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The Media Mix

Friday, 14th July, 2006

Call me a sceptic but I cannot believe the Coalition Government will end up with a media policy that Rupert Murdoch thinks makes him worse off. Governments just don't antagonise the proprietor of the biggest selling newspaper in every state bar West Australia .

I'll be interested to see just what the two new digital "datacasting" channels to be awarded next year turn out to be and who ends up owning them.

The statement by Communications Minister Helen Coonan was extremely vague about what they will actually be. The only clue she gave was an assurance to the existing holders of television licences that “datacasting” would not be another television network in disguise.

So exactly what will News Corp be able to do with one? Another case of the devil being in the detail.