STUDENT: Some TV shows I like to watch are Bluey, BTN, Survivor.
STUDENT: I like to watch Bluey, The Amazing Race.
HORRIBLE HISTORIES: Gentlemen, we are facing a great war. War.?
THOMAS MIDENA, REPORTER: Today, there are more TV programs available for us to watch than ever. Across so many channels, and streaming platforms, on all of these devices, from countries all over the world. But how much of the TV that we watch is from the country we live in? Australia. Yeah, thanks.
STUDENT: BTN and Bluey are Australian. Lego Masters, I think is Australian. And Amazing Race, Survivor, Masked Singer, I think they make Australian versions.
STUDENT: Survivor, The Masked Singer.
STUDENT: Most of my favourite TV shows are Australian.
THOMAS: Sounds like these kids are big fans of Aussie TV. And according to new research, so are many families around Australia.
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR LIAM BURKE, SWINBURNE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY: While there's lots of exciting shows from all over the globe, people are still eager to see their own experiences reflected on screen.
Liam Burke is a part Australian Children's Television Cultures: a group of researchers who are interested in how we watch locally made kids TV in the era of streaming services. They've found that 83 percent of parents think it's important that children see Australian-made TV programs. Families say they like the way that Aussie TV can teach young people about Australia, its people, landscape and history. They also love shows with an Aussie sense of humour.
ROUND THE TWIST: We don't have time for this, he's gonna have a baby any minute now.
THE INBESTIGATORS: Pretty sure there's no such thing as an aloe vera plant. 'Allo Vera, how are you today, Vera?
TV shows are also a way for people overseas or new Australians to get a taste of Aussie culture.
LIAM: So, we've spoken to parents from overseas, who use shows like Little Lunch and inBESTigators to better understand the school system here. So, it seems more familiar for them and seems more familiar for their children.
THOMAS: But the researchers say Australia isn't making as many kids TV shows as we used to. See, back in the 60s, the Australian government brought in quotas to make sure most shows on free-to-air TV were Australian. And for quite a while there was a quota for Children's TV. But making these shows is expensive, and networks argued that kids weren't watching as much free-to-air TV anymore. So, in 2020, the government agreed to get rid of the quota on Australian-made Children's TV. Since then, locally made kids’ TV has decreased by more than 84 percent.
Meanwhile, streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+ don't have to make any Australian content. But that's set to change next year. The government's going to bring in rules for streaming platforms, so they'll have to make a certain amount of Australian content.
LIAM: And what we're hoping is that as part of those new regulations, that there will be safeguards for local kids TV so future generations can enjoy the kids TV we've had for the past couple of decades.
THOMAS: Do you think that there should be more Australian TV shows?
STUDENT: Yes.
STUDENT: Yes, I do. Because I think it would be good if people all around the world can see how Australians live.
THOMAS: But now, I'm just gonna put on my favourite show.
