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Australian Communications and Media Authority

 
Australian Communications and Media Authority

 
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Australian Communications and Media Authority
 
 
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Australian Communications and Media Authority is an Australian government
Government of Australia

The Australia is a federation constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement between six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states....
 agency whose main roles are to regulate broadcasting
Broadcasting

Broadcasting is distribution of Sound and/or video Signalling s which transmit programs to an audience. The audience may be the general public or a relatively large sub-audience, such as children or young adults....
, radiocommunications and telecommunications, and to represent Australian interests in international communications matters. It also has a role in regulating Internet
Internet

The Internet is a global network of interconnected computers, enabling users to share information along multiple channels. Typically, a computer that connects to the Internet can access information from a vast array of available server and other computers by moving information from them to the computer's local memory....
 content standards.

On 1 July 2005, the Australian Communications and Media Authority replaced two former government agencies — the Australian Broadcasting Authority
Australian Broadcasting Authority

The Australian Broadcasting Authority was an Government of Australia agency whose main roles were to regulate broadcasting, radiocommunications and telecommunications....
 (ABA) and the Australian Communications Authority (ACA).






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Australian Communications and Media Authority is an Australian government
Government of Australia

The Australia is a federation constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement between six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states....
 agency whose main roles are to regulate broadcasting
Broadcasting

Broadcasting is distribution of Sound and/or video Signalling s which transmit programs to an audience. The audience may be the general public or a relatively large sub-audience, such as children or young adults....
, radiocommunications and telecommunications, and to represent Australian interests in international communications matters. It also has a role in regulating Internet
Internet

The Internet is a global network of interconnected computers, enabling users to share information along multiple channels. Typically, a computer that connects to the Internet can access information from a vast array of available server and other computers by moving information from them to the computer's local memory....
 content standards.

On 1 July 2005, the Australian Communications and Media Authority replaced two former government agencies — the Australian Broadcasting Authority
Australian Broadcasting Authority

The Australian Broadcasting Authority was an Government of Australia agency whose main roles were to regulate broadcasting, radiocommunications and telecommunications....
 (ABA) and the Australian Communications Authority (ACA). The ACA in turn came into existence on 1 July 1997 as the merger of the Spectrum Management Agency (SMA) and AUSTEL .

Administratively ACMA is part of the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (Australia)

The Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy is an Australian Government of Australia department. The department's policy areas include:...
 (DCITA). It is an independent authority with a board of five members.

Powers and funding

It exercises powers under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (in relation to broadcasting) and the Telecommunications Act 1997, the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999 and the Radiocommunications Act 1992 and other related legislation (in relation to telecommunications).

ACMA works with the communications industry to achieve active self-regulation by industry and companies, while ensuring compliance with licence conditions, codes and standards. The ACMA monitors the effect of regulations to ensure they are responsive to the community’s needs.

Though ACMA is funded through the federal budget, it also collects substantial revenue on behalf of the Commonwealth of Australia. Revenue is collected through telecommunications carrier and radiocommunications licence fees and charges, as well as through charges on telecommunications numbers. ACMA also collects revenue from price-based allocation of spectrum.

Main functions

In respect of telecommunications, the stated aims of the ACMA are to:

  • Work to ensure quality communications services are available.
  • Represent Australia in international regulation of communications (see International Telecommunications Union)
  • Manage access to the radiofrequency spectrum through radiocommunications licensing
  • Resolve competing demands for spectrum through price-based allocation methods
  • Regulates use of the radio-frequency spectrum and helps in minimising radiocommunications interference
    Interference

    In physics, interference is the addition of two or more waves that result in a new wave pattern.Interference usually refers to the interaction of waves which are correlated or Coherence with each other, either because they come from the same source or because they have the same or nearly the same frequency....
  • License telecommunications carriers and ensure compliance with licence conditions and carriage service provider rules
  • Regulate industry compliance with mandatory standards and voluntary codes of practice
  • Administer legislative provisions relating to powers and immunities of carriers in constructing telecommunications facilities
  • Monitor compliance with consumer safeguards and service guarantees
  • Administer universal service initiatives
  • Report and inform the Australian community about communications regulation and industry performance
  • Maintain and administer the Telecommunications Numbering Plan (for telephones)
  • Inform industry and consumers about communications regulation


In respect of broadcasting:

  • develops licence area plans, and issuing and renewing licences for television and radio broadcasting in a range of licence classes including commercial, community, subscription, datacasting and narrowcasting;
  • administers the ownership and control rules for broadcasting services
  • oversees program content by investigating complaints about breaches of industry codes of practice, as well as complaints about the national broadcasters (Australian Broadcasting Corporation
    Australian Broadcasting Corporation

    The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as the ABC, is Australia's national Public broadcasting.With a budget of Australian dollar840 million annually, the corporation provides television, radio, online and mobile services throughout metropolitan and regional Australia, as well as overseas through the Australia Net...
     and the Special Broadcasting Service
    Special Broadcasting Service

    The Special Broadcasting Service is one of two government-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and List of Australian television channels, the other being the Australian Broadcasting Corporation ....
    )
  • administers the introduction of digital TV and radio


Internet Censorship and Criticisms

Since January 2000, internet content considered offensive or illegal has been subject to a statutory scheme administered by ACMA.

Established under Schedule 5 to the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, the online content scheme evolved from a tradition of Australian content regulation in broadcasting and other entertainment media. This tradition embodies the principle that – while adults should be free to see, hear and read what they want – children should be protected from material that may be unsuitable for (or harmful to) them, and everyone should be protected from material that is highly offensive.

The online content scheme seeks to achieve these objectives by a number of means such as complaint investigation processes, government and industry collaboration, and community awareness and empowerment. While administration of the scheme is the responsibility of ACMA, the principle of ‘co-regulation’ underpinning the scheme reflects parliament’s intention that government, industry and the community each plays a role in managing internet safety issues in Australia.

Some people strongly disagree with this approach. They say the Australian constitution does not clearly provide either the states or the federal government power to censor online content, so internet censorship in Australia is typically an amalgam of various plans, laws, acts and policies. The regulator has been criticised for its role in examining internet censorship in Australia and how it is enabled and might further be enabled. Particular criticism has been leveled at the regulator's technical understanding of what is involved overall in internet regulation and censorship..

Staff

ACMA has about 550 staff in offices across Australia. It has central offices in Sydney
Sydney

Sydney is the List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.34 million . It is the List of Australian capital cities of New South Wales, and was the site of the first British Empire colony in Australia....
, Canberra
Canberra

Canberra is the List of Australian capital cities of Australia. With a population of over 340,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth largest Australian city overall....
 and Melbourne
Melbourne

Melbourne is the more common name for the geographic region and Census in Australia of the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area. It is the second List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a population of approximately 3.8 million and serves as the List of Australian capital cities of Victoria ....
, and regional offices and operations centres around Australia.

See also

  • Australian Commercial Television Code of Practice
    Australian Commercial Television Code of Practice

    The Australian Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice is a self-regulatory code adopted by free-to-air broadcasters in Australia. The Code can be found ....


External links