2010

The Parliament of the

Commonwealth of Australia

THE SENATE

Presented and read a first time

Special Broadcasting Service Amendment (Prohibition of Disruptive Advertising) Bill 2010

No.      , 2010

(Senator Ludlam)

A Bill for an Act to prohibit disruptive advertising during SBS television programs, and for related purposes

Contents

1............ Short title............................................................................................ 1

2............ Commencement.................................................................................. 1

4............ Schedule(s).......................................................................................... 2

Schedule 1—Amendment of the Special Broadcasting Service Act 1991 3

A Bill for an Act to prohibit disruptive advertising during SBS television programs, and for related purposes

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

1  Short title

                   This Act may be cited as the Special Broadcasting Service Amendment (Prohibition of Disruptive Advertising) Act 2010.

2  Commencement

                   This Act commences on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

3  Object

                   The object of this Act is to prohibit the interruption of programming on SBS television by restricting advertising to the period between the completion of one program and the commencement of another program.

4  Schedule(s)

                   Each Act that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.

Schedule 1—Amendment of the Special Broadcasting Service Act 1991

1  Paragraph 45(2)(a)

Omit “, after programs end or during natural program breaks”, substitute “or after programs end”.

2  After section 45

Insert:

45A Non‑program content

             (1)  The SBS must not interrupt a televised program for non‑program content (NPC).

             (2)  For the purposes of this section, NPC is taken to mean any material that is separate from the program being broadcast such as, but not limited to, advertisements, sponsorship announcements, community service announcements, station promotional material, program promotional material and similar material.