Amendments to the “draconian trigger event” rules will soon be brought to the parliament, according to Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, speaking at the National Radio Conference today.

Conroy explained that the local content and trigger events were introduced by the previous Liberal government in 2006, and said:  “The industry has long desired changes to these provisions. As a result I will shortly bring forward amendments to reduce red tape, but will maintain a commitment to local content. This will happen in the next few months.”

After Senator Conroy’s address Joan Warner said: “It’s heartening that we will get the legislation into parliament soon. It has been a lot of work from so many people in this room to get our message out there. I’m disappointed it has taken so long, but good to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel, hopefully by February at the very latest.”

Conroy congratulated the Commercial Radio Industry on continuing to hold its own in the face of so much change in the media: Radio is an industry that knows how to innovate, grow and survive… Digital radio take up has been successful due to CRA and the industry’s commitment to the new medium.

Commenting on the “plethora of reviews” discussed by Cathy O’Connor in the earlier session, Conroy said: “I vote for a moratorium on reviews. We have failed the first test on reviews, never start one you don’t know the outcome. We don’t know the outcome of the the convergence review but I’m excited to hear what it will have to say.”

Senator Conroy’s full speech is below.

In a landscape of rapidly evolving technologies and competing mediums – commercial radio has continued to holds its own. 

It is immediate and intimate and creates a personal relationship with listeners.  But it is how it has adapted to listeners’ changing needs –over almost 90 years — that really marks commercial radio.

It is an industry that knows how to innovate …  to grow and survive.

The latest innovation – digital radio – was launched in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth in 2009.  Since then, research by Commercial Radio Australia has found more than half a million digital radios have been sold in Australia.

According to survey data, almost one million people listen to digital radio each week.  Radio listening via a DAB+ digital radio device in the five state metropolitan capitals has reached 7.6 per cent.

The time spent listening to radio via a DAB+ device is now almost 13 hours a week.

This compares to just over five hours spent listening to radio on the internet.  Let me say, this level of take-up is largely due to the CRA and the industry’s dedication to the digital platform…

The next step, however, is to take digital into the regions.  I support the Australian Communication and Media Authority’s decision to extend trials of digital radio in Canberra and Darwin to 31 July 2012.

My Department has undertaken a review of digital radio technologies in regional Australia, with technical assistance from the ACMA.  And I was pleased to see many submissions from the commercial sector.

A report of this review was tabled in Parliament this week and is available on my Department’s website.  There were a number of themes raised by organisations and members of the public.

These included:

• the importance for regional consumers of high quality audio;
• additional digital-only services;
• good value receivers; and,
• good geographic coverage across regional areas.

They also raised: 

• a preference for DAB+ as the primary digital radio technology in Australia;

• a preference for Digital Radio Modiale (DRM) to supplement DAB+ services in regional areas, particularly for low-powered community and narrowcast services; and

• reserving spectrum in the Medium Frequency and Very High Frequency bands to enable digital radio to be provided in regional areas.

We are now considering the complex policy and planning issues associated with the rollout to regional areas.  Engineering advice on spectrum requirements is being developed by ACMA.

Last year I announced that the Australian Government had decided to release 126 MHz of broadcasting spectrum as a digital dividend.  As a result, I issued a direction to the ACMA to carry out the necessary planning activities for it to happen.

That provided ACMA additional policy guidance relating to the planning of broadcasting services in the remaining spectrum.  That included digital radio in regional Australia. 

To that end, 14 megahertz of spectrum in VHF Band 3 should be made available in each metropolitan licence area for digital radio purposes following the switch-off of analog television.  We are aiming for the digital dividend spectrum to be cleared within 12 months of the switch-off of analog TV in 2013.

Which brings me to a very important issue for many of you here today.

Local content and trigger event provisions of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 were introduced as part of the 2006 media ownership changes to the Act.

I know the commercial radio industry has long desired legislative amendments to these provisions.  My Department has, in fact, undertaken a review of these provisions, and its report was tabled in Parliament in March. 

As a result of the review and discussion with industry, I am shortly bringing forward legislative amendments for Parliament to consider.

These amendments will reduce red tape while maintaining a commitment to local content for regional areas.  I know many of you here have been eagerly awaiting the amendments for a long time.

The Parliamentary schedule means passage of the legislation through both houses of Parliament is unlikely this year.  However, I am hoping to introduce the legislation in the Senate before Parliament rises this year.

You would all be aware of the rollout of Australia’s world class National Broadband Network.  The NBN and the switch to the digital television have contributed to the acceleration of media convergence in Australia.

As a result, our communications regulations are rapidly becoming outdated.  That is why we are in the process of carrying out the Convergence Review.

The Convergence Review Committee has conducted  consultation sessions across the country and released five broad discussion papers.  And I can report that the Committee is now is in its finals stages of consultation.

Submissions close on October 28, and the Committee is due to report to Government in March 2012.

CRA’s Cath O’Connor and Joan Warner, along with representatives from the DMG Radio, ARN, Southern Cross and Fairfax, met with the Committee last month.  I understand the industry has a number of concerns.

These include:

• local presence requirements and local content rules,
• restricting new market entrants;
• ensuring spectrum is available for digital radio rollout beyond major capitals; and
• broadcast licence fees.

Like you, I look forward to the Committee’s findings.

The ACMA’s Review of Commercial Radio Standards is also nearing its conclusion.

This review has involved two years of research, consultation and policy development.  CRA and DMG have contributed to this review.  ACMA will release the final proposals for reforming the standards for public comment in the coming weeks.

So, there is a lot ahead… I look forward to continuing to work together as the media landscape changes and our digital future unfolds.