To the Honourable the President and members of the Senate in Parliament assembled.

The Petition of the undersigned shows: The need for amendments to the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice to better reflect the community's standards.

We the Petitioners therefore ask that the Senate urgently address the following issues:

(1) That commercials and promotions are the same as or of a lower classification as the program being shown, regardless of the time of day or night that the program is being televised. (Refer Codes of Practice, Section 3 on Program Promotions).

(2) That the Australian Broadcasting Authority be given the power to enforce penalties, i.e. `on the spot' fines when the Codes of Practice are breached.

(3) That a `HOTLINE' be established as per Recommendation 3 made by the Senate Inquiry of February 1997, as stated: (a) a telephone/fax Hotline be re-introduced by the ABA for the public to register complaints about television programs. The Hotline could work in a similar way to the one operated by the former Australian Broadcasting Tribunal. And (b) that the ABA report on the operation of the Hotline in its annual report.

(4) General (G) Classification zones (refer Codes of Practice, Section 2.12) the times be changed to:

Weekdays 6.00am—8.30am and 3.00pm—8.30pm

Weekends 6.00am—8.30pm

Parental Guidance Recommended (PG) Section 2.14, to be changed to:

(Everyday) from 7.30pm—8.30pm to 8.30pm—9.30pm.