SBS has an additional $20m from the government, but the real story concerns advertising revenue and extra cash for NITV.
The 2013 budget provided an extra $20m over the triennium. Not a lot really, but it comes on top of an extra $32m/year or $158.1 million over five years in the 2012 budget. That was the real game changer, as SBS CEO Michael Ebeid acknowledged on the phone.
“it really has helped us to get back into drama”, he said, and we commissioned our first drama since East-West 101 in Better Man [Khoa Da’s series through FremantleMedia Australia and Bravado Productions ] There are a couple of dramas on the slate which we have not yet announced.”