BILLS › Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Convergence Review and Other Measures) Bill 2013, Television Licence Fees Amendment Bill 2013
Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler—Leader of the House and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) (18:39): I am very pleased to be able to sum up the debate on the Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Convergence Review and Other Measures) Bill 2013. It responds to matters raised in the convergence review primarily in relation to Australian content and public broadcasting. The bill addresses the need for ongoing support for the broadcast of Australian content by legislating the 55 per cent Australian content quota on core or primary channels of free-to-air commercial television broadcasters. It also imposes a new Australian content transmission quota on these broadcasters that applies on core or primary channels. The bill also provides increased flexibility to broadcasters in meeting Australian content obligations to assist them to respond to competitive market pressures. The bill also caps the number of commercial television broadcasting licences that use broadcasting services band spectrum at existing levels. The cap will ensure the remaining capacity in the television broadcasting services bands remains available for other types of broadcasting services including community broadcasting, narrowcasting and datacasting services. The bill introduces amendments to the charters of the ABC and SBS to recognise their roles as providers of digital media content. The bill also implements the government's decision that the ABC should have the sole responsibility and be funded by government to provide international broadcasting services on an ongoing basis. These amendments recognise that Australia's international broadcasting service is an important public diplomacy platform which should be provided by Australia's national broadcaster. Finally, the bill requires the minister to have regard to the need to ensure that the SBS board includes at least one Indigenous director, strengthening the SBS contribution to the communications needs of Indigenous communities. The Television Licence Fees Amendment Bill 2013 introduces amendments to the Television Licence Fees Act 1964 to provide a new annual licence fee scale for commercial television broadcasting licensees. These amendments will reduce the annual licence fees payable by commercial television broadcasters by 50 per cent to a maximum of 4.5 per cent of gross earnings. The reduction in licence fees provided for in this bill will enable commercial television broadcasters to continue to innovate and thrive in Australia's rapidly changing media landscape. I commend the bills to the House. Question agreed to. Bill read a second time.