Response to the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts’ Issues Paper, Indigenous Broadcasting and Media Sector Review Tuesday, 7 September 2010 INTRODUCTION This paper is written in response to the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts’ (DEWHA) Issues Paper, Indigenous Broadcasting and Media Sector Review (the Review). The structure of FOXTEL’s response is as follows: 1. Overview of FOXTEL’s business and reconciliation activity 2. Relevant background including: - The rise of the digital economy - Indigenous broadcasting and the digital economy 3. Policy recommendations re NITV including covering: - Importance of independence, certainty and adequate funding for NITV - Free to air broadcast of NITV and the Digital Dividend - Training and skills development For further information on this submission, please contact: Mr Adam Suckling Director, Policy & Corporate Affairs FOXTEL E:
[email protected] P: 02 9813 6140 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The rise of the digital economy – including lower production and distribution costs, increased consumer empowerment and the demand for greater channel choice – mean that it is more economically feasible to produce and distribute channels such as NITV, and also to find audiences who are interested in programming such as NITV’s, than it ever has been. While such developments in the digital economy make it possible to provide, and find audiences for a channel such as NITV, there are also political, cultural and social reasons why NITV should continue to be funded on a sustainable basis and maintain an independent editorial voice and governance: Cultural – Indigenous Australians have over 40,000 years of cultural development as well as distinct and multiple perspectives on contemporary Australia.