By Cliff Reece
Prime Minister Albanese’s ALP-Greens government is planning to legislate a “prominence framework” to control what we watch on our Smart TVs.
The plan would control which local television services can be easily found on television devices, such as the ABC and SBS.
Under the proposal, Smart TVs might show certain free-to-air channels like ABC/SBS ahead of those chosen by consumers.
LNP Coalition Senator Hollie Hughes believes the Prime Minister and his comrades in government are following the text found in George Orwell’s novel 1984 which was published way back in 1949, a few years after publication of his equally satirical and dystopian novel Animal Farm.
“Next we’ll start seeing they want a Ministry of Truth….. I think they’ve read Orwell’s books and taken them too literally”, she said.
Senator Hughes said this government is increasingly trying to “control the flow of information” and determine what people are allowed to listen to and watch.
This would be entirely left-wing information if they have their way, so the ABC and SBS would, of course, be their preferred channels.
The Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association (ASTRA) has launched a public campaign with the message: ”Don’t let the Government control your TV.”
“The choice should be yours”, ASTRA says. Visit astra.org.au for further information.
A YouGov survey indicated that 94% of Australians want to control their TVs. They don’t want government controlling the order and layout of the apps on their TV.
The research also showed that 50% of Australians don’t know how to change the layout and order of their apps, so they would be stuck with what BIG GOVERNMENT wants you to watch.
Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Patrick Gorman, said the government hopes to be able to legislate “in the near future.”
Google advocated for the government to respect the choices of consumers, rather than “forcing particular choices”.
The tech giant said any regulatory framework should not make it harder for users to find and watch what they wish to watch.
“When a person searches for something, the results should be the best attempt at responding to that request – without any overlay of regulated prominence.”
Whether Albanese’s government bothers to listen to consumers is doubtful given their track record on the Voice referendum.
Despite 61% of voters saying ‘No’ to the race-based and divisive Voice proposal the government is still determined to proceed with treaty and so-called ‘truth-telling’.
Needless to say, Albanese and his mob are claiming that the plan to decide what we watch on TV is only a ‘minor change’ aimed at encouraging free-to-air television channels.
Given their track record on truth-telling in relation to reducing household power prices by an average of $275 per annum, legislating “sensible” IR reform, providing cheaper renewables to ‘save the planet”, and that inserting the Voice into our Constitution would only be a “modest change” …… why would anyone trust anything proposed by this government?
The Prime Minister has lied on so many issues and on so many occasions that only a very naïve person would take his utterances seriously.
Thanks to Monica O’Shea at The Epoch Times for much of the information included in this article.
