In a push for profit that flies in the face of the national broadcaster's charter, $5 million worth of children's TV will be commissioned by ABC Enterprises this year - in order to maximise the sale of spin-off products such as videos, DVDs, books, toys and other merchandise.

The views of experts in the ABC's own highly regarded children's television department will be ignored in favour of advice from marketing experts about which shows will be more profitable by exploiting the lucrative toddler and 'tweenies' markets.

The ABC has made millions of dollars from hit shows like Bananas in Pyjamas, but their profitability was incidental as they were originally created for their excellence in content alone.

Young Media Australia president Jane Roberts says it is curious that the ABC cancelled its educational Behind the News program because of 'inadequate funding' in last year's budget but has come up with $5 million for a show which 'may make big dollars'.

'It is very worrying that ABC Enterprises now appears to be in charge of what is coming on to our screens for children and not the children's TV department, which has a wealth of expertise and a proven track record when it comes to high quality, educational, fun and appropriate programs that parents and educators in this country have come to trust and love,' Roberts says.

It Is the first time ABC Enterprises has been involved in commissioning original children's programming, although it has co-funded Wiggles and Bananas in Pyjamas videos. ABC Enterprises was restructured under former managing director Jonathan Shier. The award-winning children's TV department, which created Playschool and Bananas in Pyjamas, no longer has a say in the purchasing of programs for broadcast.

ABC Consumer Publishing general manager Graham Grassby says he is considering a shortlist of producers who had submitted proposals for the $5 million project. The ABC has received 110 submissions, 75% of which were from Australia and the rest from international producers, he says. Grassby will not reveal who would make the decision about which program to choose as it is commercial-in-confidence but he says he is managing the 'project team'

ABC Enterprises has advertised in Encore magazine for expressions of interest for 'either a pre-school program for 2 to 5 year old demographic or a girl-skewed program for 6 to 12 year olds'. The program itself or the format rights of the program must be able to be considered as a tangible asset of the ABC, in respect of it being valued as commercially saleable intellectual property,' the advertisement says. The project must 'meet the ABC's local broadcast requirements' and also have 'broad international potential in respect to both TV program sales and ancillary rights exploitation'.

Grassby says the ancillary rights mean toys, videos and other merchandise. 'The investment by ABC Enterprises is entirely separate to the ABC's core program funding,' the advertisement says. 'All profits generated by ABC Enterprises activities are returned to the corporation for investment in program-making.' Grassby says the $5 million to fund the production will come directly from ABC Finance. *

Roberts says parents have allowed children to watch the ABC in the past because it has produced or bought shows that provided 'entertainment and not one long commercial for a product'.

'This is our only nationally funded broadcaster, who should be setting the quality benchmark for children's TV and not going down the path of commercial television stations.

AMANDA MEADE The Australian 20may04

* No matter how Graham Grassby - ABC Consumer Publishing general manager - plays with words about where money comes from and goes to, this is still $5 million from a cash strapped ABC which could no longer afford $1 million for Behind the News.

Notice the use of language on this issue: commercial-in-confidence . . program itself or the format rights of the program must be able to be considered as a tangible asset of the ABC . . being valued as commercially saleable intellectual property . . ancillary rights exploitation.

Commercialisation and exploitation. Of children.

We are concerned about this kind of commercialisation for several reasons: it risks losing public confidence in the broadcaster; it skirts around the provisions of the ABC Act; and we believe it flouts Charter requirements of education and independence.

EDITOR