MUMBAI: The Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) has put a stop to three Europe-based adult channels --- Free XTV, Backroom and Sexz. TV --- that were illegally beaming into Australia.

The ABA had conducted an investigation into the activities of the three channels and found them guilty of breaching Australian broadcast guidelines. As a direct result of these investigations, the three channels have now ceased broadcasting into the country.

ABA found that Canal Europe Audiovisual S.A, a Luxembourg based corporation, breached the class licence conditions and code of practice for subscription narrowcasting television services by broadcasting ‘X’ classified programs on Free XTV and Backroom.

It also found that Vanuatu based Magnetic Enterprises Ltd breached the code of practice for subscription narrowcasting television services by broadcasting adult programs on Sexz. TV that would be likely to be classified as ‘X’ by the Classification Board.

Under class licence conditions and codes of practice for subscription narrowcasting television services, programs classified as ‘X’ or ‘RC’ by the Classification Board are prohibited from being broadcast in Australia.

The origin of the programming in another country, and its transmission via satellite from overseas, does not take a broadcasting service outside the operation of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, the ABU ruled while instituting action to end the transmission of the three channels.

"As long as the ‘broadcasting service’ is received within Australian Territory, and the person in control of the service intends to provide it here, the licensing provisions of the Act can be enforced against foreign persons who broadcast from outside Australia," an official communique issued by the ABA has stated.