ABC docos could be History

The ABC says direct funding of  its History documentaries should maintained for viewers and industry.

ABC Director of Television, Kim Dalton, told the Screen Producer’s Association Conference yesterday that continued funding of its History Initiative with Screen Australia, its History documentaries was crucial to its Charter.

“In association with Film Australia, and subsequently Screen Australia, the ABC has produced an impressive slate of documentaries out of the History Initiative,” he said.

“With $15m of tied federal Government funding and a further $7m from other sources including the offset, State agencies, distribution commitments and ABC licence fees, a coherent slate of 23 hours of high quality programs were made available to all Australians. And they watched them, literally in their millions. The structure of this arrangement allowed the ABC to plan, produce and curate a slate of history programs.

“The initiative provided both the ABC and the independent production industry with certainty and the ability to plan, and Australian audiences with a completely accessible and high quality library of documentary films.

“The ABC / Screen Australia agreement around the History Initiative runs out this year and the ABC is making strong representations for its continuation. We are proposing that in the interests of reaching all Australians, of maximising audiences and of delivering certainty to producers the ABC should be funded directly to curate a continuing slate of history programs.”

Dalton says the documentary production sector has gone backwards in recent times but could benefit under a national broadcaster with a funded documentary stream.

“Direct support of the national broadcasters to produce such content would eliminate double processing, create certainty for industry, support the ABC in satisfying its Charter and provide audiences with high quality and diverse TV.”

The all comes as Screen Australia is proposing to reduce its documentary funding streams from 5 to 3: a National Documentary Program for a projects of national significance, a General Documentary Program and a Signature Documentary Program.