Broadcasting Content Quotas — Appendix B – History in Australian Radio

Australia music content regulation timeline – radio

• Wireless Telegraphy Act 1905 — federal government becomes responsible for broadcasting.
• Federal government nationalizes transmission facilities and contracts programming to the Australian Broadcasting Company, a company nationalized under the Australian Broadcasting Commission Act 1932. A two tiered broadcasting system was finalized the same year — the ABC with 12 stations and the commercial sector with 43.
• Content regulation introduced in the Broadcasting Act 1942 in respect of commercial radio — a 2.5 per cent quota for Australian-composed music.
• In 1956, the music quota is increased to five per cent.
• In 1973, an auxiliary ten per cent quota for Australian-performed music is introduced.
• Australian-performed music quota increased to 20 per cent in 1976.
• In 1987, compliance period changed from 24 hours a day to hours between 600 am and midnight.
• The Broadcasting Services Act 1992 makes local content quotas part of a self-regulatory code for commercial and community broadcasters.
• In 2004, the AUSFTA caps music quotas on radio at 25 per cent.
• In 2010, the Australian Communications and Media Authority waived Australian content quotas for three years in respect of digital-only radio services
• Today, Australian music quotas are capped at 25 per cent and have regard to the predominant music format of the station.
• The future of quotas for Australian music on radio and radio-like services is being considered by the Convergence Review Committee which will report to the federal government in March this year.

Author

Lynn Gailey. 20 March 2012.