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Labor seeks to exempt SBS from changes to gambling ads

Updated: SBS denies suggestions it is not supportive of changes to gambling advertising, as bill goes before senate.

Labor has proposed an amendment to the Bill banning gambling ads during Live sport, that would see SBS exempt from the same rules.

Public broadcasters are independent of the Commercial TV Code of Practice under media watchdog ACMA.

Labor’s proposal to exempt SBS from the Bill would mean gambling ads on SBS would be self-regulated via SBS’s own Code of Practice.

But lobby group Save our SBS fears the broadcaster could chase gambling ads for revenue.

“In our view, SBS lost its integrity on this issue the moment it began broadcasting gambling ads a few years ago. Under a different Board and management and before it adopted the fierce commercial direction it now has, SBS refused to broadcast these types of advertisements,” it said in a statement.

“SBS could easily have modified its own Codes long before this Bill to show it is a good corporate citizen. In our opinion, SBS failed to do that. We believe the broadcaster places more importance on advertising dollars than the welfare of children or building social cohesion in this respect.”

The Bill is listed for discussion in the Senate tomorrow.

Updated: An SBS spokesperson said in a statement, “SBS is absolutely committed to making the necessary changes to restrict gambling advertising during live sporting events in accordance with the Government’s policy on all of its platforms, including online.  However, the implementation mechanism set out in the Bill is inconsistent with the established self-regulatory framework for public broadcasting in Australia, which is critical to our editorial independence from Government. Implementation of new restrictions should be achieved under one set of consistent rules in the SBS Codes of Practice (SBS Codes) that cover TV, radio and online platforms.

“Any suggestion that SBS is not fully supportive of delivering the gambling advertising changes is totally incorrect and those attempting to link this to any commercial matters are deliberately detracting from the core issue which is ensuring that our broader editorial independence is not compromised.”

3 Responses

  1. I dont envy SBS’s position having your funding reduced and needing to recoup that from advertising is no easy task. Personally i think they have got the balance right because i get to watch Live NBL on FTA. No Doubt people will start debating again about having 1.5 public broadcasters.

  2. Will these “crosses” be classified as “advertising”, or will it be like the endless waffle in the daytime 7, 9 & 10 programs tarted up as something called “advertorial”, which doesn’t count towards their hourly advertising as it’s not “advertising”?

  3. I saw a number of crosses to CrownBet with Matty Campbell on Seven’s AFL on Thursday, Friday and last night. Would be the same with Fox Footy, Nine and Fox League’s wagering sponsors no doubt.

    So when this new legislation comes in force in some weeks (which you had articles on the other week), does that mean we won’t/can’t see any of those crosses prior to 8:30pm? Or have I got that wrong?

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