Evaluation of implementation of local content condition

Evaluation of the implementation of the local content condition - report abstract

The preliminary evaluation of one week’s broadcast by four licensees in the following eight local areas was carried out by an independent consultant:

Methodology used in report

Where possible, written as well as audio-visual records were reviewed. The evaluation was carried out against the explanatory notes in Schedule 3 of the licence condition, which allows ACMA to apply some discretionary judgment as to whether the content of a particular news item qualifies it as being of local or licence area significance.

Compliance with the licence condition was tested rigorously, that is adopting a conservative assessment so that ACMA could obtain a preliminary snapshot of implementation.

back to top

Issues for ACMA consideration

The preliminary evaluation also highlighted a number of issues for licensees and the ACMA to consider in ensuring future compliance with the condition. These include:

• Licensees need to better distinguish between material of local and licence area significance and to improve the accuracy of points calculation. The evaluation found that some licensees claimed points for news updates containing material with no significance to the local or licence areas concerned.
• Licensees need further encouragement to fully comply with record-keeping requirements. None of the licensees which were subject to the evaluation were fully compliant with these important requirements. For example, some audio-visual material was too poorly recorded to view.
• There are variations in the application of the term ‘fresh editorial compilation’. This would benefit from clear guidelines.
• While the licence condition does not involve a qualitative aspect, the evaluation noted differences in the broadcast values of local news reporting across the licence areas.

The preliminary evaluation recommended that ACMA:

• Undertake further education to promote licensees’ understanding of the condition, including clarifying to licensees that advertising and sponsorship material may not be counted as ‘material of local significance’.
• Determine that weather reports will only be eligible for points where they meet the test stated in the condition; and that news items will only attract two points if they contain a majority of material of local significance.
• Provide further guidance to licensees as to what amounts to a ‘fresh editorial compilation’.
• Require that licensees include more information in their written records on local identities, sites and locations for the purposes of audit.

back to top

TABLE 1: Regional local content audit – points per audited licensee

back to top