Why is Free TV making Albanese attack ads?
If you’ve seen the latest Free TV commercial, you may very well have mistaken it for a Liberal Party campaign advert.
A family is watching what is presumably a free-to-air sporting match on TV, as is their God-given right as Australians. The sporting match is reaching a heady peak, as demonstrated by cheers, before the TV suddenly cuts to black.
“The Albanese Government is about to make your cost of living tougher”, booms that stern, stentorian voice, well known to a generation warned about video piracy in the 1990s. The blackened TV screen displays a similar warning: “The Albanese Government wants you to pay.”
“They want you to pay to stream your favourite sport,” the disembodied voice bellows.
“There goes our tax cuts,” moans the father. “And our energy rebate,” adds the mother.
The child sits there, horrified as she’s forced to contemplates a world in which pay television broadcasters buy up monopoly rights to televise important and culturally significant sporting events.
“It’s Un-Australian”, the voice tells us, as the family, suddenly flanked by other sporting fans start cheering “Free Sports. Free Sports.”
“Stand up and make your voices hear.” the voice implores you, as the family rise from the coach. “Stand up for a free sporting nation!”
Then the camera pans into the face of the sports-deprived girl as she begs, Oliver Twist style down the lens: “Please keep sports free.”
[END SCENE]
[WIPE PATRIOTIC TEARS]
You can watch it here, it’s quite something.
Now, a few questions. Why is Free TV releasing what appears on the surface to be an Albanese attack ad, during a pre-election period when it is most likely to be mistaken as one?
Were they concerned that people would make this mistake – or indeed, is this the point?
Would the above mistake, in fact, be a mistake? It is, after all, a direct hit campaign on the Albanese Government, with all the same rhetoric, and beats of a political ad. In a two-party system (which we have, despite the best, brief efforts of the Lower Excise Fuel and Beer Party), an attack ad against the Albanese Government is, in fact, in service of the Coalition.
So, it’s a political ad. In this case, doesn’t it breach the advertising standard for political advertising on TV, which must include the ‘required particulars’ information, which is the stuff they rush and mumble at the end of each political ad explain who authorised and spoke the message?
Also, isn’t the Albanese Government one of the biggest spenders (advertisers) on free-to-air television? Why would the free-to-air networks sanction an attack ad on their biggest spender by the peak body meant to represent its best interests?
It’s a curious decision, but if that advertisement doesn’t get your blood boiling at the prospect of paywalled CTE, then you are, indeed, un-Australian.
We’ve contacted Free TV with a few of the above questions. CEO Bridget Fair sent a response which included the below line.
“The ads mention the Albanese Government because it is the Government’s legislation that we are seeking to be amended. All applicable requirements in relation to political advertising have been complied with in relation to the campaign.”
Visit freeforeverybody.com.au to learn more.
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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If they’re being served up on FTA no one will see it anyway.
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You make a very good point Nathan. Yes it does look like an Anti-Government / Coalition ad.
Free TV’s emphasis stretches with lines such as “There goes our tax cuts” and “Our energy rebate,” as being costs we have to pay for.
However, Free TV didn’t seem to be at all concerned when the previous Coalition generously removed the broadcast fees (that lost government income had to be footed by us tax payers), and also wiped out children’s TV requirements resulting in the closure of the majority of the Australian children’s TV producers.
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No disrespect taken 🙂 I’m afraid I can’t explain the situation as well as I’d like because I can’t make sense of it either.
For what it’s worth, the Liberals and Nationals haven’t yet proposed any amendments.
What Free TV actually wants is better explained in the article titled “Access to local TV services and free sport threatened by proposed legislation, warns Free TV” on another website, than on the dedicated campaign website, or in Free TV’s media releases.
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“Also, isn’t the Albanese Government one of the biggest spenders (advertisers) on free-to-air television? ”
So, let me get this straight, Albo is wasting our hard-earned tax dollars on essentially government propaganda for a dying industry that no one even watches anymore apart from boomers? Is that really what you’re trying to tell us, Nathan?
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While the ad is taking a questionably over-partisan approach, the issue it refers to deserves some consideration.
The small group of commercial FTA TV broadcasters is arguing that legislation currently before federal parliament will continue the status quo of anti-syphoning rules only applying to over-the-air broadcasting. While what is needed is extending the powers of the holders of broadcasting licences to also have first dibs on distribution by other means.
Funnily enough, the government claims to be doing what the broadcasters want. Note in the legislation’s explanatory memorandum: “The new scheme would prevent media content services (including, but not limited to, streaming services) from acquiring a right to televise, or otherwise provide coverage of a listed event to audiences in Australia, until a free-to-air broadcaster has a right to televise the event on a broadcasting service.”
Importantly, the definition of what is a “broadcasting service” (or more specifically, a “regulated television service”) is determined by the legislation and the Minister. The new legislation specifically includes the freely available online services of the current broadcasters and related corporate entities (in section 130ZZJ).
The memorandum continues: “This would extend the scope of the current scheme and mitigate the risks of the coverage of listed events migrating behind a paywall, or consumers otherwise facing additional costs to access this content. This will be a positive reform for Australian audiences as it will enhance the likelihood of free coverage of listed events.”
Perhaps the broadcasters have legal advice that things won’t in practice work this way. Or perhaps they’re just trying to ensure the Coalition passes the legislation more-or-less as it is.
Something else the FTA broadcasters may be worried about is Kayo Freebies becoming a “regulated television service” through the approval of a Communications Minister.
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OK so I’m going to have to plead ignorance.
As far as I can tell, the government has no interest/investment in the private organisations that:
a) bid for broadcast rights (the networks & streaming services), or
b) the sporting codes who put the rights to market.
It follows the definition of a free market, where the parties must compete with one another to secure these rights.
So how exactly does the Albanese govt want you to pay for sports, and how would a coalition govt change the course?
As the name suggests, please explain it to me like I’m 5 (no disrespect to ‘mc’)
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It should be labelled a political advertisement then, and, come with a fact checked disclaimer. Continual white anting of the government by adherents to LNP philosophy utilising the so called free tv group should be called out for what it is rather than proclaiming this type of misinformation as valid. It speaks to the expression of personal political views being vented by the top-level administrative employees of free tv and exploits the company advertising budget to do so. I would remove the proponents of this strategy from any employment, or association with the free tv organisation. I am fully in support of free to air sport, SO IS THE ALBANESE GOVERNMENT I would suggest. We are more likely to see free to air sport supported by a Labor government than by a LNP one.
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Its an ad with a political and or financial motive it should have a review as to its nature . ita clearly political
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