Regulations on television programming in Australia

Australian content quotas The Broadcasting Services Act 1992 requires all commercial free-to-air television licensees to broadcast an annual minimum transmission quota of 55% Australian programming between 6:00am and midnight (12:00am) on their primary channel. Commercial networks must also broadcast 1460 hours of Australian programming yearly on their non-primary channels. The standards were implemented for Australian commercial television stations to broadcast a specified minimum amount of children's programming annually. Programs must be classified as either C or P by the ACMA before broadcast; deeming them as specifically appropriate for the needs of children at different ages. The children's sub-quotas were permanently removed, leaving commercial broadcasters with no obligation to produce and air Australian content for children. This followed the quotas being temporarily suspended in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the requirement to produce children's programming was no longer required, broadcasters were still encouraged to use this genre of production to meet their annual points-based requirements; with the C and P classifications remaining in use for local children's content. ==Response to regulations==

Response to Australian quotas In October 2017, the Environment and Communications References Committee of Australia began an inquiry into the viability of Australia's screen and television industry. The "Make it Australian" campaign argued for no cuts to the content quotas to be made, tax incentives for local productions to be raised, and proposed that a new regulation for streaming services such as Netflix and Stan to be implemented. The obligations to produce Australian drama and documentary programs were suspended in April 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to offer short-term financial support for the networks. The executives of the networks requested to be relieved of the quotas which they described as "heavy and restrictive" and "no longer sustainable", while stating that the obligation to produce children's content was a waste of money and resources. The Inquiry into Film and TV found that networks were fulfilling their obligations for children's drama by mainly broadcasting animated series rather than live action programs. The ACTF expressed concern that the animated series were being produced with intentions of worldwide broadcasts, rather than contributing to the development of Australian identity for its local audiences. It was reported that Seven had threatened to discontinue the production of all children's content in protest against the local content quotas. Network executives pleaded for "immediate action" from the government in regards to abandoning the quotas, citing $8 million spent on children's programming in the last calendar year and an average of less than 1,000 viewers for the programs. In response to the suspension, the Seven Network removed their children's programming from 7two. In May, Seven's executive producer of children's television, Niki Hamilton, left the network and was not replaced. As part of the Federal Government's overhaul of local regulations in October 2020, the sub-quotas for children's content were permanently removed, leaving commercial broadcasters with no further requirement to produce children's programming. ==Notes==