Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications
Budget Estimates Hearings May 2011
Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Portfolio
Question No: 61

Senator Ludlam asked:
Senator LUDLAM: What proportion of advertising funding do you receive from the government itself? Does the Commonwealth government or do any state governments run advertising on SBS and provide any fraction of your revenue stream?
Mr Brown: They do place advertising on SBS. I would have to take notice what current commitments there are in that area.
Senator LUDLAM: I would greatly appreciate that. That might be a way for SBS's funding to lift-if the fraction were shifted. I wonder, Minister, if I could ask you if that is something you have contemplated before? I know this is a whole-of-government question and I will get referred off to all sorts of other ministers and so on. But that is one way, without increasing the total spend of the Commonwealth budget, that advertising purchasing could be shifted across to this public broadcaster and perhaps even to community broadcasters. Could I ask if you could take on notice whether that has been contemplated or whether that might be a great idea.
Senator Conroy: I am happy to take that on notice.

Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications
Budget Estimates Hearings May 2011
Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Portfolio
Special Broadcasting Service
Question No: 59

Senator Ludlam asked:
Senator LUDLAM: Mr Brown, I owe you a significant apology for not being able to attend the last time you sat in front of us. I am very glad to be here this evening. I would like to start with something that I am not sure whether you mentioned in your initial remarks or not, which is your online service. There is a huge amount of material online there. It is very well presented. I think it is a great service that has changed quite significantly in the last little while. What can you tell us about the traffic that you get and what it tells you about your user base?
Mr Brown: I will probably take on notice the specifics in terms of unique browsers, although we have been consistently averaging a million in recent months, and that is a marked increase. We are now targeting two million. But I think in general what it demonstrates is the beginning of a change in audience behaviour towards an on-demand model. I think most of us in the industry have been aware that that is coming. Virtually all of our programming is now available on catch-up. That is getting significant use. We would expect that to expand.