Louise Yaxley reported this story on Monday, March 10, 2014 12:26:00

ELEANOR HALL: The Communications Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has sparked concern from some of his colleagues today with his plans to change media ownership laws.



Coalition MPs representing regional Australia say they're concerned that their constituents might miss out on seeing local stories on commercial TV.



But Mr Turnbull says he will consult on any changes and insists that he wants to protect local content.



Political correspondent Louise Yaxley has our report.



LOUISE YAXLEY: The Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, says the Government is looking to update the rules about who can own what in the media .



TONY ABBOTT: We all know that the world of media has changed dramatically over the last decade or so. The media world of the 1990s is almost unrecognisable today.



You've got television from all around the world that's available online here in Australia; radio from all around the world that's available online. You've got newspapers that are effectively podcasting their product. You've got the ABC producing online services which amount to an online newspaper.



So the media world has changed beyond recognition over the last couple of decades and it's important that regulation evolve to match the changing environment.



LOUISE YAXLEY: The Nationals are quick out of the blocks to make their point that any changes to media ownership laws must ensure local content is still available on TV.



Nationals Senator John Williams is calling for ongoing regulation to make sure that people in regional towns and cities get the coverage they want.



JOHN WILLIAMS: Being able to see those local news and local issues still being put out there for the local people in the regional areas. If it's going to be changed, no doubt there'll need to be regulations to see that the local content is still maintained, as we have in the radio stations. And I think this is something that needs to be discussed before a final decision is made.



I know that it'll be raised in the National Party room when we meet, for sure. I mean, I live in northern New South Wales. We have Prime local news out of Tamworth. We have NBN news. And I'm sure the viewers really enjoy the local issues and I want to see that maintained so that the regional people can have a good idea of what's going on in their region.



LOUISE YAXLEY: Malcolm Turnbull has told ABC Radio National's Fran Kelly that, if media regulation is changed, broadcasters would still have to ensure that news relevant to regional audiences is available.



But Mr Turnbull also suggests the internet gives people more freedom to find out for themselves what’s going on.



MALCOLM TURNBULL: The internet actually gives everybody the opportunity for narrow-casting. There is the opportunity for much narrower areas of interest to be covered online.



So, the internet is very diverse. That's what makes it such an amazing platform. So extraordinarily democratic in that respect.



LOUISE YAXLEY: Senator Williams concedes that's true, but argues only partly.



JOHN WILLIAMS: There's no doubt, with the modern technology of the internet, that people can get to any program, basically, but I do have some concerns about the simple deregulation of the whole reach rules.



LOUISE YAXLEY: Labor's Communications spokesman Jason Clare is campaigning today in Newcastle, arguing the internet being provided there under the Coalition Government is more limited than it would have been under the ALP's promised National Broadband Network.



JASON CLARE: Newcastle's going to have a disadvantage over other parts of the country. Some parts of the country will have super-fast broadband, fibre all the way to their business, and other parts of Australia like Newcastle are going to miss out.



LOUISE YAXLEY: Mr Clare is quick to highlight the Nationals' outspokenness on the need to protect local content, but won't put a specific view on behalf of the ALP until he sees the details of the proposal.



JASON CLARE: The National Party have come out, expressing some concerns about the ideas that have been floated by the Liberal Party about this. They're concerned about local content and justifiably so. Local content is very important in regional communities across Australia. And it's important that Malcolm Turnbull sit down with the National Party, their Coalition colleagues, and work out exactly what their policy is.



LOUISE YAXLEY: The former Labor Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, created a political storm when he tried to make media industry changes last year. His insistence that it was "all or nothing" caused a stand-off and his bid became entangled in Labor leadership speculation.



Mr Abbott says his Government is consulting.



TONY ABBOTT: We're not rushing to change regulation. If and when we do seek to change regulation, it will be in a deregulatory direction because that's the instinct of this Government. But we're not interested in picking unnecessary fights.



ELEANOR HALL: That's the Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, ending Louise Yaxley's report.