Regulations relaxed on regional radio

Changes to the Broadcasting Services Amendment (regional commercial radio) Bill 2012 have been passed in Federal Parliament. 

The CEO of Commercial Radio Australia Joan Warner (left) said that, aside from exemptions for a small number of racing radio and remote area services, the amendments would not impact local content requirements but removed "unnecessary regulatory intervention in key aspects of the day to day running of their stations".

The key changes are around the definition of trigger events and their consequences, relaxing the previous rules around staffing levels and facilities which until now had been frozen if a station changed ownership.

Ms Warner commented “Commercial regional radio is a vital part of Australia’s regional communities and the broadcasters will now be able to continue to inform and entertain their millions of loyal listeners".