Via Pigs at the Trough:
Television broadcast content obligations will be suspended, spectrum fees waived and the Morrison Government will provide $50 million to regional journalism in an attempt to help Australia’s media companies through the COVID-19 pandemic.
…Relief from spectrum taxes will provide the radio and television broadcasters with $41 million worth of financial relief, while a $50 million Public Interest News Gathering (PING) program will be used to support journalism regional Australia. The package included $13.4 million in new funding and the remainder of the Regional and Small Publishers Innovation Package, which will now be re-purposed. Country Press Australia president, Bruce Ellen, who represents the interests of 140 regional and community publishers, had been campaigning for the package to be re-purposed.
Where operations have ceased completely, such as rural areas, support is in the public interest.
Otherwise, let it burn. Its standards are disgraceful. Something better might appear in its place.
