Free TV Australia welcomed today’s ACMA report showing commercial television continues to lead the industry in Australian content delivery, with no other platform matching this extraordinary investment in local stories.
Commercial television broadcasters are required by law to broadcast at least 55 per cent Australian content between 6.00 am and midnight on their primary channels, and 1,460 hours of Australian content on non-primary channels.
In 2024, Free TV broadcasters once again smashed these requirements, with broadcasters delivering an exceptional average of 74% Australian content on their primary channels – nearly 20 percentage points above the required obligation.
On non-primary channels, broadcasters delivered a combined total of more than 10,700 hours of Australian content, more than double the required quota hours – and far exceeding the 1,460-hour minimum.
Broadcasters also over-delivered on first release Australian content obligations.
“Today’s ACMA compliance results emphasise the massive scale of commitment and investment that Free TV broadcasters make in Australian content. In a world of fragmentation and global productions, Australian content has never been more important. Free TV broadcasters are the most heavily regulated of any media, and they deliver Australian content in spades – day after day, year after year, exceeding every requirement by substantial margins,” said Free TV CEO, Bridget Fair.
These numbers are a powerful demonstration that Free TV broadcasters remain the cornerstone of Australian content production, with networks investing over $1.62 billion annually in local programming. This includes everything from daily drama series and documentaries to news, current affairs, and live sports coverage.
“No other platform in Australia comes close to matching this level of commitment to Australian content. Commercial television delivers comprehensive Australian programming 365 days a year, including trusted news, live and free sport and Australian entertainment and drama,” Ms Fair continued.
This substantial investment directly supports thousands of jobs across Australia’s screen production industry, from writers and actors to technicians and support crew. Regional broadcasters are particularly vital, ensuring local content reaches audiences in rural and remote areas where other platforms often fall short.
With these exceptional results demonstrating the sector’s commitment to Australian audiences, Ms Fair called for urgent government support to ensure the industry’s sustainability so that all Australians can continue to enjoy the local content they love.
“Commercial broadcasters continue to over-deliver on Australian content while facing increasing economic pressures and competitive threats from tech giants, including calls for multinational AI companies to be able to scrape our content without paying. It’s time for the Albanese Government to recognise our contribution and take action. Abolishing the unjustified Commercial Broadcasting Tax, which costs our industry $50 million annually, fixing the anti-siphoning loophole that jeopardises ongoing access to free sport for all Australians, supporting regional broadcasters and implementing the News Media Bargaining Incentive are essential steps.
“A strong, sustainable commercial television sector is vital to Australia’s media landscape and should be central to the Government’s national interest agenda.”
ENDS
Download a copy of the PDF here.