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Government grants big rebate for networks

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy will give TV networks a 33 per cent rebate on their annual licence fees of $287 million.

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Communications Minister Stephen Conroy will give TV networks a 33 per cent rebate on their annual licence fees of $287 million.

Senator Conroy said networks were facing challenges, including the switch to digital TV and a decline in advertising spending. The minister says the rebate will ensure the delivery of Australian content.

”Broadcasters have a unique role in preserving our national culture and the commercial television sector invests hundreds of millions of dollars each year in the production of local content,” he said.

”The government recognises that the commercial broadcasters will require assistance to maintain Australian content production, while investing in a new delivery platform.”

But the rebate imposes no additional requirements on the networks and is unable to increase the quota on local content.

Next year they will receive a rebate of 50 per cent.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

6 Responses

  1. As far as I know the handout was conditional. The condition included to boost Australian content but all what we get is more American crap. Australian FTA station are a total insult for anyone who is using still some gray matter.

  2. Since that is our money we can say we all have pay TV. The networks are going to have an easier time by playing better shows and broadcasting them parallel to US and UK broadcasts or people will continue to use channel bittorrent, At least this cash injection can assure us all of the typical left wing slant by them media.

  3. I think the FTA stations,should thank there lucky stars,over the past couple of years or so.Another piece of the puzzle that certainly effects Foxtel,unfortunately

  4. Since these rebates were handed out without any additional requirements or commitments to Aussie content (than currently required), we can only speculate whether that premise is simply a whitewash excuse for sweetening up the networks to not criticise Labor’s policies during the elections run-up.

    Particularly when Conroy (ACMA) has such unpopular concepts as his mandatory ISP Censor that he doesn’t like being exposed for what it is. The commercial networks almost never mention it, let alone criticise it, and Labor is less than open about it in their own policy documents.

    If the general public understood more about the proposal than the wowser propaganda spin that Conroy reels off, they might reconsider supporting Labor.

  5. All while “local” station-based content is either becoming increasingly advertorial, or is axed due to “cost-cutting”.

    ACMA, put out your teeth and institute a points system for local city-based content, like used in regional areas.

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