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More questions on local content quotas

More media are now beginning to ask about local quota targets for digital channels in the wake of the $250m Rebate.

In the wake of the government’s $250m TV license rebate, suddenly media has begun asking about local content requirements on digital channels such as 7TWO and GO!

Those very questions were posed on TV Tonight last week.

Today The Australian features an opinion piece by Simon Whipp, assistant federal secretary of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, who writes:

However the minister has forgotten one important section of the US free trade agreement, the section that addresses the free-to-air multi-channels such as the Nine Network’s Go! and Seven Network’s 7Two.

This is rather surprising given his department, as we speak, is reviewing the application of local content rules to these additional channels.

There are no obligations on the free-to-airs to screen local content on their multi-channels.

The US free trade agreement, however, actually allows the additional application of local content rules on them within certain parameters; that is, the content standard can be applied to no more than two multi-channels.

Last night Media Watch also weighed in, with Jonathan Holmes stating:

Under the US Free Trade Agreement, Australia undertakes not to increase the 55% quota for Australian content on its main commercial free-to-air channels.

But it does have other options. What’s not been mentioned much is that last December, just as it was doing its deal with the networks, the government quietly called for comments on a discussion paper about: “Content and Access: The future of program standards… on digital television multi-channels.”

Last week TV Tonight raised the specific issue of the US Free Trade Agreement limitations and noted the quotas can be applied to digital channels, which Senator Conroy has conveniently avoided.

It’s good to see more media finally picking up on this point.

Conroy should have set future local content targets for 7TWO, GO! and ONE as part of the $250m rebate and the independents and the Opposition could weigh into this argument before passing it in the Senate.

Source: The Australian, Media Watch

7 Responses

  1. The Australian content on digital dramas need to be different to whats on the main channel (more cult style of dramas and comedies) otherwise they should just stick to what they are doing now.

  2. @ jaon………. what job do you do…….. as an actor, you have a remote control to cast your decision on watch you watch, but im sorry that work like ‘Summer Heights High’, ‘Underbelly’, ‘Pack To the rafters and ‘Rush’ are just not in the class of the ‘Bold & The Beautiful’s’ you probably watch. What an ignorant comment…..

  3. Just because some Australians want nice jobs in TV doesn’t mean the rest of us have to sit through the rubbish that they churn out. I love having No Australian content on Go and No Australian personalities in the promos.

    I find Australian things on TV dumb and condescending and full of upper class twits who think they are interesting.

  4. The best way, is to guarantee a twenty percent local content quota (5% of it city based) for multichannels.

    But, this would only apply to “general entertainment” commercial multichannels.

    If you have a specific genre, e.g, sport, news etc. this quota won’t apply, to encourage growth of genre-specific FTA networks.

    The 5% city based quota, for example would allow Seven to air the East Coast version of Today Tonight into Adelaide/Perth on the main channel, while the local version remains and airs on 7Two.

  5. Even if not 55%, the government must bring in some local content requirements. This would undoubtedly mean that most content would be repeats of local programmes, whereas now it is repeats of foreign programmes. At least with some quota requirement money would be flowing to Australasian producers to use the repeats, rather than directly to large U.S. TV networks.

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