Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Communications and Minister representing the Minister for Sport, Senator Fifield. In May, the minister said the government would give $30 million to Foxtel 'to support the broadcasting of women's sport and niche sports'. This month the minister suggested Foxtel was given the $30 million to compensate for the fact that other broadcasters were getting licence fee discounts. Which is it?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I made the observation, I think, in a number of interviews that I have undertaken that the government's media reform package recognises that different broadcasters operate in different environments. Colleagues would know that the government has decided to abolish licence fees for free-to-air broadcasters and to replace those with a more modest spectrum charge. Colleagues would also be aware that the government has announced that there will be further restrictions on the advertising of gambling during live sporting events, and that will be across platforms. I think colleagues will know that subscription TV doesn't pay licence fees, and as a result there won't be a reduction in fees for those organisations, yet those organisations will have the gambling ad restrictions applied to them. So we recognise as a government that there are different operating environments.

We wanted to make sure that in implementing this package—and it's important to look at this package as a whole—there wasn't a detriment to the coverage of women's sports, and we announced in the budget a measure to support and enhance the coverage of women's sports and niche sports. What we announced was $7½ million per year over a number of years, terminating.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Farrell, a supplementary question.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In May, the minister told the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee that this deal 'might help with subscription'. Given FOXTEL is in less than one-third of Australian households, can the minister explain how it is fair that taxpayers will pay twice for women's sports programs?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a matter of fact that Fox Sports provides the overwhelming coverage and broadcast hours of women's sports in this country. Fox Sports is well placed, given its four dedicated channels and given its track record of covering sports with lower profiles, to deliver enhanced coverage.

To put things in perspective, the $7½ million that we've announced per year is a relatively modest amount compared to, for instance, the over $1 billion a year that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation receives. We think that this is an appropriate way to support further enhanced coverage of women's sport.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Farrell, a final supplementary question.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Isn't it clear that this handout is not about supporting women's sport but is nothing more than a sweetener for Foxtel to ensure its support for the government's media reform package?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think I've outlined already that we recognise that subscription TV operates in a different environment to free-to-air broadcasting and also that the government's media reform package has a range of effects and different effects in different parts of the media sector. We also recognise that it's important to ensure that we have and continue to have good and improving coverage of women's sports and sports that might not have the profile that we might all like.