An entire democratic, economically advanced country may lose advertiser-supported commercial broadcasting, leaving a government-controlled broadcaster with an on-air television monopoly. This would not be due to the state shutting down its private rival, but simply due to the same market forces that are squeezing commercial television with the spread of internet-based media.
Australia’s news.com.au reports:
Is New Zealand about to lose its only commercial broadcaster to rival public outlet TVNZ?
The country’s sole major network, TV3, is up for sale by owners Mediaworks, and likely buyers are hard to identify.
Australian networks – Seven, Nine and Ten – will be courted, but aren’t likely to jump in.
And so it is that around 500 employees at one of New Zealand’s biggest media companies are waiting to learn whether they’ll have jobs beyond Christmas.
“It is possible they’ll close down? Well I think it is possible,” Peter Thompson, New Zealand media expert at the Victoria University of Wellington, told AAP.
Read the full story from American Thinker
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