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Without pre-empting the author's forthcoming comments on Monday (22-02-2021), I would like to make remarks on Facebook and the 1970 "pay for play" dispute and third party "ticket clipping" food deliverers. The latter comment may not necessarily apply to broadcasting but applies to workers.
First, the author raised the issue of what happened during the 1970 "pay for play" dispute between the radio stations who argued that they were selling the record companies' product, while the record companies argued that they were not being paid for radio stations using the record companies' products.
In the meantime, record companies refused to even supply their product to radio stations. Australian artists were caught in the malaise, with some radio stations not playing their music and others playing their music.
At the same time, it was an opportunity for Australian artists to make cover recordings of UK artists such as "The Mixtures'" cover of "Mungo Jerry's" 'Yellow River' and Liv Maessen's cover of Mary Hopkins' 'Knock Knock Who's There?' . Many of these covers topped the charts. An example of an album of all-Australian artists including UK covers is "20 Fable Chartbusters"
A closing of one door was the opportunity for the opening of the door the growth of local talent.
Could the closing down of Australian Facebook pages represent the opportunity to thrive without Facebook? Facebook was supposed to block off Australian media channels but unfortunately Facebook's algorithm's also blocked off non-media sites. Facebook's CEO apologised, source https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/we-are-sorry-senior-facebook-exec-apologises-for-blocking-health-emergency-sites-20210219-p5745a.html.
The answer could be yes if 'blocks' to non-media Facebook sites are sustained for a long time and the various non-media groups seek alternatives to post messages and developers take the risk to develop new social media pages.
Otherwise it will be business as usual. Yet, society has lived without social media. Though the days are gone when one had tune in to 2UE to find out whether one's local school sports carnival was postponed, alternative social media sites could post notification of the postponement of a sports carnival. Then there's SMS through the mobile phone network.
For media organisations, our Prime Minister, The Hon. Scott Morrison has taken a courageous step to pass laws with support of the opposition that social media companies pay a royalty to news organisations. The rest of the world is following our Prime Minister's lead.
Secondly, when it comes to delivering of food by third party "ticket clippers", the problem is while the early adopters, the restaurants, made gains, unfortunately, I believe the latter adopters out of fear joined in.
Personally, if I want a pizza, I'll rock up to my local pizza restaurant. I never use the pizza shop's delivery service and third party "ticket clippers".
If you think that the local restaurant is being ripped off by the "third party ticket clippers", the person delivering the product may well also be a victim of a lack of safety education and the take-it-or-leave-it contracts. In one instance, two workers objected to their pay being cut by 30% and were dismissed. Industrial action is taking place now:
Sources:
https://www.smh.com.au/national/treat-workers-with-dignity-hungrypanda-workers-say-they-were-let-go-after-protesting-pay-cuts-20210218-p573mw.html
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/i-feel-helpless-delivery-driver-sacked-after-protesting-a-pay-cut-20210203-p56z36.html#comments
Thank you,
Anthony of exciting Belfield
With all due respect to the author, I don’t think the subject is as cut and dried as he thinks it is. I have seen plenty of support for Facebook and their position, and the steps they have taken in public forums over the last few days.