SBS elevates the diversity of Australia across its commissioned programs, achieving ambitious equity and inclusion content targets
5 December, 2024
Media releases
SBS has shared key insights into how it has reflected under-represented communities and voices through its commissioned content, meeting or exceeding the commitments outlined in the SBS Commissioning Equity and Inclusion Guidelines (2021-2024) to improve inclusion in the screen sector.
SBS has today published an overview of its performance against the SBS Commissioning Equity and Inclusion Guidelines (2021-2024), reflecting a strategic uplift in diverse representation across its commissioned content slate over the past three years.
The inaugural guidelines were developed in consultation with industry and stakeholders. They set ambitious, nuanced and comprehensive multi-year targets across SBS's unscripted and scripted commissioned content, as part of its commitment to ensuring all Australians can see themselves and their communities in the stories told on screen. The focus was on increasing representation of people from five key under-represented groups: culturally and linguistically diverse, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, people living with disability, LGBTQI+, and women - also recognising intersectionality.
With the conclusion of the initial three-year period and across the 62 programs, SBS and its production partners either met or exceeded targets set for on-screen, off-screen and career progression roles. The results show that SBS is closely reflecting the diversity of contemporary Australia, and in some cases exceeding population levels, while often being above industry levels. The results also highlight the continued work needed to improve representation of people living with disability across SBS's commissioned content where there remains a gap between SBS programs and the Australian population.
SBS Director of Television, Kathryn Fink, said: SBS is committed to ensuring all Australians see themselves - their communities, their cultures, their stories reflected on our screens. That's achieved not only through improving the representation we see in front of the camera, but importantly, in those who create and craft these stories. We're pleased to see the impact we have had in our content and within the sector through the delivery of the SBS Commissioning Equity and Inclusion Guidelines over the past few years.
We're grateful for the collaboration of our partners in the sector in sharing our commitment to ensuring that whoever you are, there are no barriers to prevent you from sharing your story and pursuing a career in this industry. The last three years also provide valuable data in setting the direction we need to take in the years ahead to drive ongoing change and deliver on our distinct purpose for all Australians.
Table: The Everyone Project data comparing representation for SBS commissioned programs, the broader TV and film industry, and the Australian population.
To track, analyse and report on progress against the targets - which included SBS providing yearly updates in its annual report SBS uses data collected through its participation in The Everyone Project (TEP), an industry-wide commitment to measure cast and crew diversity across registered Australian film and television productions, led by the Screen Diversity and Inclusion Network (SDIN) of which SBS is a founding member.
SBS also uses Scripted Target Reports which are completed by partner production companies for scripted programming. The results for SBS Scripted commissions also included achieving on-screen genre-specific targets, such as ensuring at least two people who identify as culturally and linguistically diverse and/or First Nations were cast as main characters in programs. Shows focused on a particular under-represented community had further off-screen targets met for ensuring representation from that community, as well as at least 50% women, hired in key writing, director/producer and production roles.
Head of Creative Diversity, TV and Online Content, Yana Groves, said: The SBS Commissioning Equity and Inclusion Guidelines set an important standard for our sector. This includes essential accountability for SBS to deliver on audience expectations as Australia's multicultural and First Nations broadcaster. SBS remains committed to leading the way for a more inclusive Australian film and TV sector, both on-screen and off-screen. This is a key component of fulfilling the SBS Charter, made possible through these Guidelines and other inclusion initiatives we invest in. SBS remains committed to providing meaningful career development opportunities for under-represented talent, to support more enriched, diverse storytelling for all Australian audiences.
I'd also like to acknowledge the work of my colleague Michelle Cheng, Head of Creative Diversity (on parental leave), who embarked on this important work over several years, developing and implementing SBS's first set of guidelines. She has also led the development of our next iteration, with our Diversity and Inclusion Project Officer, Isabelle Beaupr , to be launched in the new year. I'm proud to be overseeing this project, working with the SBS Commissioning team and our production partners, and I look forward to an exciting year ahead for Australian storytelling on SBS.
Next year, SBS will publish its second set of guidelines, to cover the period from 1 July 2025 - 30 June 2028. Until then, SBS is extending the existing targets to apply for a fourth year, from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025.
The Guidelines were developed to complement the range of screen sector initiatives and career pathways SBS invests in, including the successful and long-running Diversity Talent Escalator, and Digital Originals delivered in partnership with N
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Deepens Partnership with Taiwan's 62nd Golden Hors...
25/11/2025
Tracy Bonareri Onchoke, an investigative journalist from Kenya is the winner of the Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist Award 2025.
The 26-year-old-sele...
25/11/2025
SVG All-Stars: Blayke Scheer, Senior Director, Creative Content, YES NetworkThe Indiana alum has turned storytelling into an artform for more than two decadesBy...
25/11/2025
Op-Ed: With FCC's C-Band Auction on the Horizon, Broadcasters Need Proven, C...
25/11/2025
Analysis: Is Baller League really the future of sport? By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:10
Print This Story
With KSI on...
25/11/2025
Platinum Whitepaper: The Growth of Broadcast in the World of Major Large Scale E...
25/11/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: SVG Women's Sports WorkshopBy Samantha Gabay
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:27 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlig...
25/11/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: CacheFly's Matt Levine on the Evolving Role of th...
25/11/2025
Peacock's EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast Levels Up on Thanksgiving With SkyCam as...
25/11/2025
Mathias Broe attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Sauna at Library Center Theatre. (Photo by Michael Hurcomb/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Fes...
25/11/2025
The best playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks bring a little extra magic to your daily routine. With new features and offerings, Spotify Premium delivers even mo...
25/11/2025
Comprehensive new research confirms what we already knew: Australian music fans love the quality, quantity, and access they have to new and local music on strea...
25/11/2025
Applicable Products
Objectives The purpose of this application note is to give a brief background on 5G (NR) wireless communication an explain the reason a SN...
25/11/2025
Nielsen will now measure both Lionsgate's FAST channel MovieSphere and Movie...
SBS elevates the diversity of Australia across its commissioned programs, achieving ambitious equity and inclusion content targets 
