SBS Drama Showcase 2018 – We Live Diversity

Speech by Michael Ebeid
SBS CEO & Managing Director

SBS Drama Showcase — We Live Diversity

Monday 26 March, 2018

 

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Good evening everyone. Thank you for joining us here today.

I’d also like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land and pay my respects to their Elders past and present.

Australia’s rich cultural diversity is no doubt one of its greatest strengths.

More than half of us identify as having migrant heritage and one in five Australians speak a language other than English at home. Now, more than ever, SBS is integral to successful multiculturalism in Australia — a testament to the foresight of the Parliamentarians that established SBS more than 40 years ago.    

In a cluttered, volatile market, and as our global community faces challenges to successful multiculturalism, there is an increasing need for a media organisation dedicated to inspiring a shared understanding and promoting the value of cultural diversity.

SBS continues to be this institution, celebrating our differences and providing a unique perspective and different offering in the Australian cultural and media landscape.

Audiences have more choice and devices than ever before. SBS has transformed into a digitally-led broadcaster because we need to direct our efforts to where our audiences are consuming their media.

Our vital role in supporting migrant and Indigenous communities is always at our core, but we are also here for all Australians, to help them better understand the value of diversity to our nation.

We are inspired by SBS’s Charter, telling diverse stories untold by other broadcasters across television, radio and online. Stories that reflect who we are as Australians – modern and real Australia.

Pleasingly, these programs and services are resonating with Australians and we are seeing continued audience growth in engagement, which is a measure of our increasing relevance.

This evening, we’re proud to showcase our SBS drama offering.

The beauty of great storytelling is its ability to create an authentic emotional connection. SBS is building a reputation with local drama for exploring distinctive stories that speak to the heart of our Purpose – sharing the lives and experiences of contemporary multicultural Australians, whilst also tackling challenging issues that are impacting our nation.

Sometimes when facts don’t persuade, feelings do — powerful, bold storytelling has the ability to create empathy, which drives a greater understanding of difference.

SBS has strong links with Australia’s diverse communities, which give us unique insights and access that enables us to tell stories that no other media organisation can, in an authentic and compelling way.

In 2018, SBS is premiering five new Australian series’, all of which highlight communities that are rarely seen or reflected on our screens, and demonstrate our commitment to showcasing both established and emerging home-grown creative talent, in front of and behind the camera.

These build on the success of Sunshine, Deep Water and Safe Harbour and NITV’s first Indigenous drama, children’s series, Grace Beside Me — all now available to watch via SBS On Demand.

Next month, we’ll premiere our first original offering for SBS On Demand – Homecoming Queens – a brilliant female-driven comedy drama. Later this year, The Family Law returns for a third season, with experiences so uniquely Asian-Australian and yet so universally relatable, alongside our next crime thriller Dead Lucky, which explores the crucial question of what it means to belong in Australia today.

As a result of our continual operational efficiencies, SBS has directed more funding towards Australian programs — however, we’ve only made modest gains in the local productions we can afford to produce, which is still today less than 10 per cent of our TV schedule.

However we want to, and we must tell more Australian stories if we are to maintain our own culture in the sea of international content flooding our shores from global streaming services.

SBS could not do what we do without the amazing support of our partners, including Screen Australia, Film Victoria, Screen Queensland and Screen NSW, in addition to the independent producers and the Screen Producers Association who are also key to SBS’s success. I’d like to thank you all for joining us this evening. 

As has been our strategy for many years, complementing SBS’s local dramas is a range of international titles, which aim to share new perspectives and broaden Australians’ world view, whilst also attracting audiences to SBS so they can discover our Charter-centric, locally-produced programs. SBS On Demand now offers more than 6000 hours of content, with 75% of dramas in languages other than English, alongside a unique selection of movies and documentaries. 

Thank you again for joining us tonight and for your ongoing support for SBS. 

Before we hear from some of the talented creatives that are bringing Australia’s diverse stories to life, let’s take a look at the world of SBS drama. 

ENDS.