ABC rules out early start to election broadcasting period ABC boss Mark Scott says the public broadcaster will wait until writs are issued for the September 14 federal election before allocating free air time to political parties. Opposition backbencher Simon Birmingham used a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra to quiz Mr Scott over the timing of free broadcasts. Julia Gillard has said she will ask the governor-general to issue writs on August 12 for an election on September 14. Senator Birmingham noted Section 79A of the Broadcasting Act referred to the election period as the first event occurring after polling day was publicly announced or when the writs for the election are issued. "We take a commonsense approach to the coverage," Mr Scott said. For all practical purposes, we will treat the election campaign period as running from the issuing of the writs to the close of polling. The ABC would begin the counting of time and the allocation of free election broadcasts once writs were issued on August 12. In states where there were fixed parliamentary terms, the ABC did not offer free air time before writs were issued, Mr Scott said. "It comes into play when the writs are issued," he said. Committee chair Doug Cameron likened Senator Birmingham and Communications Minister Stephen Conroy to "two kids" as the pair bickered over the issue.