PM Transcripts

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PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW WITH DALE SINCLAIR, ELECTORATE OF MAKIN, 4
DECEMBER 1986..
E 0 E PROOF ONLY
JOURNALIST: Mr Duff y has been saying that he believed media
ownership. How does that fit with Mr Murdoch taking over so much of
the popular press?
M: The legislation that we will be bringing in will do more than has
ver been done in this country to ensure that there is diversification
within areas. What is important is that there be no monopoly of the
total media. For the first time, we will bring in a cross-media
limitation so that in no region will one person or group be able to
monopolise the television, radio and print. And I believe that will be
a good thing.
JOURNALIST: But within the popular press. here in Adelaide and in
Brisbane you will have Mr Murdoch owning the only print media we have.
PM: We will see what happens. Mr Murdoch has yet to make decisions as
to what he will divest. And he has made it clear, he has got to think
about what he will, do. We will wait and see.
JOURNALIST: You understand concern though of people like the PKIU who
believe that up to a third of their membership is threatened in
Adelaide alone?
I'M: I don't know whether a third of their membership is threatened. I
.) ntsay that and it is just hypothetical at this stage to say because
we don't know what decisions Mr Murdoch will make. He has now acquired
or in the process of acquiring a vast range of media in the three
mediums. And he is going to have to make decisions both in accordance
with the legal requirements and in accordance with commercial
considerations. So I am not pre-judging what the outcome will be
because no-one, including the PKIU, knows.
JOURNALIST: Even before any final decisions are made there is a
certain percentage of the Labor Party who are as mad as hell that Mr
Murdoch is likely to have any sort of monopoly in South Australia
because he, in the past, has turned against Labor. And they blamed him
for the loss of the 1979 election.
PM: I see. Of course, I suppose they say we have got a magnificent go
from the Advertiser in the past they will be sorry to see that
influence, I know they have been enormous supporters of the Labor
Party, as has the West Australian in Perth. and the Herald in Melbourne.
We just give prayers of thanksgiving every night for the enormous
support we have received from those newspapers in the past.
ENDS