What’s happening in the SBS engine room? Vital ad revenue is slipping

SBS keeps doing inventive and lean under the policy radar but the pandemic will force it to confront an ugly finance problem in public.

A year ago, SBS management gamed out a pandemic. According to Marshall Heald, Director TV and Online Content, the plan lasted for about twenty minutes when reality struck.

The future turned out to be unimaginable, but now the idea of a broadcaster running remotely, dealing with the loss of sport, thriving on news and current affairs, and sharing the benefits of a trapped audience is completely natural. The fuzzy images, odd freezes and glitches in the Facebook stream of his conversation with SPA CEO Matthew Deaner just seem like a bit more colour and movement. 

Unlock Padlock Icon

Unlock this content?

Access this content and more

David Tiley was the Editor of Screenhub from 2005 until he became Content Lead for Film in 2021 with a special interest in policy. He is a writer in screen media with a long career in educational programs, documentary, and government funding, with a side order in script editing. He values curiosity, humour and objectivity in support of Australian visions and the art of storytelling.