Australia’s commercial free-to-air broadcasters have asked the government for sweeping changes to local content regulations.
The Australian Directors’ Guild has implored the Federal Government not to dismantle the current local content quotas without having a viable alternative in place.
The ABC has strongly rejected the commercial free-to-air broadcasters’ demands that it restrict its role to providing programming which they cannot or will not provide.
Foxtel has proposed stripping away Screen Australia’s funding for drama and documentary and using the money to cover the costs of raising the Location and TV Producer Offsets.
SBS has formally made a pitch for a fully-funded content quota on its primary channel, subject to increased government support.
Some producers are dismayed at the Australian networks’ preference for short-run dramas while others believe broadcasters still have an appetite for returning series.
Industry guilds and the free-to-air broadcasters alike have expressed dismay over the Federal Government's move late last week to extend the Post, Digital and Visual (PDV) and Location Offsets to online platforms, arguing the government has missed an opportunity to introduce further policies that could benefit the local industry.