Spending and targets

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Spending and targets: 2019 to 2020
Drama channels and providers: July 2019 to June 2020

Spending and targets: 2019 to 2020

The subscription TV industry reported spending $13.74 million on Australian drama programs in the 2019–20 financial year.

Spending on eligible shows included:

Dramas – Wentworth (series 7 and 8), The End and The Heights (series 2).
Feature films – Hotel Mumbai, Storm Boy, Ladies in Black and The Nightingale.
Children’s drama – Bluey (Series 2) and Alphabet Street.

The industry met the reported shortfall in expenditure ($0.07 million) from the previous compliance period.

These tables provide total industry results aggregated across licensees, channel providers and pass-through providers.

Table 1

Compliance snapshot	2015–16 ($ m)	2016–17 ($ m)	2017–18 ($ m)	2018–19 ($ m)	2019–20 ($ m)
Reported total spending on new Australian drama in financial year	$51.23	$51.95	$56.72	$24.67	$13.74
Met all reported minimum spending requirements?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes ^[1]

Table 2

Compliance analysis	2015–16 ($ m)	2016–17 ($ m)	2017–18 ($ m)	2018–19 ($ m)	2019–20 ^[2] ($ m)
Total new drama spending target: 10% of total program expenditure (5% in 2019–20 due to forbearance)	$32.79	$34.61	$31.71	$26.36	$27.11 ($13.56)
Total amount of current year spending on new Australian drama plus total previous year carry-forward (as nominated toward target)	$30.35	$33.13	$30.22	$26.29	$13.54
Total shortfall to be made up next financial year	$2.44	$1.48	$1.49	$0.07	$0.04 ^[3]

Compliance analysis

2015–16

($ m)

2016–17

($ m)

2017–18

($ m)

2018–19

($ m)

2019–20 ^[2]

($ m)

Total new drama spending target: 10% of total program expenditure

(5% in 2019–20 due to forbearance)

$32.79

$34.61

$31.71

$26.36

$27.11

($13.56)

Total amount of current year spending on new Australian drama plus total previous year carry-forward (as nominated toward target)

$30.35

$33.13

$30.22

$26.29

$13.54

Total shortfall to be made up next financial year

$2.44

$1.48

$1.49

$0.07

$0.04 ^[3]

In April 2020, due to impacts of COVID-19, the ACMA agreed to exercise temporary forbearance by not taking enforcement action for subscription television licensees for non-compliance with the NEDE scheme for the period up until and including 31 December 2020. Noting that this forbearance includes 2 compliance periods (2019–20 and 2020–21), the ACMA’s approach to implementing this forbearance is to adopt a NEDE revised target of 5% of total program expenditure for the financial years 2019–20 and 2020–21.

This approach balances the need for some regulatory relief and certainty for subscription television licensees, while still supporting audiences’ access to new Australian drama.

Following assessment of individual licensee and channel providers returns, 5% of total program expenditure across the industry for 2019–20 was $13.56 million. A shortfall in expenditure of $0.04 million from 2019–20 will need to be made up in 2020–21.

^[1] One licensee failed to correctly report on expenditure incurred for 2 drama channels. Corrective action occurred from 1 July 2020.

^[2] Results reflect the ACMA’s temporary relief due to COVID-19 impacts on content productions and supply chains

^[3] The total shortfall to be made up next financial year is greater than the difference between the 5% amount in 2019–20 and total amount nominated in current year spending and carry-forward because a condition of the ACMA’s forbearance was not met.

Spending and targets

Spending and targets: 2019 to 2020

Drama channels and providers: July 2019 to June 2020