They wouldn’t if there was not the legislated quota.
2 Likes
###FREE TV WELCOMES LICENCE FEE REDUCTION
AS AN IMPORTANT STEP TOWARDS IMPROVING OUR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS
Free TV has welcomed the passing in Parliament this week of the 25 percent reduction in licence fees for commercial television licensees.
Free TV CEO Brett Savill said, “The Federal Government’s decision to reduce television broadcasting licence fees from up to 4.5% of gross revenue to up to 3.375% is a welcome step towards improving our international competitiveness. The industry looks forward to continuing to work with the Communications Minister on further cuts in 2016 that were foreshadowed in his budget statement.”
The Government earlier in the year indicated that it will consider further reductions in broadcasting licence fees later in 2016 as part of a broader package of reforms that will include consideration of the pricing of broadcasting spectrum.
“The pace of change is unrelenting and licence fees must be reduced to international best practice levels. The commercial free to air television industry is thriving in markets such as the UK, where the Government has proactively reduced licence fees by 97% between 1995 and 2011.
“We will continue to work with the Government and the Parliament to ensure the public interest in a strong and healthy free to air broadcasting sector,” Savill said.
1 Like
###New TVC for Freeview
Freeview has launched a new episode in its popular ongoing TV campaign for FreeviewPlus starring The Freemans family. Dougie the dog returns to centre stage in the sequel to last year’s favourite instalment with Dog Day Afternoon II.
The new 30-sec TVC shows the race to the couch (and more importantly, the FreeviewPlus remote) between dad and dog. As with previous spots, this is a light-hearted look at the simplicity of using FreeviewPlus and the great choice of programming.
“We continue to have great feedback from consumers on The Freeman series, with Dougie the dog emerging as a favourite character, so we’re very happy to give him top billing in this TVC.
“The campaign has made a significant contribution helping FreeviewPlus achieve 20% market penetration,” said Freeview CEO Elizabeth Ross.
The Keeping up with the Freemans campaign first launched in November 2015 and this is the eighth spot in the series.
FREE TV REJECTS UNWARRANTED BAN ON THE PROMOTION OF BETTING SERVICES DURING LIVE SPORT
Commercial free to air television broadcasters have today rejected an unwarranted ban on the promotion of betting services during live sporting events on TV, proposed by the Federal opposition.
“Commercial broadcasters already have the most comprehensive, targeted set of restrictions on the promotion of betting services of any media platform in Australia,” Free TV CEO, Mr Brett Savill said today.
These measures include a ban on the promotion of live odds during play, as well a ban on the promotion of odds by commentators and their guests for 30 minutes before and after play.
These restrictions are in addition to the family viewing time safeguards that prohibit:
• all advertisements relating to betting and gambling during any programs classified G between 6am and 8.30am, and 4pm and 7pm
• all advertisements relating to betting and gambling during any program that is broadcast between 5.00 am and 8.30 pm and that is principally directed to children, regardless of the classification.
These strong protections were endorsed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority which registered the current Code in November 2015 following extensive consultation to ensure it provided appropriate community safeguards.
Complaints about betting are low, and broadcasters have demonstrated very high levels of compliance to the Code over a sustained period.
The recently published Australian Gambling Statistics indicate that total sports betting turnover represents less than 4% of total gambling turnover.
Introducing new restrictions which single-out free to air television - which continues to be the most heavily regulated media platform in Australia – is entirely unnecessary.
In fact, doing so would risk regulatory by-pass and put commercial free to air broadcasters at a competitive disadvantage compared to other media platforms, while failing to achieve the policy intent.
FREE TV WELCOMES MOVES TO FORCE MULTINATIONALS TO PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE
Commercial free to air television broadcasters have today welcomed the Government’s introduction of legislation to force multinational tax avoiders to pay their fair share.
“We strongly support measures that require foreign multinationals to be on a level tax playing field with their Australian based competitors,” Free TV CEO, Mr Brett Savill said today.
Without these measures, foreign multinationals will continue to avoid paying tax placing them at an advantage to their Australian competitors.
“In addition to paying corporate taxes, Australian free to air broadcasters already face the highest licence fees in the world—115 times higher than in the United States,” Mr Savill said.
Despite competing against services that are unregulated, pay little or no Australian taxes, and do not invest in local content production, Australia’s commercial free-to-air broadcasters are responsible for $6 out of every $10 spent on domestic content.
Over 13 million Australians watch commercial free-to-air services every day. Australians continue to rely on commercial free to air television to watch their news, sport and current affairs.
Fixing multinational tax avoidance is an important initial step towards fairer competition.
“We will continue working with the Government on reducing the outdated licence fees as the next critical step in ensuring Australians can continue to enjoy their favourite Australian drama and live sport free on TV,” Mr Savill said.
OUTDATED AND OUT-OF-STEP: TIME TO SCRAP THE TV BLACKOUT
Tonight’s commencement of the blackout period for television political advertising in WA is yet another reminder of how out-dated this restriction is.
“In an age where political parties are using multiple platforms to reach out to voters, it makes no sense to continue to apply a restriction to just one form of media,” Free TV spokesperson Ms Pam Longstaff said today.
This restriction comes from legislation passed 25 years ago—well before the advent of social media, the proliferation of online news sites, Pay TV and high-speed internet access.
“From midnight, the online news and Facebook feeds of Western Australians will be flooded with political ads—as marketing budgets are switched from broadcast to social media,” Ms Longstaff warned.
Free TV is again calling for this outdated restriction—that applies only to commercial broadcasters—to be removed.
“There is no reason for this restriction to continue to exist in 2017. It only serves to put commercial broadcasters at a disadvantage to all other media and is entirely at odds with modern marketing techniques,” Ms Longstaff said.
It’s time for the blackout period to be abolished and for political advertising regulation to catch-up to the rest of Australia.
2 Likes
Aussie viewers love TV on their terms
-
1.2 billion minutes of TV streamed last month
-
Free Video on Demand eclipses Subscription Video on Demand
Australians’ love affair with TV continues, streaming an unprecedented 1.2 billion minutes of catch-up and live streaming TV in the past month, according to the latest OzTAM VPM 28 Day Rolling Report.
In addition, 5.14 million Australians – the highest-ever number – are streaming Free Video on Demand (FVOD) content, eclipsing 3.53 million for Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD)*.
Strong content across tenplay, 9Now, PLUS7, ABC iview and SBS on Demand has driven the increase, particularly Seven Network’s My Kitchen Rules, Nine Network’s Married at First Sight, Network Ten’s Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, SBS’s Vikings, and ABC iview’s Newton’s Law.
The results also reflect the success of free-to-air TV innovations like the Freeview FV mobile app and FreeviewPlus, allowing Australians to watch catch-up TV anywhere, anytime.
Freeview CEO Elizabeth Ross said people are increasingly focused on convenience and flexibility and how they watch TV is no exception.
“We’ve seen a big appetite for our streaming products that give viewers access to the best of TV, for free, on whatever device they choose.
“This time 10 years ago, Australian viewers only had access to five free-to-air channels, whereas today we have more than 25. TV is everywhere and any time, and with streaming services supplementing traditional TV viewing, it looks certain that we have entered a golden era of TV.
“It’s great to see such significant growth in catch-up TV consumption, which by and large has been in addition to traditional TV consumption. Australians are still watching, on average, 2 hours and 39 minutes of broadcast television on their TV each day1,” said Ross.
Freeview is the free digital television service in Australia which delivers clever, easy-to-use digital products so Australians can watch their favourite TV programs, anywhere, anytime.
Launched in November last year, Freeview FV delivers live streaming from 20 free-to-air TV channels and catch-up content from all networks with just one click. FreeviewPlus is a world-leading hybrid TV service which gives Australians access to all available catch-up TV programs in one place, on their TV.
*Nielsen DRM February 2017, Unique Audience Figure.
1Australian Multi-Screen Report Quarter 4 2016
1 Like
FreeTV - media releases, always provide a good laugh
3 Likes
Conveniently ingoring community television from the early 1990s, and the ABC’s multichannels.
4 Likes
Not to mention the SBS World News Channel (which ended in 2009 in favour of SBS TWO > SBS2 > SBS VICELAND). If they count at all, also the various network VPGs and the “Digital 44” datacasting trial that ran only in Sydney.
To be truthful, Australian viewers would’ve had access to between four and six free to air channels (depending on where they lived, of course) on analogue this time ten years ago. And even now, most regional areas still don’t have access to all the channels that those in metropolitan areas do.
3 Likes
Yes! Prime and Southern Cross have both added the Victorian racing channel but are seemingly not willing to negotiate with Seven to add 7flix; and Prime, SC, WIN and Imparja are all at fault for not adding the full suite of digital channels.
5 Likes
To be fair though I don’t think any of those could be counted as any sort of significant “choice”
4 Likes
Proposed changes to regulations regarding sports betting adverts include banning live adverts siren to siren.
No surprises that FTA is against this move, but it would also extend to Foxtel. According to ABC, the sporting associations are the biggest opponents.
Paywall: Sports betting ads to be banned ‘siren to siren’
The Australian understands that Communications Minister Mitch Fifeld will go to cabinet on Tuesday with the proposal that would affect all betting advertising from “siren to siren”, or from the start to the finish of games.
Malcolm Speed, the executive director of the Coalition of Major Professional and Participation Sports, which represents all of Australia’s major codes, has also protested about the prospect of more restrictions. “We don’t support a ban on sports betting advertising, on the basis that it is likely to impact on media rights deals or the value of media rights, which is the sports’ greatest asset,” Mr Speed told The Australian.
As part of the deal, the federal government is expected to engage in a trade-off with free-to-air TV networks, which is likely to see them use the deal as leverage to have their licensing fees reduced. It is not yet clear whether a similar deal will be struck to compensate subscription television.
The commercial networks have only themselves to blame for this. They have integrated the betting agency live adverts into their broadcasts to such an extent that they are impossible to avoid. NRL and AFL seem to be the worst offenders with no or little distinction between program content and a paid spot. One of the main criticisms is that betting adverts are banned during children’s viewing hours under the Commercial TV code of practice but live sport, news and current affairs are exempt - if there is a reason to protect children from expose to adverts at some times why not not all the time. I’d be interested to see how this is also going to affect coverage of various racing carnival where the whole event is based around gambling.
2 Likes
The proliferation of betting agency advertising during the early evening has led to family members ceasing the tradition of having commercial television news on during dinner time. They feared the bombardment of such advertising was normalising gambling for their children. There’s rarely an ad break during Nine News that doesn’t contain an ad for Ladbrokes, Sportingbet, William Hill, Lottoland, the TAB etc. Entire segments are now being sponsored by a betting agency.
You have to wonder if this short sighted greed by networks is going to accelerate the decline of younger viewers watching free to air TV when there are many parents making an effort to keep their kids away from this stuff.
Mitch Fifield to dodge Senate vote on betting-ad ban
Rather than take the risk of legislating a ban through a difficult Senate, it is believed Senator Fifield has struck a deal in private talks with broadcasters to give effect to the ban through amendments to the broadcasters’ codes of practice.
Any amendments to broadcasters’ codes of practice would carry full regulatory weight because they would constitute legally binding measures registered with ACMA. As with a ban on “live betting” ads on TV, introduced in 2013, ACMA would be proposed to have full regulatory powers for enforcing the ban.
It is believed a cut in licensing fees for FTA networks will be announced in the budget.
In the budget next week: Commercial television licences to be scrapped in the budget and replaced by a cheaper spectrum fee; gambling ads during sport to be restricted before 8:30pm, racing and lotteries to be exempt from the restrictions; the 75% reach rule and the 2 out of 3 ownership rules both to be removed; and the anti-siphoning rules changed to remove some international soccer, rugby and tennis matches.
Will it all pass the Parliament?
1 Like
If the reach rule was repealed, WIN would have money on the table to buy TEN the next morning
I’m sure SCA and Prime would like to be bought out but I don’t see Seven or Nine interested in buying them/their television assets
The Australian has a longer ‘exclusive’ that includes this:
Ten Network Welcomes Media Reform Package.
Urges Parliament To Support Australian Media Companies.
Ten Network Holdings Chief Executive Officer, Paul Anderson, today welcomed the Government’s announcement that it will abolish commercial television licence fees effective immediately as part of a balanced package that assists all Australian media companies and addresses community concern around gambling advertising in live sport.
Licence fees and datacasting fees covering 2016-17 (payable in December 2017) will be scrapped and replaced from 2017-18 by a new spectrum-based charge.
Mr Anderson said: “The Government’s package provides very welcome, immediate financial relief for all commercial free-to-air television broadcasters. It provides a boost for local content and the local production sector.
“Every dollar from today’s changes will be reinvested into our great Australian content and into continuing to enhance our services for viewers across all platforms.
“Recent financial results and announcements from across the Australian media industry clearly demonstrate that this is a sector under extreme competitive pressure from the foreign-owned tech media giants,” he said.
“A critical element of this holistic package is the removal of two of the current cross-media ownership rules: the two out of three rule and the 75% reach rule.
“These cross-media rules arbitrarily prevent Australian television, radio, and newspaper companies from operating across media platforms. They are stifling growth and costing jobs,” Mr Anderson said.
“Now that we have a holistic package, it is time for Parliament to get rid of these pre-internet rules to give Ten and other Australian companies a fair go against the foreign tech media giants whose dominance and influence is growing rapidly in Australia.
“This package is not just about Ten or free-to-air television. It is about ensuring that there is a future for Australian media companies – for local journalism, for Australian stories on screen and for a local production sector that provides jobs and training for thousands of Australians, many of whom go on to success on the global stage,” he said.
“Anyone who supports a future for Australian media companies must support this package and we call on the Parliament to pass these reforms urgently or risk losing local voices altogether.
“We welcome the review of the content rules also announced today. The rules need to be looked at in the context of the changing media landscape,” Mr Anderson said.
2 Likes