Foxtel, free-to-airs level up clash over smart TV app prominence
A fight over smart TV apps has become the highest stakes regulatory battle in Australian media and has split the local TV industry into two staunchly opposed camps.
“When big tech controls your TV, you’re the one who pays the price”. That's the key message from a 30-second advertisement by the lobby group, FreeTV, which has been airing on the networks owned by its members, Seven West Media, Nine Entertainment Co. and Paramount-controlled Ten over past couple of weeks.
“Warning: Now the government wants to control your TV” reads the messaging from a countering campaign by pay TV peak body ASTRA running across print and digital channels.
The duelling advertising campaigns relate to the Albanese government's 'prominence' reforms, which could force manufacturers of smart devices to prominently display the apps of Australian free-to-air networks on new devices out of the box.
This may sound like an arcane topic but it has become the highest stakes regulatory battle in Australian media and has split the local television industry into two staunchly opposed camps. And it's headed for a showdown in Parliament before the end of the year.
