More Ads On The SBS? Turnbull Government To Have Another Crack

World news presenters at SBS television, Anton Enus and Janice Petersen on March 6, 2002 in Sydney Australia.
B&T Magazine
By B&T Magazine



A new bill that would allow more advertising on the SBS is to be re-introduced to Parliament, the Turnbull government has announced.

The broadcaster, who has had significant public funding taken away from it in recent budgets, wants to air more ads particularly during its prime time shows.

A bill was tabled to Parliament in June, however, was rejected following both Labor and the Greens voting it down. The government, however, are strong supporters that the SBS should be funded by more private ad dollars.

Detractors say that too much private money is against the ideals of a public broadcaster and can influence content, while the free to airs are none to happy about SBS playing in their (diminishing) ad money pool.

Yesterday, communications department deputy secretary Nerida O’Loughlin told a Senate estimates hearing that a new bill would be soon to introduced to Parliament. “The (communications) minister (Mitch Fifield) is considering that. We expect that to be introduced fairly soon,” she said.

Many believe SBS now operates like a commercial free to air station and is moving away from its multicultural roots. Over the past 12 months a number of the SBS’s detractors have called for the broadcaster to be merged into the ABC.




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