TELEVISION – PRODUCTION AND DIRECTION – AUSTRALIA

Netflix, Disney and other streamers to be forced to pay for more Australian-made content

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Original article by Karl Quinn
The Age – Page: Online : 5-Nov-25

The federal government will legislate an ‘Australian content obligation’ for streaming video-on-demand platforms. It will require streaming services that have more than one million subscribers in Australia to invest at least 10 per cent of their total expenditure in Australia or 7.5 per cent of their revenue in this country on producing local content. This will include local drama, children’s TV shows, documentaries, and educational or arts programs. Screen Producers Australia’s CEO Matthew Deaner has described the move as a "landmark day" for the nation’s screen industry.

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SCREEN PRODUCERS AUSTRALIA

Streaming quotas may violate FTA

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Original article by Jared Lynch
The Australian – Page: 22 : 6-Feb-24

The federal government is under renewed scrutiny over its plans to impose local content requirements on streaming video services, which are largely based in the US. The Computer & Communications Industry Association has warned that local content quotas could constitute a breach of the free-trade agreement between Australia and the US. Amazon in turn notes that some of its TV shows and documentaries that are filmed in Australia will not qualify as local content because they were not produced under the complete control of Australians. Amazon adds that a quota system would increase production costs.

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COMPUTER AND COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED

Drama still booming Down Under, but a downturn could be coming

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Original article by Karl Quinn
The Age – Page: Online : 2-Nov-23

Data from Screen Australia highlights the continued strength of the nation’s television and film industry. The annual Drama Report shows that a total of $2.34bn was spent on the production of local and international scripted content in 2022-23; this includes broadcast television, streaming and video-on-demand content, as well as theatrical feature films. It is slightly down on the $2.43bn spent in 2021-22, although it is still the second-highest figure on record. Foreign film and TV productions accounted for $1.22bn of the expenditure in 2022-23.

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SCREEN AUSTRALIA

Low-budget mindset holds back Aussie TV

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Original article by Edmund Tadros
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 21-Dec-22

It is estimated that it typically costs between $2m and $2.5m to produce one hour of premium Australian drama. This compares with $US5m to $US7m ($7.5m to $10.4m) an hour for premium streaming content in the US. Former Nine Entertainment CEO Hugh Marks contends that Australia can produce drama programs on this scale, but the focus needs to shift from the current emphasis on quotas regarding the number of hours of local content that TV networks must broadcast. He argues that Australia must produce content that will appeal to global audiences, and that the industry must become more open to overseas funding sources. Marks is now the co-CEO of production and distribution studio Dreamchaser.

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NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, DREAMCHASER

Streaming services come to the rescue of local TV drama

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Original article by Edmund Tadros
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 28 : 14-Nov-22

Data from Screen Australia shows that pay-TV and subscription streaming services spent $445m on producing Australian drama in 2021-22. In contrast, the nation’s free-to-air broadcasters invested just $208m in local dramas during the last financial year. Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason says streaming services are producing more Australian drama because they know local audiences want to see Australian stories on the screen. However, Mason advocates imposing local content quotas on international streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+.

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SCREEN AUSTRALIA, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, DISNEY+

New media reforms to hurt Australian TV production

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Original article by Rod Myer
The New Daily – Page: Online : 9-Feb-22

The federal government’s latest media reforms will require streaming providers to invest at least five per cent of their Australian revenue in local content. This is well below the 10 per cent local content quota that the government had flagged in September 2020, while streaming services will not be penalised for failing to meet the revised quota unless Communications Minister Paul Fletcher decides to intervene. Screen Producers Australia CEO Matt Deaner is concerned that streaming services will produce local content in name only, using all-American casts to make US-style programs in Australia.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS, SCREEN PRODUCERS AUSTRALIA

Slow-motion tax reform threatens film industry

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 24-Nov-21

Australia’s film and television industry is lobbying the federal government to increase the producer offset rate before parliament rises for the year. The offset was slated to rise from 20 per cent to 30 per cent from 1 July, and the industry has warned that some $400m worth of spending in the sector will be at risk if the legislation is not passed. Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has accused the government of attempting to "play political games" with the legislation, and called for it to be put before the Senate immediately.

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AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Short and sharp: Titles up, hours down 68 per cent for Aussie TV drama

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Original article by Karl Quinn
Brisbane Times – Page: Online : 25-Aug-21

New figures show that just 67 hours of adult drama was broadcast on Australia’s commercial television networks in 2019, compared with 208 hours in 1999. The number of hours of adult drama that was broadcast across all networks fell from 254 to 187 over this period; the latter figure includes streaming services. The researchers also note that each drama series had an average of seven episodes per season in 2019, compared with 21 in 1999. Veteran producer John Edwards fears that scripted television programs will continue to decline in Australia unless streaming services are legally required to invest in such content.

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Local content propels pay TV

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Original article by Jess Malcolm
The Australian – Page: 19 : 26-Apr-21

Foxtel’s chief commercial and content officer Amanda Laing has downplayed the need for local content rules to apply to streaming services. She says that locally-produced content already accounts for 50-70 per cent of the 10 most popular shows on Foxtel’s streaming platforms. Laing also notes that the Australian offices of overseas-based streaming providers are also actively commission local content. Fetch TV CEO Scott Lorson told the same virtual conference that YouTube is making "huge inroads" into the subscription TV market.

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FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FETCHTV PTY LTD, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED

Foxtel can halve Australian drama production under new broadcasting bill

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Original article by Amanda Meade
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 1-Apr-21

Screen Producers Australia CEO Matthew Deaner has questioned the federal government’s decision to slash Foxtel’s local drama quota in its new broadcasting bill. Foxtel is currently required to allocate 10 per cent of its drama budget to producing Australian content, but the bill will reduce this to five per cent. Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has accused the government of favouring its "Murdoch mates"; she has also criticised the bill for failing to impose local content quotas on streaming video providers such as Netflix.

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FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SCREEN PRODUCERS AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NETFLIX INCORPORATED