SBS gets $158m budget windfall to launch FTA indigenous channel
SBS has been given a substantial financial boost from the Federal government in Wayne Swan’s new budget.
The television network has been awarded an investment of $158.1m, an increase of 27% on previous federal government funding. A spokesperson for SBS said it is the most significant boost the network has ever received.
The funding is to be used in part to transfer responsibility for the National Indigenous television network (NITV) to SBS. Tanya Denning, NITV’s director of content will move into the role of head of the new channel.
A spokesperson for SBS has confirmed that “over 35 NITV staff have been offered, and the vast majority have accepted roles at SBS, with a handful of positions still to be advertised”. NITV, which launched in 2007, currently employs approximately 50 Australians, 70% of whom are Indigenous.
Good that it is being spent on Australian content for viewing in Australia
I’m sorry that this will sound so un-PC, but I can’t see the value in this at all. How many viewers will this new channel have? Surely we’re talking a few hundred thousand at MOST, and that’s if SBS is lucky. I’d be surprised if it even reaches six figures. What a waste of money and resources.
Jack be nimble, Jack be a d@#ck.
Given the state of the world, I would have thought that anyone with an inch of common sense should know that it’s not all about volume and money nowadays. Anything that promotes our Indigenous community and their recorded 50 odd thousand years of living successfully with the land, until western ideals came along and commoditized everything, an ethos that has lead to us ruining the planet in less than 500 hundred years, should be recognized as having a real benefit.
Exploring ideas and stories that relate directly to this great country of ours, are as important today as ever, even if they are not attracting the same audience as Australia’s got Talent.
Rock on SBS!!
@Jack be Nimble: When I had Foxtel I used to watch NITV quite often and I am not indigenous. The problem with the station was the constant repeating of programs due to lack of funds to produce new shows. Hopefully there will be enough funding to keep the new output up and hopefully without the left-wing bias and preaching that mars the ABC’s indigenous content.