AWG Response to Broadcast Legislation Amendment Bill 2013


The House of Representatives last night pushed through the Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Convergence Review and Other Measures) Bill 2013 even though it contradicts the recommendations of the ‘Convergence Review’ on which the Bill is named.

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“After a farcical four days in Canberra since the media reform package was announced – this crucial piece of legislation determining the future of Australian stories on Australian screens was hurriedly passed without any meaningful discussion or debate”, says Executive Director of the Australian Writers’ Guild (AWG), Jacqueline Elaine.

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“Overshadowed by debate on press regulation, media concentration and even Labor Party leadership challenges, this legislation was not given the airspace it rightly needed as the primary instrument protecting the future of Australian stories on free-to-air television.”

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“Senator Conroy claimed this crucial cultural reform was the ‘uncontroversial’ part of the legislative media reform package citing broad public and industry support,” says Jacqueline Elaine. “To paraphrase News Limited CEO Kim Williams on similar claims about the Public Interest Media Advocate Bill – Bollocks!”

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One of the most compelling reasons for government intervention is to ensure that quality, culturally significant Australian programmes continue to be made despite them being far less profitable for television broadcasters than other forms of programming. The Convergence Review, the Productivity Commission Report before it, and comprehensive international comparative analysis are unequivocal about this.



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The Convergence Review recommendations consulted comprehensively to consider both the needs of the free-to-air networks in an evolving multi-platform environment, and the cultural significance and commercial fragility of Australian drama, as distinct from “content”. 



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“Confusion between content and drama is being deliberately fostered and exploited. The history of Australian television programming over the last ten years clearly demonstrates that any regulation requiring Australian content can and will be filled by everything but new Australian drama unless regulation dictates otherwise.”

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A Newspoll survey conducted for the Australian Writers’ Guild last week shows that a clear majority of Australians believe there should be new laws requiring the commercial networks to broadcast minimum amounts of new Australian comedy and drama on each of their multi channels, in addition to the existing requirements for the main channels.



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Prior to yesterday’s vote, Channels 7, Nine and Ten had to show approximately three hours a week of new Australian drama, and only about half an hour per week of new children’s drama on their main channel.

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“These few vital hours are the result of the detailed requirements of the content “sub-quotas” within the Australian Content Standard. Under the new legislation, not only is there no requirement for any additional hours, even those few token hours can be spread across any of their three channels.”

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The number of broadcast hours per network has increased from 168 to 504 per week with the introduction of the digital multi channels, and yet the number of hours of new Australian drama they will need to screen each week will still be 3.

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Hear more from AWG Executive Director Jacqueline Elaine on ABC radio here:Â http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2013/s3719744.htmÂ