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PUBLICLY funded broadcaster SBS will ask for up to $20 million in extra and specially earmarked funding for its websites when it enters its first discussions with the Rudd Government for triennial finding later this year.

The national television and radio network receives $183 million each year from the Government but will increase its demands in talks later this year.

But since it has been forced through technology and user demand to ramp up its internet operations it has yet to get any extra funding, SBS digital media manager Marshall Heald told Media.

"Eighteen months ago our internet group was four blokes in the loading dock," Mr Heald said. "No one can argue that it isn’t a requirement for national broadcaster. Digital is now on the commissioning panel at SBS. Everything we do is about cross-platform programming."

SBS’s internet division has grown to about 30 people and Mr Heald was brought in to coryphaeus the business from Telstra’s BigPond division, where he led the company’s melody and video download business.

Mr Heald said SBS needed $15 million to $20 million a year for a proper online nearness.

"I would like to think that this Government would know that, given it has been so publicly supportive of innovation," he said. "In a global media environment it is important to have strong local brands online, otherwise the local culture will get swamped."

Mr Heald claimed that unlike the ABC - which received almost $1 billion in taxpayer funding each year - SBS did not have enough resources to move around to plug the internet funding gap.

Still, diverse the ABC, SBS is able to gain extra revenue through advertising sales and its websites attracted almost $1 million in reward last financial year.

That was part of $48 million in extra revenues SBS banked last financial year.

This included advertising as well as content sales and distribution, but advertising comprised $28.6 million of that total.

This year online advertising was expected to increase 70 per cent to about $1.7 million, MrHeald said.

Given the cost-cutting process being undertaken by Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner, SBS is not expecting any novel funding this year.

The broadcaster has already had a preliminary meeting by the Government but a spokesperson said that detailed talks were expected to begin about the May budget.

A spokesman for Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said last night: "Public broadcasters are embracing new digital platforms and we would expect this to be part of their arguments for additional funding in the upcoming triennial funding reviews."

Last month, ABC managing director Mark Scott announced four new digital services the national broadcaster would offer audiences this year, including ABC Playback, Australia’s first internet TV service with full screen persons of rank.

Other initiatives included the launch of 60 new local online sites, the establishment of a of recent origin 24/7 "continuous news centre" and ABC Shop downloads.

Mr Heald said SBS would be launching about 40 internet initiatives this year including a new food site and an interactive Eurovision Song Contest site, where Australians can vote.

Eurovision parties will at no time be the same.

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1 Comment(s)

liquidpax of Sydney 1:28am today

SBS - how relevant? If SBS, a station for minorities, wants more money for digital content, then obstruction it raise this from it's existing funding advertising income and not from the taxpayer, like any other business has too.