In March 2024 ABC Alumni released a disturbing report that confirmed what we already suspected: there’s been a shocking decline in the production of original non-news and current affairs screen content by the ABC since 2013.
The ABC now presents 40% less Australian content than it did a decade ago.
In the last decade the ABC's operating revenue fell by 13.7% in real terms - an annual reduction of $150 million. That had a terrible impact on the creation of original screen content.
Children’s programs, drama, religion, arts, entertainment, factual and sports programming all suffered.
In 2013-14 the ABC screened 1060 hours of original content on its main channel. By 2022-23 that had declined to 630 hours, a drop of 41%.
Take arts programming, for example. In 2013-14, the ABC screened around 80 hours a week of original arts programming on its main channel each year. By 2022-23 that had shrunk by 75% to 21 hours. We can see the results: fewer dedicated arts programs, almost no arts reporting on news and current affairs and no sustained commitment to bring the arts to the Australian public.
The ABC is part of our cultural heartland. It must be fully funded to tell our stories.
We need more original Australian drama.
We need more children’s TV, more arts and science programs, more history and documentaries. If the ABC doesn’t produce them – who will?
Whether we watch the ABC on our TV screens in real time or catch up on iView on our devices, we rely on the ABC to produce quality Australian stories.
Are you sick of watching repeats and imports? Would you like to see more original Australian content?
Join our call to all candidates in this election to fully fund the ABC.