PM Transcripts

a
' k PRIME MINISTERI
n, POMR DIA* FRIDAY, 26 MAR~ CH 1982
AUSTrRALIAN CtHLDREN'S TELEVISION FOUNDATIONConuonwealth
and State Governments have combined to sujpu't
the e-etablishment of the A\ ustralian Children's Trelevision
Foundation. heFoundation will encouragje the development, production an
trnsisio of Australian Children's television programs of
; Uqu Commonwealth Government has made ant initial contribiition
of'$ 250,000 to the F'oundation for the current financial year
wbile Victoria, South Australia and the 14orthern Territory have
rt~: 7. Coptriuted $ 200,000, $ 40,000 anid $ 3,700 respectively. New
South'Wales, Western Australia and Tasmania are also-expectedk
to support the Foundation financially.
The roposal Is that the Coyrqonwcalth rmeets approximately
hAl f the cost of the Foundation ( ie. up to $ 1.5 million) over
three years with the States sharing the remaining $ 1.5 million.
Iis expected that by then the r-oundation will be self -supporting.
The Commonwealthi is committed to support the Foundation in
1982/ 83 with continued fundingj in) 1983/ 84 anel 1984/ 85, conditional
on its performance in the initial tw.. o years of operatior.-
I : agree with the Foundation that children's television should
reflect the diversity of interests, lifestyles, expectations,
. special needs and multicultural heritage-of Au-stralian child~ rr,
thug contribute to a sense of national identity.
Television 6tations are required to show five hours of children's
-pzograMs per week, ' About half of these are locally produced,
But children's television lin Australia has a ie o~ e
: t 1o; Verseas programs or regrettablyr shlow' re-rulns of many-old
-programs. Whether this was because of cost or -unavailability of
programs,. I do not know.
NebVertheless, the Government believes that there has been a
dscernible imnprovement in) cildren's; telIevision in the last
few years Kirnce the establishment of the Australian) Broadcasting
Tiribunal's Children's Progrem COmmittee.________
Recent achievements in children's nrogjrans pr-oduced in Australia
inclu-de Simon Tovnsendls Wonjdter) World, Shil's INeigh bouxhood,
M~ chatsfrom comrne-rcial tele-vision and ' the work of the ARC ts
Children's Drama Unit in mielbourn) e