Greens Call For a Review of Australian Content Levels

GREENS CALL FOR A REVIEW OF AUSTRALIAN CONTENT LEVELS

21 March 2013

As part of the agreement between the Greens and the government on media reform, the Greens tabled a commitment to a review of the impact of recent legislation on Australian content levels and sub-quotas.

Senator Ludlam provided the following to the parliament in the debate on the Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Convergence Review and Other Measures) Bill 2013 and the Television Licence Fees Amendment Bill 2013:

Review of Australian content levels

The Government acknowledges the Greens' concern to monitor and review the levels of Australian content on television, including multichannels.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority monitors compliance with Australian content rules on an annual basis.

The Government will undertake a formal review into the impact of this legislation on sub quotas and Australian content on commercial main and multichannels no later than 12 months from the passage of the Bills and table this report in Parliament.

SPAA acknowledges the efforts of the Greens on behalf of the independent screen production industry during the recent rushed debates on the package of Communications reform bills. The Greens politicians and advisors have engaged with us in consideration of complex issues, raised questions in committee hearings, and debated the issues in both the public and parliamentary spheres.

A review of the impact this Bill will have on the terms of trade for sub-quota Australian content is sensible, said Executive Director of SPAA Mathew Deaner, particularly in view of the recent release by ACMA of the levels of expenditure by commercial free-to-air networks in 2010/11 which revealed an alarming fall in children's drama and documentary, down 24 and 25 per cent respectively.

SPAA also acknowledges the ongoing engagement in our sector's interests by the federal Opposition with Malcolm Turnbull and Paul Fletcher both making speeches taking on board issues we have raised with them. Malcolm Turnbull said the following during debate on the Bill:

The Australian screen industry, represented by the Screen Producers Association of Australia, the Australian Writers Guild and the Directors Guild, are concerned that these arrangements will result in broadcasters not so much transmitting less Australian content but transmitting less high-quality Australian drama. This is because they will be able to transmit drama programs and especially children's television programs on the multichannels, and, because the audience on the multichannels, at least at present, is quite a bit lower than it is on what they call the primary channels, they will therefore pay less money to the producers for those programs. This is a fair point. It is one that deserves a very good hearing.

It is pleasing that both the Greens and the Opposition have now publicly raised the issues of the potential consequences of the flexibility allowed to the commercial networks to spread their sub-quota obligations across the multi channels, said SPAA Executive Director Matthew Deaner. We look forward to working with all parties to ensure our sector's viability is not compromised by this initial piecemeal and ultimately disappointing legislative response to the Convergence Review.

Media Contact:

rachelle.gibson@spaa.org.au

Manager, Marketing & Communications

T: (02) 9360 8988

LINK:	http://www.spaa.org.au/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=692...
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