Forget pay TV, free-to-air is the only truly democratic form of media

Last Friday, Mumbrella published a piece in which Foxtel Group CEO Patrick Delany railed against the current anti-siphoning laws, which prevent free-to-air broadcasters from being outbid on the rights to significant sporting events by subscription TV providers – such as Foxtel.

In this response, Free TV CEO Bridget Fair calls Delany’s position “narrow and self-serving” and argues free-to-air broadcasting is the “only truly democratic form of media.”

Patrick Delany’s recent comments about the anti-siphoning regime is the same narrow and self-serving perspective we have seen from pay TV since the anti-siphoning laws were first proposed in the 1990s.

As the CEO of Foxtel, a company that profits from subscription-based services, his arguments about free local TV services wilfully misconstrue the new world of free broadcasting on multiple platforms, how the majority of Australians get their news, sport and entertainment, and the enduring strength of free-to-air broadcasting. The key issue here is the vital public interest that is delivered by a free and universal broadcast sector in Australia’s media landscape. 

Bridget Fair, Free TV

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