Framing the Convergence Review
On 28 April, the Government’s Convergence Review (noted here) issued a Framing Paper.
According to p. 4 of this curious document:
This initial consultation paper seeks to identify the principles that should guide media and communications regulation in Australia, and provide stakeholders with the opportunity to raise the key issues arising from the principles. Its intent is to invite big-picture thinking about the Australian media and communications environment in its global context and how it may need to be shaped in order to achieve principles that serve the public interest. The committee will use these principles as a starting point to advise government of its preferred alternative policy framework
Accordingly (from p. 11):
the committee considers it appropriate to develop and consult with stakeholders on a set of principles to guide the committee’s consideration of specific issues. These principles have two main aims: to provide a consistent and transparent basis on which to consider specific issues and to ultimately form the basis of a set of policy objectives suitable for a converging media environment.
So your comments on the Framing Paper are sought by 10 June 2011. Then, the timetable is:
- Emerging Issue paper : June 2011
- Hearings: July 2011
- detailed Discussion Papers: August 2011
- Final Report: March 2012.
For the most part, the Framing Paper appears to relate to the regulatory regimes for broadcasting and telecommunications.
When announcing his intention to refer aspects of copyright law to the ALRC, the Attorney-General appeared to indicate that the reference (if any) will be subject to what happens in this Convergence Review. It is not so easy to identify from the Framework Paper, however, what areas might be cut across by the ALRC reviewing copyright law.
The Framework Paper does refer in several papers to “legitimate content services”. May be, it is to be found in “principle 6” which is (proposed to be):
Principle 6: Australians should have access to the broadest range of content across platforms and services as possible
This principle is taken from paragraph 5(e)(ii) of the Terms of Reference and is consistent with the objects in the BSA12, and s.3(1)(a) of the Telecommunications Act to ‘Promote the long-term interests of end-users of carriage services or of services provided by means of carriage services.’ The committee considers that a guiding principle for the review is to maximise the range of legitimate content services available to Australians. A consideration is that regulation should be flexible and adaptable to changing market and technological circumstances, and constructed with a view to enhancing audiences and consumer choice.
Principle 7 appears to be directed more to the question of ‘net neutrality.
Convergence Review Framing Paper (pdf)
The Convergence Review’s home page
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