Australian Prime Minister John Howard is facing a revolt from members of his own party over plans for a radical overhaul of media-ownership laws. The new laws, just introduced in Parliament, will
allow more foreign investment while loosening cross-media ownership restrictions--and are expected to spark a wave of consolidation. Many worry they will result in a further loss of diversity in a $9
billion market already dominated by a handful of a few moguls. But a growing number of lawmakers have threatened to vote against the legislation. Howard refuses to discuss the party split, but a
spokesman for the opposition Labor Party asks: "Why are we giving so much power to some of the most powerful people in Australia already?"
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