Commercial radio demands review of ‘prescriptive and disproportionate’ disclosure requirements
Industry body Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) has implored the Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA) to review the commercial disclosure requirements that apply to the radio industry.
CRA CEO Joan Warner called the obligations “onerous” and said they were far more restrictive than those faced by other industries.
Warner: The radio industry faces more commercial disclosure obligations than other media
“We support the disclosure of commercial interests which affect current affairs programs, but commercial radio is the only medium with such prescriptive and disproportionate disclosure obligations,” said Warner.
“CRA does not support the extension of such onerous obligations to other platforms, but believes the gap between commercial radio and other media should be narrowed.”
The request comes as a submission to the ACMA for the Impartiality and Commercial Influence in Broadcast News paper which is currently being reviewed. Warner said a review of the Disclosure Standard would allow a more ‘harmonised, platform-neutral regulatory framework’ going forward.
“The principles enshrined in the Standard are now commonly accepted and applied, and the industry has an exceptionally good compliance record,” said Warner.
Warner said that if the government plans to move towards a platform-neutral regulatory framework across all media industries, this is one area where change needs to happen.
The submission requests a simplification of the standards and no further regulation added.
The paper, which was released by the ACMA in February, has already been questioned by free to air (FTA) television industry body Free TV with CEO Bridget Fair saying the authority failed to provide evidence of any concerns relating to commercial disclosure and questioning the ‘flawed research’ used.
