Senator Scott Ludlam Australian Greens communications spokesperson has announced that The Australian Greens will oppose the government’s moves to increase advertising on SBS with government senators backing the flawed bill in a Senate inquiry report tabled today. A Greens and ALP dissenting report recommends that the bill not be passed. “By pushing ahead with this bill, the government is cheerfully ignoring the evidence presented to the Senate inquiry,” Senator Scott Ludlam commented.
It should be noted that according to the current rules SBS is only allowed to broadcast no more than five minutes of advertising and sponsorship announcements in any hour of broadcasting before or after programs or during natural program breaks. This equates to a total daily limit of 120 minutes of advertising and sponsorship per television channel.
Senator Ludlam explained that this bill is nothing more than a way for Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull to make further funding cuts to SBS by walking away from their obligation to properly fund our national broadcasters. Ludlam added that changes to the current levels of advertising on SBS risks undermining the principals of a public broadcaster and skewing them closer to a commercial operator. It amounts, as the dissenting report notes, to the creation of a fourth commercial network.
