Bill Shorten warns Aussie free-to-air TV now in ‘diabolical trouble’

A government minister has warned that Australian free-to-air TV is in “diabolical trouble”, arguing we’ve got ourselves in a “wicked situation”.

Australian free-to-air TV is in “diabolical trouble” and needs ad revenue from gambling companies “just to stay afloat”, Bill Shorten has warned.

The former Labor leader and current government services minister addressed calls for an all-out ban on gambling ads on the ABC’s Q+A program on Monday night, arguing he’s “not convinced that complete prohibition works”.

“The free-to-air media is under massive attack by Facebook [and is] completely disrupted by the internet,” said Mr Shorten.

“We got ourselves in this wicked situation where now some of the free-to-air media need gambling ad revenue … in order just to stay afloat.”

“Now, some of you might say, well, bugger them, just don’t worry. We don’t need free-to-air media. It’s fair to say a lot of us don’t watch it much … but free-to-air media is in diabolic trouble.”

Mr Shorten acknowledged his stance “sounds a bit moderate” and won’t “please the complete abolitionist”.

“I still believe in having a free-to-air media sector because the problem is, if you kill the free-to-air media, what’s going to replace it?” he questioned.

“I don’t want Mark Zuckerberg or Facebook in charge of my news feeds. He’s not even paying the Australian media for what they report.”

Bill Shorten said free-to-air media is under “massive attack” by Facebook. Picture: ABC

Mr Shorten’s comments come amid reports the government is poised to propose caps on televised ads, despite calls from all sides of politics for a total ban.

Under Labor’s proposal, gambling ads would be banned during children’s programs or in the hour before or after a live sports event, Labor backbenchers told the ABC.

There would be also be a limit of two gambling ads per hour on each channel until 10pm.

The publication reports the reforms are expected to be raised in caucus early next week.

When asked about reports of his party’s partial ban by Independent Goldstein MP Zoe Daniel in question time on Monday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese noted there was a “fair bit of hypothetical about … our alleged position”.

Mr Albanese said the government has made it clear “the status quo, of saturation of gambling advertising where children are exposed to it, is untenable”.

“The minister for communications and the minister for social services are getting on with tackling gambling harm comprehensively,” he continued.

“And we’re doing that in a way that will ensure there aren’t unintended consequences.”

“We’re taking a comprehensive approach, recognising this is a complex issue.”

The government is reportedly poised to propose caps on televised ads. Picture: AAP/Dan Himbrechts

Earlier on Monday night’s Q+A program, Senator Jacqui Lambie suggested major parties didn’t want a total ban “because there is an election and they don’t want those broadcasters smashing them” – a claim dismissed by Mr Shorten.

“I know it, they know it, and they don’t have the courage to stand up against them for the sake of our kids, and that’s all it comes down to,” said Senator Lambie, who is among those calling for a complete ban.

“No more excuses”

Following Monday night’s Q+A, Ms Daniel took to social media on Tuesday to declare Mr Shorten had “got it wrong”.

“I love sport and I also value the media but our first responsibility is to protect people, especially our children, from an avalanche of gambling ads, not to protect the gambling and the media companies and the sporting codes,” she said in a video on X.

Ms Daniel said ensuring the profitability of media companies and supporting journalism was a “separate conversation”, but gambling ads were causing “untold harm to our communities and creating a new generation of gamblers”.

Labor minister Bill Shorten told #qanda on the ABC that Australians will keep seeing gambling ads because the big media companies need the cash.

Sorry Bill, we are not having it. pic.twitter.com/zT7woXe1fT

— Zoe Daniel MP (she/her) (@zdaniel) August 12, 2024

“No more excuses Bill, it’s time to show some courage and to stand up to these powerful interests and to do what Australians want and do what our communities want and that is to ban all gambling ads now.”

ACT senator David Pocock has also called for a total ban, telling ABC Radio National on Tuesday, a partial ban is a “a betrayal of Australians”.

“Eighty per cent of Australians want this, and we have a government that doesn’t have the guts to actually stand up to the gambling industry, doesn’t have the imagination to actually work with TV to find a way to ensure that they are viable,” he said.

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who announced her party’s own Bill to push for a total ban on televised gambling ads, has also criticised the government, saying she knew “media across the country is in trouble” and that there “is a struggle with the big social media giants”.

“But it shouldn’t be vulnerable children and those families that are being torn apart because of gambling that are forced to carry the cost.”