From ABC News
Actors push for protection of Aust
TV content
Five prominent actors have secured a commitment from the
Federal
Opposition to protect Australian content requirements on
commercial
television.
Trade Minister Mark Vaile has indicated the 55 per cent
Australian
programming regulation could be up
for negotiation in Free Trade Agreement
talks with the
Ruth Cracknell, Bryan Brown, Susie
Porter, David Wenham and Susan Lyons
say the Prime Minister appears to
be too busy to discuss their concerns
with him.
Opposition leader Kim Beazley admits it is unlikely there
will be any
negotiations with the
supports the group's move to
protect local content.
But actor Bryan Brown says Australian culture should not
even be on the
table.
"If we don't have the opportunity to tell our stories,
be ourselves, which
spreads through us a degree of
esteem which we need to go on with our
lives, if that's taken away from us
then we become second class people,"
he said.
"This is basically probably about saying 'listen can we
just stop the
Yanks gobbling up everything?'."