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Archived news for 2007 | Recent news
Laws against concentrated media ownership hurt, rather than help
The Australian reports today that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has begun its inquiry into Fairfax's acquisition of Southern...
Monitoring porn: not government's responsibility
Prime Minister John Howard used last night's webcast to Christian groups across the country to announce a $190 million "crackdown" on pornography,...
Is Aunty's strength a net gain?
The ABC has turned 75 and still occupies a central place in Australia's political status quo. But getting to its 100th birthday may be tougher. The...
Hands off software, Samuel
Nothing gets you more attention than picking on the cool kid at school. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is arguing that Google...
On telecoms, regulator chuting blanks
Far from a success of public policy, the $1 billion rural broadband subsidy won by Optus and Elders demonstrates once again the failure of the...
Media faces an unsentimental future
Media critics have made careers proclaiming how dangerous media moguls are for Australian democracy. These critics now face an even more serious...
When reform has no bang and barely a whimper
What a difference a year makes. One year ago, when Communications Minister Helen Coonan released the discussion paper which was to become the...
Rudd's broadband plan doomed to commercial failure
Stephen Bartholomeusz got it right yesterday when he likened the Rudd-Conroy proposal to fund a broadband network by raiding the Future Fund to...
Inventing market failure
Governments need problems. Without them, there would be nothing to solve. Australia's broadband situation has presented governments across the...
Drowning in regulation
Businesses constantly experience frustrations with government regulations. But few areas of government are trying to do something about it. One...