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ABC seeks to lift local content

ABC hopes to lift local content in primetime from 43% to 60% within five years.

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The ABC has confirmed its desire to lift its local content in primetime.

Australian content has decreased by 10 per cent over the past five to seven years and was set to be just 43 per cent this calendar year, Fairfax reports.

In contrast, the BBC screens 83 per cent British content in prime time while Canada’s CBC shows 74 per cent local content.

“We don’t think that’s sufficient, especially when you compare to international benchmarks,” ABC director of television Richard Finlayson said.

“It’s obviously really important that the ABC is distinctive and Australian, and we’ve set a vision to be the independent home of Australian culture, stories and conversation. We’d like to get to 60 per cent over the next five years.”

Matthew Deaner, CEO of Screen Producers Australia said ABC must continue to work with the independent production sector and said resources must remain on screen, not in “backroom operations.”

Central to ABC’s agenda will be the next funding round under the Turnbull government, but as a former Communications minister at least there will be some understanding of issues at the highest level.

9 Responses

  1. This is exactly the right strategy for the ABC. It is becoming apparent to all of us that commercial television is in long-term decline and will respond to falling revenue with more cost cutting and less premium content commissioning. Sport, reality, cat videos and branded content will fill their screens. The burden of producing premium Australian content will increasingly fall to the ABC – and they will need the funds to commission in. If successful now is also the time to campaign for an ABC-Independent to ensure the additional funds are spent with the independent sector, and not just get absorbed into the black hole of ABC operating costs over time.

  2. Noting the comments above if the ABC doesn’t get more funding then expect much of this additional content to be cheap talking heads shows. Drama is the last thing that can really increase the hours as it is just too expensive. Another round of middle management removal is the best strategy. I significant saving has ensued from closing ABC shops and ABC product can continue to be sold through commercial outlets if there is a real market for it. But it is true the ABC is very poorly resourced when compared to the BBC and try as the Tories might even under Thatcher they didn’t take a big knife to it like Howard did and Abbott to a lesser extent.

  4. Jack Irish is a top show and I understand being made into a series for 2016. Guy Pearce is a top Aussie actor. Also liked Colin Friels Black Jack movie series. Also didnt mind Serangoon Road before it disappeared with apparently poor ratings

  5. Good news. As a “sometimes” extra, I’ve worked on a few of these ABC shows [Dr Blake, Jack Irish] and the attention to detail and quality of work on set is outstanding. These productions provide great opportunities for Australian actors and production crews alike!!

  6. The BBC was getting 3 times the per capita funding that the ABC gets in a county where they was traditionally much less commercial broadcasting. Though the BBC revenue has been cut and will be cut again after the current review.

    There is not point in making content that nobody is going to watch just meet arbitrary quotas.

  8. Excellent. I have thoroughly loved shows like Ms Fisher and Dr Blake and hope ABC continues to produce such quality dramas. With other paid for viewing networks grabbing BBC shows, its time the ABC stood alone and relied on its own creativity. Of course that depends on whether we finally get a Government that isnt paranoid about the ABC and gives it sufficient monies to develop quality material. ABC shows are consistently superior to the more flashy, but less well developed shows FTA in this country are producing.

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