The Australian Federal Government is reported to have been stalling a decision on a $220 million contract for Australia’s official television service to the Asia-Pacific. The battle between the publicly-funded ABC, which currently runs the Australia Network, and the partially Murdoch-owned Sky News Australia over the lucrative deal is known to be causing headaches inside the Government, according to the Canberra Times.
The paper notes that a 2 May deadline for a decision has passed, with the Foreign Affairs department believed to have referred the issue to cabinet for discussion because of the political sensitivities surrounding the deal. The paper says the contract is expected to be decided this week.
(Source: Canberra Times/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)