Australian Media RegulationUnit 2 Media – Area of Study 3

What is Media Regulation?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDHt8Kzf7ls

Self-Regulation & Codes of Practice• Industry associations created by Australian commercial media

providers to represent their interests.

• Also formed to lobby governments for media reform that would help their companies function much more effectively and return better profits.

• Such bodies include:▫ Free TV Australia (represents FTA TV networks)▫ Commercial Radio Australia (represents commercial radio

broadcasters)▫ Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association

(or ASTRA, represents subscription TV & Radio)▫ Australian Press Council (represents print media)▫ Australian Association of National Advertisers (represents

advertising industry)

Self-Regulation & Codes of Practice• On top of government policy, the previously mentioned

bodies abide by rules & regulations agreed upon by members of their industry.

• These are called ‘codes of practice’.

• An example of this is the FTA TV industry operating under a different set of regulations. This includes:▫ governing program classifications ▫ reporting in news & current affair programs▫ time spent on advertising▫ classification & placement of commercials and the handling

of complaints.

Standards of Public Media Orgs

Like the industry codes of practice, the ABC charter sets standard that the broadcaster must follow.

Government Regulation•Australian Communication and Media

Authority (ACMA)

•Classification Board

•Classification Review Board

Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU-THoXUrXg

Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)• Federal government funded body (est. 2005) that

oversees various areas & practices of Aus Media operations including: TV, Radio and Internet.

• Responsibilities:▫ Promoting self-regulation and competition within the

industry while protecting consumers & users.▫ Maintaining an environment where electronic media

respects community standards and responds to audience & user needs.

▫ Managing access to the radiofrequency spectrum.▫ Representing Australia’s communications interests

internationally.

ACMA Questions•Examine the ACMA website to find and outline

(in your own words) the procedure for making a complaint against a broadcaster.

•Examine the ACMA website to find details of a past investigation into a breach of a broadcaster’s code of practice. What happened in the breach and what was the outcome?

•http://www.acma.gov.au/