Screen Australia report shows boom in Australian TV production
Australia saw a record expenditure of $376m on local television production in the last financial year, according to Screen Australia’s latest Drama Report.
The results identify television as the fastest-growing sector of drama production with a 25% increase in expenditure from the previous year.
Fiona Cameron, chief operating officer of Screen Australia, said the results demonstrate Australia’s “versatility and creativity”, and the capacity of Australian producers to create dramas of international quality.
Screen Australia is an off balance sheet budget supplement for the already well funded ABC/SBS. Whilst the Commercial TV networks are cutting costs in CY17 (either flat or heading negative), 17 Screen Australia co funding projects went to the ABC/NITV/SBS out of 33 projects Screen Australia co-funded – 52% . One would expect a level playing field and that the ABC/SBS , which are already financed by the Government, gets no futher “tilted” support . At a minimun, the funding should be split amongst the 7 commercial and Government enterprises -Foxtel, Stan, Nine, Seven, Ten , ABC and SBS. Thats 28% to the ABC/SBS , not 52%.