Turnbull not picking a fight with Murdoch

Malcolm Turnbull says he wants to ensure people can still watch popular sports for free.

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull

Malcolm Turnbull (AAP)

Malcolm Turnbull denies he is picking a fight with Rupert Murdoch over the rights to broadcast sport.

The communications minister says any move that would allow pay-tv operators like Foxtel - of which Murdoch's News Corp owns half - to determine which sports go to free-to-air would not be welcomed by Australians.

Australia was different to the US because of its stronger sense of a fair go, and making sure people who couldn't afford to pay for subscription TV weren't being locked out, he said.

Besides, such a move would be "poisonously unpopular" and he wouldn't be able to push it through the parliament.

"I'm not picking a fight with Rupert Murdoch," Mr Turnbull told ABC radio on Wednesday.


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Source: AAP


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