Pay TV claims investment in local content up 13%
The amount subscription TV invests in local content has increased by 13% on last year, an industry body has claimed.
The Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association yesterday said that $667m went into local content from July 2011 to the end of June this year.
The announcement comes a month after FreeTV, the body that represents Australia’s free-to-air channels, claimed that the five major commercial networks had invested $1.35bn in broadcast expenditure.
The claims by the TV bodies come as the production sector continues to campaign for the implementation of increased local content investment levels. The increased quota was one of the recommendations of the Convergence Review, which media minister Stephen Conroy has been sitting on since May 1.
ASTRA CEO Petra Buchanan said: “The 13% increase in investment in Australian production indicates that in an increasingly dynamic technology, media and broadcast environment, consumers still desire local content.”
“These numbers and recent advances made by the sector demonstrate the ability of STV to adapt and lead the way in managing changing consumer demand and content consumption habits by offering greater choice and convenience, STV continues to advocate for pro-investment, pro-innovation and ultimately, pro-consumer policy settings.”
The results were presented during at an ASTRA breakfast at Parliament House with Conroy.
