Display screen Producers Australia has responded to the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s newest Business TV Program Expenditure Report, warning that the figures as soon as once more affirm industrial broadcasters are usually not delivering on culturally important genres—notably scripted drama for each kids and adults.

The report exhibits Gentle Leisure is now the very best invested style, adopted by Sport, Information & Present Affairs.

Business networks spent simply $1.8 million on kids’s drama in 2023–24—up marginally from zero final yr, however nonetheless a staggering 98% collapse in comparison with 2018–19. Spending on grownup drama stays flat at $49 million, down from $96 million six years in the past, and now accounts for lower than 3% of complete CTV expenditure.

“These figures proceed a sample we’ve warned about for years,” mentioned SPA CEO Matthew Deaner. “The slight improve in kids’s drama funding this yr is statistically meaningless. Each grownup and children’ drama stay at unsustainably low ranges. We can not count on Australian tales to thrive with out actual structural change.”

SPA emphasised that this isn’t an remoted failure—however fairly, one a part of a broader erosion of culturally important content material funding.

“Drama is only one of a number of genres the place industrial funding has been allowed to wither, with no different a part of the system stepping in to fill the void,” Mr Deaner mentioned.

SPA is asking for pressing coverage intervention to deal with this failure, together with:

• Legislated, revenue-linked native content material funding obligations on SVOD platforms, leveraging the huge attain and profitability of world platforms to reinvest in Australian creativity;
• Elevated ABC and SBS funding, particularly for independently produced kids’s and scripted content material;
• Producer Offset parity for tv and have movies, to stage the taking part in area for native tales;
• Prime-up funding for Display screen Australia, to assist documentaries, regional tales, and rising creators.

“It’s time to manage all streaming providers and reinvest in our nationwide broadcasters,” mentioned Deaner. “That’s the one method to restore steadiness in a market that’s now skewed nearly totally towards reside sport and low-cost codecs.”

The 2023–24 report builds on issues SPA raised final yr, when kids’s drama spending hit zero for the primary time.

Regardless of repeated warnings and clear proof, the structural imbalance stays. This sustained underinvestment has real-world penalties—not only for audiences, however for Australia’s unbiased manufacturing sector, which depends on honest entry to commissioning alternatives to assist jobs, expertise, and enterprise development nationwide.

“This isn’t simply regarding—it’s predictive,” Deaner mentioned. “That is what occurs when regulation is dismantled and nothing replaces it.”

SPA additionally referred to as for better cross-platform transparency in content material reporting.

“To get a full image of Australia’s display screen ecosystem, we want like-for-like expenditure information throughout all platforms—together with streamers and public broadcasters,” Deaner added. “Solely then can we correctly assess who’s contributing to Australian storytelling—and who isn’t.”

Netflix at present introduced it was becoming a member of OzTAM, the primary world streamer to take action.

“We’ve had sufficient proof. What we want now’s motion,” mentioned Deaner. “With the precise reforms, it’s nonetheless potential to show the tide. However left alone, the system won’t self-correct.”

However Free TV Australia welcomed the identical report citing:

• $1.625b invested in Australian content material by industrial tv broadcasters.
• 88% of complete programming expenditure devoted to Australian content material.
• Ongoing assist for trusted information providers, with expenditure of $408m, demonstrating the trade’s dedication to Australian journalism.
• Continued funding in regional information and present affairs, regardless of financial and market pressures.

Bridget Truthful, CEO of Free TV Australia, mentioned, “Regardless of difficult financial circumstances and rising competitors from world digital platforms, Free TV broadcasters proceed to step up and ship for Australian audiences. Our dedication to native content material stays as sturdy as ever — from trusted information to reside sport and leisure.

“Whereas world streamers promote tales, we inform the tales that matter to Australians — and all without spending a dime.

“Australians worth Australian tv and the very important function it performs in our democracy, our tradition, and our on a regular basis lives. To maintain delivering, we look ahead to persevering with to work with Authorities on coverage settings that assist a sustainable and vibrant trade.”