ABA^Update
R e s tra in in g o rd e rs s o u g h t
a g a in s t t h e A B A
D arw in, Griffith an d M ildura television
licen sees have taken legal actio n to
stop the ABA au ctionin g n ew c o m ­
m ercial television licen ces for their m arkets.
A pp lications lod ged w ith the A dm inistrative
A pp eals Tribunal (AAT) by D arw in -b ased T er­
ritory T elevision Pty Ltd, W IN T elevision
M ildura an d G riffith-based MTN Television
Pty Ltd seek to stop the ABA con tin u in g with
its p rice-b ased allocation p ro cess.
T h e stay ap plication relates to ap p lication s
to the AAT b y e a ch of the licen sees for a
review o f the d ecision m ad e by the ABA to
refuse p erm ission to e ach o f the licen sees to
o p erate a seco n d television service in their
licen ce areas.
T h e AAT has set the d ate o f 12 F eb ru ary 1996
for a h earin g o f the stay ap plication s.
‘N on e of the legal actio n s currently u nd er
w ay again st the ABA stop s it inviting licen ce
ap p licatio n s,’ said Mr P eter W eb b , ABA Chair­
m an.
T h e p rice-b ased allocation s p ro cess w as a d ­
vertised n ationally on 6 D ecem b er 1995. A p­
plications to the ABA for the n ew licen ces
clo se at 1 2 .0 0 m idnight, Friday 16 Feb ru ary
1996 (an d the au ctions are p ro p o sed for
M arch 1996 in Sydney).
D a rw in
Territory Television Pty Ltd has
m ad e an ap p lication to the
AAT for a review o f the A B A ’s
d ecision to refuse it p erm is­
sion to o p erate a se co n d c o m ­
m ercial television b road castin g
service in the D arw in licen ce
a re a . This a p p lic a tio n
served on th e ABA on 17 Ja n u ­
ary 1996. (F o r m o re detail about
this d ecision , see p age 5 .)
M ild u ra
T he ABA d ecid ed on 3 N ovem b er 1995 to
refuse p erm ission to WIN Television Mildura
Pty Ltd to o p erate a seco n d com m ercial televi­
sion b road castin g service in the M ildura/
Sunraysia licen ce area.
It m ad e this d ecision on the basis that it w as
n o t satisfied that it w as ‘unlikely that an oth er
p erso n w ou ld b e in terested in, and likely to
b e in a position to, o p erate an oth er co m m er­
cial television b road castin g serv ice’ in the
M ildura/Sunraysia licen ce area.
In m aking its assessm ent, the ABA con sid ­
ered three exp ressio n s o f interest from par­
ties in te re s te d in p ro v id in g a seco n d
co m m ercial television service — Prim e Tel­
evision Ltd, Im parja Television Pty Ltd and
o n e o th er party, w hich has asked for co m ­
m ercial-in -co n fid en ce status. (F o r m o re d e­
tail ab ou t this d ecision, se e AB A Update 38,
D ecem b er 1 9 9 5 .)
W IN T elevision Mildura Pty Ltd m ad e an
ap p lication to the AAT for a review of the
A B A ’s d ecision u nder the A ct to refuse it
p erm ission to o p erate a seco n d com m ercial
television b road castin g service in Mildura
w h ich w as served on the ABA on 7 D ecem ­
b er 1995.
G riffith
T h e ABA d ecid ed on 13 N ovem b er 1995 to
refuse perm ission to MTN T elevision Pty Ltd
to o p erate a seco n d com m ercial television
b road castin g service in the Griffith licen ce
area.
It m ad e this d ecision on the basis that it
w as not satisfied that it w as ‘unlikely that
an o th er p erson w ould be interested in, and
likely to be in a position to, o p erate an oth er
com m ercial television b road castin g se rv ice ’
in the Griffith licen ce area. (F o r m o re detail
ab o u t this d ecision , see A B A Update 38,
D ecem b er 1 9 9 5 .)
In m aking its assessm ent, the ABA con sid ­
w as ered three exp ressio n s o f interest from p ar­
ties in te re ste d in p ro v id in g a seco n d
com m ercial television service - M eridian
C om m u n ications, A J Fulton Enterprises Pty
Ltd and on e o th er party (w h ich has asked for
co m m ercial-in -co n fid en ce status).
MTN T elevision Pty Ltd m ad e an ap p lica­
tion to the AAT for a review o f the A BA ’s
d ecision to refuse it perm ission to o p erate a
se co n d com m ercial television b road castin g
serv ice in the Griffith licen ce area. This
ap p lication w as served on the ABA on
11 D ecem b er 1995. ES