The ACMA in the media

April

• "ACMA not interested in regulation for its own sake," says Chairman Chapman (17 Apr)
  ACMA downgrades advertising Standard to a Code The Australian Communications and Media Authority has revoked the Broadcasting Services Standard that deals with disclosure and clear distinction between advertising and program. The Standard that was brought in just a year ago has now been replaced by a Code. As we explained in March 2012, when the Standard was brought in, a Standard is tougher than a Code of Practice, because a Standard is tied to the stations licence. A station could ultimately lose its licence for breaching a Standard, but cannot for breaching one of the co-regulatory Codes. Radioinfo
• ‘Do Not Call’ Registrations extended to eight years (16 Apr)
  The Do Not Call Register is a free service supplied by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) that allows phone users to block telemarketing calls. Once your numbers are listed on the register, telemarketers and fax marketers must not contact you by law. Originally lasting for five years, the registration period has now been extended to eight. "Any new registrations will be valid for the new period, making life easier for Australians wishing to opt out of telemarketing calls and marketing faxes, long term,’ said ACMA Chairman, Chris Chapman in a statement. Lifehacker Australia
• ACMA broadcasts inquiry intent (16 Apr)
  The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has launched an inquiry to identify the core principles that should be guiding today’s broadcasting codes of practice. The Authority said it was imperative that Australia’s broadcasting codes of practice kept pace with changing community expectations. "The Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (the BSA) establishes a framework that combines direct regulation through standards and legislation with co-regulation through the development and registration of industry codes," ACMA said… "ACMA does not propose, as part of this inquiry, to examine the Children’s Television Standards or the Australian Content Standard - save to the extent that these interact with codes of practice," it said. PS News
• Net capacity down to wire (16 Apr)
  Australia's submarine fibre-optic links to the world may not be fully utilised at the moment, but more are being built to cater to our insatiable appetite for data and content. The online feast - shown recently by Bureau of Statistics data revealing record downloads in the last three months of 2012 - has helped triple the total capacity of our submarine cable links since 2008 and is expected to continue to grow rapidly, according to market researcher TeleGeography... The Australia Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) describes these submarine cable links as "vital component of our national infrastructure" and maintains three protection zones surrounding the cable landing zones – two in Sydney and one in Perth – where maritime activities are restricted. The Age
• Government internet filter may have taken more than a thousand sites offline (15 Apr)
  More than 1200 websites, including one belonging to independent learning organisation Melbourne Free University, may have become an unintended victim of the federal government’s internet filter. MFU was told by its ISP, Exetel, that the IP address hosting its website was blocked recently ‘‘by Australian authorities for undisclosed reasons’’. The block began on April 4 and was lifted on April 12... The Australian Communications and Media Authority, the body responsible for internet regulation, issued a statement denying it had blocked the site or that it was investigating any prohibited content. ACMA would not elaborate on this statement when contacted by MTW. Melbourne Times/Weekly
• ACMA issues warnings for TCP code non-compliance (10 Apr)
  The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has formal warnings to Activ8me and Sure Telecom for failing to make critical information summaries available (CIS) available to customers. The requirement is part of the Telecommunications Consumer Protection (TCP) code and allows consumers to more easily compare telco plans on a like-for-like basis. The summaries have been a requirement of the TCP code from 1 March this year. It is the first ACMA has taken enforcement action around the CIS, but both companies have moved to comply with the TCP code. Tech World Australia (Computer World)
• Miners eye comms reprieve in WA quiet zone (10 Apr)
  Australia's communications watchdog will shortly address a multi-year stoush over rules that deny miners and rail operators crucial communications systems in the area set aside for the $2 billion Square Kilometre Array radio telescope. An Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) spokesperson told iTnews that changes are being considered to the 2007 regulatory implement which restricts radio communication systems in the vicinity of the planned radio telescope. Known as RALI MS32 (PDF), the implement has been the target of mining and rail lobbyists who say it threatens multi-billion dollar investments slated for Western Australia's mid-west. IT News Australia
• ACMA eyes mobile network performance (10 Apr)
  Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) CEO Chris Chapman has indicated that the regulator will begin to examine how Australia's mobile networks are performing. Following a major overhaul of the telecommunications industry code last year, aimed at simplifying the plans offered to telecommunications customers, Chapman told the Communications Day Summit in Sydney on Wednesday morning that the regulator intends to shift its focus to the quality of Australian telecommunications networks. ZDNet
• Notice of application for renewal of licence under section 90(2) of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (10 Apr)
  In accordance with sub-section 90(2) of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (the Act), the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) hereby notifies that the companies listed below have lodged applications for the renewal of the following broadcasting service licences:... Comlaw
• Record download rates in Australia (9 Apr)
  Australians are falling further in love with faster internet, with more users downloading more data than ever before. Figures published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Tuesday showed record downloads in the last three months of 2012, with data topping 550,000 terabytes for the first time in any quarter. "Throughout 2012, the number of internet subscribers increased five per cent to a total of almost 12.2 million." That figure is based on internet service provider customers - and does not accurately represent the overall number of internet users, which is likely to be much higher. For example, a recent report by the Australian Communications and Media Authority showed 93 per cent of Australians used the internet in the 12 months to July 2012. WA Today
• A piece of rainbow for sale (8 Apr)
  What happens to the broadcast spectrum that will be freed up by the switching off of the analogue television signal across Australia? It may not be the colourful part of the electromagnetic spectrum, but it is valuable real estate,.. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is identifying the appropriate use of the newly available frequencies, with discussion papers calling for public comment. "ACMA , I believe, is the third highest revenue raiser for the government, and a lot of that is through radio spectrum licensing, so they get a lot of money in from that spectrum, it's a public asset, it's highly regulated in Australia, but that means it all works pretty well," Mr Connor said. ABC Northern Tasmania
• How your consumers are consuming online video (8 Apr)
  A few weeks ago, we blogged about the Australian Communication and Media Authority’s (ACMA) latest report about some of the trends and perceptions of communications in Australia. Accompanying that report, the ACMA also released three smaller, more targeted reports, one of which focussed on the growth of online video content. In simple terms, online video content (or OVC) is any video content that is deliverable through the internet. The OVC report [PDF] says that the most popular forms of OVC include catch-up television (which is offered by most free-to-air television broadcasters) and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV). The ACMA reports that in the 12 months to June 2012, the volume of data downloaded increased by 52 per cent, and that this increase is consistent with the growth in online streaming of digital media. Digital Business (part of DBCDE)
• Information before cash please (4 Apr)
  As companies choose e-marketing over traditional marketing channels, the pressure for consumers to sign up to e-newsletters and SMS notifications is increasing. Julia Cornwell McKean from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) says with additional technology, consumers need to double check what they have given consent to. "In relation to the Australian Spam Act it's a requirement that you can't be sent an e-newsletter that promotes goods and services, unless there's consent. ABC Sunshine Coast
• Nine broke rules in program on Neil Brooks (4 Apr)
  The broadcast watchdog has found the Nine Network's A Current Affair broke rules on accuracy, privacy and complaints handling in a 2012 program on Olympic gold medallist Neil Brooks. Nine's program accused Neil Brooks and his wife Linda of scams in Australia, the US and France. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) said on Thursday the program aired on March 5, 2012, did not have enough evidence to support a claim that police in these three countries were investigating allegations of fraud against the former swimmer and his wife. ACMA said Nine had also breached privacy provisions, but it did not say what they were. Herald Sun

March

• ACMA performs own performance review (30 Mar)
  An assessment of the performance of the Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA) has been released by the Chair of the Agency, revealing it believes it often meets or exceeds world’s best practice. The Chairman, Chris Chapman said the assessment tracked how well ACMA was meeting its strategic purpose, which was to make communications and media really work in Australia’s public interest. "Early in my term as Chair of the ACMA, I set an aspirational standard for the organisation," Mr Chapman said, "to be, and to be recognised as, the world’s best converged regulator." PS News
• ACMA moves to enforce telco consumer protections code (28 Mar)
  The Australian Media and Communications Authority (ACMA) have launched a telco blitz in a bid to ensure operators stick to the new Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code it approved last year. This latest crackdown revolves around the requirement to provide an easily accessible critical information summary (CIS) – a document that provides a clear, easy to understand outline of a service’s costs and conditions. The body said in a blog post that it’s sent out over 100 preliminary enquiry letters and examined over 94 CISs from around 50 suppliers. It’s currently gearing up to look into another 50 telcos CISs. Business Spectator
• Telcos slow to comply with new ACMA code (27 Mar)
  Telcos have been slow to comply with the ACMA's requirement for Critical Information Summaries, according to the communications watchdog, with smaller players the worst offenders. ACMA last year ruled telecommunications service providers must provide the summaries to consumers by March 1. The CIS sets out clear information about products and services and offers comparisons for both post paid and prepaid products. Today ACMA revealed it had sent 100 enquiry letters to providers after it found 25 with flawed CISs and 13 lacking readily accessible summaries on their websites. IT News
• ACMA: We’re making sure carriers follow the TCP Code (27 Mar)
  Critical information summaries (CIS), which provide an easy-to-follow summary of the main costs associated with mobile phone plans, have been compulsory for Australian phone providers since the beginning of March, and make it much easier for consumers to ensure they don’t get caught out by unexpected plan conditions. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is already enforcing that requirement, and says it has already told 38 providers to make sure they are following the code. "To date, we’ve examined 94 CISs from 50 suppliers," a statement from ACMA said. "This has led to 38 preliminary enquiries — 13 to providers that did not have readily accessible CISs on their websites and 25 to providers with flawed CISs." Life Hacker Australia
• Teenager Molly Lord's family sues media over grief (26 Mar)
  The family of a teenager killed in a quad bike accident has sued two television stations and a newspaper for breaching their confidence and invading their privacy. Linda Goldspink-Lord and her horse-trainer husband Peter sued the Seven Network, the Illawarra Mercury and Nine affiliate WIN after they aired or published images of the family grieving the death of daughter Molly Lord in July. The case against the two stations is understood to be a test of the Australian Communication and Media Authority's recently introduced privacy guidelines on media coverage of grief and death. The Daily Telegraph
• Threats made for people to pay thousands to avoid court appearance (25 Mar)
  Bogus debt collectors are threatening householders with legal action unless they pay thousands of dollars worth of nonexistent debts. Consumer Affairs Victoria warns that scammers, claiming to be from a company that prevents unwanted sales calls, are trying to trick people into clearing fake debts… People wishing to avoid unwanted sales calls can join the free federal Do Not Call Register. For details visit donotcall.gov.au. The Daily Telegraph
• Cybersmart tool is switched on (25 Mar)
  An independent evaluation of the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s (ACMA) cybersafety short film, Tagged, has found it to be effective. The report was released by ACMA’s Cybersmart Program section and found the film had been successful in helping teenagers think about the potential consequences of their online actions. PS News
• ACMA receives Laws complaints: Online petition launched (23 Mar)
  John Laws told listeners today he would not read any more emails about rape victim Carol's talkback call (see other story), but SuperNetwork management won't be able to so easily ignore the issue with the ACMA confirming to radioinfo it is watching closely. "We are aware of the issue. We’ve received some emails and, consistent with the co-regulatory scheme that regulates broadcasting, we have referred complainants to the licensee. "If any complainant is not happy with the broadcaster’s response, they can refer their complaint to the ACMA and we would commence an investigation," an ACMA spokesperson told us today. radioinfo
• ACMA to probe local content requirements (22 Mar)
  The decision by WIN Television to axe its regional news service in South Australia's Riverland and south-east has sparked an inquiry into local content requirements. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will review the current requirements for regional television broadcasters under the Broadcasting Services Act... Senator Xenophon expects the inquiry's recommendations will influence the Government. "If ACMA hands down findings about local content requirements that would impact on South Australia, then any government, any opposition simply can't ignore that," he said. ABC News