Broadcasting Services Act 1992

The Minister may give directions to the ACMA to give priority to a particular community interest or interests, whether generally or in a particular licence area, in allocating community licences that are broadcasting services bands licences.

In deciding whether to allocate a community broadcasting licence that is a broadcasting services bands licence to an applicant or to one of a group of applicants, the ACMA is to have regard to:

the extent to which the proposed service or services would meet the existing and perceived future needs of the community within the licence area of the proposed licence; and

the nature and diversity of the interests of that community; and

in the case of a community radio broadcasting licence—the extent to which the proposed service or services would provide material of local significance; and

the nature and diversity of other broadcasting services (including national broadcasting services) available within that licence area; and

the capacity of the applicant to provide the proposed service or services; and

the undesirability of one person being in a position to exercise control of more than one community broadcasting licence that is a broadcasting services bands licence in the same licence area; and

the undesirability of the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory or a political party being in a position to exercise control of a community broadcasting licence.

For the purposes of paragraph (2)(ba), material is of local significance if:

it is hosted in the licence area of the proposed licence; or

it is produced in the licence area of the proposed licence; or

it relates to the licence area of the proposed licence.