The final report of the Convergence Review strongly supports the social and cultural
value of Australian content and makes it very clear that, without intervention, it will
drop to unacceptable levels. It is proposed that the current rules applying to free-to-
air and subscription television be repealed but that a new technology-neutral regime
be uniformly applied to all players, including the networks’ digital multichannels,
internet-delivered channels with television-like content and on-demand services.
To be one of the “content service enterprises” subject to the new regime, a service
must be screening or offering professional television-like drama, documentary
and/or children’s programs, and meet not-yet-determined minimum revenue and
audience thresholds. This means that platforms that predominantly run user-
generated material and social media sites escape the recommendations. If a service
falls into this category it will be required to invest a percentage of its revenue into
Australian drama, documentary and children’s programs, or into a “converged
content production fund” with a very broad remit.
Having a transitional period is recommended on the Australian content front, during
which subquotas on the main commercial free-to-air are increased by 50 per cent —
to make up for how little local content is on the multichannels – and the 10 percent
minimum expenditure requirement on eligible drama subscription channels is
extended to children’s and documentary programming.
The review committee states that there is a continuing case for government support
for Australian production – again, it is drama, documentary and children’s
programming that needs intervention – and it has stuck by its guns in
recommending that the value of the producer offset should go up from 20 to 40 per
cent for “premium” television content, putting it on the same footing as features.
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By Sandy George – INSIDEFILM – [Mon 30/04/2012]