Television Licence Fees Amendment Act (No. 2) 1987

Administered by Department of Communications and the Arts

Legislation au C2004A03476 Not in force Act

Legislation content

Television Licence Fees Amendment Act (No. 2) 1987

No. 67 of 1987

 

An Act to amend the Television Licence Fees Act 1964, and for related purposes

[Assented to 5 June 1987]

BE IT ENACTED by the Queen, and the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:

Short title etc.

1. (1) This Act may be cited as the Television Licence Fees Amendment Act (No. 2) 1987.

(2) The Television Licence Fees Act 19641 is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.

Commencement

2. This Act shall come into operation on a day to be fixed by Proclamation.


Licence fees

3. Section 5 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting section 6 and substituting sections 6 and 6a”.

Amount of fees

4. Section 6 of the Principal Act is amended:

(a) by omitting from subsection (2) There and substituting Subject to section 6a, there;

(b) by omitting from subsection (2) the year and substituting the period of one year;

(c) by omitting from subsection (2a) year and substituting period; and

(d) by omitting from subsection (5) year and substituting period.

5. The Principal Act is amended by inserting after section 6 the following section:

Change of accounting period—effect on fees payable

6a. Where:

(a) a fee is payable under this Act on an anniversary of the date of commencement of the licence, being a fee that is calculated by reference to earnings during a period (in this section referred to as the first fee period);

(b) a fee would, but for this section, be payable under this Act on the next anniversary of the date of commencement of the licence, being a fee calculated by reference to earnings during a period (in this section referred to as the second fee period); and

(c) by reason of a change in the accounting period used by the licensee, the second fee period commences before or does not commence immediately after the end of the first fee period;

section 6 applies in relation to the fee payable on the anniversary referred to in paragraph (b) as if:

(d) references in that section to a period of one year ending on a day were references to the period commencing immediately after the end of the first fee period and ending on the day on which the second fee period ends; and

(e) subsection 6 (2a) were omitted and the following subsection were substituted:

(2a) In subsection (2), relevant percentage, in relation to gross earnings in respect of a licence during a period, means:

(a) where A is less than $5,000,000—the percentage ascertained in accordance with the formula:


(b) where A is not less than $5,000,000 but is less than $6,000,000—the percentage ascertained in accordance with the formula:

(c) where A is not less than $6,000,000 but is less than $7,000,000—the percentage ascertained in accordance with the formula:

(d) where A is not less than $7,000,000 but is less than $10,000,000—the percentage ascertained in accordance with the formula:

(e) where A is not less than $10,000,000 but is less than $20,000,000—the percentage ascertained in accordance with the formula:

(f) where A is not less than $20,000,000 but is less than $45,000,000—the percentage ascertained in accordance with the formula:

or

(g) where A is not less than $45,000,000—whichever is the lesser of 8% or the percentage ascertained in accordance with the formula:

where:

A is the amount ascertained in accordance with the formula

B is the number of dollars in the gross earnings in respect of the licence during the period; and

C is the number of days in the period...

Amendments of Television Stations Licence Fees Act 1964 as in force immediately before 1 January 1986 for the purposes of its continued application to old system licences

6. Without prejudice to the effect that sections 3, 4 and 5 have apart from this section, those sections also have effect, for the purposes of the continued application, by virtue of section 11 of the Television Stations


Licence Fees Amendment Act 1985, of the Television Stations Licence Fees Act 1964 as in force immediately before 1 January 1986, as if references in those sections to the Principal Act were references to the Television Stations Licence Fees Act 1964 as in force immediately before 1 January 1986.

Application

7. The amendments made by this Act apply in relation to every anniversary of the date of commencement of a licence, being an anniversary that occurs on or after the date of commencement of this Act.

 

NOTE

1. No. 118, 1964, as amended. For previous amendments, see No. 93, 1966; Nos. 37, 103 and 189, 1976; No. 96, 1977; No. 51, 1978; No. 169, 1981; No. 156, 1982; No. 59, 1983; and No. 69, 1985.

[Minister’s second reading speech made in—

House of Representatives on 25 February 1987

Senate on 23 March 1987]

Overview

The Television Licence Fees Amendment Act (No. 2) 1987 was enacted to address gaps in the existing legislative framework governing television licence fees. The Act amends the Television Licence Fees Act 1964, aiming to provide clarity and adjustments to the fee structure, particularly in relation to changes in the accounting periods of licensees. Enacted by the Commonwealth Parliament, the Act's policy objective is to ensure that the fee calculation process remains fair and equitable, taking into account variations in licensees' accounting periods. This legislative amendment ensures the continued application of the amended provisions to old system licences as stipulated in the Television Stations Licence Fees Amendment Act 1985. The Act came into operation on a date fixed by proclamation, with the amendments applying to every anniversary of the date of commencement of a licence occurring on or after the date of commencement of the Act.

Scope and Application

The Television Licence Fees Amendment Act (No. 2) 1987 applies to entities that hold television broadcasting licences under the Television Licence Fees Act 1964. This includes broadcasters who are subject to licence fees based on their earnings and who need to comply with the amended provisions for fee calculation and payment schedules. The Act provides for adjustments to the fee calculation mechanisms and the introduction of new thresholds for fee determination, affecting the financial obligations of broadcasters. The amendments are applicable nationally across the Commonwealth of Australia, and extend to any changes made by subordinate instruments that may further define the operational details of fee calculations and payment. The Act does not specify any exclusions or exemptions but implicitly applies to all television broadcasters operating within the jurisdiction, unless otherwise stated by specific regulatory instruments.

Key Provisions

The Television Licence Fees Amendment Act (No. 2) 1987 amends the Television Licence Fees Act 1964 (Principal Act) by introducing new provisions relating to the calculation and payment of television licence fees. The Act specifies that licence fees are now determined by reference to the period of one year (s. 4(b), (c), (d)). Additionally, section 6a is inserted to address the impact of changes in the accounting period used by licensees on the calculation of fees. This new section ensures that the fee payable on a licence anniversary is calculated based on the period immediately following the first fee period and ending on the day the second fee period ends, and it also adjusts the percentage of gross earnings subject to the fee calculation (s. 5). The Act imposes obligations on licensees to ensure accurate and timely payment of licence fees in accordance with the amended provisions. Licensees must account for their earnings over the specified period and adjust their calculations as per section 6a when there is a change in their accounting period. The amendments also require licensees to comply with the new fee calculation methodology based on the gross earnings during the specified period, with specific percentages applicable depending on the amount of those earnings (s. 6a(2a)). Failure to comply with the obligations under this Act may result in civil or criminal consequences. While the specific penalties are not detailed in the Act, under the Principal Act, penalties for non-compliance with licensing and fee payment obligations could include fines. The maximum penalty for contravening the Principal Act is generally stipulated to be a significant amount, reflecting the seriousness of non-compliance. In addition, ongoing non-compliance or wilful disregard of the fee payment requirements could potentially lead to further legal actions, including prosecution, which may result in heavier fines or even imprisonment, depending on the severity and frequency of the breaches.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Commercial Law
Instrument
Act
Concepts
Commencement Provisions
Repeal & Amendment
Transitional Provisions
Fees & Charges
Calculation of Fees

Interactions

Authorises

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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.