Pay TV spends up

A survey of Pay TV channels has found the sector spent $541.4 million on the production of Australian content last year.

That figure was up 26 per cent compared with 2007. The content extends to beyone drama and comedy.

ASTRA chairman Steve Bracks said the pay television sector had employed 4,643 staff in 2009, mostly in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

“It is creative Australians who have benefitted, those who are contracting to or directly involved in Australian subscription television,” he said.

ASTRA chief executive Petra Buchanan cited shows such as Selling Houses Australia and Australia’s Next Top Model as amongst the sector’s most popular local titles this year.

“We are in the business of choice and diversity and not driven solely by mass ratings,” she said.

“So at any time there is a wide cross section of people watching their particular program of choice.”

Unlike drama quotas on Free to Air channels, subscription TV licensees that broadcast drama are required to invest 10 per cent of their program expenditure in new Australian drama.

Last week Foxtel announced a price increase on its basic channels package whilst introducing more HD channels.

Source: Ninemsn, The Australian