The major multichannels definitely can - not sure about some of the minor ones (like the shopping channels)
Yeah and we have a Fetch which makes it easy to as well but itâs extra steps to get into them and so I donât really check the guides for what is there. We have so many channels as it is and recordings from them so it doesnât really worry me personally - itâs much better than the days of 2 channels or 4 channels until mid-2000âs.
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Free TV calls for new approach on Australian Content
Free TV Australia today called on the government to urgently reform the Australian content regulatory framework to provide commercial television broadcasters with flexibility to deliver the Australian content that audiences are demanding.
Commenting on Free TVâs submission to the governmentâs options paper, âSupporting Australian stories on our screens, Free TV CEO, Bridget Fair said: âThe current quota system is like stepping into a time machine straight back to the 1980âs. It clearly needs significant reform.
âWe have seen fundamental change in the media landscape but there has been no significant change in Australian content regulation for almost 20 years.
âFree TV broadcasters remain strongly committed to Australian content, including news and current affairs, entertainment, sport and drama. In fact, viewing figures tell us that Australian programming is more important than ever before. Thatâs why we spend around $1.6 billion dollars every year and why 85% of our programming budgets are spent on Australian programming.
âAustralians love watching Australian programs on their Free TV services. But the current rules are undermining our ability to invest in the local content that our audiences want to watch, and locking us in to delivering quota mandated programs that are increasingly failing to find an audience.
âChildrenâs quota programming is now attracting average audiences of less than 1000 children and costs continue to rise at a rate that inhibits investment in other Australian content that audiences want to watch.â
Free TVâs submission urges the Government to move towards deregulation of quota obligations other than an overall Australian content target, coupled with robust production support and incentives, to better respond to audience demands. As an alternative, Free TV has proposed a simplified points system for commercial television broadcasters that allows broadcasters greater flexibility in how they meet their regulated obligations.
âWe need to get away from a regulatory approach that compels broadcasters to compete with each other, not only in relation to the same type of content, but in the same time-slots, and regardless of whether there is an audience for that content or not.
âThe regulatory framework should incentivise broadcasters to provide a more diverse slate of content in response to audience demands.
âA strong production sector needs a healthy and sustainable commercial broadcasting industry. As advertiser funded businesses, we have to be able to deliver the programs that audiences want to watchâ, Ms Fair said.
Download a copy of the submission here
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Free TV also opposed closing the loophole which allowed shows produced in New Zealand to be counted as Australian content. Just bizarre.
Also:
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Not really - it makes it easier for the networks (particularly Nine it seems from past data) to fulfill their quota requirements by showing a whole bunch of NZ shows - especially during Summer. Of course they wouldnât want such a loophole to be closed.
To be honest, reading the various articles about the regulatory reforms the FTA networks want has really infuriated me. It seems like theyâre essentially saying they donât want to produce dramas and childrenâs programming anymore which is not only unbelievable but just stunning when you think about the long-term ramifications it would have for Australiaâs TV industry.
If I commented about this yesterday, I would have ripped apart the Free TV press release posted above almost line-by-line because I was that angry. Just to take one line as an example:
Of course childrenâs programming is going to get a minuscule audience when itâs âdumpedâ onto a multichannel and (aside from 10 Peach) given no promotion whatsoever. In many ways, the networks reap what they sow
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I donât disagree that the networks should be forced to do far better job when it comes to Australian drama and childrenâs content. But just on this pointâŚ
We canât give too much credit to 10 Peach for their childrenâs programming promotional efforts, because these are typically a single generic promo which only seem to be updated once every 6-12 months or so. Case in point, it took ages for Toasted TV to get a new promo after the Elly Awesome > Lia Walsh transition, while Scope is still to receive an updated promo a couple of months after the Lee Constable > Isla Nakano transition.
Then thereâs the timeslots in which top quality programs like Totally Wild and Scope are buried in - usually in morning when the target demographic are unlikely to watch the shows in full when they really should be on at 4pm weekdays and similarly accessable times of the day.
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You neednât be angry because theyâve wanted this for over a decade. They only do it because they have to. They deliberately pushed kids onto multi-channels because they knew the audience would dwindle.
I see this as setting a new level too - we are about to see content requirements being met by basically phoning it in (yeah, you could say more the normal)
This is extremely problematic and will lead to viewers losing out.
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Good to see theyâre using a recent picture, all of those presenters except Stacey havenât been with 10 for some time and are no longer on the program.
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There is no evidence in the story posted above that Neighbours is under threat. The headline is misleading.
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Not to mention itâs The British market that keeps that show going not local content quotas, and itâs owned by Fremantle not 10
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Fremantle Asia-Pacific CEO Chris Oliver-Taylor said:
There should be some incentives and structure around, say, Netflix and Seven working together, Nine and Stan, Ten and CBS, to make sure they can put their drama offerings on the right platform at the right time, and the free-to-air model can be designed around sport, reality and news.
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