LABOR hopes to ram through its proposed media reforms, including a public interest test and stronger industry self-regulation, within the next two sitting weeks.
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy announced on Tuesday the federal government's long awaited response to the reports of two long-run independent media inquiries handed to it in early 2012.
But opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull says its reply was a "chaotic, half-baked" plan and took issue with the public interest test proposal.
Overall, the government's response avoided many of the wide-ranging recommendations that came out of the convergence review and the Finkelstein inquiry into press regulation.
Among the key reforms are changes to broadcast ownership rules, beefed-up oversight of print and online news media and cuts to television network licence fees.
"These reforms will ensure for the Australian public a media sector that is fair, diverse and able to tackle the challenges of the future," Senator Conroy told reporters in Canberra.
The minister said the government was addressing community concerns about media quality and how press complaints were handled.
A separate bill deals with a previously announced 50 per cent licence fee rebate for television stations, in return for increased local content.
The package of legislation is due to be introduced to parliament this week, with Senator Conroy warning it must go through or be dropped.
He said Labor won't be "held hostage" or barter on the content.
"The parliament either wants this bill or it does not," Senator Conroy said.
The bills require the support of crossbench MPs and the Australian Greens, and already appear to have the backing of most of the independents.
Meanwhile, a joint parliamentary committee would be set up to consider abolishing the "75 per cent reach rule" governing allowable audience share, on-air reporting of watchdog findings on broadcasting breaches and program supply agreements for news and current affairs.
If the one-day inquiry into the reach rule is resolved quickly it could be incorporated into the overall legislation.
Senator Conroy said the rule, which can stop any of the three major commercial networks from buying regional affiliates, wasn't relevant in today's media landscape.
And the public interest test, to be overseen by a public interest media advocate, would ensure diversity was not reduced by nationally significant media mergers and acquisitions.
The new advocate would also ensure the Australian Press Council and media outlets dealt properly with standards issues and complaints.
"Individual complaints are still dealt with in the same way (as now), but if there is a breakdown in the process the advocate is the judge of that," Senator Conroy said.
Mr Turnbull said a coalition government would repeal any public interest test on takeovers.
"I don't see why a bureaucrat should oversee the Australian news media," he said.
The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA), representing journalists, said the government's plan also raised the prospect of bureaucratic interference in the self-regulation regime.
"The government has adopted a package that threatens a heavy hand without improving the handling of complaints," MEAA federal secretary Christopher Warren said in a statement.
The government will hold the spectrum for a sixth free-to-air channel to support community television.
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