Letter: Letters: No sell-out

From ROD HIBBERD

So the Radiocommunications Agency would like to auction broadcasting
frequencies to the highest bidder in imitation of some Australasian examples.
(This Week, 2 April). This proposal should be vigorously resisted.

The auction will lumber a successful bidder with a large, up-front and
unproductive debt that must be paid for by the audience. In practice this
will mean lower production standards and unadventurous programming. There
is no reason to believe that the most cashed-up contender is the best
able to provide a good service.

If the holder of such a licence is allowed to later sell or trade control
of this ‘property’, it will likely keep new blood out of broadcasting and
almost certainly lead to further concentration of media ownership.

Australian media madness is not a good example to follow.

Rod Hibberd Leichhardt, Sydney