The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has found New South Wales-based radio station Myall Coast Radio Incorporated to have breached a licence condition.
Following an investigation by the ACMA, Myall Coast Radio Incorporated was found to hold a licence to provide an open narrowcasting service.
These licenses are issued for the purpose of niche broadcasting and by law must be limited in some way, such as being targeted to special interest groups, providing programs of limited appeal or being provided for a limited period of time or for a special event.
The ACMA investigation found that Myall Coast Radio FM was broadcasting a mix of content, including live-hosted and automated music programs, and news and weather bulletins that would likely appeal to a general audience in the broadcast area.
ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin said radio broadcasters must always take the conditions of their licence into account when planning programming.
“Our investigation found Myall Coast Radio FM was not targeting a limited audience as required under its licence,” she said.
“Myall Coast Radio FM has acknowledged its error and ceased its narrowcasting service. It is now operating as an internet radio station instead,” she added.
Myall Coast Radio FM was found to have breached a licence condition under the Radio communications Act 1992.
Last month, ACMA ruled that Optus Internet and TPG Internet must issue $6.5million in refunds for failing to inform customers of under-performing internet speeds.
Optus and TPG will pay back $4.4 million and $2.1 million, respectively, to tens of thousands of consumers who were not advised about the maximum speeds advertised in their internet plan were not attainable on the NBN infrastructure available to them.
Under ACMA rules, telcos must verify maximum internet speeds when migrating customers to the NBN and notify them when speeds cannot meet those that were originally advertised to them.
Read more: Optus and TPG to issue $6.5million in refunds under ACMA rules