★★★★★ 0/5

SBS dream: 4 channels, double the content.

2
Leave a comment

In SBS’ next triennial funding submission to the Federal Government, Shaun Brown has outlined a plan to double the number of television channels to four and launch nine digital radio channels by 2013.

The plans include almost doubling the production of original programs – such as EastWest101 and The Circuit – to 250 hours a year and introducing a world channel specialising in foreign-language programs, including international films and subtitled children’s programming.

The plan would boost Australian multicultural programs and offer more services for Asian and African populations.

The Canberra Times reports the plans in a discussion paper Mr Brown released this week. The SBS board has yet to endorse the push but the ideas are expected to be at the core of the broadcaster’s triennial funding submission later this year.

SBS received $188 million in government funds in 2007-08, which it topped up with about $50 million in advertising revenue. Director of Strategy, Bruce Meagher, said the plans meant it would be asking for “a reasonably significant increase” in its funding submission.

The new TV channels, to be launched in 2013, depend on gaining access to an additional channel spectrum after analogue television is switched off.

SBS said these could be an Asian and a European-focused channel or channels split by genre, offering documentaries and sporting events on one, and quirky programs such as Latin American telenovelas and Japanese anime on the other.

The new radio channels would be added to SBS’s existing two channels over the next four years.

Source: Canberra Times

2 Responses

  1. I think SBS will be splitting (or hoping to) the English/non English speaking shows e.g. The Top Gear channel v Inspector Rex channel. Since they advertise it makes sense (to SBS management). I’d be worried if foreign language content is something you liked since it might shrink in the future. SBS HD is a joke anyway so not a real loss in its present form

  2. I remember reading the last triennial funding document a couple of weeks back, and they tried to apply for funding to an extra 2 similar TV channels back then (and a couple of digital radio channels). Who knows if it will happen this time? It would be at the expense of SBS “HD”. This could lead the way to ABC3 and ABC4.

Leave a Reply