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Public broadcasters hold their breath

Tomorrow night the ABC and SBS will learn the outcome of their triennial funding in the government's budget speech.

crossed-fingers“Everyone I meet in government speaks with optimism and enthusiasm about the ongoing importance of the ABC and stresses this in light of all that is happening to others in the media landscape. I hope the dollars follow the noble sentiments,” says ABC boss Mark Scott.

By tomorrow night he’ll know. That’s when the government budget spells out the future of funding for ABC and SBS.

The budget is expected to include funding for a new ABC children’s digital channel, but it is unclear whether there will be additional targeted money for more Australian content and a public affairs channel for the ABC and a further $70 million a year for SBS.

The schedule for the planned ABC3 kids’ channel will depend on how much money there is for new content. The ABC has asked for between $20 million and $30 million a year to run the channel.

The executive director of the Screen Producers Association of Australia, Geoff Brown, called on the Rudd Government to properly fund the ABC and the SBS in the budget.

“We’ve congratulated the Government for proceeding with the kids initiative but let’s see how much is there for acquisitions,” Mr Brown told The Australian.

“If we’re going to move ahead and establish a new digital channel for kids, we need new Australian material that stimulates kids.

“The whole thinking was it would be a strong commissioner and acquirer of new shows. But if they can’t fund that, we’re just left with a repeats channel. Is that going to drive people to digital?”

The economic climate has cast a shadow over the ABC’s bid for additional funding, despite its being a Rudd government election promise to provide funds to allow the ABC to produce the same level of local drama each year as required of the commercial broadcasters.

SBS Managing Director Shaun Brown has asked for an additional $70million a year for the next three years. The SBS’s 2008-09 appropriation was $191 million.

Source: The Australian

10 Responses

  1. Mike Retter, You seem like a passionate former SBS viewer, much like The Australian’s Errol Simper in Monday’s Media & Marketing, who just can’t seem to get over SBS’s ads and ABC1’s watermark… Oh, and the dismissal of the Whitlam Government.

    Hotline; You seem to forget that your friends at the ABC haven’t screened Backchat/Feedback for a number of years too.
    Eat Carpet: This has simply been re-named to Shorts On Screen (SOS).
    The Movie Show: That wasn’t SBS’s fault because Margaret and David left them. not the other way around. They attempted a replacement, but did you see it? No, I didn’t think so because the presenters were rubbish.
    Introduction to movies by a film critic: ABC also hasn’t done this for a number of years too and over 90 per cent of the films SBS airs are still in foreign language.
    SBS Independent: Again, the only thing that’s disappeared here is the name and they still commission some very “challenging” documentaries.
    Masterpiece: It’s still there, usually on Saturday afternoons.
    Top Gear Australia: May I remind you that the local format comes from the world’s biggest and most respected public broadcaster, the BBC.
    Bogan Pride: I’m thinking of ABC1’s, The Gruen Transfer here…
    Nerds FC: What about Compass’s, The Abby?
    SBS World News Australia: I hardly think it’s been “lightened up” when, as I said before, they’ve cut sport down to 20 to 15 minutes.

    Ad breaks during programming: SBS generate more revenue from ads sold within programmes, as opposed to those massive ten minute blocs after shows that nobody watched. This means more and better programming in the long run. And, I’ve only ever seen station promos running over the credits when Big Love was aired, so it sounds pretty rare to me. Anyway, you seem a little to harsh on SBS. It’s still a great network.

  2. I can’t believe people are complaining about the programming currently shown, and using that as a reason for not increasing funding! The whole reason ABC and SBS are unable to deliver everything they wish they could is because they are underfunded.

    SBS has had to turn to in-show ads in order to supplement its revenue, or risk having even less money for producing new shows. Sadly this reliance on ads means more attention needs to be paid to ratings, so the more unique and niche television has not had the prominence it once had. But these are reasons for increases, not the opposite! If SBS had more funding, they would be able to do more hard-hitting shows without so much regard to ratings.

    Despite these funding issues I believe that both SBS and ABC continue to deliver great television for all ages. I barely change to the commercial channels – and with an increase in funding [hopefully] I may never have to see the commercial channels again. Bring on the budget!

  3. I agree with Kirben: Australian content does not equal quality content. The ABC want to up their Australian drama output from 17 hours to between 90 and 100 hours per year. This seems completely ridiculous given the fact they can’t even manage to guarantee the quality of the current 17 hours. Just imagine how much their ratings will sag!

  4. Stan, the following things dont exist anymore

    Hotline (viewer feedback, no surprise why that was axed)
    Eat Carpet
    Movie Show
    Introduction to movies by a film critic
    SBS Independant and the commissioning of challenging docos
    Masterpeice

    Stan the following things have been made or comissioned recently

    Top Gear Australia
    Bogan Pride
    Nerds FC
    A lightened up news bulliten with constant cross promotion with other shows
    Ad breaks during all programming
    ads during the end credits of programming, spoiling the end of a Movie

    There are a few things recently like Newstopia and First Australians that have been quite good. On ballance though the station is much more commercial and is not doing what is set up to do, be a sp[ecial broadcaster. The shows they commission are judged much more on weather they will rate and not “is this special, is it challenging, is this something no other station would produce?”. There is little community involvement because it is now set up like Telstra where complaints get flushed down the toilet. There are a lot of Telstra paralels with the new SBS.

  5. The only recent Australia content funded/produced for kids by the ABC, are Blue Water High and Escape from Scorpion Island. It would be better to focus more on quality content, than simply more Australian content (where quality doesn’t seem to matter).

    4:00 PM – 6:00 PM weekdays on the ABC1 will soon (29th May) be reduced to only repeats, which is the main timeslot for kids shows. While money was wasted buying older content (Australia series), and exclusive content for iView (which is low quality, with all 4:3 content pillarboxed and has much more limited viewers).

    I fear the ABC3 channel, will simply end up as more endless repeats, no matter how much funding the ABC is given. Especially with the 50% Australia content requirement, which I expect will mean more repeats of Australia series.

    The ABC frequently complains about funding, but fails to make the best use of its current funding. Which means focus on the ABC1, in terms of kids programming.

  6. Mike Retter,

    Apart from that waste of time, otherwise known as ‘Toyota World Sport,’ what “popular and high quality programs” have SBS axed?

    Seems like the popular thing to do now, is some good ol’ SBS bashin’…

  7. I think the ABC have proven their relevenece over the past few years. Ratings are up and some shows have been in great tune with public vibe. Summer Heights high echoed through school yards as well as offices. The news and current afairs The ABC offers is of the ighest standard perhaps anywhere. Mixing entertainement with inteleigence, The ABC stands stronger than ever.

    SBS have dramaticly changed over the last few years. None of these changes has been a possative for the consumer. Ad breaks and cancelations of popular and high quality programs. A completet disregard for its pre-existing audience. Now they want 70 million dollars more, but for what?

    My prediction is ABC will recieve adequate funding for 1,2,3 but SBS will not get anywhere neer 70 million without a change of management or some tight, pulling strings attached.

  8. The ABC and SBS will lose funding completely before the government has the guts to admit defeat on the censorship policy (i really hope i’m wrong).

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