The Australian Communications and Media Authority has imposed new local content and local presence obligations upon regional commercial radio broadcasting licences, effective Sunday.
From this weekend licensees are required to keep records of their existing levels of local presence on an ongoing basis.
They are also required to maintain existing levels of local presence in their licence areas in certain circumstances.
Commercial Radio Australia has consistently stated that both the local content and local licence conditions being imposed on commercial regional radio operators are an unnecessary intrusion by Government in the day to day running of commercial enterprises.
However, CRA has cautiously welcomed the condition being introduced as being an improvement on the original draft local presence condition, which was seen as extremely restrictive and inflexible.
CRA had requested significant changes to the draft, in particular to the requirement to maintain existing staffing levels and studio facilities in the event of a trigger event.
CRA CEO Joan Warner has argued that in order to be workable the condition needed to be flexible and to recognise the reality of running commercial radio stations in regional areas: “While it is far from ideal to have such a licence condition imposed, we are pleased the Minister, other Government MPs and ACMA have taken the industry’s concerns on board.”
“The changes provide a broader definition of local presence. In addition, the industry and regional radio stations will be able to request a review of this condition at any time.”
Communications Minister Senator Helen Coonan says the new licence condition will ensure that regional radio stations will continue to have a presence in their local communities, irrespective of any change in ownership:
“The local presence licence condition provides that licensees of regional commercial radio stations who experience a ‘trigger event’ (a change in ownership or become part of a cross-media group) are required to demonstrate to ACMA on an ongoing basis, that staffing levels are being maintained, as well as the existing studios and other production facilities. ACMA has a range of enforcement powers at its disposal to deal with any breaches of this licence condition”
In The Australian newspaper, Coonan acknowledged the pressure of regional backbenchers on the formation of the legislation: “There is absolutely no secret that these changes were an ask by certain National Party constituents who were of the view that, given the way the Macquarie interests had acquired a number of licences and hubbed services so that there was a loss of local content, there should be measures which should secure local services. We need to get the balance right… I have a great deal of sympathy for the proprietors. I am not trying to penalise owners; anything but. I know many of them are small operators and I think they provide an absolutely vital service.”
ACMA has sent a copy of the licence condition to all regional commercial radio licensees.
ACMA is also publishing a copy of the local presence licence condition in the Gazette and on ACMA’s website, which can be accessed via the link below.