Pay TV ‘makes a $0.5bn contribution to the economy’
Pay TV body ASTRA has released findings of a survey which it says demonstrates the industry’s makes a half a billion dollar contribution to Australia’s production economy.
The announcement:
5 October 2010: Subscription television platforms and channels invested $541.4 million into Australian content in 2009, providing opportunity, employment and satisfying Australian consumer demand for local programs, figures issued today by the Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association (ASTRA) show.
The ASTRA Australian Production Investment Survey provides a summary of the scale of investment made in original Australian content across all STV platforms and channels.
The figures include production investment across all STV genres including news, sport, drama, light entertainment, movies, lifestyle, documentaries, music and children’s programming.
ASTRA Chairman, the Hon Steve Bracks, said: “The $541.4 million investment by the subscription industry represents a 26 per cent increase between 2007 and 2009 and clearly demonstrates the significant financial contribution subscription television is making to entertainment in Australia. This survey is indicative of subscription television’s support for Australian talent and content creators.
“These numbers demonstrate subscription television is a significant investor in, and creator of, Australian content,” Mr Bracks said. “With over 34 per cent of Australians enjoying more than 200 channels broadcast on FOXTEL, AUSTAR and Optus STV platforms, subscription television is a significant force in shaping Australia’s media and entertainment sectors.”
And unlike other industry sectors, STV jobs were not lost during the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). Employment rose by 7% from 2007 to 2009. Impressively there was near gender equity amongst the 4,643 staff employed directly by the category in salaried, part time or contract positions.*
FOXTEL and AUSTAR subscription TV platforms are received by 34% of Australians through their homes and over a million more through hotels, clubs and other entertainment and business venues.
“The subscription television audience also grew during the GFC when many households were curbing discretionary spending, confirming that Australians want and value subscription television. As an industry sector, we are innovative, dynamic and very responsive to consumer demands and our investment in local stories reflects this.” Bracks added.
*Staff or crew employed by third party entities (i.e. production companies, publicity, marketing, creative and advertising agencies) are not included in these figures.
About the Survey
The Survey captures data from over 30 organisations, representing 200 channels, and fosters an appreciation for the high level of investment and creative involvement of STV within the Australian production sector.
The survey collects information on subscription television’s investment in the areas of employment and Australian content produced and broadcast for the calendar years 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Estimated viewing share by genre for Subscription Television:
- Light Entertainment 22%
- Drama 11.2%
- Music 2.5%
- Documentary 11.7%
- Kids 13.2%
- Sport 12.6%
- News 3.4%
- Movies 10.6%
- Lifestyle 8.8%
- Other 4.0%
Source: OZTAM, Weeks 30-34 2010
Source ASTRA press release
Subscription television platforms and channels invested $541.4 million into Australian content in 2009, providing opportunity, employment and satisfying Australian consumer demand for local programs,
What a lot of rot! Sure, the tobacco industries made their contribution too in growing and processing and marketing the crap.
Years ago I read a book called “Four Arguments for the Abolition of Television” and the more I see of what comes out of the subs and the so-called free-to-air (one way or another, we pay: there’s no such thing as a free-to-air) television crap, the more I think the book was right.
I’ve just watched some of the London f-t-a channels ove the weekend, and even though there’s still a lot of CRAP, I appreciated the care that was taken by the programmers to ensure that viewing experience is at least cohesive.
In Oz, you’re smacked over the face by a Harvey Norman at every ad break, and they come along all too often. How can a programmer imagine that viewers will continue to watch an engaging film (for example), after interruptions/ eruptions like that.
Nah, the TV programmes contribute to Oz culture can be counted on the fingers of one hand, and the claimed figures are a smelly prelude to Government lobbying for more concessions.
Let me out of here!!
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@paul, relax mate – better yet, turn off your TV and do something else. Nobodies holding a gun to your head and making you watch it. The standard and quality of FTA tv in Australia is actually far better than many other developed nations – have you seen public access in the US? I have pay-tv, the full premium package and love it. I still also watch FTA and think the overall value proposition is good. Your views above smell more like a rant than balanced comment – you got an ax to grind?
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