10 May 2005
Commercial TV services meet Australian content and children’s content requirements for 2004
All metropolitan commercial television licensees met the Australian transmission quota and program sub-quota requirements of the Australian Content Standard (ACS) and Children’s Television Standards (CTS) in 2004.
All metropolitan commercial networks exceeded the minimum 55 per cent Australian transmission quota in 2004, with the Nine Network licensees achieving over sixty per cent in the three metropolitan markets of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
‘It is pleasing to see that commercial television licensees exceeded the ABA’s requirements for Australian programming,’ said Lyn Maddock, Acting ABA Chair. ‘The results for 2004 demonstrate that the networks continue to provide Australian audiences with high levels of Australian content, from familiar long running drama programs and children’s series to the scheduling of a mix of new mini-series, telemovies and feature films.’
The compliance results for 2004 are available here.
Media contact Donald Robertson, ABA Manager Media and PR on (02) 9334 7980.
Backgrounder
Australian and children’s programs requirements
The Australian Content Standard (ACS) and Children’s Television Standards (CTS) for commercial television require that:
Australian programs must be at least 55 per cent of all programming broadcast in a year by a licensee between 6 am and midnight;
annual drama requirement - the drama scores for all first release Australian drama programs broadcast by a licensee in prime time in any year must total at least 250 ;
three year drama requirement - the drama scores for all first release Australian drama programs broadcast by a licensee in prime time in the three year period 2002-2005 must total at least 830;
- a licensee must broadcast at least 20 hours of first release Australian documentary programs;
- a licensee must broadcast at least 260 hours of children’s (C) programs each year;
- a licensee must broadcast at least 130 hours of first release Australian (C) programs (50 per cent of total C requirement) each year;
-
annual requirement – C drama - a licensee must broadcast at least 25 hours of first release Australian children’s drama programs each year;
-
three year requirement – C drama - a licensee must broadcast in each three-year period at least 96 hours of first release Australian children’s drama
- a licensee must broadcast each year in the C band at least 8 hours of repeat Australian C drama programs; and
- a licensee must broadcast at least 130 hours of Australian Pre-school (P) programs each year.
Attached table
In the attached table (Table 1) the formula for calculating first release Australian drama programs is:
Drama Score = Format Factor x Duration of program (in hours).
The format factor for drama is:
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4
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for a feature film that has been acquired for a licence fee of at least $154,000.
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4
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for a telemovie, mini-series, or self-contained drama of less than 90 minutes’ duration
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3.2
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for a feature film that has been acquired prior to 11 July 2002
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3
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for a series/serial produced at the rate of one hour or less per week and acquired from an independent producer for a fee of at least $308,000 per hour
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2.5
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for a feature film that does not meet the format factor 4 or format factor 3.2 requirements
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2.5
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for a serial or series produced at the rate of one hour or less per week, but does not meet format factor 3 requirement
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1
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for a series/serial produced at the rate of more than one hour per week
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Table 1: Australian Content and Children’s Television Standards Compliance - 2004
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Australian Programs
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Australian Drama
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Australian Documentary
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Australian Children’s C Drama
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Australian Children’s C programs
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Children’s C programs
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Australian Preschool
P programs
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Run
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All
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First release
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First release
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First release
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Repeat
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First release
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All
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All
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Measure
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Per cent
6am – 12mn
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Total annual score
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Total annual hours
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Total annual hours
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Total annual hours
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Total annual hours -includes C drama
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Total annual hours -
All C programs
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Total annual hours
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|
Minimum annual requirement
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55 per cent
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250 points
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20 hours
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25 hours
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8 hours
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130 hours
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260 hours
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130 hours
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hrs
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score
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Seven licensees
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SAS Adelaide
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56.89
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204.92
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370.92
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40.48
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33.00
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52.13
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133.00
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262.13
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131.00
|
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BTQ Brisbane
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56.69
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204.78
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370.63
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40.97
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33.00
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52.63
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132.50
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261.13
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131.00
|
|
HSV Melbourne
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57.04
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204.97
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371.16
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41.98
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33.00
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52.13
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132.50
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260.63
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131.00
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TVW Perth
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57.45
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204.90
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370.87
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40.97
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33.00
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51.12
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133.00
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262.62
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131.00
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ATN Sydney
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56.09
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204.93
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370.98
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33.98
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33.00
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52.13
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132.50
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260.63
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131.00
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Nine licensees
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|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
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QTQ Brisbane
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64.25
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97.68
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301.93
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20.00
|
32.00
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57.50
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131.50
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263.50
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131.00
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GTV Melbourne
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62.01
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97.60
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301.67
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20.00
|
32.00
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57.50
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131.50
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264.50
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131.00
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TCN Sydney
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62.82
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97.60
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301.67
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20.00
|
32.00
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58.00
|
131.50
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265.50
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131.00
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Ten licensees
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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ADS Adelaide
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56.52
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154.92
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255.17
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21.00
|
32.50
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50.50
|
132.50
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261.50
|
131.00
|
|
TVQ Brisbane
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55.90
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154.92
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255.17
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21.00
|
32.50
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50.50
|
132.50
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261.50
|
131.00
|
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ATV Melbourne
|
56.59
|
153.92
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252.17
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21.00
|
32.50
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50.50
|
132.50
|
261.50
|
131.00
|
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NEW Perth
|
56.54
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154.92
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255.17
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21.00
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32.50
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50.50
|
132.50
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261.50
|
131.00
|
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TEN Sydney
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55.84
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154.92
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255.17
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21.00
|
32.50
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50.50
|
132.50
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261.50
|
131.00
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