The Screen Producers Association of Australia has responded to a proposed
Television License Fees Amendment rushed through the House of Representatives by
the Government late Thursday, demanding an increase in Australian content. The
rushed amendment will cut 25% off the licensing fees payable by the free to air
television networks for the use of public spectrum.

Geoff Brown, executive director of SPAA said: “It’s time for the federal government
to ensure that Australians see an increase in Australian content on our television
screens, as promised by the big three networks in return for a reduction in their
obligations of hundreds of millions of dollars.” The promise Brown mentioned came
in February 2010, when the initial breaks were given to the networks.

Brown told Encore: “Ryan Stokes said the slashing of the licenses would allow the
networks to protect local content. There has been no delivery on that. We understand
the economics on the multi-channels are still being worked out but some form of
local content regulation needs to be instilled on the primary channels. We were
promised a new landscape and they haven’t delivered.”

In a statement, Brown said: “This renewal of the rebate will now amount to savings
in excess of $275m for the networks and they expressly requested it of the Minister to
ensure appropriate levels of Australian content. There has been no appreciable
increase in Australian content since the license rebate and in that time the amount of

foreign content on the free to air multi channels and on the Internet has increased.
The government must now act to shore up Australian content by legislating for an
increase in the Producer Tax Offset for television.”

In the recent Convergence Review interim report, the Review panel suggested the
government increase the Producer Offset for television from 20% to 40%. Brown
said: “The government must heed the recommendation in the interim report and
commit to an increase in the Offset.”

March 23rd, 2012 at 4:23 pm – ENCORE