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Australia has long had one of the most monopolised media industries in the world. Indeed, when 91������̳ Weekly was launched in 1991, one of our key slogans was “Break the media monopoly — support 91������̳ Weekly”. Today it is even more relevant.

Last September, the Malcolm Turnbull government — with the support of the Nick Xenophon Team and One Nation — removed key restrictions that previously prevented companies owning newspapers, television and radio stations in the same city and prevented a single TV broadcaster from reaching more than 75% of the population.

This latest deregulation prepared the ground for the Nine–Fairfax merger. When the bill passed through the Senate, said the company "will act in the best interests of shareholders to take advantage of any opportunities created by the changes".

And on July 26 it did just that.��

Fairfax's money-making assets, such as Domain.com.au��and Macquarie Media — an ASX-listed company that operates radio stations in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and regional Queensland — will become part of Nine’s empire. Reports are that the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and the Australian Financial Review will continue as usual in both their printed format and online — for now.

Former prime minister , accusing Nine of “cheque-book, foot-in-the-door journalism”. Other commentators have warned that media diversity and quality investigative journalism is being sacrificed in the name of commercial survival, and some are warning that this may be the beginning of the end of free-to-air broadcasting.

Keating’s comments are galling when you consider that the cross media ownership laws introduced in 1987 by the Hawke-Keating Labor government led to “the greatest media carve up” in Australia’s history.

said: “Television licences were traded like confetti, with some licences changing hands four or five times in the space of two years. New networks were assembled, only to be pulled apart by the 1990s. One result of the changes was a rapid concentration of programming power in the hands of Sydney and Melbourne stations owners. Far from the regional networks growing bigger to compete with the city stations in the provision of programs as initially hoped, the regionals were force to affiliate with one of the ‘big three’.”

While a lot of media commentary has focused on the Nine–Fairfax merger, let’s not forget the perilous situation for the ABC and SBS. Both are in the government’s sights. Since 2014, the ABC has been hit with $254 million in cuts and the 2018 budget effectively ripped another $84 million out of the ABC over the next three years.

In community media, the situation is also perilous. Community broadcasting is largely self-funded. Government funding, distributed via makes up just over 10% of income for the sector.

The federal government coughed up almost $19.5 million to fund community broadcasting for 2018–19 in , which was welcomed by the sector. But compared to the $30 million that went to pay TV broadcaster Foxtel, owned by News Corp and Telstra, in the 2017 Budget (to spend on women's sports coverage), this is a pittance and shows the government is more interested in subsidising a multinational media conglomerate rather than adequately funding .

This is all the more reason to get behind 91������̳ — a truly people-powered media project.��

91������̳ Weekly is a proudly independent voice committed to exposing the lies of the powerful, helping us to better understand the world around us and building the movements for radical social change.

91������̳ is 100% reliant on our supporters for funding — via subscriptions, donations and fundraising each year. Be part of the solution to Australia's media monopolies by taking out a subscription, making a donation and attending the next 91������̳ fundraiser in your city.

You can become a supporter by taking out a subscription to 91������̳ for yourself or a friend. Or you can make a donation to our Fighting Fund securely online.

If you are unable to donate by credit card, please email accounts@greenleft.org.au or phone us on 1800 634 206 (free call from anywhere in Australia) and we can arrange an alternative method. Or simply mail a cheque or money order to PO Box 394, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia.

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