“The notion of convergence itself is undergoing more change…

“We have started to move our discussions forward to a broader idea of a networked society.”

Australians now want two way connected engagement, and media is one tool of that engagement. ACMA sees itself as a facilitator of this demand for engagement, according to the ACMA’s Richard Bean, speaking at today’s Australian Broadcasting Summit.

ACMA is not interested in “regulation for its own sake,” but interested in “principles of self regulation” and ways of making effective responses to complaints, according to Bean.

Restacking the spectrum to deliver the digital dividend is one of the key regulatory issues that are needed to facilitate the increasing demands for connectness from society.

Another of the issues Bean raised was more consistency for codes and practices across various sectors. In what seems to be s response to the ideas in the Finklestein Inquiry, Bean raised the possibility of journalistic content being consistent in the codes of practice across all media, something that does not currently happen. The ACMA will have a ‘first principles look’ at this element of the codes over the next 12 months.

He also mentioned the Harbour Radio court loss to a recent ACMA ruling, saying that the courts have confirmed the ACMA’s role in providing codes that safeguard the community.

Recognising the inevitability of technical changes in broadcasting, Bean said: “Broadcasting remains highly significant and influential, but at some point I think we all know that radio, tv and print will ultimately surrender their pre-eminence in shaping society… Our view is that influence will remain an important element in defining regulation in the future.”

His full speech is available here.

Opening the conference Malcolm Long looked back at the previous year for media, telling the conference: “It’s been a good year for the national broadcasters, there are tough economic conditions for tv, foxtel is trying to work out how to expand its reach beyond its 30% of the Australian population, and radio remains a resilient medium. Radio’s challenges in the coming year include rolling out digital radio to regional areas and responding to digital streaming.”

Representing the Minister for Communications, Labor backbencher Michelle Rowland spoke about her background as a media lawyer at Gilbert and Tobin and delivered Senator Conroy’s address. The Senate is sitting this week and the Minister was unavailable.

Rowland, the Federal Member for Greenway in Western Sydney, spoke about the importance of the NBN in her electorate:

“The NBN is a reality… it has begun rolling out in Western Sydney last week, I pulled the first cable through the main street of Blacktown. Businesses have told me they have relocated to this area because of the promise of high speed access to internet. They want access immediately to the best world class broadband services…”

NBN Co has exceeded its target, “contrary to what you may read in the media,” Rowland told the conference. “It will change every aspect of our lives as we move into the world of new media… How content is delivered and how audiences consume media are the two changes that internet has brought.”

“The NBN is not about the download, it’s about the upload,” she said.

The government expects free to air media “will remain an important force,” but it does acknowledge the changes happening to these services. “Australians level of usage of these free to air broadcast services have remained steady… yet free to air faces a number of challenges, for example sports rights, timeshifting and the multiple screen environment.”

60% of Australians watch tv and use the internet at the same time according to figures quoted by Rowland, with younger demographics’ multiplatform usage statistics even greater.

Online is also reshaping radio, she said: “Audiences have greater choices than ever before. The govt, the broadcasters and the regulators must all work together on these issues… [but] the government doesn’t want to regulate just for the sake of regulation,” there has to be a good reason for regulation.

In election mode, she raised the fact that the current government lightened the “onerous regulations on regional radio licences” imposed by the previous Liberal government, by changing the regulations in that area.  “Policy makers must understand the full impact of their regulations,” she said.

Rowland also criticised the recent court decision to award the PPCA the ability to extract more fees for radio streaming. The “archaic” Phonographic Performance decision is another example of unintended consequences of regulation, she contended.

“While its tempting to move quickly, effective legislation requires a considered measured response.”