Updated
Some of Australia's most powerful media bosses have descended on Canberra to vent their frustrations about the Federal Government's proposed media laws.
Among them News Limited boss Kim Williams and media mogul Kerry Stokes who said the proposed laws were "intrusive", adding that his company had done nothing to warrant such treatment.
Last week, the Government announced a suite of changes, including appointing a new media watchdog - the Public Interest Media Advocate (PIMA), which would also enforce a public interest test on significant industry mergers.
Mr Stokes - chairman of Seven West Media which owns the Seven Network, The West Australian newspaper and associated WA regional newspapers - told a Senate committee the changes "trouble" him.
"I have never seen anything so intrusive," he said.
When 32 of the nation's best-known male TV presenters gathered for a photo shoot two weeks ago, they didn't expect to be used as the mouthpiece for a News Limited campaign against Stephen Conroy's media reforms, writes the ABC's Michael Rowland.
"This legislation allows for says on the restructure of our company. This legislation goes beyond anything I've ever seen anywhere else that's been put up."
Last year Seven West Media quit the Australian Press Council and established its own regulator, the Independent Media Council.
Mr Stokes says the new council is the "best and most effective council in the country".
"I'm trying for the life of me to understand what we could possibly have done to warrant such intrusive laws that are now being proposed," he said.
"It seems to us our council works, our public are being satisfied and we could not be seen to not be in any way related to any problem you're anticipating."
Testy exchange
News Ltd boss Kim Williams, who last week blasted the measures as "Stalinist", told the committee the PIMA amounted to a "modern-day star chamber, no more, no less".
"The PIMA will be a person with absolute powers, whose decisions cannot be appealed on their merits," he said.
"This is a staggering and I hope unacceptable disregard for fundamental rights at law.
"This is bad legislation with a bad process, which can only have a bad, severely detrimental outcome."
The committee chairman, Labor senator Doug Cameron, hit back at the News Ltd chief.
"I find it absolutely breathtaking to be lectured by the Murdoch press about the privacy laws," he said.
"I think the hypocrisy is huge in coming here and lecturing the Senate about privacy laws after what the Murdoch press did in the UK.
"It's not about whether you can make money, it's not about whether you can go out and say what you'd like to say, it's actually about public interest."
The conflict prompted a testy exchange with Mr Williams telling Senator Cameron: "I didn't come here for a chemically difficult discussion, I came here to assist the committee to actually look at the legislation."
"Oh thanks," Mr Cameron replied. "All the chemically difficult issues are done in your press... and that's OK."
Fairfax chief executive Greg Hywood has told the committee the proposals to establish a public interest media advocate are dangerous.
He said that person would have too much power and could be pressured by a minister or a government to shut down critical media reporting.
"Regulation of the media should be last resort of any democratic government and be as light a touch as possible to achieve a clear public good," he said.
"It is our strong view the fact that a government feels it is not getting a fair go from one or other media outlet is a very poor reason to regulate - in fact it is the worst reason."
The Government says the reaction from some sections of the media has been "hysterical" and that the measures do not amount to government control.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott interrupted Question Time to condemn the Government's plan as a threat to free speech.
Regulation of the media should be last resort of any democratic government and be as light a touch as possible to achieve a clear public good.
Fairfax CEO Greg Hywood
"This is a government which wants to hide the truth to protect itself, they don't want to protect the national interest, they want to damage the national interest," he said.
Earlier, Prime Minister Julia Gillard told parliament the laws would increase Australian content and media diversity.
"The Leader of the Opposition is misleading this Parliament on the nature of these laws," she said.
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy wants the legislation dealt with by Parliament this week, an ultimatum that has been criticised by cross-bench MPs, the Coalition and media bosses.
Mr Stokes added his voice to the chorus of condemnation.
"I can only recall legislation passed in this haste in the wake of September 11," he said.
"And in 30 years, 40 years of involvement in media and business, I have never seen the breadth of legislation proposed to be pushed through as quickly as this legislation.
"It does strike me that we are being treated differently. This is not negotiation - this is just legislation.
"We have not been consulted about these laws. Neither we nor the public have had, in our opinion, proper opportunity to debate this package."
The Government has yet to secure the votes it needs for the legislation to pass.
Proposed media reforms
- The appointment of a Public Interest Media Advocate (PIMA) to oversee self-regulatory bodies such as the Press Council.
- The PIMA, who will be appointed by the Minister, will decree whether a media complaints handling body is "authorised". Only media organisations that are members of an authorised body are able to maintain their exemptions to privacy laws.
- The PIMA will also use a new public interest test to allow or prevent nationally significant media mergers.
- An extension of the Government's commercial television licence fee rebate - saving free-to-air television networks an estimated $134 million this financial year.
- A removal of the 75 per cent audience reach rule that prevents metropolitan television stations from owning partners in regional areas.
- An update to the charters governing the ethics and behaviour of the ABC and SBS to reflect online and digital activities.
Topics: television-broadcasting, cricket, information-and-communication, government-and-politics, federal-government, broadcasting, australia
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