Following the 1982 Sydney Commercial Television Licence Renewal Hearings Media Information Australia invited different participants from the hearings to comment on the proceedings. Those who accepted the invitation to contribute were David Jones, Chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal, AB Shand QC, Counsel for Channel 10, Keith Mason QC, Counsel for Channel 7, Ray Watterson, Counsel for the Australian Consumers Association, Steve Keen, representative of the Sydney News Assessment Group (SNAG) which was granted standing as an interested party, and Julie James Bailey a media researcher who was refused standing. Broadly speaking, the contributors were asked to comment on the effectiveness of the procedure for licence renewal. Their articles were published in the August issue of Media Information Australia.
As a result of the great interest generated by these articles in legal, communications and academic circles, the Australian Film and Television School and the Australian Communications Law Association held a seminar on licence renewal hearings, where contributors to the issue were invited to speak. The seminar was extremely successful with further issues being raised and several alternative models for public participation in broadcasting regulation mooted. Published below is an edited excerpt of the transcripts of the taped proceedings. A cassette of the seminar is available from the Australian Communications Law Association, C/- Faculty of Law, University of New South Wales, PO Box 1, Kensington 2033.
Media Information Australia wishes to thank Michael Law, an Executive Member of the Australian Communications Law Association for his role in organizing the seminar, and Mr David. Ferguson, Chairman of the Council of the Australian Film and Television School for chairing the seminar.
