New South Wales-based radio station One Central West FM88 has been found to have breached broadcasting rules by failing to include the required authorisation tags for an announcement from a federal member of parliament.
An Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) investigation found that One Central West FM88 broadcast the announcement on multiple occasions between October and December 2022 and that the announcement breached the Broadcasting Services Act 1992.
Broadcasters must announce on air the details of the entity or individual that has requested the broadcast of any political matter. These rules apply to all broadcasters, including narrowcasting services.
ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin said broadcasters are expected to be clear with their audience about the source of any political messages.
“People have a right to know who has authorised the political messages they hear. For audiences to be fully informed, they must be able to identify the source of these announcements,” Ms O’Loughlin said.
“Correctly tagging political announcements ensures transparency and accountability and promotes an informed Australian public.”
Following the ACMA’s breach finding, One Central West FM88 will train relevant staff about the rules around broadcasting political matter.
