The Australian Greens today urged the Federal Government to finally take action on media reform.

Greens communication spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said the Government had sat on the Finkelstein report and Convergence Review long enough to produce a response.

"It is time the Government brought forward the full package of media reforms; a package that should promote media diversity and prevent further concentration of media ownership, protect the ABC and SBS, and promote community broadcasting.

"Public and community broadcasting is more important than ever as the ownership of the private media becomes increasingly concentrated," Australian Greens communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said today as he attended the Inquiry into the ABC.

"Media diversity is vital to the health of our democracy and civil society and in this country media diversity is in retreat.

(Question No. 2387)

Senator Ludlam asked the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, upon notice, on 19 October 2012:

Australian Greens communications spokesperson Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam welcomed today's announcement that the Australian Music Radio Airplay project would receive $250,000 from the Federal Government, but urged a long-term commitment to the programme.

"The Federal Government must recommit to AMRAP's $600,000 annual budget to keep the project alive. By the Minister's own admission, this $250,000 will only keep the project operating for six months.

QUESTION NO. 353

Senator Ludlam asked the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, upon notice, on 13 December 2010:

With reference to the Digital Switchover Taskforce and the Satellite Subsidy Scheme which will help households that rely on analog only self help towers to make the transition to the Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST) and, in particular, to the switchover process in remote Indigenous communities:

Senator Ludlam asked:
What measures will the Federal Government implement to address the decline in funding to the community broadcasting sector over the past fifteen years?

What has the Federal Government done to improve support for community television, radio and television infrastructure, sector coordination, training, and content development, in the context of the 2008-09 Federal Budget?

When will the Federal Government respond to the Community Broadcasting report which followed a twelve-month Inquiry into Community Broadcasting?