ACMA release: The Australian Communications and Media Authority is calling on the commercial radio industry to strengthen community safeguards for participants in live hosted entertainment programs or face new regulatory measures.

Released today, the ACMA’s report on its investigation into the adequacy of community safeguards for participants in live hosted entertainment programs identifies that there is community concern about the treatment of participants in such programs—and that the concern is greater when the participant is a child.

’The ACMA recognises that commercial radio needs the flexibility to provide attractive and innovative programming to attract and retain audiences. However, the industry must also be responsive to issues of community concern and address them as and when they emerge,’ said Chris Chapman, Chairman of the ACMA.

’The changes to the commercial radio codes that the ACMA has suggested are designed to ensure that new practices are introduced which specifically and meaningfully address these concerns, especially in relation to the treatment of children participating in commercial radio programs,’ Mr Chapman said.

The ACMA is now calling on the commercial radio industry to develop new codes that include provisions:

seeking to prevent the exploitation of participants in commercial radio programs
ensuring the radio industry has practices and processes in place that provide safeguards for participants in commercial radio programs and are transparent to the public; and
dealing with children as participants in commercial radio programs, including the requirement that the best interests of the child are a licensee’s key consideration, irrespective of any consent given.
If these community concerns are not addressed in a timely manner under the co-regulatory scheme enshrined in the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (the BSA), the ACMA retains its power to determine a program standard, under section 125 of the BSA.