Pay TV ‘makes a $0.5bn contribution to the economy’
Pay TV body ASTRA has released findings of a survey which it says demonstrates the industry’s makes a half a billion dollar contribution to Australia’s production economy.
The announcement:
5 October 2010: Subscription television platforms and channels invested $541.4 million into Australian content in 2009, providing opportunity, employment and satisfying Australian consumer demand for local programs, figures issued today by the Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association (ASTRA) show.
The ASTRA Australian Production Investment Survey provides a summary of the scale of investment made in original Australian content across all STV platforms and channels.
Subscription television platforms and channels invested $541.4 million into Australian content in 2009, providing opportunity, employment and satisfying Australian consumer demand for local programs,
What a lot of rot! Sure, the tobacco industries made their contribution too in growing and processing and marketing the crap.
Years ago I read a book called “Four Arguments for the Abolition of Television” and the more I see of what comes out of the subs and the so-called free-to-air (one way or another, we pay: there’s no such thing as a free-to-air) television crap, the more I think the book was right.
I’ve just watched some of the London f-t-a channels ove the weekend, and even though there’s still a lot of CRAP, I appreciated the care that was taken by the programmers to ensure that viewing experience is at least cohesive.
In Oz, you’re smacked over the face by a Harvey Norman at every ad break, and they come along all too often. How can a programmer imagine that viewers will continue to watch an engaging film (for example), after interruptions/ eruptions like that.
Nah, the TV programmes contribute to Oz culture can be counted on the fingers of one hand, and the claimed figures are a smelly prelude to Government lobbying for more concessions.
Let me out of here!!
@paul, relax mate – better yet, turn off your TV and do something else. Nobodies holding a gun to your head and making you watch it. The standard and quality of FTA tv in Australia is actually far better than many other developed nations – have you seen public access in the US? I have pay-tv, the full premium package and love it. I still also watch FTA and think the overall value proposition is good. Your views above smell more like a rant than balanced comment – you got an ax to grind?