WARNING:
This Digest was prepared for debate. It reflects the legislation as
introduced and does not canvass subsequent amendments. This Digest
does not have any official legal status. Other sources should be
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Bill.
CONTENTS
Passage History
Purpose
Background
Main Provisions
Endnotes
Contact Officer & Copyright Details
Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill
(No. 2) 1999
Date Introduced: 30 June 1999
House: House of Representatives
Portfolio: Communications, Information Technology and the
Arts
Commencement: Royal Assent
To exempt until the end of 2001 commercial
broadcasters from the Australian Broadcasting Authority's (ABA)
charges associated with the conversion of television from analog to
digital transmission.
The Bill complements the Television Licence Fees
Amendment Bill 1999. That Bill provides for an additional licence
fee for commercial television broadcasters to recover the ABA's
costs with regard to the conversion of television transmission from
analog to digital mode.(1) This additional licence fee will be paid
in 1999, 2000 and 2001.
Clause 61 of Schedule 4 of the Broadcasting
Services Act 1992 enables the ABA to charge the commercial and
national broadcasters for expenses incurred under the digital
conversion schemes for both sectors. The Government has decided
that commercial television licensees should not be required to pay
these charges as they will be paying additional licence fees for
the same purpose.
The national broadcasters (the ABC and SBS) will
continue to be charged for expenses incurred by the ABA in respect
of the national conversion scheme because they do not pay licence
fees.
Item 1 of Schedule 1 adds a new
sub-clause 61(4) to Schedule 4 of the Broadcasting
Services Act 1992 which prohibits the ABA from making a
determination under paragraph 61(1)(a) in relation to the
commercial television conversion scheme during the period between
the commencement of the legislation and the 31 December 2001.
-
- Readers should consult Bills Digest No. 22 of 1999-2000
Television Licence Fees Amendment Bill 1999 for a more detailed
background to this issue.
Kim Jackson
9 August 1999
Bills Digest Service
Information and Research Services
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ISSN 1328-8091
© Commonwealth of Australia 1999
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Published by the Department of the Parliamentary Library,
1999.
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