Media minder merger

THE merger of Australia's communications and broadcasting watchdogs will go ahead as expected in July.

The Australian Democrats are committed to finishing a Senate inquiry into the process by March.

The search for a chief executive for the organisation has begun, and at least 10 jobs could go as a result of the merger, sources say.

The Howard Government wants to merge the Australian Broadcasting Authority and the Australian Communications Authority by July.

It proposes to call the merged organisation the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

The legislation enabling the merger is yet to pass Parliament, despite having the support of the Labor Party.

The merger stalled when the legislation was sent to a Senate committee for review.

Submissions for that review were due yesterday.

Democrat senator John Cherry said there were concerns to be canvassed, despite the inevitability of the merger.

"It is appropriate to examine whether the new body's powers are adequate to deal with the major issues coming up, such as the privatisation of Telstra, and convergence," Senator Cherry said.

In his submission to the Senate inquiry, telecommunications analyst Paul Budde said ACMA would be a "totally inappropriate regulatory structure".

The sector required a "super regulator" that could handle the powerful media and telecommunications interests it must deal with, Mr Budde said.

The Australian Consumers' Association said the government was missing an opportunity to overhaul the system.

"To join them at the top and leave the bottom untouched would be a mistake," spokesman Charles Britton said.

The new body needs to have unambiguous powers to deal with convergence issues, rather than the current confused situation that supplies "weird interim regulatory responses", Mr Britton said.

There were two cultures in the organisation, he said, and the consumer focus of the Communications Authority should not be lost in the merger.

A spokeswoman for Communications Minister Helen Coonan said it would be a "strictly administrative merger".

There was some cross-working between the ABA and the ACA, she said.

The two boards had some members in common.

The ABA and the ACA have been planning the merger for months.

The search for an ACMA chairperson began last week.

It is understood "tens" of jobs could go in the merger, which will have both bodies retaining their policy frameworks.

It is understood most overlap between the two organisations will be in the corporate area.

Another area of contention is whether the new authority will use a separate logo, as the ABA now does, or use the Commonwealth crest, as the ACA does.

There is also some work to be done to merge the two financial systems used by the ABA and the ACA and to ensure the single line of reporting is developed.

The government last week advertised for a recruitment company to search for a chief executive for the merged organisation.

It is hoped the new boss will be in place well before July.

Many decisions cannot be made until that position is filled, such as the design of the top-level structure of ACMA.

It is not expected there will be any immediate changes in location or accommodation for the bodies, which have offices in Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, Brisbane and Sydney.