Australian Children's Television Foundation

Abbreviation ACTF
Formation 1982
Type Government-funded
Legal status Foundation
Purpose Development and promotion of children's television in Australia
Headquarters Fitzroy, Victoria
Location
Website http://www.actf.com.au

The Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF) is a national non-profit children’s media production and policy hub.

The ACTF helps develop children’s television policy; distributes and pays for Australian children’s television series; supports new children’s media; and develops screen resources for the education sector.

The Australian Education Council established the ACTF following recommendations to Commonwealth, State and Territory governments. It is supported by, and receives funding from, the Commonwealth Government and the governments of most States and Territories.

History

The Founding Director of the Australian Children's Television Foundation Dr Patricia Edgar AM was the driving force behind the establishment of the Australian Children's Television Foundation. As the Chair of the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal's Children's Program Committee for 5 years enforcing children's program standards and the children's drama quota Edgar argued quality programs would not be made without a not-for profit production company creating exemplary programs. Her arguments caught the attention of the Victorian Minister for the Arts (and Educational Services) Norman Lacy who invited her to work with him. Lacy was an admirer of Edgar's ideas for improving the quality of children's television production. They agreed to join forces to promote the proposal for the establishment of an organisation to achieve their shared objectives. Lacy then used his ministerial membership of the Australian Education Council and the Australian Arts Ministers' Conference to initiate[1] the establishment of the Australian Children's Television Foundation.[2] He appointed Edgar to the Arts Ministry staff to steer the project, provided office space and establishment funding, and won the support of NSW Education Minister Paul Landa with whom he co-chaired the early steering committee meetings.[3][4]

In early 1981, Lacy addressed the Senate Standing Committee on Education and the Arts arguing for the strategic and national importance of a Commonwealth commitment to recurrent funding for the fledgling Foundation. The Senate Standing committee report Children and Television Revisited recommended the establishment of an independent children's television production unit, which was the impetus for the foundation of the ACTF, to be funded by the Australian government with contributions from state and territory governments.[5]

Norman Lacy's political advocacy and practical support coupled with Patricia Edgar's intellectual capacity and lobbying skills eventually won through and the Australian Children's Television Foundation was born with funding support from the Commonwealth Government collectively matched by all the State governments except Queensland.[6] Subsequently, Patricia Edgar, the founding executive director of the Foundation, retired and Jenny Buckland was appointed CEO in July 2002. Formerly its General Manager, Buckland, a lawyer had been encouraged by Edgar to oversee the marketing contracts for ACTF produced programs. Under Edgar's direction the ACTF became its own distributor cutting out the middle man and increasing returns on program investment. Although the original concept was to develop Australian programs for Australian children the programs attracted an overseas following and by the time Edgar stepped down as Director in 2002 the ACTF was selling into 150 countries. Buckland had played a significant support role in the Foundation becoming one of the most successful international marketers of children's television programs.

The ACTF has flourished since its establishment under the leadership of Edgar, Buckland, its long term Chairman Janet Holmes à Court and a Board representative of each of the State and Commonwealth Governments that have provided the bulk of its funding requirements.

The ACTF provides funding and support to independent Australian producers and writers of children's programs.

The headquarters of the ACTF are on Smith Street in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy.

Productions

Some notable television series developed or assisted by the ACTF include:

References

  1. ↑ The Age, 25 June 1981
  2. ↑ Spaull, Andrew. A History of the Australian Education Council 1936-1986, Allen & Unwin, 1987, pp 285-288
  3. ↑ Edgar, Patricia. Bloodbath: A Memoir of Australian Television, Melbourne University Press, 2006
  4. ↑ Edgar, Patricia. 'The Art of Getting Things Done' in Share Visions - Women in Television, Blonski, Annette. and Glow, Hilary. Eds. Australian Film Commission, 1999, page 30 "Norman Lacy, the Victorian Minister for the Arts and Education, happened to read a paper I’d given for the annual Grierson Lecture in which I had proposed the establishment of a foundation for children’s television. He asked me to see him because he said he liked the idea and I and others set about gathering support. Lacy took the idea to the AEC (the Council of Ministers of Education). After long and extensive lobbying of State governments and Canberra politicians, we succeeded."
  5. ↑ Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committees -The First 20 Years 1970 - 1990, Parliament of Australia, 30 May 2003.
  6. ↑ Spaull, Andrew. ibid

External links

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