Australian television content is on a "burning platform" and we cannot just stand back and watch it go up in smoke, says the head of ABC.
ABC managing director Mark Scott has called for action to ensure Australian TV shows like Puberty Blues and The Slap do not disappear from our screens following the launch of Netflix.
He said change is under way and we must act now.
"The problem is still ahead of us and before we reach tipping point, let's start looking into a range of long-term solutions," Mr Scott said on Tuesday evening at the inaugural Brian Johns AO lecture.
"What's most important now is that our policymakers - and the television and production industries themselves - turn their attention to this issue."
There are numerous issues in the works.
Streaming services like Netflix are changing the way Australians feel about paying for video content.
And they are competing for our attention along with video-on-demand, pay-TV, free-to-air and streaming video on YouTube, Facebook and the like.
Commercial networks can pull in audiences (and advertisers) thanks to news programs, live sport and reality TV shows.
"(But) there is such a hunger for Australian stories in all their guises, beyond reality and sport," Mr Scott said.
However, funding local drama, comedy and documentary productions is a persistent challenge.
Mr Scott said he does not have the solutions himself.
All he knows is that the ABC cannot be the only answer to producing homegrown content.
"My aim tonight is simply to identify the risk of inaction and to encourage debate about solutions," he said.
"We need to reassess the policy framework, ensuring it keeps pace with the profound shifts in the market triggered by digital technology ...
"Governments must determine the best way to fund and regulate the industry to ensure that Australian storytelling remains vibrant and accessible."
In the end, what is at risk?
Well, it is seeing our lives, our stories and our history reflected on screen - whether it is Kath & Kim, The Killing Season or Offspring.
"There is a burning platform for Australian stories," Mr Scott said.
"Their central place in our culture will be threatened by the technological and market forces we are seeing unleashed."
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