The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has welcomed Free TV Australia’s public consultation of its draft code of practice. On registration by the ACMA, this code would establish a revised set of rules for what can and can’t be shown on commercial television.
ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin said that public consultation is a critical part of the code review process.
“Consultation allows viewers and the broader community to raise concerns they may have about the current rules and let broadcasters know about the standards they expect when watching free-to-air television,” Ms O’Loughlin said.
“The ACMA has been encouraging Free TV to review and update its code, which was last fully reviewed in 2015, to better respond to the changing media landscape and address contemporary audience expectations.”
As part of the review process, the ACMA has shared with Free TV its views on a range of issues based on its regulatory and research activities.
“We are pleased to see that some of these have been addressed through revisions to the draft code and we welcome Free TV seeking the public’s views on issues raised by the ACMA,” Ms O’Loughlin said.
“We also reiterate our calls for television broadcasters to voluntarily extend these code provisions to all television-like content available on their on-demand streaming services. This would ensure viewers can benefit from the same safeguards regardless of how they are watching content offered by Australian television broadcasters.
“Under current co-regulatory arrangements, broadcasters have an important responsibility to develop codes that provide appropriate content safeguards for their audiences. We encourage interested individuals and organisations to make a submission to this process.”
Codes of practice are drafted by the broadcasting industry but can only be registered if the ACMA is satisfied they provide appropriate community safeguards. Public submissions made to the consultation will be reviewed by the ACMA and may help inform its considerations for registration.
The consultation is open for 6 weeks until 11 November 2024. You can find more information about making a submission on Free TV’s website.
The ACMA’s views on the key issues it has raised with Free TV in the code review process is available on the ACMA website.
MR 25/2024