Australian Communications and Media Authority (Community Television) Direction 2020

I, PAUL FLETCHER, Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, issue the following Direction under section 14 of the Australian Communications and Media Authority Act 2005.

Dated                    29 June 2020   

PAUL FLETCHER  

Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts

Contents

1  Name

2  Commencement

3  Repeal of this Direction

4  Authority

5  Definitions

6  Direction

1  Name

  This Direction is the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Community Television) Direction 2020.

2  Commencement

  This Direction commences on the day it is registered.

3  Repeal of this Direction

  This Direction is repealed on 1 July 2022.

4  Authority

  This Direction is made under section 14 of the Australian Communications and Media Authority Act 2005.

5  Definitions

  In this Direction:

ACMA means the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

Act means the Australian Communications and Media Authority Act 2005.

Broadcasting Act means the Broadcasting Services Act 1992.

broadcasting services bands has the meaning given in section 6 of the Broadcasting Act.

CTV licence has the meaning given in section 6 of the Broadcasting Act.

CTV Trial Service means an open narrowcasting television service transmitted from one or more stations using an apparatus licence issued under section 100 of the Radiocommunications Act for community and educational non-profit purposes in a prescribed metropolitan area.

community broadcasting service has the meaning given in section 15 of the Broadcasting Act.

open narrowcasting television service means a service under a class licence determined under paragraph 117(e) of the Broadcasting Act.

Part 6 CTV Service means a community broadcasting service provided under a CTV licence.

prescribed metropolitan area means an area in each of the following capital cities:

(a) Adelaide;

(b) Brisbane;

(c) Hobart;

(d) Melbourne;

(e) Perth; and

(f) Sydney.

Radiocommunications Act means the Radiocommunications Act 1992.

6  Direction

In recognition of the Federal Government’s policy that, in the prescribed metropolitan areas, both community broadcasting services that provide television programs and CTV Trial Services should be delivered using online delivery platforms, I direct the ACMA to exercise its relevant powers and perform its relevant functions as conferred by or under the Broadcasting Act, the Radiocommunications Act and the Act, to achieve the following policy objectives:

(a)    from 1 July 2020, the broadcasting services bands must not be used for the transmission of CTV Trial Services apart from CTV Trial Services in Adelaide; and

(b)    from 1 July 2021, the broadcasting services bands must not be used for the provision of any CTV Trial Services or any Part 6 CTV Services.