Producers want content quotas for digital channels

Australian TV Producers want the Federal Government to increase content quotas for Drama, Children’s TV and Documentaries and the difference be applied to digital channels.

The Screen Producer’s Association of Australia says the content increase should be applied in conjunction with the $250m license rebate the government allocated to commercial Free to Air broadcasters earlier this year. At the time the government said it was to ensure Australian content is upheld, amid a changing technological landscape.

SPAA recently lobbied politicians in Canberra over its plans and says both sides of government are listening.

Geoff Brown, Executive Director of SPAA, told TV Tonight, “What we’re looking for out of Canberra is a bit of quid pro quo for the licensing fees that the government awarded to the commercial networks. We’re not looking for $250m dollars. We would argue there is capacity to meet the Australian content standards, but nonetheless if the argument is that’s that justified on the retention of content then there should be complementary measures put in place.”

So far there are no local content requirements on digital channels but they have not been ruled out in the future.

“We’re not sure where the content standards will apply across three or four channels per network. But in the interim we think there is capacity to increase the sub-quotas for (Adult) Drama, Children’s Drama and Documentary.

“They should retain the basic sub-quotas for the primary service and what additional quota is applied should go on the multichannels.”

The US Free Trade Agreement that the Howard Government signed decrees that Australian content, which includes all genres, would not be able to be increased, but there is room to move on sub-quotas.

“If it’s ever reduced it cannot be brought back to its original levels,” says Brown. “But within that quota they can increase the sub-quotas for (Adult) Drama, Kids and Docos. That is allowed under the Free Trade Agreement.”

SPAA also recognises a timeline needs to be resolved. Suddenly adding quotas to digital channels would impact on regional networks, with the Mildura region having switched entirely to digital last week.

“We know the government is supportive but they’re looking at the timing issue. We do know there are some practical problems in terms of digital switchover, because you’re doing regionals first,” he says.

“Getting the regionals to carry a sub-quota increase where they are not the prime providers of television, but just take feeds, is an issue that we understand.

“But what we would like to see is a commitment from government as early as possible that at switchover in 2013 there will be additional quota obligations on multichannel services.”

SPAA is asking the government to increase the 280 points awarded to Drama to 380 points. This could pave the way for new creative forms of drama.

“We recognise that it won’t be Drama at $750,000 an hour because of the economics of those channels. It will probably be different forms of Drama. It might be more comedy focused or experimental, as a way of seeing whether programmes might work to be brought over to a primary service.”

There are also calls for New Zealand content, which qualifies as local content, to be equitable with Australian drama and not merely purchased cheap for local points by Australian networks. While the ACMA standard minimum license fee is $330,000 an hour for Australian productions, networks are picking up NZ shows for $15,000 an hr.

Brown says, “We would like ACMA to introduce minimum license fees per genre for Docos, Kids and (Adult) Drama. So in order for a network to qualify for Australian points under the content standard, this minimum license fee would have to be paid to the Producer.

“The fact is the networks are being cynical. They’re buying this stuff cheap, they’re programming and scheduling it late at night, they’re doing it just make points.

“We would have no argument if a NZ programme was paid $300,000 an hour minimum license fee for (Adult) Drama, scheduled at 8:30pm in primetime in a ratings period.

“No argument. If it’s good enough, that’s fine.”