Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The speech read as follows—

BROADCASTING LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (PRIMARY TELEVISION BROADCASTING SERVICE) BILL 2015

The Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Primary Television Broadcasting Service) Bill 2015 provides the national and commercial free-to-air broadcasters with the flexibility to deliver programming on their primary television services in either standard definition or high definition formats. Broadcasters' primary television services include ABC1, SBS ONE, 7, Prime7, Nine, WIN and Ten, and these services are subject to particular obligations regarding Australian content, captioning and anti-siphoning.

At present, free-to-air broadcasters are required to provide their primary television service in standard definition. This is a relic of the analog era, introduced at the start of the digital television switchover process to ensure that viewers would have access to at least one digital channel per broadcaster. At the time not all televisions and set-top boxes were capable of receiving high definition content.

This Government is committed to removing unnecessary and outdated regulations that hamper industry from providing services that respond to audience preferences.

The Government has implemented a range of initiatives to remove red tape through its deregulation work program, which was initiated in the Communications portfolio with the release of the Deregulation Roadmap in May 2014.

This Roadmap committed the Government to undertake a review of the free-to-air digital television regulatory framework to ensure it is fit-for-purpose for the next wave of innovation in the media sector.

The first stage of that review involved the identification of provisions that were redundant or spent following the completion of Australia's switch to digital-only television.

The second stage began in January this year, when the Department of Communications released a consultation paper seeking the views of the public and industry on future arrangements for digital television regulation.

The proposal to allow broadcasters to provide their primary service in either standard or high definition received strong support from the general public and free-to-air broadcasters.

High definition television equipment is now virtually ubiquitous in Australian homes. A Newspoll survey conducted in February 2014 after the completion of the digital switchover process found that 96 per cent of all households had a main television set or set-top box that was capable of receiving high definition content. It is expected that this figure has grown, with high definition capability generally standard in televisions and set-top boxes currently on the market.

Moreover, with the completion of digital switchover and the availability of a range of new television services, many Australians now expect premium free-to-air programming to be provided in high definition – especially events such as live sports.

The Bill responds to these developments and amends the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 to allow the primary service to be provided in either standard or high definition. It does not change any other existing arrangements regarding the primary service such as captioning, Australian content or anti-siphoning requirements.

The anti-siphoning scheme requires any listed events to be televised first on a broadcaster's primary service. The Bill will allow broadcasters to meet this obligation while also having the option of providing anti-siphoning events in high definition.

Indeed, the Bill is being introduced now to provide broadcasters with the flexibility to broadcast upcoming events such as this year's AFL and NRL Grand Finals in high definition, should they chose to do so.

The Government is committed to reducing the regulatory burden for business, including the media industry. This Bill will provide free-to-air broadcasters with greater flexibility to innovate and evolve to incorporate new technologies, ensuring they continue to remain relevant in a changing media environment.