Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you. This, as I said, is a significant microeconomic reform and, more importantly, one that those opposite when in government had the chance to deliver and failed to deliver. New communications services enabled by the spectrum release have the potential to significantly boost productivity. Moreover, the sale of this spectrum will generate substantial revenue for the Commonwealth. The government’s decision to offer a temporary rebate on licence fees recognises the unique pressures facing the free-to-air sector. Analysts have recognised that free-to-air television is undergoing a significant structural decline. I can go no further than quote Mr Rupert Murdoch, who told a News Corp shareholder meeting late last year that broadcast stations ‘can no longer be supported solely by advertising revenues’.