Anthony De Ceglie. Credit: Emily Kulich/Melbourne Press Club.
The battle to eliminate the Commercial Broadcasting Tax (CBT) marches on.
Ever since the CBT - also known as spectrum fees - was introduced in 2017 to replace broadcast licence fees, both the free to air broadcasters (FTA) along with industry body Free TV have been lobbying for its removal, arguing that the $45-46 million hit to the industry is exorbitant and outdated.
The latest shot came by way of Seven's news boss Anthony De Ceglie, who used a speech earlier this week at the Melbourne Press Club to call the CBT "archaic" and a "tax on journalism, a tax on the truth and it’s a tax on facts".
Now, Nine and Ten are joining the fray, re-affirming their long-called for appeals to government to eliminate the tax.
A Nine spokesperson told AdNews that Nine has been calling for the government to scrap the CBT "for some time".
"We have a submission via FreeTV highlighting how the CBT is outdated and places the Australian commercial FTAs in an unfair commercial position compared to global platforms that produce no news or current affairs," said the spokesperson.
A Network 10 spokesperson, meanwhile, said Australian journalism is critical to the country's social fabric and broadcasters should be supported to provide this vital community service.
"The government invests in local drama productions via tax offsets, and we are asking for local news and current affairs to receive similar support to sustain the industry," the spokesperson told AdNews.
“The CBT is outdated and detrimental not just to local news production but the entire commercial free-to-air TV industry, threatening its visibility as a major employer and contributor to the Australian economy. It is inequitable given there is no equivalent tax on social media companies or big tech platforms, who share news and content but have no commitment to local journalism or content.
“We’re asking the federal government to end the CBT and help sustain the future of the free-to-air broadcast industry and the production of high-quality content, local news and current affairs for all Australians to access for free.”
In a document released at the time of its introduction, the Department of the Communications and the Arts said that commercial broadcasters had up until that point been paying a "very small amount" compared to the value of the spectrum they actually use – about $75,000 per year.
"Under the Commercial Broadcasting (Tax) Act 2017, broadcasters will pay for the spectrum they use at a level more reflective of its value. The broadcasters will pay for each spectrum transmitter they use. Higher value transmitters will attract a higher fee," the paper said.
Network 10's points echo much of the content of De Ceglie's speech this week - calling for the Canberra legislators (on both sides) to scrap the CBT, highlighting that licence fees paid by Australian broadcasters are now the highest in the world, raising the differences in treatment when comparing TV broadcasters to social media platforms.
The Seven Network's director of news and current affairs and Seven West Media editor took it a step further, however, suggesting that the government should investigate a rebate for the costs of producing news and current affairs.
"The government has already decided that it’s so important to have this local content for our national psyche that is should be subsidised; I would argue that it’s even more important to safeguard the future of Australian news," De Ceglie said.
That view is at odds with another of the country's largest news outlets.
In an interview with The Australian earlier in the week, News Corp Australasia executive chairman Michael Miller said that Australians need a sustainable news media industry, but said that “government handouts” aren't the answer.
“The government is at risk of abandoning the engine rooms of Australian news, which is where the bulk of the jobs are and where the bulk of important Australian stories are told,” he said.
“The parliament’s primary focus should be those deals Meta has walked away from. The best way to sustain these media outlets – including the ABC – is by reaching commercial outcomes with Meta and not through government handouts, which are unlikely to be enough to fund journalism as we know it.”
One of the recommendations from the interim report issued by the Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society called on the government to "establish a shortterm transition fund to help news media businesses to diversify and
strengthen alternative income streams and news product offerings".
"Given Meta's decision not to renew deals under the News Media Bargaining Code, and the de-prioritisation of news on Meta platforms... the fund should have a particular focus on supporting small, independent and digital only publishers, as well as those operating in underserved communities and rural, regional and remote areas," the paper said.
Earlier this year, the social media giant said it wouldn't renew its agreements to pay local publishers for their news appearing on Facebook.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.