Media Ownership is on the agenda again with the government looking more likely to secure enough Senate support to pass its revised media ownership bill in the current parliamentary session.

Reacting to reports of the bill House of Representatives member John Murphy, a Labor member for NSW, asked these questions on notice about media ownership:

1. Has the minister seen an article… stating that the government is considering re-drafting its Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill to get the legislation through the Senate.

2. Is the government’s model… a British law that allows media barons to own up to 20% in either newspaper, television or radio markets, or up to 30% of any two markets

3. Does the minister envisage that, under either option, the Murdich family’s Australian media interests or the Packer family’s Australianmedia interests would be reduced; if so, how; if not, why not.