Broadcasting and Television

No. 21 of 1969

An Act relating to Broadcasting and Television.

[Assented to 4 June 1969]

BE it enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title and citation.

1.—(1.) This Act may be cited as the Broadcasting and Television Act 1969.

(2.) The Broadcasting and Television Act 1942-1968 is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.

(3.) The Principal Act, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the Broadcasting and Television Act 1942-1969.

Commencement.

2. This Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

Constitution of Board.

3. Section 8 of the Principal Act is amended by adding at the end of sub-section (2.) the words “and shall appoint another member, not being a part-time member, to be Vice-Chairman of the Board”.

4. Section 10 of the Principal Act is repealed and the following section inserted in its stead:—

Meetings of Board.

“10.—(1.) Meetings of the Board shall be held at such times and places as the Chairman of the Board determines or if, for any reason, the Chairman is unable to act, the Vice-Chairman of the Board determines.

“(2.) The Chairman of the Board or if, for any reason, the Chairman is unable to act, the Vice-Chairman of the Board, shall call a meeting of the Board whenever requested to do so by two members.

“(3.) At any meeting of the Board at which the Chairman is present, the Chairman and two other members (of whom not more than one shall be a part-time member and of whom one may be the Vice-Chairman) constitute a quorum and, at any meeting of the Board at which the Chairman is not present, the Vice-Chairman and two other members (of whom not more than one shall be a part-time member) constitute a quorum.

“(4.) The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Board at which he is present and, in the event of the absence of the Chairman from a meeting of the Board, the Vice-Chairman shall preside at the meeting.

“(5.) All questions arising at a meeting of the Board shall be decided by a majority of the votes of the members present and voting and, for this purpose, the member presiding at the meeting has a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equality of votes, also has a casting vote.”.

Officers.

5. Section 15 of the Principal Act is amended by inserting in subsection (3.), before the words “to an officer” the words “to the Vice-Chairman of the Board or”.

Renewal of licence.

6. Section 85 of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by inserting after sub-section (2.) the following sub-section:—

“(2a.) An application for the renewal of a licence shall be in accordance with a form supplied by the Minister.”; and

(b) by inserting after sub-section (4.) the following sub-section:—

“(4a.) Where an application has been referred to the Board under this section and the Minister has not directed that an inquiry into the application be held, the Board may, for the purpose of satisfying itself that the application should be granted, request the applicant to furnish to the Board such information as the Board specifies, and the Board may refuse to recommend to the Minister that the application be granted until the information is furnished to the satisfaction of the Board.”.

Transmission of news.

7. Section 102 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting paragraph (a).

8. After section 124 of the Principal Act the following section is inserted:—

Offence to interfere with the broadcasting or televising of programmes, &c.

“124a.—(1.) A person shall not knowingly prevent, obstruct or otherwise interfere with the broadcasting or televising of programmes from a station by the Commission or a licensee, or knowingly interfere with, or with the operation of, a station.

“(2.) In this section, ‘station’ means—

(a) a national broadcasting station, a national television station or a television translator station used by the Commission; or

(b) a commercial broadcasting station, a commercial television station or a television translator station in respect of which a licence is in force under this Act,

and includes any technical equipment used in connexion with such a station.”.