Australian Broadcasting Regulations (Amendment)

Legislation au C1952L00013 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

Legislation content

STATUTORY RULES.

1952. No. 13.

 

REGULATIONS UNDER THE BROADCASTING ACT 1942-1951.*

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the Broadcasting Act 1942-1951.

Dated this thirteenth day of February, 1952.

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

Postmaster-General.

 

Amendments of the Australian Broadcasting Regulations.†

Citation.

1. Regulation 1 of the Australian Broadcasting Regulations is amended by omitting ; the word “ Australian ”.

Definitions.

2. Regulation 3 of the Broadcasting Regulations is amended—

(a) by omitting the definition of “ receiving appliance ” ; and

(b) by omitting the definition of “ the Act ” and inserting in its stead the following definition :—

“ ‘the Act’ means the Broadcasting Act 1942-1951.”.

Additional broadcast listeners’ licences.

3. Regulation 8 of the Broadcasting Regulations is repealed.

4. Regulation 9 of the Broadcasting Regulations is repealed and the following regulation inserted in its stead :—

Demonstration of receiving appliances to prospective purchasers.

“ 9. Where—

(a) the holder of a broadcast listener’s licence—

(i) manufactures or trades in broadcast receivers ; and

(ii) with the consent in writing of an officer thereto authorized by the Postmaster-General, establishes a broadcast receiver for demonstration purposes at the address of a prospective purchaser ;

(b) the broadcast receiver is established at that address—

(i) for a period of not more than seven days if that address is within twenty miles from a General Post Office in the capital city of a State ; or

(ii) in any other case, for a period of not more than fourteen days ; and

 

* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on    , 1952.

† Statutory Rules 1942, No. 297.

5711.—Price 3d.      9/12.12.1951.


(c) an invoice or other document, indicating the date on which the broadcast receiver was established at that address for demonstration purposes, is affixed to the receiver during the period it is so established,

the receiver shall be deemed to be in the possession of the holder of the licence, and at the address specified in the licence, during the period it is so established for demonstration purposes.

Ante-dating of licences.

5. Regulation 10 of the Broadcasting Regulations is amended by omitting sub-regulation (1.) and inserting in its stead the following sub-regulation :—

“ (1.) Where a person applies for a broadcast listener’s licence and, during the period of twelve months immediately preceding the day on which he so applies, he used, maintained or had in his possession a broadcast receiver at a time when a broadcast listener’s licence did not apply to that receiver, the licence applied for may be dated as of the date on which he first so used, maintained or had in possession that broadcast receiver and shall remain in force for a period which expires twelve months after that date.”.

6. Regulation 12 of the Broadcasting Regulations is repealed and the following regulation inserted in its stead :—

Address of licensee.

“ 12. A holder of a broadcast listener’s licence shall, within two weeks after a change in his address, notify the Superintendent, Wireless Branch, Postmaster-General’s Department, in the State in which he resided before the change, of his new address, and the address so notified shall then be deemed to be the address specified in the licence.”.

Production of licence.

7. Regulation 13 of the Broadcasting Regulations is amended by omitting the word “ Minister ” and inserting in its stead the word “ Postmaster-General ”.

Inspection of receiving appliances.

8. Regulation 14 of the Broadcasting Regulations is amended—

(a) by omitting the word “ Minister ” and inserting in its stead the word “ Postmaster-General ”; and

(b) by omitting the words “ receiving appliances ” and inserting in their stead the words “ broadcast receivers ”.

Interference to reception.

9. Regulation 16 of the Broadcasting Regulations is amended by omitting the words “ receiving appliance ” and inserting in their stead the words “ broadcast receiver ”.

10. Regulation 18 of the Broadcasting Regulations is repealed and the following regulation inserted in its stead :—

Extension leads not allowed.

“ 18. A person shall not permit an extension lead to be taken from a broadcast receiver for the purpose of enabling broadcast programmes to be received at an address which is not specified in a broadcast listener’s licence.”.


Licensees who do not renew licences.

11. Regulation 19 of the Broadcasting Regulations is amended—

(a) by omitting the words “ Senior Radio Inspector ” and inserting in their stead the words “ Superintendent, Wireless Branch, Postmaster-General’s Department ”; and

(b) by omitting the words “seven days” and inserting in their stead the words “two weeks”.

12. The Broadcasting Regulations are amended by adding after regulation 20 the following regulations :—

Superintendent to be advised of sales, &c.

“ 21. When a person sells, hires, lends, leases or otherwise disposes of a broadcast receiver to another person, he shall, within one month after so doing, advise, in writing, the Superintendent, Wireless Branch, Postmaster-General’s Department, in the State in which the transaction took place, of the name and address of that other person.

Foreign tourists, &c., not required to hold licence.

“ 22. A person who is a foreign tourist resident in Australia for a period not exceeding six months, a Consul de Carrière, a High Commissioner or a member of a High Commissioner’s office is not required to hold a broadcast listener’s licence.

Application of licences to hospitals, &c.

“ 23. A broadcast listener’s licence granted to a public hospital or charitable institution shall be deemed to apply to any broadcast receiver used in any portion of the hospital or institution for the benefit of inmates of that hospital or institution.”.

 

By Authority: L. F. Johnston, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.

Overview

The Statutory Rules of 1952, No. 13, were enacted under the Broadcasting Act 1942-1951 to address issues and gaps in the existing broadcasting regulations. The Regulations were made by the Governor-General in accordance with the Federal Executive Council's advice and aimed to provide more specific guidelines on the use and licensing of broadcast receivers. This legislative instrument addresses the need for a clear and updated regulatory framework to ensure compliance with broadcasting laws and maintain the quality and integrity of broadcasting services. The policy objective of these regulations is to provide clear, efficient, and effective rules for the operation of broadcast receivers, including licensing, demonstration, and the reporting of transactions involving broadcast receivers.

Scope and Application

The Regulations under the Broadcasting Act 1942-1951 apply to individuals and entities involved in the manufacture, trade, or use of broadcast receivers within the Commonwealth of Australia. Specifically, these regulations pertain to holders of broadcast listener’s licences who are engaged in activities such as manufacturing, trading, or demonstrating broadcast receivers to prospective purchasers. The regulations also cover situations where broadcast receivers are used in public hospitals or charitable institutions, extending the application of a single licence to all receivers within such institutions. Notably, foreign tourists, Consuls de Carrière, High Commissioners, and members of a High Commissioner’s office are exempt from the requirement to hold a broadcast listener’s licence if they reside in Australia for six months or less. The geographic scope of these regulations is nationwide, applying across all states and territories within the Commonwealth. The regulations are implemented through subordinate instruments, which include provisions for the amendment, repeal, and addition of new regulations to the Australian Broadcasting Regulations, thereby extending or restricting their application as necessary.

Key Provisions

The main operative sections of these Regulations provide amendments to the Australian Broadcasting Regulations under the Broadcasting Act 1942-1951 (section 1). The key amendments include modifying the definitions to update terminology (section 2), repealing and replacing certain regulations concerning broadcast listener’s licences and the demonstration of receiving appliances (sections 3, 4, 9), and introducing new provisions regarding the ante-dating of licences, notification of address changes, inspection of broadcast receivers, and prohibiting the use of extension leads for unauthorised reception (sections 5, 12, 14, 18). Additionally, new regulations are introduced to require notification of the disposal of broadcast receivers (section 21) and to exempt certain individuals from holding a broadcast listener’s licence (section 22). The application of licences to public hospitals and charitable institutions is also addressed (section 23). The Regulations impose several obligations on parties and entities governed by the Act. Firstly, holders of broadcast listener’s licences who manufacture or trade in broadcast receivers must obtain written consent from an authorised officer of the Postmaster-General before establishing a broadcast receiver for demonstration purposes at a prospective purchaser’s address (section 4). The receiver must be removed after the permitted period, which is seven days if within twenty miles of a General Post Office in a capital city, or fourteen days otherwise (section 4). Licence holders must notify the Superintendent, Wireless Branch, Postmaster-General’s Department, of any change in their address within two weeks (section 12). Furthermore, individuals disposing of a broadcast receiver must notify the Superintendent within one month (section 21). These obligations ensure compliance with the licensing requirements and facilitate the monitoring of broadcast receiver usage. Failure to comply with the provisions of the Regulations may result in civil or criminal consequences. For instance, permitting an extension lead to be taken from a broadcast receiver for unauthorised reception is prohibited (section 18). Violation of this provision may lead to enforcement actions by the relevant authorities. Although specific penalties are not detailed within the Regulations themselves, breaches of broadcasting regulations generally may result in fines and other penalties under the Broadcasting Act 1942-1951. The maximum penalties can vary depending on the nature and severity of the breach, but they may include substantial fines and, in some cases, imprisonment.

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Area of Law
Media & Entertainment Law
Instrument
Regulation
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Licensing & Registration
Reporting & Disclosure Obligations

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.