The subscription television (STV) industry is committed to producing and providing high quality and diverse Australian content across a variety of genres.
Tim Winton’s Cloudstreet, Showcase
The Broadcasting Services Act 1992 prescribes that subscription TV licensees that broadcast drama channels, and drama channel package providers, are required to invest at least 10% of their total program expenditure on new Australian drama. Subscription television consistently produces hundreds of thousands of hours of Australian content each year across all genres, not just drama, with its investment in local production far exceeding this regulatory requirement.
The ASTRA Australian Content Investment survey captures investment in Australian and local content by 40 organisations representing 200 channels. The survey reports on investment in local production from the concept stage through to broadcasting, quantifying how much STV invests holistically into Australian production.
The 2010 Australian Content Investment Survey found:
- STV platform and channel investment into Australian content: $578.4m
- People directly employed by STV platforms and channels: 4,920
- Total people employed including platform outsourcing: 7,410
This represents a growth in investment in Australian content by 7% and employment by 6% from the 2009-10 findings.
The 2009 Australian Content Investment survey found:
- STV platform and channel investment into Australian content: $541.4m
- People directly employed by STV platforms and channels: 4,643
Subscription television broadcasts and produces Australian content across the following genres: news, sport, lifestyle, children’s, drama, light entertainment, music, documentary and movies.
Policy Developments
Convergence Review
The Government’s Convergence Review is examining changes to Australian content regulation. Further information is available on the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy website. ASTRA has made several submissions to the Review.The Government’s Convergence Review is examining changes to Australian content regulation. Further information is available on the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy website. ASTRA has made several submissions to the Review.
ASTRA supports the need for a vibrant and sustainable Australian content production industry and recognises that, in the longer term, the industry is likely to require greater reliance on direct and indirect subsidy mechanisms. ASTRA supports:
- an increase in the Producer Offset for television programs to be increased to a level comparable to film
- more flexibility in the funding processes of Screen Australia to better accommodate different content production business models.
However, any significant reform to the regulatory framework for Australian content must be considered in the broader regulatory context. More substantial Australian content obligations should continue to apply to commercial free-to-air television broadcasters while they continue to enjoy additional regulatory privileges and protections.
Screen Australia Review of Television Funding
On 3 May 2011, Screen Australia released its revised Funding Guidelines for small screen production, which took effect from 1 July 2011. Further information is available on the Screen Australia website.
The new guidelines follow a review by Screen Australia of its funding of television production in 2010, and request for comment on a draft blueprint for television funding “Funding Australian Content on ‘Small Screens’: A Draft Blueprint” (November 2010) and draft funding guidelines for further industry comment (March 2011).
ASTRA submissions to Screen Australia:
2010 Review of the Independent Screen Production Sector
In 2010 the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts conducted a review into the independent screen production sector. The report of this review was released on 17 February 2011 by the Minister for the Arts, the Hon Simon Crean MP.
As part of the May 2011 Budget, the Government announced a $56 million support package for the film and television industry including changes to the Screen Production Incentive worth $43 million and direct funding to small budget documentaries of $11 million.
Legislation to implement the Government’s Budget announcement regarding the Producer, Location and PDV Offsets received Royal Assent on 23 November 2011. The changes included lowering the Qualifying Australian Production Expenditure (QAPE) threshold for feature films to $500,000 and numerous other changes to make QAPE easier to calculate for applicants. The amendments will apply to projects which receive Screen Australia investment confirmation on or after 1 July 2011 and do not have Screen Australia investment and that commence pre-production on or after 1 July 2011.
ASTRA submissions in relation to the Independent Screen Production Sector Review: