TV heads concerned about cricket cover Cricket broadcasts to rural areas could be affected if a media law that stops major metropolitan television stations from buying out regional broadcasters is scrapped, a committee has heard. The joint select committee on broadcasting legislation on Monday heard from the heads of six television stations on the proposal to scrap the 75 per cent audience reach rule. Committee members were concerned with the potential loss of journalists' jobs in regional areas and a softening in local news coverage. But some media bosses raised concerns about the proposed merger between Nine Entertainment and Southern Cross Media. WIN Television chief executive Andrew Lancaster said axing the reach rule would signal the end of regional TV. He also warned the Nine-Southern Cross merger would impact the Australian TV staple of cricket, which WIN now broadcasts into regional areas. "I'm not entirely sure we would be inclined to run a competitor's product across states where Southern Cross might not have a signal or a licence," he told the inquiry. But Southern Cross chief Rhys Holleran said abolishing the reach rule would not affect cricket coverage. "I don't think the reach rule is relevant to whether people receive their cricket," he said. Nine boss David Gyngell said his network had a history of investing in local news and entertainment content, and would continue to do so if it was allowed to buy a regional player like Southern Cross. Nine would be prepared to commit to a series of "enforceable licensing undertakings," such as minimum local news content levels. "This is enforceable undertakings to pay respect to the job you're trying to do, to ensure that local content is maintained to the high standards that WIN and Prime do now," he told MPs. Seven Network chairman Kerry Stokes was ambivalent about a change to the reach rule. But he said Nine and Southern Cross had been given an advantage in the government's rush to get a package of media law reforms through parliament this week. "We're saying it should be a matter for a much longer conversation," Mr Stokes said. It's like the starter's gun has been called and there's some starters on the block and the rest of us weren't actually aware there was going to be a race. Ten Network's new chief executive Hamish McLennan criticised the government's rushed handling of the reforms, saying if the reach rule was abolished the merger between Nine and Southern Cross would happen "very quickly" and lead to an "automatic reduction in diversity." "I think the way Nine and Southern Cross are presenting themselves already - there were simply rumours in the market three to four week ago and now we're almost in a situation where they're presenting themselves as one," he said. Does the government want to have more or less diversity? The joint select committee finished its hearing around noon. If it agrees the reach rule should be abolished, the measure will be included in Labor's six-bill package currently being examined by a separate Senate communications committee.