3Objects of this Act

3  Objects of this Act

 (1) The objects of this Act are:

 (a) to promote the availability to audiences throughout Australia of a diverse range of radio and television services offering entertainment, education and information; and

 (aa) to promote the availability to audiences and users throughout Australia of a diverse range of datacasting services; and

 (b) to provide a regulatory environment that will facilitate the development of a broadcasting industry in Australia that is efficient, competitive and responsive to audience needs; and

 (ba) to provide a regulatory environment that will facilitate the development of a datacasting industry in Australia that is efficient, competitive and responsive to audience and user needs; and

 (c) to encourage diversity in control of the more influential broadcasting services; and

 (e) to promote the role of broadcasting services in developing and reflecting a sense of Australian identity, character and cultural diversity; and

 (ea) to promote the availability to audiences throughout Australia of television and radio programs about matters of local significance; and

 (eb) to promote the free availability to audiences throughout Australia of television coverage of events of national importance and cultural significance; and

 (ec) to ensure the development, production and provision of Australian programs by subscription video on demand services; and

 (f) to promote the provision of high quality and innovative programming by providers of broadcasting services; and

 (fa) to promote the provision of high quality and innovative content by providers of datacasting services; and

 (g) to encourage providers of commercial and community broadcasting services to be responsive to the need for a fair and accurate coverage of matters of public interest and for an appropriate coverage of matters of local significance; and

 (h) to encourage providers of broadcasting services to respect community standards in the provision of program material; and

 (ha) to promote access to certain broadcasting services and broadcasting video on demand services that are made available free to Australian audiences and users; and

 (hb) to ensure online content service providers respect community standards in relation to gambling promotional content; and

 (i) to encourage the provision of means for addressing complaints about broadcasting services; and

 (ia) to provide a means for addressing complaints about gambling promotional content provided on online content services; and

 (j) to ensure that providers of broadcasting services place a high priority on the protection of children from exposure to program material which may be harmful to them; and