• Sydney Morning Herald, Wednesday, July 12, 2006 12:46 PM

Two parties - Labor and the Australian Greens - will oppose an Australian government plan to overhaul media regulations, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. On Tuesday, the federal cabinet approved a package of media reforms proposed by Communications Minister Helen Coonan that will permit more foreign investment and give companies the opportunity to own print, radio and TV interests in one market. A spokesman for the opposition, Stephen Conroy, says it will oppose the reforms as they would not prevent buyouts and mergers that could concentrate media in fewer hands. "Australians living in rural and regional areas will be particularly hard hit by the changes," says Conroy. "Labor will vigorously oppose the government's attempts to undermine media diversity." He adds that a body representing 73 commercial radio services in regional areas has predicted the government plan would lead to a single dominant media company in 47 areas in the country.

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