3 June 2026

This report charts how Australian children's television is navigating a profound cultural and industrial crisis. Local screen content fosters social cohesion and is critical to the development of multicultural child citizenship, especially in the wake of the under-16s social media ban – a regulatory mechanism which seeks to redirect youth attention away from global, algorithmically curated social media platforms and back towards culturally enriching, civically valuable local screen content. However, the sector tasked with producing this content is experiencing systemic market failure and contraction. 

The report delivers an evidence-based policy and industry analysis structured through a 'wicked problems' framework. It synthesises longitudinal economic data and expert industry and academic insights to expose key structural vulnerabilities in the current childrens screen sector. 

Access the report here.

Suggested citation: Balanzategui, J, Hunter, M, Baker, D and Richardson, I (2026) “Australian Childrenʼs Television at the Crossroads: Securing Social Cohesion and Youth Citizenship in the Streaming Eraˮ, RMIT Universityʼs Streaming Industries and Genres Network, Melbourne. DOI: 10.25439/rmt.32541063.

30 April 2026

Australia launched its first public broadcasts in 1956, 30 years after John Logie Baird first tested the technology. This report looks back over 70 years of television in Australia, how it came to use this technology, and its impact on industry, economy and culture. It summarises key discussions that took place at the '100 Years of Broadcast TV' symposium at RMIT University in February 2026, examining Australia's TV history, TV news, TV advertising, and TV today and beyond. 

The report features reflection on the speakers and panels from the symposium, including:

• What causes television? 

• Australian television history

• Australian television news

• Australian television advertising

• Australian television today and beyond

• Australian children’s television.

Access the report here.

Suggested citation: Streaming Industries & Genres Network (2026) “100 Years of Broadcast TV: Reflecting on its impact and future in Australia”, report, 30 April. Available at: https://apo.org.au/node/334182

24 March 2025

To mark the 10-year anniversary of Netflix in Australia, RMIT University has published the ‘10 Years of Netflix in Australia: Streaming Players and Local Content’ report. 

This report pulls together profiles on the major subscription and broadcaster video-on-demand services operating in Australia and remembers the streaming platforms that have failed. The report also shares insights from the 2024 Australian Content in the Streaming Era Symposium, where industry insiders considered the deeper implications, opportunities and challenges of streaming on key local genres and formats: drama and comedy, reality, sport, kids content and film.  

Access the report here.

Suggested citation: Streaming Industries & Genres Network (2025) “10 Years of Netflix in Australia: Streaming Players and Local Content”, report, 24 March. Available at: https://apo.org.au/node/330087

19 September 2024

Most Australian children now tend to use streaming video platforms to watch television “on demand” from extensive catalogues, many of which are mediated by algorithmic curation.

This report outlines findings from a study conducted with Australian children aged 7-9 and their parents to determine how they use and find content on streaming platforms, their levels of technical fluency with these platforms, and whether they gravitate towards, are able to find, and are culturally literate with Australian content on these platforms.

Access the report here.

Suggested citation: Jessica Balanzategui, Djoymi Baker, Georgia Clift, Liam Burke, and Joanna McIntyre (2024) “Australian Children’s Streaming Video Platform Habits, Fluencies, and Literacies”, Swinburne and RMIT Universities. Available at: https://apo.org.au/node/328223

February 2023

The television remains central to the domestic media ecology of Australian households. This research finds that two thirds of Australians use smart TVs (and/or other connected TV devices) to access video content, and that the vast majority of smart TV users are happy with the services and content available on their devices. All of this suggests widespread enthusiasm for connected TV culture in Australia.

However, the researchers also find that smart TV operating systems are evolving in ways that warrant policy intervention. Throughout this report, they present evidence of widespread self-preferencing, partner-preferencing, search and recommendation bias, poor integration of third-party apps, and prioritisation of advertiser content over relevant local content in smart TV interfaces. The researchers also present evidence from a nationally representative user survey that establishes the scale of consumer confusion and misunderstanding.

Access the report here.

Suggested citation: Lobato, R., Scarlata, A. and Schivinski, B. (2023) “Smart TVs and local content prominence”, submission to the Prominence Framework for Connected TV Devices Proposals Paper, RMIT University/ADM+S. Available at: https://apo.org.au/node/321605

Ramon Lobato, Kylie Pappalardo, Alexa Scarlata and Nic Suzor (2026) International Journal of Cultural Policy

Andrew Lynch and César Albarrán-Torres (2025) Critical Studies in Television

Mark David Ryan (2025) Media International Australia‍ ‍

Ashleigh Dharmawardhana, Ramon Lobato and Alexa Scarlata (2025) Continuum

Damien O'Meara (2025) Media, Culture & Society

Damien O'Meara and Whitney Monaghan (2025) Media International Australia

Jessica Balanztaegui, Djoymi Baker and Georgia Clift (2024) Convergence

Jessica Balanzategui (2024) International Journal of Cultural Studies