ACMA investigates regional TV content

acmaThe Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is undertaking an investigation into the provision of local programming by regional networks.

The investigation, as directed last month by the former Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Stephen Conroy, will examine the effectiveness of local content conditions placed on regional broadcasters.

Since 2003 the Broadcasting Services Act has obligated regional broadcasters in the aggregated markets of Regional Queensland, Northern NSW, Southern NSW/ACT and Regional Victoria to provide a required minimum amount of program material of local interest.

The requirements were extended to broadcasters in Tasmania in 2008.

Local interest programming can include such things as news, current affairs, political analysis, sports coverage or special event programming that relates to the regional market of broadcast.

The broadcasters across these markets meet their obligations largely by news coverage, either via full-scale evening bulletins (e.g. WIN News, Southern Cross News and NBN News) or pre-recorded news updates spread throughout the day (e.g. Prime7 and Southern Cross Ten).

Recent cutbacks in the provision of local programming in regional South Australia and Western Australia have led to the investigation into the possible expansion of the local content provisions into other states.

WIN, the commercial monopoly in the Mount Gambier and Riverland markets, axed its local news service earlier this year.  The company, which also owns STW Nine Perth, has also axed its local 4.30pm Nine News bulletin which included a focus on regional news coverage from across Western Australia and acted as a replacement for the dedicated WIN News bulletin in WA that had been cancelled last year.

The ACMA invites comment from both organisations and individuals who live or have lived in regional areas, on the provision of local content in regional areas of Australia.

Submissions should be made to ACMA by email to [email protected], or by mail to:

Manager
Television Local Content Investigation
Content Monitoring and Review Section
Australian Communications and Media Authority
PO Box Q500
Queen Victoria Building NSW 1230

Submissions to ACMA close 20 August 2013.

Source: ACMA

 

Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2013/07/acma-investigates-regional-tv-content.html

1 comment

    • thelma steele on 27 July 2013 at 11:14 PM
    • Reply

    we have felt a huge sense of isolation with the local news being axed in our mount gambier area. the Border Watch newspaper does a great job but we live out of town so can’t get the newspaper everyday it comes out so there is nothing to keep us in touch with our area without our every weekday news broadcast. country life can seem very isolated and this has made it worse.

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