Australian Broadcasting Authority (Revisiting Radio LAPs) Direction No. 1 of 2003 (Cth)

Commonwealth of Australia

Broadcasting Services Act 1992

Australian Broadcasting Authority (Revisiting Radio LAPs)

Direction No. 1 of 2003

I, RICHARD KENNETH ROBERT ALSTON, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, direct the Australian Broadcasting Authority (the ABA) under section 162 of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (the Act) that where it is satisfied that:

(a)a person who was not in a position to exercise control of an existing commercial radio broadcasting licence that is a broadcasting services bands licence has become, at any time after this Direction, a person in a position to exercise control of the licence; and

(b)during the three year period following the change in control referred to in paragraph (a) above, the program format of the service provided under the licence has changed from one of broad general appeal to one of more limited appeal; and         

(c)the change in format has resulted in a reduction in the number of commercial radio broadcasting services that are of broad appeal in the relevant licence area:

it must consider whether to exercise its power in subsection 26(2) of the Act to vary the relevant licence area plan so as to include one or more additional commercial radio broadcasting licences.

Without limiting paragraph (b), a change in program format from a popular music format to a racing format is a change in program format from one of broad general appeal to one of more limited appeal.

Dated                 10 April 2003.

RICHARD ALSTON

Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts