As radio moves online, will License Area Plans mean less? – updated
3 July 2023 · News
Survey 4 will be thrust upon us - NOT tomorrow as previously advised - but on Tuesday, 11 July, at 9:30 am, sharp.
Now that much of the new methodology that was revealed in Survey 3 failed to upset...
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Tags: CRA | GfK | LAPs | Peter Saxon
Two aspects of the Licence Area Plan ('LAP').
First one has to decide the threshold of the proportion of listeners outside the LAP to the number of listeners within the LAP to redefine legislatively. If the ratings results indicate a higher proportion of listeners outside the LAP, it warrants a re-examination on the meaning of the LAP.
Recall that there are geographical and technical aspects of an LAP.
The geographical aspects include the broadcast services in the area and a study of the population based on census data.
That aspect may be solved legislatively. Relying on population dynamics may require widening the definition of the LAP to allow regulation by ministerial approval rather than having to regularly amend the legislation by Parliament where population dynamics change.
Technical aspects involve the location, antenna polarisation and power of the transmitter and frequency.
https://www.acma.gov.au/licence-area-plans-laps
Remember that the electromagnetic spectrum is a scarce resource and that it would be unwise for two radio stations broadcasting on the same frequency even if they are several hundred kilometres apart.
If a radio station was to offer its service exclusively online, then an LAP is not necessary.
Currently there is no requirement for an online radio station to be licenced.
An analogy is consuming VOD and live podcasts on Youtube and other social media.
IP communications is not defined in the legislation as broadcasting.
The benefit of an IP-only radio station is that it is not bound by local content rules compared to terrestrial radio.
https://www.acma.gov.au/local-radio-content
In conclusion, an LAP has demographic and technical requirements.
The demographic requirements to take account of population dynamics can be amended to be more flexible to allow regulation by the Minister rather than Parliament constantly amending the legislation.
However, the technical requirements involve the allocation of frequencies which is a scarce resource. Thus it would be extremely difficult to amend the technical aspects of an LAP.
An exclusive online offering does not require an LAP. Think of live and on-demand content offered by social media.
Currently the legislation does not define online offerings as broadcasting.
Thank you
Anthony of Strathfield South, in the land of the Wangal and Darug Peoples of the Eora Nation.