Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

Presumably she would like some answers—if Senator Faulkner would stop the din. SBS has a legislated cap of five minutes of advertising per hour. This legislated cap has not changed. All that has changed is that SBS management have announced that they will change their program break structure to allow limited program promotion and advertising within rather than between programs. SBS expect to raise additional funds from this change, which will be used to boost news and current affairs programming and increase the production of Australian multicultural drama and documentaries.

Surely this is good news both for SBS viewers—indeed, for Labor senators, if they take an interest in these matters—and certainly for the local production sector. SBS is permitted to and does, of course, show a limited amount of advertising, and has done for some time. This will simply alter the times and manner in which advertising is shown but not the quantity. Under the SBS Act, SBS is an independent organisation and operational decisions such as these are taken by the SBS board.

The act establishes the framework within which SBS is permitted to advertise. SBS may only broadcast advertisements before or after programs or during the natural program breaks. As I have said, advertising is limited to no more than five minutes in an hour. I do note that the SBS board is required to develop and publicise guidelines in relation to advertising and to include them in its corporate plan, explaining how this will contribute to the achievement of SBS’s objectives. I understand that this process is underway. It is the board’s responsibility to ensure the new arrangements will comply with the requirements of the act. I note that the SBS board has directed management to ensure the new regime, which will be implemented over the next six to 12 months, will be constructed so as to preserve the SBS viewing experience—which we all value, those of us who watch it—and to be consistent with the SBS Act and charter. So far as I am in a position to say, SBS complies with the requirements under its charter, the requirements under its act and any imputation to the contrary is simply incorrect.