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Producers call for quota increase

Australian producers are in Canberra today to call for higher content quotas to boost television production.

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Australian producers are in Canberra today to call for higher content quotas to boost television production.

The Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA) is responding to the reduction of spectrum licence fees in this year’s budget for commercial free to air television networks.

Executive Director Geoff Brown said, “Commercial networks have been given massive boost to their bottom line – it’s about time the content creators were acknowledged for the significant role they will play in a successful digital switchover.

“We are not looking for financial incentives, but rather an immediate lift in adult drama, children’s drama and documentary sub-quotas in the Australian Content Standard, applicable to the commercial networks’ digital multi-channels. This would assist the Government’s stated goal of sustaining Australian content through the digital switchover.

SPAA is also calling for ACMA to institute minimum licence fees for television sub-quotas in adult drama, children’s television and documentary.

Attending a SPAA breakfast at Parliament House today are senior producers including Bob Campbell, Brian Rosen, Daniel Scharf, Jenny Lalor and Michael Bourchier, and SPAA President Antony I. Ginnane and Executive Director, Geoff Brown.

SPAA will also be lobbying for its Commercial Producer-Distributor Film Fund proposal and for increased funding for SBS.

14 Responses

  1. Steve: US Trade Agreement deal means if the total Aussie content quota (incl light entertainment, factual etc) drops it can’t go back up. But there are sub quotas within that for drama, childrens, docos and SPAA wants this to go up. There is also the issue of digital channels which SPAA wants put in place by the end of digital switchoff.

  2. The quota system isn’t working because it is out of date, it has to take into account the abundance of domestically produced factual shows that are being put together as cheap filler rather than quality tv. Place a camera in a corner and watch the world go by and thats all factual tv is. It’s cheap and doesn’t take too much of an imagination. Their inclusion in a quota should come with limits.

  3. interesting point Earthquake, I guess Alex’s point can be altered to ‘the commercial networks haven’t made a sitcom in well over a decade, as Kath and Kim started on ABC. That really is quite pathetic, I’m sure that like Packed to the Rafters’ success, or even Modern Family, an American one camera no laugh track comedy, that a good family sitcom would do well here. Just need decent funny scripts, good cast of fresh actors and the money for the networks to invest

  4. Alex, what makes a comedy “technically” a situation comedy?

    I think all of those programmes (as quoted by Reubot) are there to provoke laughter or humour (comedy) and are based on the same premise or setting each week (situation) – and are not sketch shows, so they are sitcoms.

    They aren’t dramedies either like Packed To The Rafters could be an example.

    Something that all those programmes (and I Rock) share is that they were made by either a non-commercial channel or pay TV. But just because those programmes are not on commercial FTA doesn’t mean that they’re not sitcoms.

  5. i say forget increasing quotas and just get rid of the law that says airing NZ shows are as good as making our own and it achieves prety muvh the same thing and it is a silly loophole anyway.

    any increase in quotas will probably just be met with NZ or unaired out of the blue or headland or something. it won’t actually make a difference to amount of shows produced.

  7. Maybe if the Australian entertainment industry actually made shows we wanted to watch, instead of begging for laws to force us to watch them. Then maybe there would be no problem.

  10. Sorry, Alex there have been quite a few sitcoms in the past ten years:
    Kath & Kim
    The Librarians
    Shock Jock
    Sit Down, Shut Up
    Stupid, Stupid Man
    Very Small Business
    Welcher & Welcher

  11. There was once a time when every network had 3 or more Australian made dramas playing at the same time and at least a sitcom each sometimes even 2. Now absolutely nothing, there are times when no dramas are playing at all and those that do run only do so for a few weeks at a time which is absurd. And we have totally forgotton what a sitcom is, we haven’t made one in well over a decade. Bring in these new laws to force the networks to make more Australian dramas and sitcoms and finally put a halt to all this reality/factual rubbish.

  12. Having more Aussie made programming is the only way for our industry and individuals in our country to develop their skills. It’s very important that our networks invest in us and not in buying cheap stuff from overseas.

  13. What they are asking for in the children’s sector, I absolutely agree with. Children’s gameshows, are not a viable long term solution (as they are either usually filling in for their main childrens product, or rotating with another gameshow) when some great products which are viewer interactive and educational, (Wonder World, Wombat, The Shak etc.) have had all long runs.

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