27 S.C. 128\02 In Australia the Australian Broadcasting Services Act of 1992 governs the broadcasting industry. Unlike other Acts which shy away from projecting the national interest, the Australian Act’s objects are definitive on protecting Australia’s national and cultural interests. Part 1 section 3 of the Act seeks to ensure that “international broadcasting services are not provided contrary to Australia’s national interest" and thus insist that broadcasters promote services that develop and reflect “a sense of Australian identity, character and cultural diversity". Beyond resisting the swamping of Australian cultural interest by global media structures, the Australian Act also upholds the national interest by ensuring that Australians have “effective control of the more influential broadcasting services”. To that end the Australian Act disallows foreign control of broadcasting in Australia (Part 5 section 57). Similarly section 8(1) of the Zimbabwean Act seeks to control foreign influence of broadcasting in Zimbabwe. The Australian Act creates the Australian Broadcasting Authority (“ABA”) as the licensing and regulating authority. ABA is made up of seven members who are appointed by the Governor-General without reference to any other body or persons outside governmental structures (Part 12 section 155). The Governor-General also appoints the Chairman and Vice-Chairman from the group who are full-time employees. The responsible Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts can assign on either a full-time or part-time basis appointees for specific assignments related to broadcasting. The Minister may also appoint associate members. ABA reports to the responsible Minister who also has the right to give “written directions” to it in terms of Part 12 section 162. The