Free TV Australia

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Free TV Broadcasters Exceed Local Content Quotas

Free TV Australia today welcomed the release of the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s latest compliance report which highlights the huge commitment of commercial free-to-air broadcasters to great Australian content.

Free TV Australia CEO, Bridget Fair said: “Commercial television broadcasters are proudly Australian, bringing viewers more local content than any other platform.

“These numbers show that in 2018 all Free TV members met their requirement to show 55% Australian content on their main channel in a canter, with some broadcasters reaching almost 80%.

“Free TV broadcasters delivered over 25,000 hours of Australian content across their main and additional channels. This includes around 1800 hours of first release adult drama, documentaries and children’s programming,” Ms Fair said.

“This has been made possible by a record investment by Free TV members in Australian content. In 2017/18, our members invested $1.63 billion in powerful Australian storytelling. Over 84% of total programming expenditure is now directed to Australian content, also a new record.

“Our investment has delivered great Australian dramas such as 800 Words, Doctor Doctor and Playing For Keeps and hugely popular programs such as Married at First Sight, My Kitchen Rules and The Bachelor Australia . It also ensures we can provide all Australians with free access to Australia’s iconic sporting events such as the AFL and NRL Grand Finals and the Melbourne Cup,” she said.

“We are committed to bringing Australians the great local drama, trusted local news and current affairs, entertainment and live and free sport that they love.

“This cements our place as the cornerstone of the Australian production industry and the home of local content. No other platform comes close to this level of commitment to the best of Australian programming,” Ms Fair said.

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Free TV Australia Launches New Brand For Commercials Advice division (CAD)

Leading media industry organisation Free TV Australia today announced the launch of ClearAds, the new brand for its Commercials Advice division (CAD).

The new ClearAds brand identity follows the transformation of CAD over the past two years to deliver greater customer focus, a faster and simplified service, the OASIS online application platform and other improvements in the products and services it provides the advertising and media sectors.

Free TV Australia Chief Executive Officer, Bridget Fair, said: “CAD is taking its service offering to the next level and it’s time to adopt a name that better reflects its improved, innovative and customer-centric services.

“We could not be more proud of the journey our business has been on over the past two years.

“The first step in our transformation was to ask our clients what was most important to them. What they told us has guided a complete reworking of our operations – an easier online interface, faster turnaround times and a new website that is simple and easy to use while still retaining the trusted and reliable advice for which CAD was famous. The result is ClearAds.”

Free TV Australia Director of Commercial Operations, Alison Lee, said: “ClearAds works in partnership with our clients and we wanted our new name and brand image to highlight our focus on making a complex process clear and simple.

“ClearAds is a trusted adviser to the media and advertising industry, providing vital classification and information services to advertisers, agencies and production houses for television commercials and infomercials.

“The key improvements over the past two years have included new features for our online application system and faster turnaround times for reviewing and approving commercials and the introduction of our Fast Track services including Red Hot, Rush Hour and Express.”

Ms Fair said: “We’ve also stepped up our communication with clients during the review process and introduced new training services for agencies and networks.

“We are working on more new features to ensure ClearAds continues to provide world-class services and processes.”

The ClearAds name, brand image and website were developed by CRE8IVE, a multi-disciplinary agency that specialises in branding, design, media, print, branding and digital.

James Willson, Managing Director, CRE8IVE, said: “Our role was to work with our client to ascertain the vision and the ‘why’ they do what they do.

“On a project like this, our business is all about the engagement along with the journey. Having worked with the team on this project for close to a year, the name ClearAds was the clear standout. The ClearAds brand is progressive, forward thinking and in line with the times and the agenda of the business.”

Ms Fair said: “We could not have asked for a better partner to harness the huge steps forward we have taken and bring our vision for ClearAds to life. CRE8IVE took the time to really understand our business and what we wanted to communicate with this new brand.

“We are so excited to be able to share our beautiful new brand identity with our clients and industry partners.”

ABOUT CLEARADS

ClearAds’ role in the advertising industry is as straightforward as it sounds. By navigating and demystifying the legislative and regulatory requirements faced by advertisers, agencies and production houses, ClearAds acts as a crucial partner to the industry, offering a transparent, one-stop review and classification service for commercials on television and beyond.

www.clearads.com.au

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From Free TV

AFP Raids on journalists deeply disturbing

Free TV Australia today expressed its most serious concerns at the recent AFP raids on News Corp Australia journalist Annika Smethurst and on the ABC.

Free TV CEO, Bridget Fair said: “Two AFP raids on journalists in two days is something that all Australians should find deeply disturbing. We live in a democracy, not a police state.

“The role of the media in holding our Governments to account is the cornerstone of our democracy. It is essential that journalists are able to continue to do their jobs, reporting on stories in the public interest, without fear of persecution. All commercial television broadcasters stand with our colleagues at News Corp Australia and the ABC in expressing our deepest misgivings at these attempts to stifle press freedom.

“Free TV has consistently voiced its concerns at the lack of adequate protections for reporting in the public interest in recent tranches of national security legislation,” she said.

“It is clear today that those concerns were well founded. We call on the Government and the Opposition to support the role of fearless and independent journalism in this country and act to ensure that journalists will not continue to be intimidated in this unprecedented fashion.”

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Free TV Reveals New Brand And Website

Leading media industry organisation Free TV Australia today unveiled a new brand image and website.

The new look represents the first change to the organisation’s brand since 2003. Free TV Australia Chief Executive Officer, Bridget Fair, said the new logo and brand identity reflect the modern media landscape and the strong future for commercial free-to-air television in the lives of all Australians.

“The way Australians consume content has changed significantly over the past decade and Free TV broadcasters have changed with them, delivering new channels, new on-demand services and continuing to evolve our content offering,” she said.

“We are at an inflection point for the future of our industry, both in terms of changing viewer behaviour and the resultant pressures on our regulatory framework. With these changes in mind, the time seemed right to revitalise our brand.

“The inspiration for our new logo is television without borders, which reflects the fact Free TV Australia is a modern, future-facing organisation. It also highlights the vibrant and innovative future of the commercial free-to-air television sector,” Ms Fair said.

Today’s announcement follows the launch in June of ClearAds, the new name and brand identity for Free TV Australia’s Commercial Advice division.

Ms Fair said the changes to the Free TV Australia brand underlined the key role its members play in the Australian media sector and the broader economy.

“Commercial free-to-air television makes a valuable contribution to the Australian community, with Free TV members employing more than 15,000 people and contributing $2.8 billion to the Australian economy. Free TV Australia plays an important role in supporting and advancing that contribution,” she said.

Free-to-air television broadcast services are available in 98% of all Australian homes, with 13 million Australians watching free-to-air television every day. More than 70% of Australians rely on the free-to-air platform for their broadcast television services.

Ms Fair said: “In 2017-18, Free TV broadcasters spent $1.63 billion on Australian content, up from just under $1.1 billion in 2009-10 and representing more than 84% of their total content spend.

“Free TV broadcasters are proud of their role as the backbone of the local television production industry. We make great Australian programming. We fund production companies. We create jobs. We tell Australian stories. We give Australians a voice. The shows we fund are a breeding ground for local talent, in front of and behind the camera. Every day, we make a real and tangible contribution to the Australian economy and to Australian cultural life.”

The new Free TV Australia logo and brand refresh was developed by multidisciplinary design agency CRE8IVE. Ms Fair said: ”CRE8IVE came up with a logo and brand identity that really captures Free TV’s new direction and positions us for the future.”

The new website was created by the Sydney digital creative agency Chook. “Chook were the perfect partners to bring our new brand direction to life and create a website that highlights the outstanding Australian content available on Free TV. We could not be happier with the result,” Ms Fair said.

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From Free TV

Australians Need The ACCC’s Digital Platforms Recommendations Implemented

Leading media industry organisation Free TV Australia today called on the Government to implement key recommendations from the ACCC’s Digital Platforms Inquiry Final Report.

Free TV Chief Executive Officer, Bridget Fair, said: “Now is the time to act on the recommendations of the ACCC’s world-leading report on the behaviour of digital platforms.

“We are experiencing unprecedented disruption within the broadcast media industry because of the growing dominance of the largely unregulated digital platforms such as Google and Facebook.

“While review processes around the world are revealing the problem, the Morrison Government has a chance to lead by implementing the solutions.

"Reform of media regulations is long overdue, particularly in areas such as Australian content quotas and advertising restrictions that penalise commercial Free TV broadcasters.

"Free TV Australia is actively engaging with relevant stakeholders to encourage a sensible but fast negotiation process for these vital reforms.

“Equally, consultation needs to start immediately on the creation of a Code of Conduct governing how digital platforms must negotiate with media businesses. This is vital to address the unequal bargaining position between media businesses and the digital platforms.

“The Digital Platforms Inquiry Final Report represents a golden opportunity for the Government to rein in these global monopolies, and at last create a truly level playing field for the benefit of all Australians,” Ms Fair said.

The key comments in Free TV’s submission on the recommendations of the ACCC’s Final Report include:

Harmonising the regulatory framework
Commercial free-to-air television is the most heavily regulated of all media platforms, directly impacting our ability to meet the social and cultural objectives we are relied upon to deliver. Our implementation plan includes a process for finalising reforms to the Australian content quotas, harmonising content classification and advertising restrictions across platforms over time and better aligning the compliance and enforcement regimes.

Commercial negotiation Code of Conduct
The significant imbalance in the bargaining position between media businesses and the digital platforms precludes the normal commercial negotiations that would ordinarily take place in a competitive market. A Code of Conduct, administered by the ACCC, is necessary to prevent the platforms from restricting the reasonable and sustainable monetisation of Australian news and media content on their platforms and to enable appropriate data sharing by those who derive audience, data and financial benefit from the consumption of content on their platforms.

Mandatory Standard for the takedown of illegal material
The inadequacy of existing takedown practices by the platforms means that our brands, intellectual property and reputations are at risk. The creation of a mandatory code, supported by meaningful sanctions and penalties, can ensure the effective and timely removal of illegal content.

Proactive support for competition and the prevention of anti-competitive conduct

A new ACCC Digital Platforms Branch should undertake an inquiry into the opaque ad-tech market. The inquiry should report to Government on the appropriate form of regulation to apply to prevent self-preferencing by Google and Facebook that substantially lessens competition.

Broadening the regional and small publishers fund for news and journalistic content

We invest significantly in news and local journalistic content, producing high quality, accurate and impartial news services watched by 11 million Australians each week. We support the ACCC’s recommended expansion of the regional and small publishers fund to support the production of regional and local news reporting.

Increasing the accountability of the digital platforms
Measures should be taken to increase the accountability of the digital platforms to address the proliferation of fake news. In addition, we support measures to improve the internal complaints handling mechanisms available and the creation of a role for a digital platforms ombudsman.

Data and Privacy
Ineffective enforcement of privacy laws against digital platforms has resulted in a lack of transparency of their data and privacy practices. This is impacting on consumers’ ability to provide informed consent in relation to use of their data. The OAIC should be sufficiently well resourced to enforce existing privacy laws against the digital platforms.

Download a copy of the submission here

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Drama Report Highlights Need For Australian Content Reform

Screen Australia’s Drama Report released today confirms that commercial free-to-air broadcasters remain the largest underwriters of the Australian production sector, directly investing $114 million in Australian drama, more than any other sector in 2018/19. This represents nearly double the spend of the National Broadcasters and six time more than online streaming services.

Free TV CEO Bridget Fair said: “Free TV broadcasters proudly invest over 80 per cent of their programming expenditure on local content and that includes Australian drama programming. In 2018, commercial free-to-air networks once again broadcast more than 430 hours of first-release Australian drama.

“Despite increasing competition from new platforms, and in the face of the huge structural change facing our industry, we continue to produce great Australian drama on free-to-air screens with programs like Home and Away, Secret Bridesmaids’ Business, Bad Mothers, SeaChange, Five Bedrooms and Neighbours .

“Critically, the Screen Australia report also shows that the costs of making drama in Australia have significantly increased. Over the past 10 years, the cost per hour of drama production has doubled.

“The real take-out from today’s report is that we need to address the sustainability of the current Australian content regulatory framework. While our competitors are free to respond to changes in audience demand, we are still operating under an onerous and very restrictive regulatory framework that was created in the 1990s and doesn’t acknowledge that viewers have moved on.

“The production industry in Australia is thriving and there is no shortage of high quality Australian content available for local audiences. Free TV broadcasters need additional flexibility to adapt to modern viewing habits and we urge the Government to modernise the framework to enable broadcasters to continue delivering the content that audiences want to watch,” Ms Fair said.

Also see

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Free TV welcomes response to ACCC report

Free TV Australia today welcomed the Government’s commitment to adopt the key recommendations from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) Digital Platforms Inquiry Final Report.

Free TV Chief Executive Officer, Bridget Fair, said: “Australia’s media regulations are crying out for urgent modernisation. The roadmap today outlined by the Government sets a clear timetable for that to occur.

“It is pleasing that the Government has recognised that action is needed to address critical imbalances in the regulatory framework and the competitive position of Australian media companies.

“For far too long, Free TV broadcasters have been operating under a regulatory framework developed last century, while trying to compete against unregulated digital platforms for advertising revenue and audience attention.

“We look forward to engaging with the process outlined by the Government in early 2020 to quickly reform the ageing Australian content framework. Free TV is proudly the home of great local content and spent $1.63 billion on Australian programming in FY19. Australians know they can turn to Free TV services for their entertainment, drama, local news and live sport.

"It is hard to overstate the pressing need for action in this area to allow commercial television broadcasters to focus on delivering the content our audiences want to watch rather than servicing outdated quota obligations. This is particularly the case for children’s content, where audience demands and behaviour have changed dramatically.

“Our investment in great local content will also be better supported by the proposed voluntary commercial bargaining Code of Conduct between digital platforms and media businesses. Our members are committed to working with the digital platforms and the ACCC in putting these codes in place by November 2020. Importantly, the Government has reserved the right to create a mandatory code should agreement not be reached with the digital platforms.

“We congratulate the ACCC for a comprehensive 2-year review process that led to the recommendations that the Government has today accepted. With urgent action to implement the roadmap, the Morrison Government can lead the world in recognising that the rising power of the digital platforms cannot be left unchecked,” Ms Fair said.

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I noticed that there is finally a new version of the promo for the Television Code of Practice after the previous one was used for many many years:

Here is one of the older versions:

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From Free TV

ACMA discussion paper fails to make the case for further regulation

Free TV Australia today responded to the ACMA’s Discussion Paper on Impartiality and Commercial Influence in Broadcast News, saying that commercial television news programs are overwhelmingly free from commercial influence, and viewers know it.

Free TV CEO, Bridget Fair said: “ACMA relied on inherently flawed research to determine whether viewers are concerned about impartiality in television news reporting. At the end of the day, the Discussion Paper failed to put forward any evidence of a problem.”

While the Discussion Paper focused on commercial television broadcasting, the ACMA research did not clearly distinguish between different sources of news, including online.

“The research also did not distinguish between the different roles of news, current affairs and other factual programs and many questions posed to viewers could best be described as “leading” rather than in response to unprompted questions. A best practice approach to regulation demands an evidence based approach.” said Ms Fair.

“In an environment where the ACCC has recently recommended a platform-neutral regulatory framework, it is perplexing that ACMA has singled out commercial broadcast news for attention. We are already subject to extensive requirements under our Code of Practice. ACMA already has the tools to deal with this issue but the fact is that commercial television news is trusted by the millions of Australians that watch it every day.”

“The ACMA Research does show that Australians want trusted, impartial and factual news.” Ms Fair said.

Free TV broadcasters deliver over 486 hours of news and current affairs programming to Australian households every week. Over the past four and a half years, there has been only one instance of a breach of impartiality provisions by a commercial television licensee and no instances of breaches of disclosure requirements.

A copy of Free TV’s submission can be found here.

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And what world is Bridget Fair in?

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The Federal Government has ordered the competition watchdog to develop a mandatory code of conduct to govern commercial dealings between tech giants and news media companies.

Free TV Australia:

Mandatory Code the Right Way to Go

Free TV Australia today welcomed the Government’s decision to make Google and Facebook pay for the media content used by their platforms through a mandatory Code of Conduct.

Free TV Chief Executive Officer, Bridget Fair, said: “It has been clear from very early on that negotiations for a voluntary Code of Conduct were essentially a delaying tactic for the digital platforms in the hope that these issues would blow over.

“Today’s decision is groundbreaking and we are grateful to the Morrison Government for their commitment to ensuring that Australians will continue to have access to quality Australian content.

“Google and Facebook derive huge value from the news and premium content generated by Free TV broadcasters, but their extreme market power means they don’t pay a fair price for it. The serious impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the Australian media sector has made the case for Government intervention crystal clear.

Commercial broadcasters are currently experiencing tectonic forces pulling in opposite directions – record numbers of viewers tuning in to a trusted free service and at the same time a huge hit to their ability to pay for the content viewers value so highly. And the inability of Australian media companies to negotiate fair value for their content with global digital platforms is a big part of that equation.

“The mandatory Code is a crucial step forward for Australian media and more importantly for the millions of Australians who want their local broadcast services to provide them with trusted news and shared entertainment experiences.

We look forward to working with the Government and the ACCC to ensure that a Code is in place as soon as is possible,” Fair said.

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Free TV says ad tech reforms could unlock millions in lost revenue

Free TV Australia today released a submission to the ACCC’s advertising technology (ad tech) inquiry, calling for reforms that could unlock millions of dollars for Australian media companies. Ad tech enables advertisers to bid for display and video inventory that is offered for sale by publishers.

Free TV CEO Bridget Fair said: “We are calling for reforms to ensure that there is much greater transparency around where the money is going in the ad tech stack. Every dollar that does not end up in the pockets of publishers means one less dollar to invest in Australian content and local services.

“The problem is that neither advertisers or publishers can see where the money is going and do not have the information required to be able to choose more efficient providers,” Fair said.

The ACCC Digital Platforms Inquiry Final Report found that between 20 to 75 per cent of money spent by advertisers actually finds its way to publishers, with the rest of taken up by suppliers in the ad tech supply chain.

These findings were backed up by a recent PwC report in the UK that found that only 51% of money spent by advertisers ends up with publishers.

“Most of these costs were identified by PwC as technology fees in the ad tech stack. However, PwC was not able to account for 15% of the loss of value through the supply chain. It is telling that a world-leading audit firm like PwC struggled to determine where the money is going.

“Reform is needed to increase the amount of pricing transparency for these services. This includes ensuring that there is a consistent approach to logging transactions and a streamlined approach to accessing data so that participants can much more easily track where their money is going.

“Free TV is also calling for the ACCC to create ad tech market rules that would govern the conduct of dominant firms like Google, that enjoy a market share approaching 75% in some segments of the ad tech stack.

“The proposed ad tech market rules would include protections to ensure that advertisers and publishers were free to choose their own technology supplier in response to better pricing information.

“Addressing the inefficiencies in the ad tech stack will make a material difference to the return that publishers receive on their inventory—which directly relates to the sustainability of investment in great Australian content that our community relies upon,” Fair said.

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Of course no mention of the privacy invasion implications of ad tech, instead it seems Free TV Aus want (their members) to have access to the underlying data, which would spread the privacy eroding info beyond the likes of Facebook & Google to their customers, increasing the risks for individuals.

Ad tech can be horrible stuff, unnecessarily upping the tracking across of people the Internet and within mobile apps.

This complaining about opaqueness - which they don’t mention very much applies to ads on TV - is more of the we-have-to-measure-something/I-want-proof-this-ad-leads-to-purchases nonsense, instead of making better ads & placing them where there are likely purchasers.

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Free TV sets out how Facebook and Google should pay for news content

Peak broadcasting industry body Free TV Australia today released a submission to the ACCC setting out how Google and Facebook should be required to pay for the use of news content on their platforms. The ACCC sought submissions to assist it in drafting the mandatory news media bargaining Code of Conduct announced by the Government in April.

Free TV CEO Bridget Fair said: “There has never been a more important time for news media businesses to receive fair remuneration for their trusted news content that is relied upon by all Australians.

Free TV has proposed that Google and Facebook should be required to pay a collective fee of 10 per cent of their Australian based revenues across all of their products and services into a pool to be distributed to Australian news media businesses.

“Despite the significant value obtained by Google and Facebook from the news content of Free TV broadcasters, they do not receive fair payment for the use of their content on the core services of Google Search, Facebook Newsfeed and Instagram.

“Under the model proposed by Free TV, this value would be collected and distributed to Australian news media businesses to enable the continued investment in local news media services.

“This model should be established and enforced by the ACCC, who will also need strong powers to protect against punitive responses by Google and Facebook. It must be illegal for Google or Facebook to deindex or downrank content that is subject to the mandatory Code of Conduct.

“We look forward to continuing to work closely with the ACCC before it publishes the draft mandatory Code next month,” Fair said.

Download a copy of the Submission

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Executive summary of submission

  • There has never been a more important time for news media businesses to receive fair remuneration for the content that they produce and that is relied upon by all Australians.
  • Indeed, it is now urgent that a Code of Conduct be enacted by the end of the year that includes a collective fee to be paid by Google and Facebook for the use of news content in Australia, in relation to Google Search (and Google Assistant), Facebook Newsfeed and Instagram.
  • These are core services where today, despite the significant benefits obtained by the platforms, there are no commercial arrangements in place to remunerate media businesses for the use of their content.
  • Publicly available information suggests that in a competitive market, Google and Facebook would have paid 10 per cent of all their Australian based revenues across all of their products and services for the use of news and current affairs content.
  • Under the model proposed by Free TV, this value would be collected and distributed to Australian news media businesses through a collecting society to enable the continued investment in local news media services.
  • The distribution model we propose is based on the share of relevant news or current affairs production or publishing costs incurred by the news media business. This option was preferred over other approaches, such as clicks or interactions on digital platforms, given the significant opportunities for gaming inherent in other models.
  • Our proposed distribution model would also set aside a proportion of the remuneration pool for regional news and small publishers.
  • To ensure that the digital platforms do not respond to the remuneration model by changing their algorithms, the Code of Conduct and supporting legislation must make it illegal for the platforms to deindex or downrank content that is subject to the Code of Conduct.
  • Outside of the core services of Google Search, Facebook Newsfeed and Instagram, the bargaining framework should establish rules for the bilateral negotiation between news media businesses for all other products and services, for example Google’s YouTube and Facebook Watch. This bargaining framework would include a requirement to negotiate in good faith, with rules around fairness, information disclosure and non-discrimination.
  • In relation to the collection of user data more broadly, the Code of Conduct should ensure that Google and Facebook are required to outline precisely the attributes they collect from users who engage with news media content.
  • The ACCC needs strong powers to enforce the Code of Conduct, including the protections against punitive responses by Google and Facebook. The civil penalty framework needs to provide for the provision of compensation to news media businesses for any revenue lost as a result of non- compliance with the Code of Conduct.
  • The Code of Conduct should be reviewed every five years to ensure the remuneration pool and distribution remains fair and is being applied to the relevant products and services.
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No one is stopping Australian media companies setting up their own internet search service, social media application and video sharing service if they are unhappy with the traffic Google, Facebook and Twitter are sending to them.

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Maybe just commercial and marketplace realities…

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Free TV frustrated by timing of Location Offset announcement

Free TV expressed frustration at the Government’s announcement today to support foreign productions through a $400m location offset package.

Free TV CEO Bridget Fair said “Investment which supports our local production sector, cast and crews is always welcome but we are concerned that this package comes in isolation of the ongoing enquiries into local content, quotas and support for the domestic industry.

These international productions come here for many reasons, financial support being one part. But the important element of using our talented local cast and crew will be missed if we don’t have a strong, dynamic local industry where these people work day in and day out, honing their skills and ensuring they are match fit to step up to the international stage on bigger bolder productions. This in turn provides opportunities for younger people to get their first leg up on the local production ladder.

Free TV broadcasters are the source of more Australian production than anyone else in this country. We spend $1.6 billion on Australian production every year and deliver 25000 hours of Australian content into every local market. We are the engine room of the local production sector and yet remain saddled with an outdated framework that hasn’t been updated in almost 20 years.

We are in the middle of a major review of content quotas and production incentives, including the location offset, so it’s difficult to understand why the Government has made a one-off decision now about a single element of the mix right in the middle of this process. Free TV broadcasters and the broader production industry urgently need a timetable for the decisions from Government, so we have some certainty on when the much-needed reforms can be implemented."

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New report reveals three quarters of Australians value commercial TV more than ever

Free TV: billions of dollars, millions of people, thousands of jobs, countless stories

A new Deloitte Access Economics report released today and commissioned by Free TV, Everybody Gets It: the Economic and Social Benefits of Commercial Television in Australia, reveals the immense value Australians place on free, universally accessible news, entertainment, sport and drama.

The Deloitte research also quantifies the substantial contribution commercial television makes to the economy, contributing $2.3 billion to the nation’s GDP in 2019, employing more than 16,000 people and investing $1.6 billion annually in producing Australian content.

The Everybody Gets It report found that 89 percent of Australians think commercial television is a valuable service and 76 percent believe it is more important than ever, while 86 percent think it supports Australian culture.

Audience surges of 15-20 percent during the peaks of the COVID-19 and bushfire crises suggest that Australians turn to commercial television in times of uncertainty - and expect it to be there for them. In this context, it is no surprise that news emerged as the primary reason people give for watching commercial television - 75 percent of respondents said they trust commercial television news.

Free TV CEO, Ms Bridget Fair said: “In commissioning this report, Free TV Australia wanted to shine a light on our industry and its many contributions to Australia’s society and culture. We were also keen to ‘take the temperature’ of our audiences to understand the value they place on this free, universal service.

“It turns out that despite increased competition, Australians value commercial television even more than we expected. Access to local entertainment, news and sport is a very big deal for viewers, with 95 percent telling us that losing commercial television would have an impact on society, particularly through the loss of access to news, sport and entertainment.”

The Deloitte Access Economics analysis found of the $2.3 billion economic activity, the industry indirectly contributed $1.3 billion to the wider Australian economy last year, spanning motion picture and sound recording, scientific and technical services, retail and finance. Deloitte also found that the industry facilitated $4.4 billion in additional economic benefit in 2019 from advertising.

Mr John O’Mahony, Deloitte Access Economics Partner and report co-author said: “Commercial television makes a strong economic contribution to Australia and is critical to the Australian screen production industry. The sector also continues to drive innovation through its content and use of new digital technologies to remain competitive, but our consumer research found it is the social and cultural contributions of the industry including trusted news, universal service provision and Australian stories that Australians continue to value most from this important industry.”

Commercial television is a stronghold of shared cultural experience available to 97 per cent of Australians at the click of a button, for free, and 93 percent of Australians believe it should stay that way. Other report findings include

  • Only 14 percent of those who do not watch commercial television think losing it would have no impact on Australian society.
  • Overwhelmingly, Australians are choosing to consume Australia content ahead of international programs on commercial television. In 2019, all of the top 10 rated shows were Australian, even after excluding sport.
  • Compared to on-demand viewing, broadcast TV viewers are almost 1.8 times more likely to watch with family or friends. Across the entire day, co-viewing sits at just under 42 percent of total television viewing. For the average commercial TV viewer, this reflects approximately 8 hours of family time every week.
  • The broad reach of commercial television is particularly important for viewers who cannot afford to, or cannot get access to, alternative viewing. 87 percent highly value the ability to access commercial television without needing data or Internet access.
  • In 2019, commercial TV provided more than 100,000 hours of Australian content. 86 percent think it supports Australian culture.
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