A Senate committee has endorsed the Coalition's media reform bill, which would axe the 75 per cent population "reach" rule and allow metropolitan networks to buy or merge with their struggling regional counterparts.

The bill would also scrap the two-out-of three cross-media ownership rule and introduce additional local content obligations for regional areas.

While Communications Minister Mitch Fifield welcomed the findings of the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, Labor has refused to back the Coalition's reforms.

Sources at the regional broadcasters behind the Save Our Voices campaign said TV commercials warning of local news services and jobs at risk would return to regional screens in the run-up to the July 2 election.

Prime Media Group, WIN Corporation, Southern Cross Austereo and Imparja ­Television bankrolled last year's TV, radio and online advertising blitz, which carried the slogan "Don't let regional Australia lose its voice".

While former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer is no longer contracted as an advocate to lobby regional MPs and communities on the issue, Save Our Voices this week urged MPs to pass the reform bill immediately after the election.

"This Bill will get some of our media laws out of the 20th century, and give regional television a future," a statement on the saveourvoices.com.au website said.

The Senate committee's Labor members acknowledged that further delays to media reform could have "material impact" on regional TV programming.

"The government's inaction for two and a half years is squarely to blame for any negative impact on regional television viewers as a consequence of the 44th Parliament having no time left to consider this bill," they said in a dissenting report.

"A Shorten Labor government will undertake a more thorough and genuine consultation process with all interested stakeholders."