Division Description Changes — Bills — Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Broadcasting Reform) Bill 2017, Commercial Broadcasting (Tax) Bill 2017; in Committee — 14th Sep 2017

Change	Division
senate vote 2017-09-14#6 Edited by mackay staff on 2018-02-16 09:12:52	Title ~~Bills — Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Broadcasting Reform) Bill 2017, Commercial Broadcasting (Tax) Bill 2017; in Committee~~ Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Broadcasting Reform) Bill 2017, Commercial Broadcasting (Tax) Bill 2017 - in Committee - 2-out-of-3 cross media rule Description ~~<p class="speaker">Sue Lines</p>~~ ~~<p>The question is that schedule 2 stand as printed.</p>~~ The majority supported keeping schedule 2 of the bill unchanged. This vote occurred after NSW Senator [Deborah O'Neill](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/nsw/deborah_o'neill) (Labor) proposed that that schedule [should be opposed](http://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?gid=2017-09-14.229.1) (and so taken out of the bill). ### What is schedule 2? Schedule 2 proposes to repeal the ‘2 out of 3 cross-media control rule’, which is that: > A person can only control two of the regulated media platforms (commercial television, commercial radio and associated newspapers) in a commercial radio licence area. (Read more about this rule in the [bills digest](https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/bd/bd1718a/18bd08).) ### What do the bills do? The two bills are the: * [Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Broadcasting Reform) Bill 2017](http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/r5907); and the * [Commercial Broadcasting (Tax) Bill 2017](http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/r5908). Most significantly, the bills were introduced to get rid of certain media ownership, control and diversity laws, like the ‘75% audience reach rule’, which stops commercial television broadcasting licensees from controlling licences if the combined licence area has a population over 75% of Australia' population. It would also get rid of the ‘2 out of 3 cross-media control rule’, which stops a company from having control over more than two out of three regulated media platforms in any one commercial radio licence area. Read more in the [bills digest](https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/bd/bd1718a/18bd08).

~~<p class="speaker">Sue Lines</p>~~
~~<p>The question is that schedule 2 stand as printed.</p>~~
The majority supported keeping schedule 2 of the bill unchanged. This vote occurred after NSW Senator [Deborah O'Neill](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/nsw/deborah_o'neill) (Labor) proposed that that schedule [should be opposed](http://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?gid=2017-09-14.229.1) (and so taken out of the bill).
### What is schedule 2?
Schedule 2 proposes to repeal the ‘2 out of 3 cross-media control rule’, which is that:
> *A person can only control two of the regulated media platforms (commercial television, commercial radio and associated newspapers) in a commercial radio licence area.*
(Read more about this rule in the [bills digest](https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/bd/bd1718a/18bd08).)
### What do the bills do?
The two bills are the:
* [Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Broadcasting Reform) Bill 2017](http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/r5907); and the
* [Commercial Broadcasting (Tax) Bill 2017](http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/r5908).
Most significantly, the bills were introduced to get rid of certain media ownership, control and diversity laws, like the ‘75% audience reach rule’, which stops commercial television broadcasting licensees from controlling licences if the combined licence area has a population over 75% of Australia' population. It would also get rid of the ‘2 out of 3 cross-media control rule’, which stops a company from having control over more than two out of three regulated media platforms in any one commercial radio licence area.
Read more in the [bills digest](https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/bd/bd1718a/18bd08).