Make the ABC Australian - Minister for Communications: Amend the ABC Charter
The issue
THE ABC SHOULD SPEND YOUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS ON AUSSIE CONTENT ONLY
Did you know the ABC has no Australian content quota?
I was sick of seeing the ABC sending $$$ to the BBC and Hollywood, so I did something about it.
I WON'T BUY THAT FOR A DOLLAR!
I tested if the ABC actually cared about AUSTRALIAN ART, MUSIC and CULTURE.
I offered them an award-winning Aussie doco The Most Australian Band Ever! for just $1!!!
It’s a great film about three ethnic kids forming a punk band, fighting racism and the music industry in the 80s and 90s. Fun, heartwarming, rave reviews. Perfect stuff for the ABC.
What happened next?
The ABC didn’t even click on the link to watch it.
Instead, the ABC screened Hollywood movies and BBC shows such as: Gladiators UK, Penn and Teller: Fool Us, ER, Elementary, Murdoch Mysteries, Paddington, QI, Would I Lie to You, Young Sheldon, Interstellar, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking and Sister Boniface Mysteries.
Friday night on the ABC is BBC night, but the BBC doesn’t have an Australian Broadcasting Corporation night!
It's time to amend the ABC Charter to make the ABC truly Australian.
The world has changed but the ABC is stuck in the past.
WANT TO KNOW MORE? Keep reading for a deep dive into how it works, and why it will actually save the ABC money.
ALREADY CONVINCED? Sign now and SHARE with your friends.
FAQ
Doesn’t the ABC have Australian content quotas?
No. Only the commercial TV stations have Australian content requirements. It would require a change to the ABC Charter. That’s why this petition exists.
But the ABC has always broadcast BBC shows?
Yes, we all loved Doctor Who, The Goodies or DeGrassi. But that was a time when we had no streaming and only four channels. In the digital age, you can easily find these shows elsewhere, many on free-to-air 9Gem or 7Flix. Then there’s Britbox, YouTube, Spotify for music (free with ads).
And... we already have a government broadcaster dedicated to foreign content - SBS! They can broadcast the BBC (with ads) so it’s not coming out of your tax dollars. Let SBS do its job and keep the ABC Australian.
What about cross-pollinations with overseas culture?
It's the digital age.
Overseas culture is more accessible than ever. Your kids didn't discover K-Pop on the ABC.
Let commercial platforms be commercial, and let the ABC be Australian.
Don’t you know they cut the ABC budget!!!! They can’t afford it.
I know you don’t want to hear this, but…
it wouldn’t cost the ABC anything extra, and could even save them money.
Here’s how the numbers work:
The ABC can make a show (PRODUCTIONS), or they can buy a show (ACQUISITIONS).
PRODUCTIONS are expensive – ($340,000 for a recent documentary as revealed in Senate Estimates).
We offered The Most Australian Band Ever! for $1. They could have saved $339,999, so you know it's not about money.
ACQUISTIONS are cheaper – around $5,000 to $10,000.
It’s the same price to buy an Australian film as it is to buy Disclosure with Demi Moore which they screened this year.
Literally the same price for an Australian film ACQUISITION. No extra cost.
So who's more important to Australia - Demi Moore or the next Margot Robbie?
The ABC actually gives PREFERENCE to BBC content in certain timeslots!
Friday night is UK mystery night and has been for more than a decade.
What about Radio?
Radio is even easier. It’s a flat royalty for any song played.
When your local ABC radio presenter plays an American song, the money goes overseas to big American companies (Sony Music, Universal etc).
If they play an Aussie artist, then he or she gets royalties.
It costs THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY if they choose Aussie.
Triple J only plays 50% Australian. Half their money goes to Chappell Roan or Jay Z.
TV is dead. How about streaming?
There's no need to buy ANY foreign shows for streaming.
Unlike TV, there are no timeslots to fill. Some acquisitions deals come with streaming, but we don't need it.
The ABC could scrap all foreign streaming-only deals and save $$$$!
Australian stuff is crap. Nobody will watch or listen!
Triple J’s ratings increased when they played more Australian music.
By getting rid of the BBC shows, the ABC has to look to new areas to fill the timeslots.
Getting rid of stale BBC shows means more space for new AUSTRALIAN creators, things that didn't go through the ABC's rigid production gatekeeping. Maybe it's an Aussie horror film they would never make, or an anthology of Aussie short films from a new wave of talent. Now they have to open their minds to genuinely DIVERSE art and culture.
Remember: Triple J didn’t want to play The Chats!
We know there's heaps of great GRASS ROOTS Australian stuff they don't want you to see, and we need an ABC that is PROUD of AUSTRALIAN CULTURE, not ashamed.
Won’t we run out of Australian content?
No. There are millions of hours of Australian independent films that you’ve never heard of. Insanely creative and innovative quality content across film, shorts and music. Creators across Australia are screaming out for a chance to reach the huge audience that ABC reaches.
It will never work! Don't you know it's impossible!
Look, I get that there are a lot of whingers in the Australian media. They'll tell you why everything is bad and disaster is looming.
We don't need your negativity; we're trying to make some positive change here.
If you believe that Australia is better than that, then sign the petition!
If you don't, then go and be miserable somewhere else.
How would it work?
We recommend establishing a working group of experts to draft a new Charter.
It would include guidelines, exemptions and allow a transition period.
A carrot and stick approach might be best: increase budget for extra Australian content and charge the ABC a fee for every hour of non-Australian content they broadcast.
An ongoing penalty fee would make overseas programs more expensive compared to Australian content, without imposing a tariff.
Each year the ABC reports on percentage of Australian content, and the public can see how well they are doing.
Plenty of options, let's put our heads together and work it out.
What about international news?
Look, we are not idiots.
Of course there are exceptions.
News and Current Affairs would be exempt.
Likewise, if Keith Richards ever dies, then of course morning radio is going to play the Rolling Stones.
Maybe you want to talk about why every café in Australia plays Fleetwood Mac. Yeah, sure you’ll need to play something from Rumours.
It’s not hard to add a relevance clause to The Charter.
As long as the ABC prioritises AUSTRALIAN MADE wherever possible.
What does ‘Australian’ even mean?
American singer covers Aussie song - YES
TV co-production with foreign country – YES
Aussie band does cover of UK song – YES
Overseas production filmed in Australia – YES
Live concert of US artist filmed in Australia – YES
You get the drift. We favour a broad definition that's inclusive of all facets of AUSTRALIAN CULTURE.
What about Rage? I like overseas music.
Half of Rage is foreign music.
CORPORATE OVERSEAS MUSIC INDUSTRY gets your money, and Aussies miss out on royalties, fees and exposure.
What if we want an overseas artist as guest programmer? Great, that's doable, but you need to pick your fave AUSSIE songs.
Rage can also curate foreign music playlists on their YouTube channel at no cost to the taxpayer.
WILL THIS REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
YES! The ABC is Australia’s premiere cultural institution.
The ABC needs to set the example.
If the ABC doesn't believe in Australian art and culture, then why should anyone?
"These are the same old fogies who doffed their lids and tugged the forelock to the British establishment" - Paul Keating
Can you imagine if the Australian Institute of Sport trained the English football team?
Other benefits:
- money direct to Australian creators
- huge exposure for Australian actors, writers, artists, musicians, film makers
- pride in Australian art and culture/social cohesion
- less gatekeeping allows true diversity
- huge boost to music and screen industry
- harder to justify funding cuts to an ALL AUSTRALIAN ABC
- SBS cemented as overseas broadcaster with ad revenue
This is a real, achievable change that benefits ALL OF AUSTRALIA.
SIGN and SHARE this petition. Let everyone know that you want your tax dollars spent on AUSTRALIAN ART AND CULTURE, not sent overseas.
1,371
The issue
THE ABC SHOULD SPEND YOUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS ON AUSSIE CONTENT ONLY
Did you know the ABC has no Australian content quota?
I was sick of seeing the ABC sending $$$ to the BBC and Hollywood, so I did something about it.
I WON'T BUY THAT FOR A DOLLAR!
I tested if the ABC actually cared about AUSTRALIAN ART, MUSIC and CULTURE.
I offered them an award-winning Aussie doco The Most Australian Band Ever! for just $1!!!
It’s a great film about three ethnic kids forming a punk band, fighting racism and the music industry in the 80s and 90s. Fun, heartwarming, rave reviews. Perfect stuff for the ABC.
What happened next?
The ABC didn’t even click on the link to watch it.
Instead, the ABC screened Hollywood movies and BBC shows such as: Gladiators UK, Penn and Teller: Fool Us, ER, Elementary, Murdoch Mysteries, Paddington, QI, Would I Lie to You, Young Sheldon, Interstellar, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking and Sister Boniface Mysteries.
Friday night on the ABC is BBC night, but the BBC doesn’t have an Australian Broadcasting Corporation night!
It's time to amend the ABC Charter to make the ABC truly Australian.
The world has changed but the ABC is stuck in the past.
WANT TO KNOW MORE? Keep reading for a deep dive into how it works, and why it will actually save the ABC money.
ALREADY CONVINCED? Sign now and SHARE with your friends.
FAQ
Doesn’t the ABC have Australian content quotas?
No. Only the commercial TV stations have Australian content requirements. It would require a change to the ABC Charter. That’s why this petition exists.
But the ABC has always broadcast BBC shows?
Yes, we all loved Doctor Who, The Goodies or DeGrassi. But that was a time when we had no streaming and only four channels. In the digital age, you can easily find these shows elsewhere, many on free-to-air 9Gem or 7Flix. Then there’s Britbox, YouTube, Spotify for music (free with ads).
And... we already have a government broadcaster dedicated to foreign content - SBS! They can broadcast the BBC (with ads) so it’s not coming out of your tax dollars. Let SBS do its job and keep the ABC Australian.
What about cross-pollinations with overseas culture?
It's the digital age.
Overseas culture is more accessible than ever. Your kids didn't discover K-Pop on the ABC.
Let commercial platforms be commercial, and let the ABC be Australian.
Don’t you know they cut the ABC budget!!!! They can’t afford it.
I know you don’t want to hear this, but…
it wouldn’t cost the ABC anything extra, and could even save them money.
Here’s how the numbers work:
The ABC can make a show (PRODUCTIONS), or they can buy a show (ACQUISITIONS).
PRODUCTIONS are expensive – ($340,000 for a recent documentary as revealed in Senate Estimates).
We offered The Most Australian Band Ever! for $1. They could have saved $339,999, so you know it's not about money.
ACQUISTIONS are cheaper – around $5,000 to $10,000.
It’s the same price to buy an Australian film as it is to buy Disclosure with Demi Moore which they screened this year.
Literally the same price for an Australian film ACQUISITION. No extra cost.
So who's more important to Australia - Demi Moore or the next Margot Robbie?
The ABC actually gives PREFERENCE to BBC content in certain timeslots!
Friday night is UK mystery night and has been for more than a decade.
What about Radio?
Radio is even easier. It’s a flat royalty for any song played.
When your local ABC radio presenter plays an American song, the money goes overseas to big American companies (Sony Music, Universal etc).
If they play an Aussie artist, then he or she gets royalties.
It costs THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY if they choose Aussie.
Triple J only plays 50% Australian. Half their money goes to Chappell Roan or Jay Z.
TV is dead. How about streaming?
There's no need to buy ANY foreign shows for streaming.
Unlike TV, there are no timeslots to fill. Some acquisitions deals come with streaming, but we don't need it.
The ABC could scrap all foreign streaming-only deals and save $$$$!
Australian stuff is crap. Nobody will watch or listen!
Triple J’s ratings increased when they played more Australian music.
By getting rid of the BBC shows, the ABC has to look to new areas to fill the timeslots.
Getting rid of stale BBC shows means more space for new AUSTRALIAN creators, things that didn't go through the ABC's rigid production gatekeeping. Maybe it's an Aussie horror film they would never make, or an anthology of Aussie short films from a new wave of talent. Now they have to open their minds to genuinely DIVERSE art and culture.
Remember: Triple J didn’t want to play The Chats!
We know there's heaps of great GRASS ROOTS Australian stuff they don't want you to see, and we need an ABC that is PROUD of AUSTRALIAN CULTURE, not ashamed.
Won’t we run out of Australian content?
No. There are millions of hours of Australian independent films that you’ve never heard of. Insanely creative and innovative quality content across film, shorts and music. Creators across Australia are screaming out for a chance to reach the huge audience that ABC reaches.
It will never work! Don't you know it's impossible!
Look, I get that there are a lot of whingers in the Australian media. They'll tell you why everything is bad and disaster is looming.
We don't need your negativity; we're trying to make some positive change here.
If you believe that Australia is better than that, then sign the petition!
If you don't, then go and be miserable somewhere else.
How would it work?
We recommend establishing a working group of experts to draft a new Charter.
It would include guidelines, exemptions and allow a transition period.
A carrot and stick approach might be best: increase budget for extra Australian content and charge the ABC a fee for every hour of non-Australian content they broadcast.
An ongoing penalty fee would make overseas programs more expensive compared to Australian content, without imposing a tariff.
Each year the ABC reports on percentage of Australian content, and the public can see how well they are doing.
Plenty of options, let's put our heads together and work it out.
What about international news?
Look, we are not idiots.
Of course there are exceptions.
News and Current Affairs would be exempt.
Likewise, if Keith Richards ever dies, then of course morning radio is going to play the Rolling Stones.
Maybe you want to talk about why every café in Australia plays Fleetwood Mac. Yeah, sure you’ll need to play something from Rumours.
It’s not hard to add a relevance clause to The Charter.
As long as the ABC prioritises AUSTRALIAN MADE wherever possible.
What does ‘Australian’ even mean?
American singer covers Aussie song - YES
TV co-production with foreign country – YES
Aussie band does cover of UK song – YES
Overseas production filmed in Australia – YES
Live concert of US artist filmed in Australia – YES
You get the drift. We favour a broad definition that's inclusive of all facets of AUSTRALIAN CULTURE.
What about Rage? I like overseas music.
Half of Rage is foreign music.
CORPORATE OVERSEAS MUSIC INDUSTRY gets your money, and Aussies miss out on royalties, fees and exposure.
What if we want an overseas artist as guest programmer? Great, that's doable, but you need to pick your fave AUSSIE songs.
Rage can also curate foreign music playlists on their YouTube channel at no cost to the taxpayer.
WILL THIS REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
YES! The ABC is Australia’s premiere cultural institution.
The ABC needs to set the example.
If the ABC doesn't believe in Australian art and culture, then why should anyone?
"These are the same old fogies who doffed their lids and tugged the forelock to the British establishment" - Paul Keating
Can you imagine if the Australian Institute of Sport trained the English football team?
Other benefits:
- money direct to Australian creators
- huge exposure for Australian actors, writers, artists, musicians, film makers
- pride in Australian art and culture/social cohesion
- less gatekeeping allows true diversity
- huge boost to music and screen industry
- harder to justify funding cuts to an ALL AUSTRALIAN ABC
- SBS cemented as overseas broadcaster with ad revenue
This is a real, achievable change that benefits ALL OF AUSTRALIA.
SIGN and SHARE this petition. Let everyone know that you want your tax dollars spent on AUSTRALIAN ART AND CULTURE, not sent overseas.
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Petition created on 3 April 2026