Broadcasting Legislation Amendment Act 2001

Administered by Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts

Legislation au C2004A00793 In force Act

Legislation content

 

 

 

 

Broadcasting Legislation Amendment Act 2001

 

No. 23, 2001

 

 

 

 

An Act to amend the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, and for other purposes

 

 

Contents

1 Short title...................................

2 Commencement...............................

3 Schedule(s)..................................

Schedule 1—Amendment of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992

Schedule 2—Amendment of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983

Schedule 3—Amendment of the Special Broadcasting Service Act 1991

 

Broadcasting Legislation Amendment Act 2001

No. 23, 2001

 

 

 

An Act to amend the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, and for other purposes

[Assented to 6 April 2001]

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

1  Short title

  This Act may be cited as the Broadcasting Legislation Amendment Act 2001.

2  Commencement

  This Act commences on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

3  Schedule(s)

  Each Act that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.


Schedule 1—Amendment of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992

 

1A  Division 2 of Part 11 (heading)

Repeal the heading, substitute:

Division 2Complaints relating to national broadcasting services or datacasting services provided by the ABC or SBS

1B  Paragraph 150(a)

Omit “that national broadcasting service has acted contrary to a code of practice developed by that national broadcasting service”, substitute “the Corporation has, in providing a national broadcasting service or a datacasting service, acted contrary to a code of practice developed by the Corporation”.

Note: The heading to section 150 is altered by adding at the end “or datacasting services provided by the ABC or SBS”.

1C  Paragraph 151(2)(b)

Omit “that national broadcasting service”, substitute “the Corporation”.

1  At the end of subparagraph 5A(2)(o)(i) of Schedule 4

Add “or the Special Broadcasting Service Corporation”.

2  Paragraphs 6(8)(ca) and 19(8)(ca) of Schedule 4

Repeal the paragraphs.

3  Subparagraphs 37E(2)(a)(i) and 37F(2)(a)(i) of Schedule 4

Omit “SDTV mode”, insert “SDTV digital mode”.

4  Paragraph 27A(1)(d) of Schedule 6

Omit “20A”, substitute “20AA”.

4A  After clause 35 of Schedule 6

Insert:

35A  This Part does not apply to the ABC or SBS

  For the purposes of this Part, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Special Broadcasting Service Corporation are taken not to be datacasting licensees.

Note: If the Australian Broadcasting Corporation or the Special Broadcasting Service Corporation is otherwise a datacasting licensee, it is a duty of the Board of the Corporation to develop a code of practice that relates to the service provided under the licence. See paragraph 8(1)(e) of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 and paragraph 10(1)(j) of the Special Broadcasting Service Act 1991.

4B  At the end of clause 37 of Schedule 6

Add:

 (3) Also, this clause does not apply if the datacasting licensee is the Australian Broadcasting Corporation or the Special Broadcasting Service Corporation.

Note: Sections 150 to 153 deal with complaints about a datacasting service provided by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation or the Special Broadcasting Service Corporation.

5  Part 6 of Schedule 6 (heading)

Repeal the heading, substitute:

Part 6—Control of datacasting transmitter licences

6  Clauses 39 and 40 of Schedule 6

Repeal the clauses.

Note: The heading to clause 41 is replaced by the heading “Datacasting transmitter licences not to be controlled by ABC or SBS”.


Schedule 2—Amendment of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983

 

1  Subsection 3(1)

Insert:

datacasting licence has the same meaning as in the Broadcasting Services Act 1992.

2  Subsection 3(1)

Insert:

datacasting service has the same meaning as in the Broadcasting Services Act 1992.

3  After section 6

Insert:

6A  Datacasting functions

 (1) If:

 (a) the Corporation applies for a datacasting licence; and

 (b) the licence is allocated to the Corporation;

then, in addition to the functions conferred on the Corporation under section 6, the Corporation has the function of providing a datacasting service under, and in accordance with the conditions of, the licence.

 (2) However, subsection (1) is not intended to impose any obligation on the Corporation, in relation to the provision of such a service, beyond that imposed on the Corporation as holder of such a licence.

4  Paragraph 8(1)(e)

Repeal the paragraph, substitute:

 (e) to develop codes of practice relating to:

 (i) programming matters; and

 (ii) if the Corporation has the function of providing a datacasting service under section 6A—that service;

  and to notify those codes to the Australian Broadcasting Authority.


Schedule 3Amendment of the Special Broadcasting Service Act 1991

 

1  Section 3

Insert:

datacasting licence has the same meaning as in the Broadcasting Services Act 1992.

2  Section 3

Insert:

datacasting service has the same meaning as in the Broadcasting Services Act 1992.

3  After section 6

Insert:

6A  Datacasting functions

 (1) If:

 (a) the SBS applies for a datacasting licence; and

 (b) the licence is allocated to the SBS;

then, in addition to the functions conferred on the SBS under section 6, the SBS has the function of providing a datacasting service under, and in accordance with the conditions of, the licence.

 (2) However, subsection (1) is not intended to impose any obligation on the SBS, in relation to the provision of such a service, beyond that imposed on the SBS as holder of such a licence.

4  Paragraph 10(1)(j)

Repeal the paragraph, substitute:

 (j) to develop codes of practice relating to:

 (i) programming matters; and

 (ii) if the SBS has the function of providing a datacasting service under section 6A—that service;

  and to notify those codes to the Australian Broadcasting Authority.

 

 

[Minister’s second reading speech made in—

Senate on 6 December 2000

House of Representatives on 7 March 2001]

 

(200/00)


 

Overview

The Broadcasting Legislation Amendment Act 2001 (No. 23) was enacted by the Parliament of Australia to address the need for updating and streamlining the regulatory framework for broadcasting services, particularly in relation to datacasting services provided by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). This amendment Act aimed to align and modernise the existing broadcasting legislation by incorporating the provisions necessary for the effective regulation of datacasting services. The Act sought to ensure that the existing legal framework was suitable for the evolving nature of broadcasting services, including datacasting, and to address any legislative gaps that might have existed at the time. The primary policy objective of this amendment was to facilitate a coherent and effective regulatory environment for broadcasters, including the ABC and SBS, in the provision of datacasting services. By amending the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983, and the Special Broadcasting Service Act 1991, the Act introduced provisions that specifically cater to datacasting services and ensure that the regulatory oversight is consistent and comprehensive. This included defining the functions and responsibilities of the ABC and SBS in relation to datacasting services, as well as establishing mechanisms for the development and notification of codes of practice.

Scope and Application

The Broadcasting Legislation Amendment Act 2001 No. 23, 2001 is an Act of the Parliament of Australia designed to amend the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 and other related acts. It applies to national broadcasters, specifically the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the Special Broadcasting Service Corporation (SBS), concerning complaints relating to national broadcasting services or datacasting services. This Act ensures that these entities are not subject to certain provisions concerning datacasting services, while mandating that they develop codes of practice relating to programming matters and datacasting services, if applicable, and notify these codes to the Australian Broadcasting Authority. The Act extends its application through subordinate instruments, which may provide further details or regulations to clarify or expand upon the provisions of the Act. The amendments introduced by this Act are designed to address the unique roles and responsibilities of the ABC and SBS within the broader broadcasting framework in Australia.

Key Provisions

The Broadcasting Legislation Amendment Act 2001 (No. 23, 2001) amends several existing acts to update and clarify certain provisions related to broadcasting services. The primary focus of this amendment is the introduction and regulation of datacasting services provided by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). Under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, Division 2 of Part 11 (sections 150 to 153) has been amended to clarify that complaints about datacasting services provided by the ABC or SBS must be addressed according to the Corporation's or SBS's code of practice, respectively. Moreover, the Act removes and replaces specific references to ensure that the legislation accurately reflects the roles of the ABC and SBS in datacasting. The amended legislation imposes certain obligations on the ABC and SBS concerning their datacasting services. Specifically, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 and the Special Broadcasting Service Act 1991 have been updated to include definitions of 'datacasting licence' and 'datacasting service', aligning them with the Broadcasting Services Act 1992. Furthermore, both acts now require the ABC and SBS to develop codes of practice for their datacasting services, if applicable, and notify these codes to the Australian Broadcasting Authority. These obligations are aimed at ensuring that the services provided by the ABC and SBS adhere to established standards and practices. In terms of consequences for non-compliance, the Act does not explicitly outline specific offences or penalties for breaches of its provisions. However, the ABC and SBS are still subject to the general compliance and enforcement mechanisms under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 and other relevant legislation. Non-compliance with broadcasting codes or standards could lead to regulatory actions, fines, or other penalties as prescribed by the relevant authorities. The precise penalties would depend on the nature and severity of the breach, as well as the specific provisions of the applicable legislation.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Media & Entertainment Law
Instrument
Act
Concepts
Commencement Provisions
Repeal & Amendment
Transitional Provisions
Licensing & Registration
Reporting & Disclosure Obligations
Regulatory Standards

Interactions

Authorises

All Versions

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.