Written and spoken by bla bla bla: New rules for election ads

Reforms bring some relief to radio listeners. 

Changes to the Electoral Act that have just been enacted will bring some relief for radio listeners, who can expect shorter compliance statements at the end of election advertisements.

The boring ‘written and spoken by me and him and them’ detail at the end of election ads can now be omitted, thanks to sensible changes to the Act.

Political party details and the authorising person will still need to be named at the end of the ads, but there will no longer be a need to name all the voiceover artists who spoke in the ad, saving precious seconds in a radio ad script and relieving VO Artists of the buden of being seen to be aligned with a particular political party.
 

The new rules relating to the announcement of authorisation details for the broadcast of political matter (including election advertising) come into effect from midnight on 15 March 2018.

Because the election blackout period for some upcoming elections begins at the time the new rules come into effect, none of the new rules will effect election advertising associated with either the upcoming Batman by-election or the South Australia state election, but they will be relevant for all future elections.

The new legislation also affects website banner ads, which did not exist when the legislation was first enacted in 1918. It also bring streaming music services and text messages into line with the rules for radio and television
 

 

The ACMA has released updated guidelines about the changes to the Act.

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