Screen guilds attack broadcasters’ $1.35b investment claim as FreeTV calls argument ‘sterile’
The three major commercial networks spent less than $65m last year on meeting their Australian content program obligations local drama and documentary, claims a representation of Australia’s screen creative guilds.
This conflicts with the claims of $1.35b broadcast expenditure by FreeTV Australia, the industry body which represents the three commercial networks.
With the Convergence Review close to handing down its decision on local content regulation across free to air multi-channels, the opposing groups have been lobbying hard on the subject.
While the networks believe the current local content quota is sufficient, the guilds are lobbying for quota to stretch across the multi channels, which currently have no content regulations.
This debate is really annoying me. Channel 9 is owned by private equity company CVC Asia Pacific, which owes $3.8 billion to a range of creditors, including Goldman Sachs and American hedge funds. Channel 10 is performing well below average with some disastrous investment choices, Aussie content has performed so badly for the network that their current and only option is to fast track US content.. add to this the cost of numerous digital channels and you wonder why this debate is happening at all.
Would increasing the quota to 40 hours not just force the networks to reduce the level of individual investment? This argument isn’t forcing them to invest more money in Australian production which would result in a better quality product but just produce more of the same, below standard content we’re getting now! Networks need viewers. Viewers are looking for quality television and they’re willing to look elsewhere on any platform in order to get it.
Aussie content doesn’t rate well. Advertisers don’t buy space on networks that have struggling demographics. It makes absolutely NO business sense to force them to buy more product that doesn’t deliver ratings or advertisers!