Broadcasting Services (Digital Television Standards) Regulations 2000

Administered by Department of Communications and the Arts

Legislation au F2000B00337 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

Legislation content

Broadcasting Services (Digital Television Standards) Regulations 2000

Statutory Rules 2000 No. 313 as amended

made under the

Broadcasting Services Act 1992

This compilation was prepared on 28 April 2007
taking into account amendments up to SLI 2007 No. 109

Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting and Publishing,
AttorneyGeneral’s Department, Canberra

Contents

Part 1 Preliminary 

 1.01 Name of Regulations [see Note 1]

 1.02 Commencement [see Note 1]

 1.03 Definitions 

Part 4 HDTV quotas: reporting and record keeping 

 4.01 Reporting to ACMA 

 4.02 Secretary or SES employee may request copy of report

 4.03 Keeping records

 4.04 Secretary or SES employee may request copy of record

Notes   

 

 

Part 1 Preliminary

 

1.01 Name of Regulations [see Note 1]

  These Regulations are the Broadcasting Services (Digital Television Standards) Regulations 2000.

1.02 Commencement [see Note 1]

  These Regulations commence as follows:

 (a) on gazettal — Part 1;

 (b) on the commencement of item 126 of Schedule 1 to the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Digital Television and Datacasting) Act 2000 — the remainder.

1.03 Definitions

  In these Regulations:

Act means the Broadcasting Services Act 1992.

archival material means material described in that way in subclause 37L (3) of Schedule 4 to the Act.

commercial television broadcasting licensee means the holder of a commercial television broadcasting licence.

Note   See subsection 6 (1) of the Act for the definition of commercial television broadcasting licence.

HDTV quota:

 (a) for a commercial television broadcasting licensee — has the meaning given by subclause 37E (2A) of Schedule 4 to the Act; and

 (b) for a national broadcaster — has the meaning given by subclause 37F (2A) of Schedule 4 to the Act.

HDTV quota period:

 (a) for a commercial television broadcasting licensee — has the meaning given by subclause 37E (2) of Schedule 4 to the Act; and

 (b) for a national broadcaster — has the meaning given by subclause 37F (2) of Schedule 4 to the Act.

highdefinition television program has the meaning given by clause 37L of Schedule 4 to the Act.

incidental material has the meaning given by subclause 37L (6) of Schedule 4 to the Act.

prime viewing hours has the meaning given by clause 37M of Schedule 4 to the Act.

television broadcaster means:

 (a) a commercial television broadcasting licensee; or

 (b) a national broadcaster.

television program has the meaning given by subclause 37L (6) of Schedule 4 to the Act.

Part 4 HDTV quotas: reporting and record keeping

 

4.01 Reporting to ACMA

 (1) A television broadcaster must give ACMA interim and consolidated annual reports in accordance with these Regulations.

 (2) An interim report relates to a period from 1 January to 30 June (inclusive) in each year of the HDTV quota period, unless subregulation (4) applies to the television broadcaster.

 (3) A consolidated annual report relates to each full calendar year of the HDTV quota period, unless subregulation (4) applies to the television broadcaster.

 (4) Interim and annual reports are required for the HDTV quota period in accordance with the table.

 

Item

If the television broadcaster’s HDTV quota period commences…

an interim report …

and an annual report …

1

on or before 30 June in a year but after 1 January in that same year

is required from commencement until 30 June in that year

is required from commencement until 31 December in that year

2

after 30 June in a year

is not required

is required from commencement until 31 December in that year

 (5) If a HDTV quota period ends on a date other than 31 December, the broadcaster’s reports are to be submitted as if the period ended on 31 December of that year.

 (6) A report must be given within 30 days after the end of the period to which the report relates, or within any longer period agreed to by ACMA.

 (7) A report must set out the following information, for each month of the period to which the report relates:

 (a) the total number of hours of highdefinition television programs transmitted by the television broadcaster;

 (b) the total number of hours of highdefinition television programs transmitted by the television broadcaster in prime viewing hours;

 (c) if the television broadcaster is a commercial television broadcasting licensee and 1 or more highdefinition television programs transmitted by the television broadcaster in the month contain archival material:

 (i) the total duration of those programs; and

 (ii) the total duration of the archival material; and

 (iii) the maximum proportion of archival material contained in any of the programs transmitted in the month.

 (8) A report must be in a form approved by ACMA.

4.02 Secretary or SES employee may request copy of report

  If the Secretary, an SES employee or an acting SES employee of the Department requests ACMA to give him or her a copy of a report given to ACMA under regulation 4.01, ACMA must comply with the request as soon as practicable.

4.03 Keeping records

 (1) A television broadcaster must make and keep a record for:

 (a) each television program transmitted by the television broadcaster that is entirely, or in part, a highdefinition television program; and

 (b) incidental material that:

 (i) is transmitted during or between television programs; and

 (ii) is a highdefinition television program (but is not incidental material mentioned in paragraph 37L (1) (c) or (2) (e) of Schedule 4 to the Act);

that the television broadcaster wishes to count towards the HDTV quota.

Note   Subregulation (1) does not require a television broadcaster to keep a separate record of incidental material transmitted during a highdefinition television program.

 (2) The record must include the following information:

 (a) the title of the program;

 (b) the date of transmission;

 (c)  the duration of the transmission;

 (d) for a commercial television broadcasting licensee — the duration of archival material (if any) contained in the program;

 (e) any other information that ACMA has told the broadcaster, in writing, to include in the record.

 (3) If ACMA tells a television broadcaster, in writing, to keep the record in a particular form, the television broadcaster must keep the record in that form.

 (4) The television broadcaster must keep the record for 18 months after the transmission of the program was first reported in accordance with regulation 4.01.

 (5) If ACMA requests a television broadcaster, in writing, to give it a copy of a record kept under this regulation, the broadcaster must comply with the request.

4.04 Secretary or SES employee may request copy of record

  If the Secretary, an SES employee or an acting SES employee of the Department requests ACMA to give him or her a copy of a record that was given to ACMA under subregulation 4.03 (5), ACMA must comply with the request as soon as practicable.

Notes to the Broadcasting Services (Digital Television Standards) Regulations 2000

Note 1

The Broadcasting Services (Digital Television Standards) Regulations 2000 (in force under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992) as shown in this compilation comprise Statutory Rules 2000 No. 313 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

Under the Legislative Instruments Act 2003, which came into force on 1 January 2005, it is a requirement for all nonexempt legislative instruments to be registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments. From 1 January 2005 the Statutory Rules series ceased to exist and was replaced with Select Legislative Instruments (SLI series). Numbering conventions remain the same, ie Year and Number.

Table of Instruments

Year and
number

Date of notification
in Gazette or FRLI registration

Date of
commencement

Application, saving or
transitional provisions

2000 No. 313

29 Nov 2000

Part 1: 29 Nov 2000
Remainder: 1 Jan 2001 (see r. 2 (b) and Gazette 2000 No. GN50)

 

2002 No. 335

20 Dec 2002

1 Jan 2003

2003 No. 146

26 June 2003

26 June 2003

2003 No. 310

11 Dec 2003

12 Dec 2003 (see r. 2 and Gazette 2003, No. GN49)

2007 No. 109

27 April 2007 (see
F2007L01116)

28 April 2007

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted      am. = amended      rep. = repealed      rs. = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

Part 1

 

Heading to r. 1.03.......

rs. 2003 No. 146

R. 1.03...............

am. 2003 No. 146; 2007 No. 109

Part 2................

rep. 2007 No. 109

R. 2.01...............

rep. 2007 No. 109

R. 2.02...............

rep. 2007 No. 109

Part 3................

rep. 2007 No. 109

R. 3.01...............

rep. 2007 No. 109

Part 4

 

Part 4................

ad. 2003 No. 146

R. 4.01...............

ad. 2003 No. 146

 

rs. 2007 No. 109

R. 4.02...............

ad. 2003 No. 146

 

am. 2007 No. 109

R. 4.03...............

ad. 2003 No. 146

 

am. 2007 No. 109

R. 4.04...............

ad. 2003 No. 146

 

am. 2007 No. 109

Schedule 1............

am. 2002 No. 335; 2003 Nos. 146 and 310

 

rep. 2007 No. 109

Schedule 2............

am. 2002 No. 335; 2003 No. 146

 

rep. 2007 No. 109

Schedule 3............

rep. 2007 No. 109

 

 

Overview

The Broadcasting Services (Digital Television Standards) Regulations 2000 were enacted under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 to address the need for standards and quotas related to high-definition television (HDTV) content. These regulations were introduced to ensure that commercial television broadcasting licensees and national broadcasters adhere to specific requirements for the transmission of high-definition television programs. The regulations were made by the relevant authorities and are intended to help maintain a certain standard of content and provide for reporting and record-keeping requirements to facilitate oversight by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). The regulations establish specific reporting requirements for television broadcasters, including the submission of interim and consolidated annual reports to ACMA. These reports must detail the total hours of HDTV programs broadcast, including those aired during prime viewing hours, and, for commercial broadcasters, the duration of archival material within these programs. Additionally, broadcasters are required to maintain records of all HDTV programs and incidental material that they wish to count towards their quotas, including specific details such as the title of the program, the date and duration of transmission, and the duration of archival material. The regulations also allow for the Secretary or a specified employee of the Department to request copies of these reports and records from ACMA.

Scope and Application

The Broadcasting Services (Digital Television Standards) Regulations 2000 apply to television broadcasters, which include commercial television broadcasting licensees and national broadcasters, within the Commonwealth of Australia. These regulations were made under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 and mandate certain reporting and record-keeping requirements for television broadcasters in relation to high-definition television (HDTV) content. Specifically, these regulations require television broadcasters to submit interim and consolidated annual reports to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), detailing the total number of hours of high-definition television programs transmitted and the duration of such programs during prime viewing hours, among other things. Additionally, the regulations require broadcasters to maintain records of HDTV programs and incidental material that they wish to count towards their HDTV quotas. The scope of these regulations was amended in 2007, with certain sections being repealed and others being added or modified through subsequent statutory rules. The regulations do not specify any exclusions, exemptions, or thresholds, but they do allow for the Secretary or an employee of the Department to request copies of reports and records from ACMA.

Key Provisions

The Broadcasting Services (Digital Television Standards) Regulations 2000, made under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, outline specific requirements for television broadcasters, particularly those related to high-definition television (HDTV) programming. Section 4.01 of the Regulations mandates that television broadcasters must provide the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) with both interim and consolidated annual reports detailing the amount of HDTV content they broadcast. An interim report must be submitted for the first half of the year if the broadcaster's HDTV quota period begins before July 1st, and a consolidated annual report must be submitted for the entire year if the quota period starts at any point within the year. These reports must be submitted within 30 days after the end of the relevant reporting period or within any extended period agreed upon by ACMA. Each report must specify the total hours of HDTV programs broadcast, including those aired during prime viewing hours, and for commercial broadcasters, the duration and proportion of archival material within the programs. The reports must be in a format approved by ACMA. In addition to reporting, the Regulations impose record-keeping obligations on television broadcasters under section 4.03. Broadcasters must maintain records for each HDTV program and any incidental material they wish to count towards their HDTV quota. These records must include details such as the program title, date and duration of transmission, and, for commercial broadcasters, the duration of any archival material included in the programs. Broadcasters must also include any additional information specified by ACMA in writing. These records must be kept for 18 months after the initial broadcast and must be provided to ACMA if requested. The Regulations further clarify in section 4.04 that if an official from the Department requests a copy of these records, ACMA must provide it as soon as practicable. Failure to comply with the reporting and record-keeping requirements outlined in these Regulations may result in civil or administrative penalties. While the specific penalties are not detailed in the Regulations, breaches of similar obligations under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 can result in substantial fines, making it clear that adherence to these requirements is critical for broadcasters. The precise consequences for non-compliance would depend on the specific nature and severity of the breach, as well as any applicable provisions within the overarching Act and related legislative frameworks.

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

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