Media Release

AUSTRALIAN Party Federal Leader Bob Katter has spoken out about the lack of local radio content in North Qld after a random audit by the Australian Communications and Media Authority revealed that a Mount Isa commercial station had breached its obligation to broadcast at least 30 minutes of local content per day.

"There is virtually no local content in anything now except for (North Qld’s only locally-owned broadcasting company) 4KZ out of Innisfail and 4CA out of Cairns, and God bless them and people such as Greg Vuleta and John MacKenzie," said the Federal Member for Kennedy.

Mr Katter urged people to support their local newspapers with advertising "until such time as we get a fair go off radio and TV stations".

"The newspapers thrive and live off what happens in local communities, but as far as we’re concerned, most of these radio stations may be on Mars," he said.

"These licences were issued on the basis that there would be local content, and except for two or three stations, there is no local content whatsoever.

"They have local employees to take money off us with advertising, but they don’t have an employee in broadcasting within 1000km of some of these radio stations."

Mr Katter previously successfully addressed the issue of the withdrawal of TV journalists from North Qld communities with former Australian Broadcasting Authority chairman, Professor David Flint, and was now seeking similar discussions with the ACMA chief – as well as regional and remote television broadcasters – regarding local content quotas.

He praised ACMA for its audit but said the regulations were not being enforced and action was needed.

"We want to be assured that there will be personnel on the ground," said Mr Katter.

"The spirit of the law and regulatory framework is being broken, and why should they get the protection of a licence and a two or three-way monopoly in Mount Isa when we get nothing in return? We give them that right to have a local station and no-one competing on the basis that they provide a ‘local radio station’. Well, there ain’t anything local about these radio stations."