Half of Nine’s ‘local drama content’ is from New Zealand
Half of Nine’s first release “Australian” drama is from New Zealand with the network taking advantage of loopholes in the rules governing local content, a new report by media watchdog The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has found.
The report, released today, shows last year 51 per cent of Nine’s content came from across the Tasman Sea compared with just 7 per cent for Seven Network and 4 per cent for Network Ten.
Under trade treaties with New Zealand, television programs from the country may be claimed as “local content” for the purposes of meeting Australian commercial television content obligations, a loophole which Nine appears to have used to full effect last with the screening of Underbelly NZ Land of the Long Green Cloud.
The report also provides the new insight into how the multichannels are being with use with the report finding Nine was providing two thirds of its Australian drama on multi-channels, as well as all children’s programs on Go!
Local audiences do not come from New Zeeland, nor should local content.
We’ll really be in the shit when Abbott and Turnbull scarp the quotas for local content and kids programming altogether!
Why not give the fourth commercial broadcasting licence to a Kiwi broadcaster and then we can get their content first hand?
We can have some new Australian content New Zealand programs re titled ‘The farmer wants a sheep’ or ‘In Wanganui Tonight’ or maybe ‘Big Bro’?
Or a Channel Nine documentary entitled ‘The separation of powers’ dealing with the politics of scrum collapses.
Isn’t it strange New Zealanders cant receive Centrelink benefits but our broadcasters are quite happy to claim them as our own. Funny world.
The ACMA appears to be as strong and competent as the ACCC. The tilivision shows won’t change.