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Bill: National Media Provision Act 2168
Details
Submitted by[?]: We Say So! Party
Status[?]: passed
Votes: This is an ordinary bill. It requires more yes votes than no votes. This bill will not pass any sooner than the deadline.
Voting deadline: February 2177
Description[?]:
In order to guarantee high quality educational and informational programming to be available to the public without concern of said information being "tainted" through possible advertising and sponsorship deals with private companies the Government will introduce a publicly funded television and radio channel. Article 1: Funding. Funding of these channels will be provided by the use of a national television licence. This licence is available either directly via telephone or internet purchase or through the post office. The cost of the licence will be limited to no more than 120HCR per annum, with reductions for the retired and unemployed persons. A single licence will cover for all televisions within a single domiciliary. A domiciliary is defined as a place of living not directly seperable from any other section of the same building (i.e. a multi-bedroomed home is a single domicile requiring a single licence. A building containing multiple flats is classified as having multiple domiciliaries and as such each flat within the building requires an individual licence). Further income can be derived from the sale of programming to other network operators, both within and without the Republic, as well as direct sales to the public via the production and sales of video, DVD, audio cassette and audio CD material. Licences are not required to listen to the radio. Advertising of other companies, businesses or events not directly related to HBC television and radio programming is prohibited in order to maintain the unbiased nature of programming. Article 2: Programme provision. The television channel (designated HBC1) must show a minimum of 4 news programmes per weekday and no less than 3 news programmes per weekend day. News programmes will be shown during a weekday at the hours of 6 a.m. - 9 a.m., 1 p.m. - 1:30 p.m., 6 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Included within these news programmes local news programming will be required to be shown to allow direct local news to be shown in individual regional localities. Educational programming aimed at school age pupils will be shown weekdays between the hours of 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. and will be made available to all schools for free. Further educational programming will be provided during Wedneday nights in order for such programmes to be recorded to further the teaching of certain important subjects (including, but not limited to, Hobrazian language revision, Maths, Science, and History). Further educational programming may be shown at other times that can be set by the programme schedulers. Further programming, including that deemed as none educational, can and will be produced for, and by, HBC and outside programme makers and can be shown at times that do not clash with the above requirements. Soap operas, deemed as frivilous programming, are not to be produced, or shown, on HBC channels. Radio programming will provide hourly news and traffic updates from around the Country. Educational programming will be required to be produced and released during weekdays. Late night programming will provide interviews with national politicians, as well as political programming about national and international incidents and events. Article 3: Operation and Ownership. HBC (Hobrazian Broadcasting Company) is a publicly owned, publicly funded, broadcasting network with no direct ownership by the Government or any other outside private corporations, businesses or investors. It is to be operated within the confines of the HBC charter and is to show no open bias to any political parties or organisations, including those within any current government, and is to provide only the facts within its news programming. During times of national emergency the operation of HBC reverts to the control of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and will supply important information directly from government departments and ministries to the public. The operation of Private media broadcasters is not effected by the above outined legislation and will continue to operate in the current guise. |
Proposals
Article 1
Proposal[?] to change Radio stations.
Old value:: All radio stations are owned by independent non-profit-making cooperatives which receive no subsidies from the government.
Current: All radio stations are owned by independent non-profit-making cooperatives which are subsidised by the government.
Proposed: The government subsidises a national radio station for educational and informational purposes; other private non-subsidised radio stations are allowed.
Article 2
Proposal[?] to change Television stations.
Old value:: All TV stations are owned by independent non-profit-making cooperatives which receive no subsidies from the government.
Current: All TV stations are owned by independent non-profit-making cooperatives which are subsidised by the government.
Proposed: The government subsidises a national TV station for educational and informational purposes; other private non-subsidised TV stations are allowed.
Debate
These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:
Date | 21:06:40, January 09, 2006 CET | From | United Blobs | To | Debating the National Media Provision Act 2168 |
Message | We would support if the options were changed to the "The government subsidises independent non profit making cooperatives for educational and informational purposes; other private non-subsidised radio stations are allowed." values. Keeping the channel running seperate from the government will remove the risk of people accusing us of censorship whilst allowing the proposed operating system to remain in its currently proposed form. It must also be noted that at present profit making broadcasting companies are technically illegal and we encourage all parties that support private enterprise to vote for my proposed options. OOC - Nice description |
Date | 00:15:39, January 11, 2006 CET | From | We Say So! Party | To | Debating the National Media Provision Act 2168 |
Message | OOC - Thanks! IC - We did consider the proposal recommendations, made by the UB before completing this bill, however it was decided against for a number of reasons. 1. We have no problems with the service making a profit. A profitable business is more likely to us that income and place it back into staffing and programming. 2. We see no requirement to force the company into being a cooperative as we can see no viable economic or service improvements being made due to that. 3. The above description removes Government interference from programming, however the Government is at liberty to remove the licence from, or find a new provider should, HBC be found to be not providing those services that are required. i.e. high quality educational programmes. 4. The above proposal allows for private profit making companies to be legal, so allows for the "best of both worlds" from both the competitive private sector, and an informative high quality public service. |
Date | 14:26:23, January 27, 2006 CET | From | We Say So! Party | To | Debating the National Media Provision Act 2168 |
Message | Why the no CSP? |
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Voting
Vote | Seats | |||||
yes |
Total Seats: 162 | |||||
no | Total Seats: 112 | |||||
abstain | Total Seats: 126 |
Random fact: When you join the game, you will find yourself with only zero seats. That's because your party's representatives haven't been elected yet. You need to establish your party's position on issues by proposing several bills that your party wants passed and sending them to vote. This raises your visibility and if you do it enough, you will win seats at the next election. |
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