Australian TV drama expenditure has reached a record high of $376 million.
Organisations from across Australia's creative industries have urged the government not to adopt the Productivity Commission’s proposed changes to copyright law.
The Federal Government has unveiled a wide-ranging media reform package, with plans to abolish broadcasting licence fees and conduct a review into Australian and children’s content.
Key organisations from across the screen industry have made a united and formal commitment to work towards building a more inclusive sector.
Australia’s commercial free-to-air broadcasters have asked the government for sweeping changes to local content regulations.
When Bridget Fair, the CEO of Free TV Australia, appeared before Senators on the Inquiry into Australian Content on Broadcast, Radio and Streaming Services in Sydney last week there was no deviation from the commercial broadcasters’ long held position that children’s television quotas should be scrapped.
There is no doubt that the future of children’s television quotas for commercial television is an emotive issue. But rather than hanging on to the current quota arrangements like an old and well-loved security blanket, it’s well past time to really look at whether they are delivering their intended purpose.
Some $1.17 billion was spent on drama production in Australia in the last financial year - the second highest year on record and more than 50 per cent up on the previous year - driven by all-time high expenditure on local content and significantly bolstered levels of foreign spend.