Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

There is nothing wrong with that, I agree, but perhaps the viewing public are not quite so keen. Of course, the private owners that have to pay for these things but cannot get advertisers because no viewers really want it might not quite have the same view.

You talk about section 43A. I confess to not knowing if that is still in force and applying to Queensland. I can only say from my own experience in the regional market of Townsville—and I could say Cairns as well, and indeed Rockhampton and Mackay—that both WIN and the Seven Network compete for the local news. And why? Their research shows that, if they can capture the viewing audience for the Channel Seven news in Townsville, people will stick on Channel Seven and go through, because it is such a popular show. It is not popular because Ewen Jones, Warren Entsch and I regularly appear on these—