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This was published 3 years ago
Australian kids' shows could face the axe in TV content overhaul
By Zoe Samios
The amount of children's content on commercial free-to-air television will shrink from next year under new rules to be introduced by the federal government that retain overall local content quotas but give networks more flexibility over the shows they commission.
Streaming companies such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube and Stan will also be asked to tell the government how much they spend on Australian content but will not be required to air a certain amount of local programs or films.
Both reforms are likely to frustrate the Australian production industry, which supports the current guidelines requiring commercial networks to produce children's TV and has been calling for local content quotas for the US streaming giants.
Australian programs like Bluey will still be made, but the television networks won't be obliged to air them.
Communications Minister Paul Fletcher, who will announce the changes on Wednesday, said the changes to the Australian content quotas will provide flexibility for commercial broadcasters, which have invested large amounts of money in children's shows despite the small audiences they attract and low interest from advertisers. The changes will remove specific obligations to air shows such as Beat Bugs, Alien TV and The Bureau of Magical Things.
"Almost nobody watches children's content on commercial television," Mr Fletcher said. "Secondly, the drama sector is facing growing competition from the streamers. We are shifting the policy weight ... away from such a heavy reliance on the sub-quotas because we think that tool is not fit for purpose anymore."
Currently, 55 per cent of all content on Australian television must be local and a mixture of Australian drama, children's content and documentaries. Mr Fletcher said the government would retain the 55 per cent threshold but allow the commercial networks to decide the make-up of its local content. For example, Seven West Media, Network Ten or Nine Entertainment Co (owner of this masthead) can invest in dramas like Home and Away or Underbelly instead of kids' programs. There will be a maximum limit on how many documentaries can contribute to total hours of Australian content.
The ability to choose whether to commission drama or documentaries instead of children's programs is expected to reduce the amount of content kids will have available on television screens. Many households now watch children's programs on catch-up services such as ABC iview and mobile devices.
To support the production sector the government will announce an additional $30 million in funding to Screen Australia over two years, $3 million for screenwriting and script development and $20 million to the Australian Children's Television Foundation. The tax offset for television programs and films will be 30 per cent, which Mr Fletcher believes will encourage the television and production sector to commission new content.
"Our direct funding ... complements what the broadcasters might choose to do," he said. "The most popular programs for children are overwhelmingly on ABC and children are high users of downloaded content, streaming content. What we want to do is continue to support Australian high-quality children's TV to be shown in Australia and globally."
Jessica De Gouw and Laura Carmichael in the quota-satisfying Ten series The Secrets She Keeps. The new rules could mean more high-quality local drama. Credit: Network Ten
Currently, commercial broadcasters must show 260 hours of children's programs, 130 hours worth of preschool programs, 250 points of first-release Australian drama, and 24 hours worth of children's drama. Under the new system, the number of points-per-hour gained by a broadcaster will reflect the per-hour cost of the production. Mr Fletcher hopes it will encourage fewer but better quality programs. However, ABC and local production houses raised concerns in July that such rule changes could reduce the number of programs commissioned.
Content quotas were suspended this year as a measure to help broadcasters through the coronavirus pandemic, but broadcasters have been asking for children's obligations to be abolished for years. Earlier this year, Seven West Media threatened to halt production of children's content and scrapped plans for new Australian drama. But the television broadcasters said the rules needed to be relaxed to allow them to compete with global streaming services. The commercial networks have also received government assistance in recent years in the form of licence fee-relief and a relaxation of cross-media ownership rules.
The big winners under the new changes are online streaming services such as Netflix and YouTube, which will remain unregulated until further notice. Mr Fletcher said the streaming services will be asked to report how much they spend on Australian content but the government will not force them to meet a certain standard. Netflix revealed in August it had invested $110 million in Australian original and co-produced children's programs in the past four years.
"It's certainly not a case of ruling out a spend requirement on the streaming video services," he said. "We just think more work is required to look at that issue." Mr Fletcher said he will mandate the reporting of spend if the streaming services do not comply.
The amount Pay TV operator Foxtel is required to invest in local content (currently 10 per cent) will be reduced to 5 per cent. "That's been an increasing anomaly given the streamers don't face any requirements," Mr Fletcher said.
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