ABC reveals plans for $50m funding windfall

Nathan Jolly

February 11, 2026 3:38

ABC reveals plans for $50m funding windfall

ABC CFO Melanie Kleyn

The ABC’s managing director Hugh Marks has revealed the national broadcaster’s plans for the extra $50m in funding it will receive over the next three years.

The funding injection is the result of a side-deal struck between the Greens and Labor in late November to pass the Australian content requirement for online streaming services bill.

Labor Senator Michelle Ananda-Rajah raised the topic during Senate estimates on Monday afternoon, asking Marks what the extra funding means for the ABC.

“It comes at an important time,” Marks said. “We have probably unlimited demand from content makers to access funding to make a high range of really quality programs. And, obviously we’ve been limited in budget. We’re finding, at the same time, that a number of other broadcasters are dropping out of the market, particularly in drama.

“We are now probably the only commissioner of premium children’s product in Australia.”

Data released in December by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) showed that investment in new Australian drama from subscription TV licensees and channel providers fell to just under $19m in the 2024-25 financial year, from over $32.5m the year prior.

A separate report issued in the same month by Screen Australia showed the free-to-air channels spent 14% less on local drama production in 2024/25, with total hours falling from 276 to 191, and titles falling from 16 to 14.

Australian drama titles entering production fell by 20%, while investment in Australian stories on TV and video-on-demand platforms fell to $688m from $717m the prior financial year.

Overall, Australian children’s drama spend dropped by 41% year-on-year in 24/25, to $34 million.

“Being able to deliver more Australian stories to Australians at this time, I think is something that’s very important,” Marks continued.

“There’s no shortage of material or stories to tell, coming from some of the best producers, I would say globally, let alone in Australia. So, that extra money also enables to operate at a level that I think means we can compete more effectively with the quality of production that are being delivered by some of those international streamers.”

Labor Senator Michelle Ananda-Rajah

Marks promised the ABC has “a couple of really good kids shows ready to go”, and stressed the importance of Australia’s children having “the ability to access Australian stories with Australian accents and Australian narratives, Australian themes and values.”

He said the ABC will announce a number of new dramas and children’s programs “within the next couple of weeks, or at least within the next month [and] you’ll see that the ambition-level of the shows that have been enabled by the particular additional investment is reflective of a higher ambition and a real sense of purpose to deliver really excellent content to the audience.”

The extra funding will allow the ABC to be “a key participant in a pretty important industry at a time where it’s probably increasingly reliant on us as opposed to others to tell those stories.”

In particular, Marks said the ABC’s investment in new children’s programming will help support producers of this content “to remain based and focused in Australia, to tell Australian stories, to not have to overly rely on the internet internationalisation of their content in order to secure funding”.

“It will mean that we can fill out that service that we provide to children in a way that parents can be very satisfied that there is more than Bluey and a couple of other shows, that the volume of material that we can provide and the environment that we can provide to families for children will be something that’s really competitive on a global landscape.

“So, I think it’s in the children’s area where we must place the most focus, and we will get the most return.”

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young joked that there might be “another Bluey” in the pipeline.

“We only hope that we find another Bluey that generates income as well for the ABC that will enable us to reinvest even more in children’s programming,” Marks said.

“And, we might all laugh about it, but the reality is that being able to do more, means our chances of coming across that next Bluey and being able to create that funding that will further supplement into the income base of the ABC and the taxpayer to do even more is something that we must focus on.”

Hugh Marks is promising a slew of new Australian drama and children’s shows

The ABC’s chief financial officer Melanie Kleyn confirmed that, after discussions with the government, the ABC has “clarity” that it will receive the $50m in funding, in equal installments, over the next three years.

When pushed for specifics on what exactly had been earmarked for funding, Marks said, “I’m not sure Senate estimates are the best place for program announcements”, before revealing that one program would be made in South Australia.

He dropped further “breadcrumbs”, as he put it.

“A well-known brand coming back to life, for the benefit of children, to be produced by a company in Adelaide for the ABC.”

Marks said he will be travelling to Adelaide early next week where he expects “that particular program” will be announced.

South Australia has a storied history of producing children television. Here’s Humphrey, Fat Cat and Friends, and The Curiosity Show are three dormant, well-known brands previously produced in Adelaide — although these were produced for commercial stations. The Fairies, a direct-to-video series on ABC Video that later screened on Seven, was also filmed in the city.

Marks said this wouldn’t be the only program to be produced outside of what he called “the two big states”.

“NSW [and] Victoria get a disproportional share of premium television production. So we’re also always very conscious of supporting companies in other markets.”