Former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer has been drafted in by regional TV networks to take on the Abbott government over stalled media reform plans.
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In a sign of the growing disquiet in the bush over the stalled reform process Mr Fischer, a former Nationals leader and ambassador to the Holy See, will take up a role as one of the faces of the "Save our Voices" campaign from September 7.
The "save our voices" campaign was launched by broadcasters Prime, WIN, Southern Cross Austereo and Imparja after Prime Minister Tony Abbott government put on hold reforms proposed by Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Those changes would have abolished the so-called "reach rule", which prohibits TV licence holders from broadcasting to more than 75 per cent of the population, and the two-out-of-three rule, which stops a media company from controlling more than two of a radio station, free-to-air TV station and newspaper.
The regional networks have warned that without reform, jobs will be lost in regional newsrooms, causing significant concerns among Nationals MPs including Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss, as well as rural Liberal MPs.
The Nine Network and Fairfax Media have also backed change, but Seven West Media and News Corp oppose changing the laws and the Prime Minister has indicated he is unlikely to support change unless there is consensus in the industry, which is considered an unlikely prospect.
Mr Fischer said he had agreed to take up the advocacy role because "we need strong regional television and strong regional voices for the future of this country".
Fairfax Media revealed on Monday that Mr Abbott had a private dinner with one of the nation's biggest media moguls, Kerry Stokes, in Broome on Saturday night, just two months after handing the Seven West chairman a win by putting controversial media reforms on hold.
