As the world awaits the outcome of the 2024 US Presidential election, one of the early casualties may be the government's plan to introduce streaming quotas this year, with Arts Minister Tony Burke reportedly delaying the legislation.
The Arts Department has received legal advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) about the impact of the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement (FTA) but has declined to tell a Senate enquiry how it has shaped their proposed local content quota models for streamers.
More than 20 organisations from around the world, including SPA and NZ's SPADA, have signed a joint statement calling on governments to require global streamers such as Netflix and Prime Video to make "fair and proportional" contributions to local content in the markets in which they operate.
Industry stakeholders are seeking clarification from the Federal Government about the place of documentary in the incoming streaming regulation, after the genre was omitted in the models proposed in the Targeted Consultation Paper.
Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance chief executive Erin Madeley argues that with the Australian screen industry on the cusp of a growth period, it can’t afford to forget the workforce who drives it forward.
The Federal Government has committed $4.2 billion in funding for the public broadcasters over the next three years, while concurrently outlining the next steps in its media reform agenda.