ABC chair Kim Williams says it's "not possible" to achieve Australia's screen ambitions without investment and regulation.ABC chair Kim Williams says investment is needed to fund the production of Australian stories, as he also calls for the ABC to be "aggressively, consciously ambitious" in its storytelling.
"Yet there are many very precious things that we need to ensure are protected and nourished from Australian roots that represent genuinely different values and genuinely different historical perceptions."Williams flagged two ways to increase investment in Australian screen culture: direct government investment and the creation of incentives to encourage private investment.
But while the ABC chair — and former CEO of Foxtel — is passionate about funding for national broadcasters, he stressed the ABC also needed to prove it had something unique to offer the public. Deaner and Williams also spoke about the need for the ABC to meet the audience where they are, including on YouTube and TikTok.He added that the ABC needed to work in concert with the independent production sector to create Australian drama, documentary and children's programming.
In his June speech, Williams signalled an increase in serious documentaries, dramas, comedies, children's TV and arts coverage on the ABC.