Australian TV networks exceed ACMA content quotas in 2023, with Nine leading in hours and Ten excelling in high-quality, first-release programming.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has released its annual report on the Australian content quotas for the three major commercial free-to-air television networks, with all networks surpassing the required thresholds.
Under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, commercial television licensees are mandated to broadcast a minimum of 55% Australian content on their primary channels (Seven, Nine, and Ten) between 6 am and midnight. Additionally, they must air 1,460 hours of Australian programming on their secondary channels over the same timeframe.
According to ACMA’s findings, Nine led with 78% Australian content on its primary channel, followed closely by Seven at 76%, and Ten at 70%, all well above the stipulated 55% minimum.
Notably, Seven was the only network to slightly increase its Australian content percentage from 2022, whereas Nine and Ten saw marginal declines. In the previous year, Nine achieved 79.47%, Seven reached 75.88%, and Ten maintained 70.54%.
Beyond these content quotas, the Australian Content and Children’s Television Standards 2020 (ACCTS) also impose requirements for the broadcast of first-release Australian programs. Under ACCTS, networks must accumulate at least 250 points annually, which are awarded based on the production budget or licence fees of the aired programs. Productions with higher budgets score more points per hour of broadcast.
In 2023, Ten led the charge with 384.5 points of first-release Australian content, surpassing Seven’s 331.5 points and Nine’s 243.75 points.
Interestingly, Nine fell short of the 250-point quota but utilised a carryover provision from the previous year, allowing the network to technically meet the requirement, though this approach raises questions about the sustainability of such a strategy.
When evaluating the actual hours of first-run Australian content broadcast in 2023, Nine emerged as the leader with 176.25 hours, followed by Seven with 166.5 hours, and Ten with 117.5 hours. Despite airing fewer hours of content, Ten secured its top position in the points tally by focusing on high-value productions.
Here’s the content from the images converted into a table format suitable for a WordPress blog post:
Table of broadcast hours and ACCTS points claimed per program by metropolitan primary channels
| Network | Program | Genre | Points per hour of broadcast | Average broadcast hours claimed by licensees | Average ACCTS points claimed by licensees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ten | The Secrets She Keeps (S2) | Australian drama | 7.0 | 6.00 | 42.00 |
| The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race (S1) | Australian drama | 7.0 | 2.00 | 14.00 | |
| Riptide (S1) | Australian drama | 5.0 | 4.00 | 20.00 | |
| North Shore (S1) | Australian drama | 7.0 | 6.00 | 42.00 | |
| Neighbours (S38) | Australian drama | 1.5 | 30.00 | 45.00 | |
| NCIS: Sydney (S1) | Australian drama | 7.0 | 1.00 | 7.00 | |
| My Life is Murder (S3) | Australian drama | 5.0 | 10.00 | 50.00 | |
| Heat (S1) | Australian drama | 5.0 | 4.00 | 20.00 | |
| Five Bedrooms (S3) | Australian drama | 6.0 | 8.00 | 48.00 |
Ten’s strategy involved commissioning high-budget dramas and documentaries, such as Riptide and the third series of My Life Is Murder, both of which earned 5 points per hour of broadcast. My Life Is Murder alone contributed 50 points, representing a fifth of the network’s annual quota.
Other notable contributions came from six-part dramas like The Secrets She Keeps and North Side, each scoring the maximum 7 points per hour, alongside documentary series such as Bondi Rescue and Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly.
Furthermore, Ten leveraged strategic partnerships, as evidenced by the airing of NCIS: Sydney—a production for the Paramount+ streaming service—on its network, which added an additional 7 points.
It’s worth noting that the 10 Network has significantly reduced its commitment to Australian free-to-air drama in 2024 meaning that its content quota figures will look very different in ACMA’s report next year.
| Network | Program | Genre | Points per hour of broadcast | Average broadcast hours claimed by licensees | Average ACCTS points claimed by licensees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nine | Warnie (S1) | Australian drama | 7.0 | 3.08 | 21.58 |
Conversely, Nine focused on a higher volume of lower-budget productions. Of the 34 Australian first-run programs it aired, 28 were 1-point productions.
The only exception was the two-part Warnie miniseries, which earned 7 points per hour, reflecting its relatively higher production costs. While Nine airs very little Australian drama on free-to-air TV, the company continues to produce a huge selection of local productions for its subscription service Stan.
| Network | Program | Genre | Points per hour of broadcast | Average broadcast hours claimed by licensees | Average ACCTS points claimed by licensees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seven | We Interrupt This Broadcast (S1) | Australian drama | 4.0 | 10.00 | 40.00 |
| Watch Dogs (S1) | Australian drama | 1.5 | 2.50 | 3.75 | |
| The Claremont Murders (S1) | Australian drama | 7.0 | 4.00 | 28.00 | |
| RFDS (S2) | Australian drama | 7.0 | 8.00 | 56.00 | |
| Home And Away (S36) | Australian drama | 1.5 | 54.00 | 81.00 | |
| Home And Away (S35) | Australian drama | 1.5 | 61.00 | 91.50 | |
| Darradgon Local Council (S1) | Australian drama | 1.5 | 4.50 | 6.75 |
Seven, while achieving significant points from its long-running soap Home and Away—garnering 172.5 points—also invested in high-budget series like RFDS and The Claremont Murders, both seven-point productions. These major contributions allowed Seven to rely on lower-budget content like Border Security to meet the remainder of its obligations.
In terms of children’s programming, Nine stood out with several titles, including The Actually Really Very Difficult Show, Smashhdown! Search for the G.O.A.T., and Earth Science Investigators, all produced at QTQ9, amassing a total of 90 hours. Channel 10 produced one children’s drama, Rock Mysteries 2 while the 7 Network failed to produce any content in this category.
The networks also fulfilled their obligations regarding Australian content on secondary channels. Seven significantly outpaced its competitors, averaging 5,426.54 hours of Australian programming in 2023. Nine and Ten followed with 2,625.78 and 2,018.15 hours, respectively. However, a substantial portion of Seven’s total included over 1,500 hours of sports coverage.
Free TV Australia CEO Bridget Fair emphasised the importance of these results, highlighting the ongoing commitment of both metropolitan and regional broadcasters to delivering Australian content.
“These results matter because they show the commitment of metropolitan and regional commercial broadcasters alike to Australian content.
The Australian content our members make informs, educates, entertains and connects all Australians. And the $1.67 billion we spend on Australian content is an essential contribution to Australia’s local screen production industry,” said Fair.
She also underscored the broader challenges facing the industry, advocating for government support:
“With economic headwinds buffeting us all, it’s time to remember the commitment of local broadcasters to free local stories, and the importance of supporting the sustainability of our sector.”
Fair called on the Albanese Government to take action, particularly in areas such as abolishing the Commercial Broadcasting Tax, which costs the industry $46 million annually, supporting regional broadcasters, and addressing Meta’s withdrawal from the News Media Bargaining Code.
“A strong local television broadcast sector is in the public interest and must be part of the Government’s Future Made in Australia,”
