of an inappropriate and time
consuming scheme.
The Government has a number of proposals under consideration
which have been available for public comment. I hope that
industry representatives have taken up this opportunity for
comment, in a spirit of co-operation.
FARB has, I know, responded in detail to the report of the
Forward Development Unit in the Department of Communications
which deals with FM issues. Let me make clear again that
contributions to this debate are welcomed by the Government.
I want to take this opportunity of assuring you that FARB's
response will be seriously and fully considered.
I would note, too, that the task of assessing the FDU Report
is a task for the minister and the Government, not officials
or advisers.
I am aware of FARB's concern that up until now the
consultative process appears to have adopted an unreasonable
interest in the viability of new licencees, and spent little
time on the viability of existing licencees.
If this is so, and I am not convinced that it is, then let
me redress the balance to the extent possible today.
We have no desire at all to undermine the viability of
existing broadcasters. It would be patently inconsistent
with our desire to see additional, diverse services provided
to regional listeners if we were to merely drain the
vitality of the existing services.
On the other hand, the Government can be expected to have
little patience with claims that there are no or very few
markets where new, competitive services can co-exist with
established services.
Ladies and Gentlemen.
I want to make a few brief comments today as well on the
impact of the new television ownership and control rules, as
they affect radio.
You will all be aware that the new rules contain a cross
media test, a matter which was central to the communications
plank in the ALP platform at the last elections, and an
issue which has received great attention in the United
States in the last decade.
As far as radio is concerned, the new rule should dfree up
some parts of the industry from being perhaps tied to a
corporate strategy predicated on television's interests.
While no radio station need be divested under the television
rule, the rule will limit any potential television licensee
to areas where no monopoly radio licence is held.
I would note also that the policy explicitly refers to
" monopoly" radio, consistent with the Government's stated
prejudice towards competition.
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Let me in conclusion make a few comments of more general
relevance to the entire media industry. I am always ready,
as I think you would know, to acknowledge and defend the
essential role of the media in our democratic system. The
ability of you and your colleagues in TV and the print media
to keep the Australian public up to date on current
political events is a genuinely desirable feature of our
political life. So is your ability to criticise politicians
when you see fit.
But ready as I am to acknowledge that, I am equally prepared
to return the criticism when I see fit and today gives me
an opportunity to do that.
I always thought that one of the basic tasks of news
reporting was checking your facts before g6ing to air or to
print. I still think that should be one of the crucial
tasks of news analysis. Yet recently we have seen some
outstanding examples where indolence failure to check
facts has been allowed to take the place of diligence
Three times of late, lead stories in the National Times on
Sunday which were themselves less than fully accurate have
been picked up by electronic media and reported virtually
without change or prior checking. It's irritating to read
not just an incorrect newspaper story but to hear it
broadcast for the rest of the weekend and I take this
opportunity of gently reminding you all of your
responsibility to reporting the truth.
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Radio is a positive, exciting, aggressive medium. It did
not lie down and die when television was introduced
despite the predictions of some critics. It has survived
advertising slumps, war, and recessions. We should all work
together to see that it survives the present demands of
restructuring.
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