COVID-19 SERIES - COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER RESPONSE

EXTRACT from PAUL FLETCHER MP REPLY TO ANRA REQUEST Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety & the Arts Federal Member for Bradfield Full reply can be sort from ANRA on request.

​ In his reply to ANRA, the Minister acknowledged that the broader media industry (including narrowcasters) was already facing challenging market conditions, and that the sharp downturn in advertising revenue due to the Covid-19 pandemic had exacerbated these challenges. He encouraged ANRA members and other narrowcasters to explore whether they may be eligible for the Government’s JobKeeper payment to cover cost of employee wages, and temporary cashflow support. The Minister indicated that he had asked the Department of Communications to give consideration to a review of various regulatory instruments in consultation with ANRA and ACMA. He further indicated that he supported ACMA considering regulatory forbearance on a case-by-case basis where spectrum cannot be used due to the effects of Covid-19. The Minister thanked ANRA for bringing the concerns of the Industry, and our Members, to his attention.