This month television celebrates its 60th anniversary. With a rich and vibrant history, we have delivered Australians their most memorable moments, and it feels like we’ve only just begun.
Television’s black & white opening moments were followed by the days when soap operas, Aussie dramas and talk shows hosted by the first King of Australian TV Graham Kennedy ruled the airwaves. The arrival of satellites allowed everyday Australians to witness important world events, such as man’s first steps on the moon, and closer to home, the devastation of Cyclone Tracy, right up to the recent excitement of the Rio Olympics.
We found our own, homegrown, now internationally successful, formula for soaps with a stream of hits including The Young Doctors, Sons and Daughters and the iconic Neighbours, now in its 31st year. We still deliver the best in Australian content to viewers today – all of the top 40 shows on Free TV last year were Australian.
The Australian public was glued to their walnut veneer sets and coil antennas, which quickly became a fixture in the lounge rooms of Australia.
Today, television is a very different beast from its linear birth as we enter a new era where Australians can access their favourite shows and moments anywhere, anytime.
Broadcasters have made significant investments into new digital channels, catch-up services and apps as they respond to changing consumer behaviour.
Viewing habits may have changed, but one thing remains steadfast – and that is that television remains at the cultural heart of society. Every day, 13 million Australians tune into commercial free-to-air television. And watching TV on a TV still accounts for more than 80% of our screen time.
Sixty years on, Australians still love their TV – almost nine in 10 believe free-to-air TV is valuable to the community. TV also pumps $2.8 billion a year back into the Australian economy and the industry is responsible for the employment of more than 15,000 people.
On this milestone diamond anniversary, it’s important to re-state that the economic and cultural importance of television means that it’s imperative that free TV remains free for all Australians.
Our industry is facing exciting but challenging times. We need to continue to transform free-to-air broadcasting businesses to meet advances in technology and changing consumer viewing habits to continue to deliver a service that Australians know, love – and want.
And we all know that Australians love their sport. Watching sport is one of the iconic Australian pastimes and free-to-air TV’s ability to deliver the best sporting events live and free, needs to be preserved by protecting and retaining our anti-siphoning laws.
We are now competing against a range of new entrants who do not contribute to the cultural voice or the economy in the same way that we do. Licence fees and other outdated regulations must be removed so that we can continue to innovate and invest the $1.5 billion annually into producing great Australian content.
It’s also important to remember that free-to-air television is the most strongly regulated of all - with more community safeguards in place than any media platform!
Television’s power is also unrivalled when it comes to building brands and businesses. Its emotional connection is unmatched.
Today, consumers can watch their favourite programs on the TV, their laptop, smartphone and tablet, anytime and anywhere. Second screens allow viewers to interact with TV in ways they never have before with live Tweets and Facebook posts broadcast in real time.
As we look forward to the future and all the exciting possibilities for what TV might be for viewers and advertisers, we really have only just begun.
Check out how TV ad rates now compare to 1956 and have a look at the AdNews archives from 1956 when commerical TV first launched.
Harold Mitchell AC
Chairman of Free TV