Commonwealth of Australia

Broadcasting Services Act 1992

Broadcasting Services (Material of Local Significance – Regional Aggregated Commercial Television Broadcasting Licences) Direction 2013

I, STEPHEN MICHAEL CONROY, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, make the following Direction under subsection 171(1) of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992.

Dated 26 June 2013

STEPHEN CONROY

Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy

1.             Name of instrument

This Direction is the Broadcasting Services (Material of Local Significance – Regional Aggregated Commercial Television Broadcasting Licences) Direction 2013.

2.             Commencement

This Direction commences on the day after it is registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.

3.             Definitions

3.1         In this Determination:

Act means the Broadcasting Services Act 1992;

ACMA means the Australian Communications and Media Authority;

additional regional area means an area corresponding to paragraph (b) of the definition of regional area

material of local significance has the same meaning as in the Broadcasting Services (Additional Television Licence Condition) Notice 8 November 2007;

metropolitan licence area has the same meaning as in Schedule 4 to the Act;

regional area means an area corresponding to:

a)      a licence area listed in subsection 43A(2) of the Act; or

b)      any other licence area that is not a metropolitan licence area.

3.2         Unless the contrary intention appears, a word or phrase in this Direction has the same meaning as it has in the Act.

4.             Direction – Investigation relating to Local Content on Regional Commercial Television

4.1         I direct the ACMA, under subsection 171(1) of the Act, to:

a)      investigate the operation and effectiveness of section 43A of the Act;

b)      complete the investigation no later than six months from the date of this Direction; and

c)      provide me with a copy of a report on the investigation no later than 15 days from the completion of the investigation.

4.2         In conducting the investigation, the ACMA must consider:

a)      the importance of material of local significance to people living in regional areas of Australia;

b)      whether people living in regional areas of Australia have adequate access to material of local significance provided via commercial television broadcasting services;

c)      the impact on people living in regional areas of Australia of recent and significant changes (if any) to the broadcast of material of local significance;

d)     how access to material of local significance can be maintained and enhanced for people living in regional areas of Australia;

e)      whether other sources of local (or regional) information are available to people living in regional areas of Australia;

f)       the economic circumstances facing commercial television broadcasting licensees operating in regional areas of Australia; and

g)      whether section 43A should be extended to apply to commercial television broadcasting licensees operating in specified additional regional areas.