[Infowarrior] - AU Watchdog to vet internet content

[Richard Forno]

Watchdog to vet internet content
http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/watchdog-to-vet-internet-content/20
06/07/05/1151779012292.html

Ben Doherty, Canberra, and Daniel Ziffer
July 6, 2006
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ALL local internet content will come under Federal Government supervision
after the Communications Minister revealed her response to the Big Brother
sexual assault scandal.

The regulatory powers of the media watchdog will be broadened to cover
emerging technologies such as video streaming on the internet and mobile
phones. The code of practice governing the classification of free-to-air
television programs will likely be reviewed, despite it being overhauled two
years ago.

Australia's media watchdog yesterday said that it was powerless to rule on
the Big Brother incident. It did not breach broadcast regulations, because,
technically, it was not broadcast.

The incident, in which a male housemate rubbed his genitals in the face of a
woman while she was being held down, did not appear on the Big Brother TV
show, but was streamed "live" on the internet from the show's website and on
mobile phones. While Channel Ten, which presents Big Brother, has not
screened the footage, Australia's other commercial networks have as part of
news stories and it remains accessible on the net.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority will soon be given the
power to regulate similar broadcasts, on top of its jurisdiction over
free-to-air TV, radio and internet content "stored" on particular sites.

Communications Minister Helen Coonan said yesterday that legislation to
broaden the authority's regulatory powers would be introduced into
Parliament as soon as possible. "This matter has reinforced the need for
changes to the act to ensure that these new services being offered over the
internet and mobile devices are subject to the same content restrictions
that apply to television broadcasts," she said.

Senator Coonan suggested the code might need overhauling. "Given the
community outrage about this matter, it would appear the codes applying to
television program classifications may also be out of step with community
standards."

"I think we really need to consider whether the current approach to the
classification of reality programming is appropriate," Senator Noonan said.
Prime Minister John Howard said this week that the Big Brother show was
"stupid" and urged that it be axed.

A record number of public submissions were received during the 2004 review
of the code.

Commercial television's peak body said it was confident that the code, which
shapes the classification of programs, reflected public standards.

"Broadcasters take their responsibilities under the code very seriously and
will co-operate with the review," Free TV chief executive Julie Flynn said.

Mike Van Niekerk, editor-in-chief of the websites for The Age and Sydney
Morning Herald, received a letter from the minister on Monday, threatening
to alert the authority if the Big Brother video was not removed from the
sites. Mr Van Niekerk said the video was being removed due to questions
about copyright.

Shadow communications minister Stephen Conroy said the Government needed to
give ACMA the power to punish transgressors, otherwise any changes to the
law would be "window dressing".