Aussie TV/Filmmakers Wary Of US/Aus Free Trade Deal

The US/Australia free trade deal was made primarily for agriculture. But Australia’s film and TV industry is upset because it fears American products will overwhelm the home-grown industry. “The Australian film and television industry is small by world standards and protected by a raft of local media content rules. Some 55% of commercial television primetime viewing must be Australian made. At upwards of $250,000 an hour for quality drama, that’s no small investment. In contrast, top rating US shows can be bought in for as little as a tenth of the cost of the homegrown version.”