Refined Convergence Review document highlights deregulation

The Convergence Review Committee has released a refined version of its framing paper - calling the new document an ‘emerging issues paper’ - following a period of public consultation on the initial paper.

Released in April, the framing paper proposed principles that would guide consideration of issues relevant to the review. The review is a federal government initiative to examine and potentially rework media and communications regulation in Australia.

The emerging issues paper places greater emphasis on the deregulatory nature of the review.

Glen Boreham, Chair of the Convergence Review Committee, said the committee made several changes to the principles based on the 65+ submissions it received during the consultation period.

“We wanted to make the deregulatory nature of the review clearer in these principles, and we also added a principle relating to a dynamic Australian production industry,” Boreham said.

The paper also addresses local and Australian content, media ownership and diversity, content rights acquisition and community standards.

The committee is now asking for public comment on the new emerging issues paper. Submissions can be made through the Convergence Review website, or by email to the Convergence Review Secretariat.

Submissions close on 28 October 2011.

Interested parties can follow@converg_review on Twitter, though Tweets may or may not constitute an official submission to the review committee.