Alterations to Code 4 (Australian Music Content) of the Australian Broadcasting Standard

Submission to Commercial Radio Australia

Prepared by Richard Letts
March 19, 2010

Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) is the “self-regulator” for this Code which imposes the obligation on commercial free-to-air radio broadcasters to devote a percentage of the time given to broadcasting music to Australian music. CRA is obliged by the government to review the operation of the Code every three years and report its own proposals and public responses to them to the Australian Communications and Media Authority, which decides on what changes to accept.

CRA has made a proposal outside of the triennial schedule, the effect of which would appear to be to terminate Australian content requirements on free-to-air digital radio, which will be the only free-to-air radio when analogue radio is switched off. The proposal is counter to government’s expressed policy and the purpose of the Code, and to the interests of Australian culture and music stakeholders. Furthermore, the procedures followed by CRA are the cause of great dissatisfaction in the music community. MCA opposes the proposals and with others in the music sector is proposing to the Minister and to ACMA that the review authority be taken from CRA and given to an independent authority.

Read the submission