Senator the Hon Helen Coonan
Minister for Communications,
Information Technology
and the Arts

SBSi Tenth Anniversary Celebration

 'A little Krumpet goes a long way'

Sydney
Friday 10 December 2004

Thank you Carla, and good evening.

It's a pleasure to be here tonight.

I'd like to congratulate SBSi on a remarkable decade and wish you a very happy birthday.

We often measure the value of film productions in terms of dollars earned, ratings points and the sheer number of people passing through the box office.

But there are other things that contribute to the value of a production: educating people, breaking down cultural stereotypes, breaking new ground, demonstrating new possibilities and making people think.

Although SBSi has been successful in many ways, it is by focussing on these other things that it has expanded the Australian viewing landscape.

SBSi has allowed the telling of stories that otherwise might never have been told.

It has developed talented new producers, and has faithfully adhered to the SBS Charter of informing, educating, and entertaining ALL Australians.

SBSi has been able to collect unpolished gems that were missed by a mainstream industry searching for sparkling diamonds.

The raw talent uncovered by SBSi offers an earthy truth and profound substance that is rare in the competitive world of modern television and film.

Frank Lloyd Wright once said that television is chewing gum for the eyes.

Over the last 10 years, however, SBSi has provided Australian audiences with a more substantial and nutritional diet.

From the very beginning, the Australian Government has recognised the important role that SBSi plays in developing the sector.

Since the initial grant of $13 million in 1994, SBSi has continued to attract substantial government support.

In 1997, this Government provided a further $19 million over four years through the Special Production Fund. In 2001, this fund was increased to $33.4 million.

This funding has contributed to the production of more than 750 hours of quality programs worth almost $200 million dollars.

These programs have won more than 500 national and international awards and have been sold across the world.

It is fitting that in its tenth year SBSi is being honoured both at home and on the world stage.

Harvey Krumpet was the first ever program commissioned by an Australian broadcaster to win an Academy award.

The documentary Dying to Leave won a Logie and a Walkley award, and the feature movie Somersault won an unprecedented 13 Australian Film Institute awards and was invited to screen at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

This success has been achieved without SBSi deviating from its initial vision of utilising the independent film sector to produce diverse programming of high quality.

The strategic principles set out for SBSi ensure that this vision is not clouded or lost.

An important part of the SBSi strategy is a commitment to reflecting the realities of Australian society.

This means identifying and developing talented people from a variety of backgrounds.

For example, a minimum of five percent of appropriation is set aside for program production commissioned from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and a large percentage of programs are made in rural and regional Australia .

All Australians can find faces and voices they identify with and ones they want to learn more about.

Through SBSi productions, we can see ourselves in a variety of roles and circumstances and are able to gain an understanding of what it really means to be Australian.

Ambitious filmmakers with new ideas often go straight to SBSi because of their excellent commissioning model and the benefits they offer.

All programs produced by SBSi are guaranteed a national audience through SBS TV and there is also the possibility of world distribution; SBSi productions are eagerly sought after and are exported to more than 40 countries.

Another attraction is that independent producers generally retain most intellectual property rights, which allows the benefits of their productions to go back into the sector.

SBSi is an essential element of Australia 's TV and film landscape. The benefits to the audience and to the Australian film industry are enormous.

It is estimated that for every dollar that SBSi invests, an additional three to four dollars is generated in Australian film and TV production.

This means more employment and training opportunities in both creative and technical fields across the industry and the benefits flow through to other sectors of the Australian economy.

SBSi-commissioned productions in the areas of drama, documentaries, comedies, and animations have left an indelible mark on the collective consciousness of Australians.

SBSi is prepared to take risks with content, personalities and producers. This results in challenging, confronting and engaging productions.

They have also provided many enduring images.

Only on SBS could we expect to see John Safran holding a voodoo ceremony to improve the performance of the Australian soccer team.

SBSi's willingness to be controversial and passionate and its commitment to providing a home for off-beat ideas have given Australian audiences the opportunity to explore themselves.

I once again congratulate SBSi on the accomplishments of their first ten years and wish you every success in the years to come.

Thank you.

American Architect, 1867-1959.