TELEVISION – PRODUCTION AND DIRECTION – AUSTRALIA

Guthrie’s ground rules: an ABC of inclusiveness

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 28-Jul-16

ABC MD Michelle Guthrie will be one of the speakers at the Creative Country conference in Melbourne on 28 July 2016. Guthrie will outline the need for the public broadcaster to extend its multi-platform audience reach beyond its current level of about 71 per cent. She will also outline plans to increase the ABC’s diversity in terms of both staff and content, and significantly increase the proportion of its annual budget that is allocated to content production.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, STAR TV, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

SPA calls for Netflix local content quota

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 30-May-16

Screen Producers Australia CEO Matthew Deaner argues that subscription video-on-demand services should be subject to the same local content requirements as traditional TV broadcasters. The European Union has proposed a requirement for at least 20 per cent of content broadcast by streaming services in Europe to have been produced locally. Nine Entertainment Company CEO Hugh Marks says it is more important for international SVOD services to pay their full tax liabilities in Australia.

CORPORATES
SCREEN PRODUCERS AUSTRALIA, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS

Doubts over Netflix’s local content pledge

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Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 25 : 4-Apr-16

Australian subscription video-on-demand providers Stan and Presto have commissioned local programs, but US-based rival Netflix has yet to do so. Netflix’s chief content officer Ted Sarandos indicated in 2015 that the group will eventually begin producing content in Australia. However, Netflix has started to submit its original content for classification in Australia, and it has broadcast a range of Australian content in overseas markets.

CORPORATES
STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, NINE PINES PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Seven warns of ‘piecemeal’ threat

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 24-Mar-16

Seven West Media’s submission to a Senate inquiry into proposed changes to cross-media ownership laws argues that the reforms should be broader. The Australian Government proposes to abolish the "reach rule" and the "two-out-three rule", but Seven says other media ownership rules should also be reviewed. Seven has also called for the TV drama tax offset to be increased and Australia’s TV broadcasting licence fees to be reviewed.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD

Seven CEO slams TV, film tax benefit gap

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 15-Mar-16

The Australian Government’s tax offset for TV producers is just 20 per cent at present, compared with 40 per cent for producers of feature films. The free-to-air and pay-TV industry has urged the Government to match the tax offset for the film industry, with Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner arguing that many TV shows that are currently on hold would be in production if there was a level playing field. Ten Network CEO Paul Anderson adds that the tax offset’s current cap of 65 per cent should be abolished.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SCREEN PRODUCERS AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS

ABC boss warns of cheap imports

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Original article by Sid Maher
The Australian – Page: 6 : 4-Feb-16

The ABC’s outgoing MD Mark Scott has questioned whether profit-driven Australian media companies will continue to produce local content. Speaking at the ABC’s annual parliamentary showcase in Canberra, he argued that the public broadcaster is best-placed to deliver such content, and urged all political parties to support it. Scott also noted that low-cost international content presents a threat to local content.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, APPLE INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, RADIO NATIONAL

Producers add voice to deregulation calls

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Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 23 : 25-Jan-16

FremantleMedia Australia CEO Ian Hogg supports the push for changes to cross-media ownership laws, arguing that the current regime is "archaic". He has also backed recent calls for an increase in the offset for TV producers. Meanwhile, FremantleMedia COO Simon Rabbitt says TV ratings demonstrate that Australian viewers want to watch local content. He has also criticised current rules which allow New Zealand TV programs to be treated as local content.

CORPORATES
FREMANTLEMEDIA LIMITED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Netflix a ‘threat to jobs’ without media reforms

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 14-Jan-16

Changes to cross-media ownership laws remain on the Australian Government’s agenda, and Nine Entertainment Company CEO Hugh Marks argues that reforms are necessary for local companies to compete effectively against offshore groups like Netflix. He notes that the subscription video-on-demand provider is not subject to the same regulations and does not pay a licence fee. Marks adds that lack of reform will threaten jobs in the industry and the production of local content.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Alarm bells for Aussie drama

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Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 29 : 2-Nov-15

Australia’s free-to-air commercial networks are increasingly relying on New Zealand dramas to meet local-content quotas. Screen Producers Australia CEO Matt Deaner and Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason argue that the rules should be changed so NZ content does not qualify as first-run Australian drama. They have also called for the TV producer offset to be increased to 40 per cent.

CORPORATES
SCREEN PRODUCERS AUSTRALIA, SCREEN AUSTRALIA, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS)

$100m boon in TV tax offset hike

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 20-Oct-15

The Australian TV industry wants the tax offset for television production to be raised from 20 per cent to 40 per cent. PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates in a report prepared for the Australian Subscription Television & Radio Association and Screen Producers Australia that a 40 per cent tax offset would generate a net economic gain of $A103 million.

CORPORATES
PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, SCREEN PRODUCERS AUSTRALIA