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CHANNEL PROFILE PROGRAMMING: ABC3 is run by
Australia’s public broadcaster ABC. About 65 percent of the channel’s grid is acquired. “ABC3 offers the school-age audience a broad range of genres,” says Barbara Uecker, the head of programTARGET AUDIENCE: Kids up to 15. ming and acquisitions for children’s REACH: 98 percent of Australian homes. television at ABC. “The morning starts with Studio 3, a popular hosted block RANKING: Market leader in its target demographic. consisting mainly of animation; the later SENIOR PROGRAMMING EXECUTIVES: morning features news and current Barbara Uecker, Head, Programming & Acquisitions affairs, documentaries and factual enterChris Rose, Commissioning Editor, Animation tainment. The afternoon has a focus on comedy, wildlife and animation for the Simon Hopkinson, Commissioning Editor, Live Action younger end of the audience. The early WEBSITE: www.abc.net.au/abc3 evening features drama, reality and action adventure, and the schedule closes with programs for the upper end of the channel’s audience. commissions often involve international co-financing partners such as ZDF, ZDF Enterprises, CBBC and major interThe schedule is 50 percent Australian.” Recent acquisitions have included Officially Amazing from national distributors.” Zodiak, Camp Lakebottom from 9 Story and Grojband from WISH LIST: “Currently we are particularly looking for shows FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment. Its slate of origthat will appeal to the upper end of the target audience—10inals, meanwhile, includes Dance Academy, now in its third season, plus,” Uecker says.“This audience responds well to dramas, such the science game show Steam Punks! and the comedy Splatalot. as Dance Academy, animation such as the Total Drama series and CO-PRODUCTION STRATEGY: “Most of our animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars and shows like Deadly 60 and Horcommissions involve co-production partners, and broadcast- rible Histories. And, of course, comedy is always high on our ers from Canada, Asia and Europe,” Uecker says. “Our drama shopping list.”
ABC3
Wheels in motion: ABC3’s portfolio of Australian originals includes Steam Punks!, sold worldwide by Beyond Distribution.
TRENDS: “As a public broadcaster,
ABC Children’s TV seeks to make our programming available without charge to our audience on the screen of their choice, including delivery by apps to mobile devices and offering a comprehensive online service with games and interactive content,” Uecker says. “We see increasing competition on digital channels in Australia and growing use of social media and gaming.” LICENSE FEES: “ABC’s license fees for acquired content have remained stable for the past five years. However, we see budgets increasing for production of live-action shows of all types, particularly drama.” DISTRIBUTION: “Our drama and
animation commissions are always financed in partnership with an international distributor. The Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF) distributes a growing catalogue of our commissioned shows, while ABC Commercial distributes most of our internally produced content as well as investing in the distribution rights to a range of commissioned content.” 382 World Screen 10/13