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Networks rinse and repeat

There will be 53 episodes of The Simpsons and 33 episodes of Two and a Half Men in just seven days on Australian TV.

Australian TV networks’ habit of repeating international content is under fire.

A study by The Sun-Herald reveals there will be 53 episodes of The Simpsons on TEN and FOX8 in just seven days.

33 episodes of Two and a Half Men will be played on Nine and Arena in just 7 days (August 26 to September 1).

M*A*S*H will be played 28 times on Channel Seven and Fox Classics and Friends 27 times on 111Hits.

Screen Producers Association of Australia executive director Geoff Brown again drew attention to the $200 million-plus rebate on licence fees while there was no requirement for local content on digital multi-channels.

”The networks were not given that extra spectrum to impose re-runs of F Troop on viewers,” he said.

Networks must currently broadcast an annual minimum quota of 55 per cent Australian programs between 6am and midnight, but this includes all genres including everything from Kerri-Anne to Today Tonight.

SPAA has previously called for future quotas in drama and documentary to be regulated on digital channels.

In the last ten days, two new free to air channels were announced.

Despite its blokey name, Seven’s new digital channel 7mate is dominated by US imports, but TEN is moving Neighbours to become Eleven’s flagship show in 2011, despite not getting any quota points for doing so.

Source: Sun Herald

23 Responses

  1. I wonder who has the rights to the night stalker. I think it was made in the 70’s. I use to watch that on aus star. I thought it was great. Cheesy when compared to today’s special effects. But the actors and story line more than made up for that. Pity most shows today. Don’t try putting story and talent, before special effects.
    Anyway. back on topic. I agree with bella. It is a pity. They don’t bring back some of those shows that haven;t got a dvd collection out there. Some of those old classics. Jeez. Even the love boat would be better than the nanny.

  2. The article is a little misleading. The Simpsons reallt isn’t screened on Ten that much anymore. 6.00pm every weeknight and Sunday, and now only just the simpsons hour with a new episode. The bulk of repeats would be on FOX8 with their three hour weekend morning blocks, and then weeknight repeats as well… Which definatly leads the argument in why people pay for repeats on Foxtel.

    I love the simpsons, especially repeats, but i’m never home from work in time to watch it at 6.00. That leaves only one hour a week in primetime that i could watch it. I dont really see that as saturation, compared to how it used to be.

    But i suppose the quantity of repeats is subjective too. As people have said, clearly people like it, and free TV is about selling ad space first anyway. Why advertise during something that doesn’t rate, especially when repeats are cheaper?

    I think it becomes an issue when its shows people dont like, but it really comes down simply turning to channel onto something else, or off completely, instead. That is the biggest protest in itself.

  3. It’s the viewers fault. People watch these repeats, so why should networks change them? If you want to blame anyone, blame the people who constantly watch these repeats, not the programmers who follow ratings

  4. Totally agree. The Nanny is another show that GO! loves to repeat. It’s on every weekday and there’s a double ep on Saturday and Sunday. It’s a shame that they can’t mix it up a bit?

    It’s a shame they can’t bring back some more old shows that aren’t on DVD or haven’t been on TV since it first aired.

  5. Your annoyance at 2 and a half laughs is understandable and shared. Repeat viewings only make you more annoyed.

    In contrast the first 10 seasons of the SImpsons, which have been repeated for years and years, are definitely worth the repeat views.

  6. I’m open to watching quality television regardless of how old or new it is. But I agree, even with the best shows, there’s a limit on how many repeats of the same episodes you can sit through.

    Foxtel has been a serial offender for a long time now, and yes I’m one of the fools who keeps on paying for the priviledge (I keep fooling myself with the hope that things might improve). TV1 keeps running these ‘mini-sodes’ of certain shows (Good Times being one) that are yet to air in full. Meanwhile repeats of Frasier, NCIS, Hogan’s Heroes, Law & Order etc air ad nauseum.

    Time to vote with my remote!

  7. I’m not a Ten fan boy or anything, but it’s funny that the cheapest commercial network in the country also has the most new Australian content on their digital channel. Sure, most of them are sports panel shows – but it’s still good to hear an Australian accent on a digital channel.

    And now, Ten is going to show Neighbours on 11, will Nine or Seven try and match the extra Australian content on the new channels or will we still be stuck with American and British junk?

  8. we do need the extra channels because otherwise all the new content will sit on a shelf in disuse while repeat after repeat is aired on the main channel. The networks choose old stuff over new and have proven this many times, if only the viewers would wake up and stop watching the repeats.

  9. I think we should introduce a maximum quota for American television on our screens – in particular, a ban on the all the crap CBS feeds to Nine, therefore causing brain trauma to significant portions of the populous.

  10. It really is a disgrace how these networks just play so much crap over and over again. It’s not even the repeats that are so bad, but the amount of times a show is shown in one week. What’s with two episodes a week of Modern Family, Undercover Boss? How many times can we watch NCIS before it gets tiresome? It’s lazy programming.

    Networks are playing it far too safe nowadays. No one takes risks any more and we, the viewers, are missing out!

  11. I am sick of Big Bang Theory repeats on GO! – and I think Big Bang is the best show on TV!

    I dont mind watching an episode again when it has been a while since I last saw it. I would say most people feel that way, otherwise DVD boxsets wouldn’t be as popular as they are. But when the same episode is played multiple times in a matter of months it’s over the top IMO.

    I think the FTA networks should show an episode twice at most (once in a ratings time slot and once in non ratings time for poeple that missed it), then wait a minimum of 12 months for playing it again.

  12. We TVTonight commenters consistently complain about the ridiculous amount of repeats of certain shows, with Nine being the worst FTA offender. However, those shows also consistently rate well enough that the stations are not likely to be stopping any time soon.

    Is there a screening questionnaire for potential OzTAM people-meter recipients where they are asked if they’ll watch 2.5 Men / The Simpsons / programs shown on the ABC last century, and if they don’t tick ‘Yes’ they don’t get the equipment? Or is it just that lots of people are happy to sit and veg-out in front of the same old familiar fare while they digest their dinner?

  13. This is disgusting! There should be legislation to stop this sort of rot! I still can’t believe MASH is still on our TV as for Simpsons, I am sure every episode has aired an excessive amount of times!!!!

    While the networks can get away with it, they will!!

  14. i don’t really blame the networks. the problem is with Australia. if people keep watching 2.5men over and over again 9 don’t really have a reason t take them off. and risk airing something that might not be a much of a sucess and would probably be more expensive.

  15. “despite not getting any quota points for doing so.”

    But does TEN know something we dont? Maybe the new laws mean they have to have quota points?

    To the repeat issue i find it a joke to tell you the truth. The amount of repeats of Two and A Half Men in particular and used as a filler on Nine plus the endless amounts of repeats of Seinfeld and Big Bang Theory on GO! is a bit too much i recon. Oh this isnt rating on GO! so what will we replace it with…….Oh i know Seinfeld and Big Bang Theory!

  16. The level of repeats is crazy but I have some sympathy for the programmers. Two and a Half Men consistently gets around one million viewers on Nine every night no matter how many times the episodes have been shown. That kind of guaranteed audience is difficult to get so I don’t think they really have any choice other than to continue.

  17. Certainly makes you wonder why anyone pays for subscription TV, so many of the programs are available (repeatedly) on “free TV” anyway! But they’re all to blame, TEN are pretty good at repeating The Simpsons ad infinitum and Nine know all about wall to wall 2 1/2 Men.

    More channels are great, but not if all we get are repeats of repeats of 60’s sitcoms and other junk. I can ignore 17 channels as easily as 6 when there’s nothing on worth watching. There’s always my library of DVDs, iTunes, computer games, etc. so I don’t have to watch your crud shows you know. Increasingly I don’t.

  18. That’s a lot of hours to do other stuff!

    With the new 11 channel and The Simpsons move, does that mean even new episodes will be making the move or will they stay on TEN, then re-runs on 11?

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