The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance has welcomed the increased funding for the ABC and SBS in this week’s Federal Budget but it falls short of the Government's pre-election pledge.  Click  Read more to see our full press release.

MEDIA RELEASE: 19/03/2009

Funding boost for public broadcasters welcome but falls short of election pledge

The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance has welcomed the increased funding for the ABC and SBS in this week’s Federal Budget.

“This is the biggest injection of funds that our public broadcasters have received in more than 25 years,” Alliance federal secretary, Christopher Warren said. “This will allow a significant increase in the creation of Australian content to promote our culture and our stories, not only at home but on the world stage.

“At the same time and in the face of significant challenges to Australia’s news media, this budget will enable money to be spent to ensure that the ABC remains at the cutting edge of journalism, which is doubly important, given the pressure being felt by the mainstream commercial news media.”

Mr Warren said the Alliance had already welcomed the announcement, last month, that the Budget would include provision for the establishment of an ABC channel aimed at children. “This is an important development which will support jobs in the creative sector and will promote Australian stories and our cultural values for generations to come,” Mr Warren, said.

However he noted that the increase would not be sufficient to fulfil the ALP’s pre-election pledge to provide sufficient funds to the ABC to allow it to broadcast the same levels of Australian drama as the commercial free-to-air networks.

“We would remind the Treasurer that one of the key planks of the ALP’s arts policy was to ‘amend the ABC charter to mandate minimum levels of Australian drama on the national broadcaster, reflecting similar obligations that apply to commercial networks’. This will not be possible under this round of funding.”

Equity director, Simon Whipp, said “This is a vindication of all the campaigning by our members, especially the performers in our Equity section who have been tireless in promoting the message about the importance of providing our children with Australian content rather than merely opening the floodgates to endless cheap imports.

“But we need to keep campaigning – it is important that we promote home-grown drama, not just for the cultural life of this country but for our economic wellbeing. A dollar spent in TV production produces more than $1.80 in flow-on benefits to the economy.

“The success of top-quality dramas such as Underbelly shows there is an appetite for Australian content in international markets. The depth of talent in this country will more than repay any taxpayer support – and our surveys have told us that there is considerable support in the community for a properly funded ABC and SBS.”

For more information or comment please contact Jonathan Este on 0402 850 611