Screen Australia reviews funding

Screen Australia has announced it will review its funding strategy for television production.

Ruth Harley, Screen Australia Chief Executive, said, “It is vital that Screen Australia has a role in ensuring the continued investment in a diverse range of television programming including quality drama, innovative children’s television and documentaries that record matters of national significance. This review will allow us to develop a new blueprint for Screen Australia’s support of the television production industry.

“The television environment is changing dramatically and Screen Australia has not looked at how we fund television drama since the creation of the new organisation. The introduction of the 20 per cent Producer Offset for television allows us to explore how we can play a more active role in the creation of innovative television.”

The review comes at a time when more than half the agency’s funds are directed to television projects.

But it comes at a time when the ABC has has suggested raising the Offset to 40% and for Screen Australia to hand funding over to the public broadcasters – a view not necessarily shared by SBS. The ABC argued for change in its submission to the Review of the Australian Independent Screen Production Sector by the government.

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