Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE ACT 1991 - SECT 70C

  (1)   If:

  (a)   an election to a Parliament is to be held; and

  (b)   a broadcasting service provided by the SBS would normally be received in the area of Australia to which the election relates;

the SBS must not broadcast an election advertisement in relation to the election during the relevant period as part of that service.

  (2)   In this section:

"election" means an election to a Parliament.

"election advertisement" , in relation to an election, means:

  (a)   an advertisement:

  (i)   that contains election matter that relates to that election; and

  (ii)   in respect of the broadcasting of which the SBS has received or is to receive, directly or indirectly, any money or other consideration; or

  (b)   an announcement containing a statement to the effect that a program that is to be or has been broadcast is or was sponsored by a person or persons and indicating that the person is a candidate, or one or more of the persons is or are candidates, at the election; or

  (c)   an announcement containing a statement to the effect that a program that is to be or has been broadcast is or was sponsored by a particular political party where a candidate at the election belongs to that party.

"election matter" , in relation to an election, means matter of any of the following kinds:

  (a)   matter commenting on, or soliciting votes for, a candidate at the election;

  (b)   matter commenting on, or advocating support of, a political party to which a candidate at the election belongs;

  (c)   matter commenting on, stating or indicating any of the matters being submitted to the electors at the election or any part of the policy of a candidate at the election or of the political party to which a candidate at the election belongs;

  (d)   matter referring to a meeting held or to be held in connection with the election.

"Parliament" means:

  (a)   the Parliament of the Commonwealth; or

  (b)   a State Parliament; or

  (c)   a legislature of a Territory.

"relevant period" , in relation to an election, means the period that commences at the end of the Wednesday before the polling day for the election and ends at the close of the poll on that polling day.