Proposed Oz broadcast law changes - where's the outrage?

[ChrisW]

[ how are quotas on radio play going to prevent it? 30%, 40% 100% quotas on playing local music still don't guarantee that any of the music is "uniquely Australian" anyway. It most likely is just monoculture rubbish as well.

At least it'll guarantee a certain amount of recognition and work for local musicians and studios, even if they produce American/Anglo style music.

The notions of "who we are" and "our culture" currently established in things like the grant making process are alienating an ever diversifying arts community and a lot of the resulting art from these grants is watered down and terribly cliche. It really is no wonder the Australian public takes a pass on it. There are only so many renditions of Crocodile Dundee I can put up with.

I saw an ABC news piece the other day about some lads from the Tanami desert who traveled to Melbourne to perform in a dance festival.
In their own culture they don't dance until after initiation, but they are allowed to dance non indigenous forms, in this case hip/hop breakdance style.
They feel a natural connection to the form and I've got to say they were really good at it.
The lads had positive things to say and all around it seemed like a very positive project.
No idea if it had an arts grant of any kind, but I'm not sure how young kids from the red centre could fly to Melbourne and stay in a hotel for a dance festival in a free market, cream rising to the top situation.
Bottom line - government funding with an emphasis on local youth and the arts can be all positive.

[heathen]

Removing quotas, tariffs, import duties and deregulating everything is killing almost every industry in this country. The elite don't care what they force feed you, as long as there is a profit.

It's only going to get worse too, market competition is all good and well but the biggest companies don't play fair, they undercut everyone until any competion is either bought up or shut down or both, then they have a monopoly and raise the prices, it's happening everywhere, the broadcast industry is just one victim.

[Adam Dempsey]

An update: I can confirm that while the submission period seemed to have passed artists & engineers by (still noone I've spoken to this past 2 weeks had heard of the proposed broadcast law changes, while all are in favour of increased minimum quotas), "coordinated" submissions were made by several industry bodies including AIR.

Feel free to contact them or myself if you'd like a copy, as it's likely that a reinforced voice of concern can only help prevent the proposed changes & their inherent potential precedents wrt Aust content on our radio into the future.


Quote: AIR made a submission to commercial radio Australia at the same time as MCA, as did the Association of Artist Managers, QUT, ARIA and APRA. The response was coordinated amongst the industry bodies and was consistent in its overwhelming dismay at the proposed change as well as the disgraceful way in which CRA went about consulting its key stakeholders.

"AIR strongly objects to the inclusion of code 4.6 on the grounds that such an addition would be detrimental to the preservation and growth of the Australian music industry.

It is clear that the competitive benefits to commercial broadcasters of providing digital radio with a reduction in Australian content are a motivating factor for the inclusion of code 4.6. This should be considered in the context of the significant commercial support from the Australian government in granting licenses for access to the digital radio spectrum free of charge, accompanied by a lengthy moratorium on new licenses.

It must be remembered that a free license to use Australia’s digital spectrum, which is public asset, for commercial gain is inherently linked to a responsibility for the preservation of Australian culture and the best interests of the Australian public and industry." - AIR submission conclusion to Commercial Radio Australia.

[Adam Dempsey]

ACMA registers a new commercial radio code of practice for Australian music:
http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_312202

The Age:
Australian music not required and No Aussie hits for digital radio
(fyi, go for it: letters@theage.com.au)

and The Music Network:
Aussie acts lose out in ACMA's digital radio ruling

Obvious questions:

On what basis can our (Australian) national broadcasting authority effectively rule to commercial interests that Australian music, including the multitude of world-class independent acts across a full range of genres, lacks "diversity"?

How is the exemption "temporary" if the commercial radio Codes of Practice are reviewed each 3 years anyway?

In the words of the ACMA itself, how do these "temporary" commercial radio Codes of Practice exemptions provide "appropriate community safeguards"?

[Text_Edifice]

perhaps a little after the fact but saw this on AMRAP's site and it gave me a smile

"On July 1 2010 ACMA approved a 3-year exemption on Australian music airplay quotas for Australian commercial digital-only radio stations. ACMA states this enables stations to “experiment with programming formats, including the programming of niche services such as 'event channels' like Pink Radio and Radio Gaga,''.
Do ACMA and CRA seriously believe that devoting a radio station to advertise a single American popstar is a legitimate and innovative use of Australia’s radio spectrum? If so, we figure they might enjoy ‘Midnight Gaga Radio’.
Midnight Gaga Radio broadcasts a 24hr mash-up of Midnight Oil’s 1980s commercial radio hit with Lady GaGa's 'Poker Face'…Performed live by Amrap staff on a 1980s Casio keyboard!
We hope the station is a hit but in the meantime Amrap will continue its important work of promoting radio airplay for Australian musicians around the country. Check out this blog and tune to your local community station to get Australian music in your ears. "

You can tune into Midnight Radio Gaga via http://amrap.org/blog/ - check the sidebar....

[mylesgm]

classic!