AustLit

Type of Media

Radio and television

Access for Researchers

By appointment

Content Summary

• Archives of ACMA and its predecessors - Australian Broadcasting Control Board (1949-1976), Australian Broadcasting Tribunal (1976-1992), Australian Broadcasting Authority (1992-2005), Australian Communications Authority (1997-2005), as well as some material of related past organisations and government departments of media and communications.

• Examples of material:
• Bound annual reports (also online since 2005), 1949-present
• Circular letters for television and radio on guidelines for things like religious programming, contentious political issues, use of foreign languages, advertising medicines, etc., 1949-1979
• Legislation and legislative instruments, 1900-2005
• Newsletters: "ABA Update", 1995-2005; "ACA connections", 1997-2005 (all editions of the ACMA newsletter "Acma(sphere)" from 2005 to the present are online)
• Reports and reviews, e.g. Australian content reports, reviews into broadcast complaints, reports on research, technical standards, etc. (some also on microfiche), 1949-present
• Media releases, 1979-1992
• Media releases of departments of communications and media, 1983-2005
• "Telecommunications Performance Report", 1997/1998-2003/2004 (produced by the ACA) and "Communications Report", 2005-present
• Codes of practice and standards for television and radio

Comments

ACMA is a federal government statutory authority responsible for the regulation of broadcasting, internet content and telecommunications. It was established in 2005 from a merger of the Australian Broadcasting Authority and the Australian Communications Authority, and earlier versions of it date back to 1949.

ACMA’s website provides publications, information and corporate documents for the period of ACMA’s existence since 2005, with some material going back to the late 1990s. There is a publication order form on the website for hard copy versions of a selection of documents.

Keywords

radio, television, telecommunications, internet, advertising, Australian content, local content, regulation, code, standard, complaint, licence, religion, politics,

foreign languages, ethnic

Contact Name

ACMA Library

Address

Level 44, Melbourne Central Tower, 360 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000. Postal Address: PO Box 13112, Law Courts, Melbourne, Vic 8010

Phone and Fax

Ph +61 (3) 9963 6977

Email

library@acma.gov.au

Website Link 1

http://www.acma.gov.au

Website Link 2