Australian Communications & Media Authority

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has found that General Television Corporation Pty Ltd, the licensee of Melbourne’s GTV 9, breached the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice 2004 in a segment broadcast during A Current Affair on 23 July 2007 by failing to present factual material accurately, and by failing to correct significant error of fact at the earliest opportunity.

The segment was titled ‘Foreign Doctors’ and reported on the quality of care provided by medical practitioners in Australia who had received training in other countries. The complainant was referred to in the segment in a discussion about the care provided to one of his patients.

ACMA found that the licensee failed to present material relating to the complainant accurately by omitting material regarding the complainant’s Australian qualifications. This was a finding of a significant error of fact which the licensee also failed to make reasonable efforts to correct at the earliest opportunity.

In response to the breach findings, the Nine Network has advised ACMA that it has undertaken to:

- include the findings as part of its regular training program for news and current affairs; and
- conduct immediate training in relation to the findings with all relevant A Current Affair production staff

ACMA is currently in discussions with industry generally around current affairs programs and compliance with the code. In light of these, ACMA does not propose, at this stage, to take any action in isolation in relation to this matter.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has made variations to the schemes that regulate the switchover of analog television to digital mode.

The Commercial Television Conversion Scheme 1999 and the National Television Conversion Scheme 1999 set out the process by which analog to digital conversion is to occur. The schemes apply to commercial and national (ABC and SBS) television broadcasters.

‘The variations to the schemes are intended to assist the implementation of the government’s digital television switch-over timetable,’ said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman.

The variations follow amendments made to the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 in December 2008.

‘The variations to the schemes include new provisions designed to take effect when the Minister for Communications, Broadband and the Digital Economy decides to create a ‘digital-only’ area in which commercial and national television broadcasters are to cease broadcasting in analog mode, in accordance with the government’s switchover timetable,’ said Mr Chapman.

‘The changes to the schemes will not directly affect television viewers, but will enable ACMA and the commercial and national television broadcasters to continue the analog to digital switch-over process according to the government’s switch-over timetable.’

Before finalising the changes to the schemes, ACMA released draft versions of the variations for public consultation. Some minor changes were made to clarify some issues raised as a result of the consultation. Submissions made as part of this consultative process were published on the ACMA website.

ACMA finds Prime Television (Northern) Pty Ltd breached the ‘blackout period’ in the 2008 Lyne by-election [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED] Reply

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has found that the licensee of NEN, Prime Television (Northern) Pty Ltd, breached a condition of its licence by broadcasting an election advertisement during the so-called ‘blackout’ period leading up to the 2008 Federal by-election for the seat of Lyne in northern NSW. The full media release can be found at http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311641