The document discusses media regulation in Australia. It describes the system of self-regulation where industry bodies create codes of practice for television networks, radio broadcasters, subscription services, print media and advertisers. These codes govern areas like content classification, advertising standards and complaints handling. It also discusses the government regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), which oversees various areas of media operations, promotes self-regulation and handles complaints. The ACMA website provides information on making complaints and details past investigations into breaches of broadcasters' codes.

1. Australian Media Regulation
Unit 2 Media – Area of Study 3

2. What is Media Regulation?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDHt8Kzf7ls

3. Self-Regulation & Codes of Practice
• Industry associations created by Australian commercial media
providers to represent their interests.
• Also formed to lobby governments for media reform that would help
their companies function much more effectively and return better
profits.
• Such bodies include:
▫ Free TV Australia (represents FTA TV networks)
▫ Commercial Radio Australia (represents commercial radio
broadcasters)
▫ Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association (or
ASTRA, represents subscription TV & Radio)
▫ Australian Press Council (represents print media)
▫ Australian Association of National Advertisers (represents
advertising industry)

4. Self-Regulation & Codes of Practice
• On top of government policy, the previously mentioned
bodies abide by rules & regulations agreed upon by
members of their industry.
• These are called ‘codes of practice’.
• An example of this is the FTA TV industry operating
under a different set of regulations. This includes:
▫ governing program classifications
▫ reporting in news & current affair programs
▫ time spent on advertising
▫ classification & placement of commercials and the handling
of complaints.

5. Standards of Public Media Orgs
Like the industry
codes of practice,
the ABC charter
sets standard that
the broadcaster
must follow.

6. Government Regulation
• Australian Communication and Media Authority
(ACMA)
• Classification Board
• Classification Review Board

7. Australian Communications and Media
Authority (ACMA)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU-THoXUrXg

8. Australian Communications and Media
Authority (ACMA)
• Federal government funded body (est. 2005) that
oversees various areas & practices of Aus Media
operations including: TV, Radio and Internet.
• Responsibilities:
▫ Promoting self-regulation and competition within the industry
while protecting consumers & users.
▫ Maintaining an environment where electronic media respects
community standards and responds to audience & user needs.
▫ Managing access to the radiofrequency spectrum.
▫ Representing Australia’s communications interests
internationally.

9. ACMA Questions
• Examine the ACMA website to find and outline
(in your own words) the procedure for making a
complaint against a broadcaster.
• Examine the ACMA website to find details of a
past investigation into a breach of a
broadcaster’s code of practice. What happened
in the breach and what was the outcome?
• http://www.acma.gov.au/