SBS: “More multilingual content than at any time in our history”
SBS defends its role amid a renewed debate about public broadcasters merging.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under News
SBS says it has defended its role, amid suggestions it should merge with the ABC.
A spokesperson for the broadcaster told the Australian Financial Review, “SBS’s sole focus is on continuing to provide unique services to multicultural Australia at a time when inspiring a greater understanding of the value of multiculturalism has never been more important.
“Our audiences are up 11 per cent and we are using digital technology in a way that no other broadcaster can to reach multicultural communities, with more multilingual content than at any time in our history across all platforms – TV, radio, online and via digital services.”
The comments were made before a senate hearing in which ABC Managing Director Mark Scott recommended the government investigate a merger.
“It’s an analogue solution in a digital world,” he said.
3 Responses
It is a falsity that SBS outbids the ABC for content. They have a much smaller acquisitions budget.
don’t you just love the spin by the SBS . he states more multilingual content but he is actually talking about three different platforms . if we are talking about TV alone there is very little multi lingual programming left other than the news in the morning . everything especially movies has been moved to world movies which you have to pay for on pay tv . I use to enjoy watching the foreign films in prime time on SBS coming form Italian background there use to be movies all the time to watch not any more.hasn’t been for years. .SBS has all English tv programmes and is chasing the ratings ,Its a poor mans version of the ABC with advertising is what it is now. . to say there is more multi lingual content is pure garbage .SBS has lost the plot .the govt should force it to air so many hours in prime time to foreign content .we dont need another ABC
There ratings are up because they have stopped showing foreign language content on SBS during Prime Time. The Bridge and Martial arts film, on at 9:30pm at the end of the week are the only foreign content. The Bridge is targeted at the AB demographic who like Scandavian Noir.
There other major programming addition is an English lifestyle channel targeted at the AB demographic competing against Nine and the The Lifestyle Food channel.
Other than that they’ve got on Trawlermen, Bear Grylls, Great Estates of Scotland, Tony Robinson, 24 Hours in Emergency, BBC’s The Missing, More food porn, Mythbusters and the nth repeat of Neil Oliver’s Sacred Britain from the BBC. Most of which they outbid the ABC for.