No obligations for licence fee “free kick”
Minister admits govt didn't ask networks for any local content increases in exchange for a licence fee reduction.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under News
Free to Air commercial networks were not asked for any conditions in exchange for their $163m reduction in TV licence fees.
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield, appearing before the Senate Estimates hearing yesterday, was asked if the government had discussed obligations such as local content, closed captions or audio description in exchange for a “free kick.”
“The reduction in licence fees recognises that operating in the environment of Free to Air TV is dramatically different to when licence fees were first introduced,” the Minister replied.
“Free to Air TV operations face many great challenges.
“We have indicated we will look at further licence fee reductions but doing that in combination with other areas of media reform.
“In discussion with Free to Airs over a long period of time they have made the point clearly that licence fee reductions do put them in a position to invest in local content.
“We’ve outlined we will look at a pathway to look at of further reductions and look at a broader range of issues as we do that. But it’s important to the Australian community that we have viable Free to Air operations and the government recognises the circumstances in which those operations find themselves.”
This week Screen Producers Australia said it supported reduction in licence fees where there are content obligations leading to an increase in local production.
6 Responses
No surprise no conditions imposed by the Coalition government. When the Labor minister Stephen Conroy slashed their licence fees amounting to around $250 million/year he imposed no conditions either. What we have witnessed over twenty years now is a gradual but constant watering down of Australian content through acquisition of NZ content, redefinition of what an “Australian drama” is with developments such as the inclusion of sketch comedy years ago. The list is long. Without any stability the end result is a continuing exodus of our best and brightest Australian creatives to bigger English language markets where they have good career paths to develop their skills. Our lack of really first class young or mid career screen writers is good evidence of this. I feel very sorry for the generation who successfully won the argument for a proper legal fabric for Australian content only to…
Agreed!!
This.
Of course. Obligations only apply to mere humans. When you ask them of productive members of society such as TV networks, they’re called ‘artificial constraints’ or ‘unfair restrictions’ or ‘interfering with the market’…
(And sincere apologies to David for adding to his workload with my throwaway comments. Your approach to moderation here is appreciated, and I genuinely feel bad whenever I bump up against it.)
Even the infomercials are imported. Commando could easily replace Chuck Norris and Normie Rowe could do what Frankie Valle does. :p
It’s disgusting the lack of quality local content in terms of drama and comedy on FTA TV , if you look at the digital channels its shows are mostly import shows and as for regional cities prime and southern cross provide no local content what so ever how does the govt allow this . Win TV is the only regional network that provides local news none of the others tackle local news with any credibility. It’s just not right and the govt does nothing about it .