3 July 2009
Metropolitan commercial television licensees exceed Australian content quotas in 2008
All metropolitan commercial television licensees exceeded in 2008 the requirements of the Australian Content Standard and Children’s Television Standards in 2008, according to figures released today by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
The Australian Content Standard sets an annual quota of a minimum 55 per cent Australian content to be aired between 6 am and midnight. In addition there are specific minimum annual sub-quotas for Australian (adult) drama, documentary and children’s programs.
In 2008, Seven Network’s licensees in the five mainland state capital cities broadcast around 64 per cent Australian content while Network Ten licensees averaged 56 per cent. Nine Network licensees in the three metropolitan markets of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane broadcast more than 60 per cent Australian content.
‘The free to air commercial television industry is a cornerstone of local content creation,’ said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman. ‘That cornerstone remained strong in 2008 as the networks have not only met their obligations but exceeded them.’
The metropolitan networks exceeded the annual quota of 20 hours for first release Australian documentaries, with Seven broadcasting more than 82 hours, Nine Network 43 hours and Network Ten 24 hours.
The networks also exceeded the annual requirement of 250 points for airing first release Australian drama programs during the year. Nine Network licensees averaged 286 points in their three metropolitan markets while Seven Network licensees averaged 276 points and Network Ten licensees scored 268 points in all markets.
The metropolitan networks also met all the quota requirements for children’s programs in 2008 as well as the first release Australian children’s drama quota requirement of 96 hours over the three-year period from 2006 to 2008.
Australian content fared well in the ratings for 2008. Thirty three of the 40 highest rating shows were Australian and 18 of the top 20 rating regular programs were local. All 20 top spots in the light entertainment and reality genre were Australian, and, in drama, the top four programs were home-grown, with seven programs finding a place in the top 20. The Beijing Olympics and major Australian fixtures accounted for the top 20 sports programs.
The compliance results for 2008 are available on ACMA’s website.
Media contact: Donald Robertson, ACMA Media Manager, (02) 9334 7980.
Backgrounder
The ACMA monitors commercial television broadcasting licensees’ compliance with the Australian Content Standard using its Australian content database. This contains information provided by the commercial television networks under a self-reporting system about the programs broadcast by their metropolitan services. The ACMA also collects compliance information from regional commercial television licensees, including network affiliates and independent broadcasters.
Australian and children’s programming requirements
The Australian Content Standard and Children’s Television Standards for commercial television require that Australian programs must make up at least 55 per cent of all programming broadcast by a licensee between 6 am and midnight each year, and that:
- a licensee must broadcast at least 20 hours of first release Australian documentary programs each year
- 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
- a licensee must broadcast in the C band at least 8 hours of repeat Australian C drama programs each year
- a licensee must broadcast at least 130 hours of Australian preschool (P) programs each year
- 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
- the three year drama requirement, which scores for all first release Australian drama programs broadcast by a licensee in prime time, must be at least 860 over three years
- a licensee must broadcast the C drama’s annual requirement – at least 25 hours of first release Australian children’s drama programs – each year
and
- that for the three year requirement for C drama, licensee must broadcast in each three-year period at least 96 hours of first release Australian children’s drama.
Table 1: Australian Content Standard and Children's Television Standards compliance – January 2008 to December 2008
NOTE: Any discrepancies in the totals are due to rounding
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:
4 for a feature film that has been acquired for a licence fee of at least $169,000;
4 for a telemovie, mini-series, or self-contained drama of less than 90 minutes’ duration;
3.2 for a feature film that has been acquired prior to 11 July 2002;
3 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 $338,000 per hour;
2.5 for a feature film that does not meet the format factor 4 or format factor 3.2 requirements;
2.5 for a serial or series produced at the rate of one hour or less per week, but does not meet format factor 3 requirement; and
1 for a series/serial produced at the rate of more than one hour per week