News Bargaining Initiative: Statutory Payment Scheme to distribute any revenue raised by the Incentive. Submission by ABC Alumni Ltd. 18 May 2026
ABC Alumni has made a number of submissions in response to requests by the Federal Government for consultation on the News Bargaining Initiative. The NBI proposes a 2.2% levy on large streaming and social media services which can be advantageously offset by entering into commercial deals with news media organisations whose material is used on their services. Here are links to the two previous submissions.
ABC Alumni submission regarding the News Bargaining Incentive 18 December 2025
This submission responds to consultation on the proposed structure for the distribution of funds collected by the Federal Government from the News Bargaining Initiative from those streaming and social media services who have not entered into any or sufficient commercial deals to fully offset the proposed 2.2% levy.
In this submission, ABC Alumni argues that the payment scheme for distribution of revenue should vigorously support small news publishers and those supporting regional news and news provided to marginal communities. The weightings applied to FTE journalists in this area should be at a minimum 30%.
The Alumni also submits that news publishers who have successfully negotiated commercial deals with social media and streaming services should be restricted in their eligibility to access revenue collected by the federal government under the News Media Incentive provisions.