This evening Crikey’s publisher, Eric Beecher, will be giving evidence to the Senate inquiry into the Government’s media laws.

“Removing or weakening the cross-media rules is unnecessary,” the Crikey submission says. “There is no remotely discernable demand for it. It creates the impression that the Government is working in the interests of a small number of media owners instead of working in the interests of all Australians.”

Here’s the schedule of who is appearing:

Thursday 28 September 2006

9.00am Fairfax

9.30 Institute of Public Affairs

10.00 APN

10.45 Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance

11.15 Premier Media Group

11.45 ACCC

2.00pm Seven

2.30 FTA

3.00 Telstra

3.30 Hutchison

4.15 Austereo

4.45 CRA

5.15 Community Broadcasting

5.45 SPAA

7.00 Southern Cross

7.30 Private Media Partners (Crikey)

8.00 DCITA

Friday 29 September 2006

8.30am Paul Neville, MP

9.00 DMG Radio

9.45 Bathurst Broadcasting, Radio Outback

10.15 Independent Regional Radio

10.45 Ten

11.15 Astra, Austar, Foxtel

12.00 midday ABC

1.15 Prime

1.45 Jock Given

2.15 ACMA

3.15 DCITA

Notice who’s missing? PBL and News. The big media players don’t even need to take to the field to win.