Mark Scott


Netflix consumes Toast in 200-hour ABC deal

British comedy Toast of London has debuted in Australia and New Zealand on SVOD service Netflix, as part of a 200-hour deal with distributor ABC Commercial. The deal is for all three season of the Channel 4 sitcom, which Australian pubcaster the ABC distributes in Australasian through a digital sub-licensing agreement with UK distributor DRG. […]

Ex-ITV exec exits SBS in restructure

Former ITV director of factual and daytime Alison Sharman is returning to the UK after leaving her post at Australian cultural pubcaster SBS, which has undergone major restructuring. Sharman joined SBS three years as head of commissioned content, but will return to the UK with her family at the end of the month. During her […]

ABC loses drama, children’s bosses

Two senior programming executives are leaving Australia’s pubcaster, the ABC. Head of fiction Carole Sklan and head of children’s Deidre Brennan are both exiting the organisation. Sklan’s departure at the end of February comes after six years running ABC Fiction, while Brennan is leaving “to pursue new opportunities within the international market”. Deputy head of […]

ABC chief to exit after two terms

Mark Scott is to leave Australian pubcaster the ABC after the completion of his second term in the role mid-next year. Managing director Scott (pictured) announced his departure in an internal email reported by the Australian press. “I once answered a question on how I got my job at the ABC by giving the simple, […]

Huge cuts confirmed at ABC, SBS

Australian pubcasters the ABC and SBS face budget cuts of a combined A$308 million (US$265.9 million), the country’s government has confirmed. The ABC will see its budget slashed A$254 million over the next five years, while SBS is having A$53.7 million taken from it. Communications minister Malcolm Turnbull attempted to contextualise the cuts as reducing […]

Oz union accuses ABC of A$100m cuts plot

An Australian media union has accused the country’s pubcaster, the ABC, of covertly planning to more than double planned cuts. The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance, which represents Australian journalists, has reiterated claims the on going Lewis Report into costing-cutting at public TV services is on the verge of recommending cuts of more than A$100 […]

Job cuts loom as the ABC faces budget cuts

Mark Scott, the managing director of the ABC, has said that there will be a reduction in the services it offers and in its headcount after the Australia’s federal government unveiled plans to cut its funding in its 2014-15 budget announcement. The federal government said it would cut funding for the country’s public broadcaster by […]

ABC signs ‘historic’ Chinese content deal

Australian content distributor ABC International has scored what it is defined as one of the largest ever programming and content distribution agreements with a Chinese media group. The international wing of Australian pubcaster ABC has signed the agreement with Shanghai Media Group, which operates numerous channels and has recently restructured to focus on selling Chinese […]