{"id":"F2013L01208","name":"Broadcasting Services (Material of Local Significance - Regional Aggregated Commercial Television Broadcasting Licences) Direction 2013","slug":"broadcasting-services-material-of-local-significance-regional-aggregated-commercial-television-broad","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":91031,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2013L01208-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Broadcasting Services (Material of Local Significance - Regional Aggregated Commercial Television Broadcasting Licences) Direction 2013","content":"Commonwealth of Australia\n\nBroadcasting Services Act 1992\n\nBroadcasting Services (Material of Local Significance – Regional Aggregated Commercial Television Broadcasting Licences) Direction 2013\n\nI, STEPHEN MICHAEL CONROY, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, make the following Direction under subsection 171(1) of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992.\n\nDated 26 June 2013\n\nSTEPHEN CONROY\n\nMinister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy\n\n1.  Name of instrument\n\nThis Direction is the Broadcasting Services (Material of Local Significance – Regional Aggregated Commercial Television Broadcasting Licences) Direction 2013.\n\n2. Commencement\n\nThis Direction commences on the day after it is registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.\n\n3. Definitions\n\n3.1 In this Determination:\n\nAct means the Broadcasting Services Act 1992;\n\nACMA means the Australian Communications and Media Authority;\n\nadditional regional area means an area corresponding to paragraph (b) of the definition of regional area\n\nmaterial of local significance has the same meaning as in the Broadcasting Services (Additional Television Licence Condition) Notice 8 November 2007;\n\nmetropolitan licence area has the same meaning as in Schedule 4 to the Act;\n\nregional area means an area corresponding to:\n\n    a) a licence area listed in subsection 43A(2) of the Act; or\n    b) any other licence area that is not a metropolitan licence area.\n\n3.2 Unless the contrary intention appears, a word or phrase in this Direction has the same meaning as it has in the Act.\n\n4. Direction – Investigation relating to Local Content on Regional Commercial Television\n\n    4.1 I direct the ACMA, under subsection 171(1) of the Act, to:\n\n    a) investigate the operation and effectiveness of section 43A of the Act;\n    b) complete the investigation no later than six months from the date of this Direction; and\n    c) provide me with a copy of a report on the investigation no later than 15 days from the completion of the investigation.\n\n    4.2 In conducting the investigation, the ACMA must consider:\n\n    a) the importance of material of local significance to people living in regional areas of Australia;\n    b) whether people living in regional areas of Australia have adequate access to material of local significance provided via commercial television broadcasting services;\n    c) the impact on people living in regional areas of Australia of recent and significant changes (if any) to the broadcast of material of local significance;\n    d) how access to material of local significance can be maintained and enhanced for people living in regional areas of Australia;\n    e) whether other sources of local (or regional) information are available to people living in regional areas of Australia;\n    f) the economic circumstances facing commercial television broadcasting licensees operating in regional areas of Australia; and\n    g) whether section 43A should be extended to apply to commercial television broadcasting licensees operating in specified additional regional areas.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a procedural direction for a specific investigation. It has not expanded beyond its original purpose of commissioning a review of section 43A local content rules."},"complexity_factors":["Very short instrument (7 clauses, ~400 words)","Only 4 defined terms, all referencing existing legislation","No conditional logic or nested exceptions","Single straightforward directive with a clear deadline","No cross-references beyond basic definitional links to the parent Act and one 2007 Notice"],"plain_english_summary":"This ministerial direction requires ACMA to investigate whether regional commercial TV is delivering sufficient locally significant content under section 43A, and to report findings within six months. It reviews the impact of recent changes, financial pressures on broadcasters, and alternative local information sources. The probe affects ACMA, regional TV operators, and communities that rely on local news, and will inform whether current rules need strengthening or geographic expansion."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Direction does not amend section 43A or change legal obligations; it instructs ACMA to investigate the operation and effectiveness of section 43A and report findings to the Minister. Any change to the scope or application of section 43A would require subsequent regulatory or legislative action."},"complexity_factors":["Cross‑references to the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 and to the separate Broadcasting Services (Additional Television Licence Condition) Notice (definition of “material of local significance”), requiring readers to consult other instruments for full meaning (see definitions, cl.3).","Broad and qualitative investigatory questions (clauses 4.2(a)–(g)) such as \"importance\", \"adequate access\" and \"recent and significant changes\", which create interpretive discretion for ACMA.","A procedural timetable with two deadlines (investigation completed within six months and Minister to receive report within 15 days of completion) that constrains ACMA’s process (cl.4.1(b)–(c)).","Potential policy scope expansion via explicit consideration of extending section 43A to additional regional areas (cl.4.2(g)), introducing geographic and regulatory implications beyond the current statutory list.","Dependence on empirical assessment of licencees' economic circumstances (cl.4.2(f)), which may require collection and analysis of commercial data not specified in the Direction."],"plain_english_summary":"This Direction tells the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to investigate how section 43A of the Broadcasting Services Act is operating and to deliver a report to the Minister within six months (plus 15 days to supply the report). The review must assess access to “material of local significance” in regional commercial television, recent changes, economic pressures on regional licensees and whether section 43A should be extended to additional regional areas — it affects regional commercial TV licensees and may prompt regulatory change."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/broadcasting-services-material-of-local-significance-regional-aggregated-commercial-television-broad","history":"/api/acts/broadcasting-services-material-of-local-significance-regional-aggregated-commercial-television-broad/history","analysis":"/api/acts/broadcasting-services-material-of-local-significance-regional-aggregated-commercial-television-broad/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/broadcasting-services-material-of-local-significance-regional-aggregated-commercial-television-broad/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/broadcasting-services-material-of-local-significance-regional-aggregated-commercial-television-broad/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/broadcasting-services-material-of-local-significance-regional-aggregated-commercial-television-broad/documents"}}