If there are two things you can be certain will get airtime during a federal election they are Medicare and the ABC, and so it is this time around, with Opposition leader Peter Dutton refusing to rule out cuts to the leading public broadcaster.  Dutton is also still refusing to say which public servants will be axed as part of his plan to slash 41,000 jobs, and of course the ABC is manned by public servants, its running costs paid for by the taxpayer.  Yesterday - Wednesday - Dutton did not directly answer reporters at a media stop when asked where the axe would potentially swing if the Coalition takes power from Labor at the Saturday May 3 election.  He did say the Coalition intended to trim what he dubbed “waste” in the federal government, and committed to releasing costings on his public service cuts before the election on 3 May. It is unclear whether ABC staff would be among the 41,000 on the chopping block under a Dutton government, with Dutton saying at a press c

  Prasar Bharati has officially announced the list of channels that successfully secured slots in the 7th annual (86th) e-auction MPEG-4 slots of DD Free Dish.   According to the list, 26 channels were successful in the auction on March 4, 2025.   These include Aastha Telugu, Aastha Bhajan, Aastha Gujarati, Aastha Kannada, Bansal News, Bharat 24 Vision of New India, Chardikla Time TV, Gangaur Television, Jai Maharashtra, Live Times, Maiboli, MH One, MH ONE DIL SE, MH ONE NEWS, Oscar Movies Bhojpuri, Pasand, Prag News, Raapchik, Rengoni, Sharnam TV, Shraddha MH ONE, Sudarshan News, TV9 Gujrati, TV9 Telugu, V TV News and Zee 24 Kalak.   The slots are valid from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026.   

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has approved the merger of Udaya FM Private Limited with Kal Radio Limited, a subsidiary of Sun TV Network. Kal Radio will continue to operate under Sun TV.  Sun TV Network had proposed the merger in January 2024, and on March 21, NCLT sanctioned it under Sections 230 and 232 of the Companies Act, 2013. The tribunal deemed the merger beneficial for the company and stakeholders, confirming compliance with statutory requirements.  However, the approval does not exempt the company from stamp duty, taxes, or other legal charges.  The Tribunal clarified that any statutory violations or deficiencies found will not prevent legal action against the company's officials or directors.

Sending a strong message that right to shelter is a fundamental right and rule of law is part of the basic structure of the Constitution, Supreme Court directed Prayagraj Development Authority to pay compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to five people whose houses were illegally razed in 2021, setting a benchmark for the fine to be paid for resorting to what has come to be known as “bulldozer justice”. Hot Off the Press The court said there was a procedure prescribed before demolition, and the facts of the case were shocking as houses were razed within 24 hours of proper notices being served. The demolition was done on March 7, 2021, in which the houses of a lawyer, a professor and others were razed. Notice was served to them on March 6, reported Amit Anand Choudhary for The Times of India. Considering the inhuman and illegal manner in which demolition was carried out, we quantify the compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the appellants and direct the Prayagraj Development Author

RSN Racing and Sport has launched a new transmitter in Warrnambool, allowing locals to tune in on 87.6FM ahead of the region’s upcoming thoroughbred and greyhound racing carnivals, Radio Info reported. Listeners in the area will now have access to RSN’s full daily programming, including Breakfast With Harf at 6 am, Racing Pulse from 8:30 am, and afternoon racing coverage featuring analysts like John Henry and Matt Hill. Weekend programming includes The First Word, The Melbourne Form Panel, and Get On. RSN will also broadcast live from the racing carnivals later this month. “We’ll be at the track, bringing our audience all the action and atmosphere,” confirmed hosts Michael Felgate and Andrew Bensley, as the station strengthens its local presence during one of Warrnambool’s biggest sporting events.  

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has released its draft views on the future of spectrum licences due to expire between 2028 and 2032, outlining their critical role across mobile, internet, broadcasting and transport services. According to an official release, ACMA deputy chair Adam Suckling said decisions around these licences, particularly those held by mobile operators, will significantly shape Australia's media and telecommunications sectors for the next 20 years.  “Our approach prioritises the public interest, ensuring that Australians continue to have access to essential services, including free-to-air news and emergency broadcast coverage, such as during events like Cyclone Alfred,” he said. The ACMA has proposed renewing licences used for television outside broadcasts to maintain coverage of major events and breaking news. These may transition to a new licence type to support evolving technologies and improve spectrum efficiency. With spectrum

April 1 marked a change in the channel publication market in Australia. After 20 years, Nextmedia no longer controls the CRN Australia title. It is back in the hands of The Channel Company, which also owns the global CRN title and CRN UK, US, Germany, and Asia.    In return, nextmedia on April 1 launched its new channel title, techpartner.news, after it was first made public at nextmedia’s What’s Next? Event in Sydney. The company has also strengthened its journalism stocks in recent months by hiring News Editor Jason Pollock and NZ-based contributor Juha Saarinen, back contributing heavily to the title. Another New Zealand freelancer Ben Moore, formerly NextMedia’s New Zealand Bureau Chief also penned a story for the title, with editor Will Maher. As for CRN Australia, they’ve hired former Digital Nation and Gizimodo editor Athina Mallis to head up their masthead.  How it happened for nextmedia At midnight on April 1, nextmedia’s CRN Australia domain switched to te