As viewers move to online streaming services and social media, do we still need free-to-air TV?

Fifteen-year-old Alek rarely watches free-to-air TV — but on the rare occasion he does, it's to catch a game of football.

You're more likely to find him streaming content from YouTube or Netflix, or engrossed in an online game.

His mate George, also 15, has similar viewing habits, but reckons traditional TV is still important, so people can watch the news and "know what's happening in the world".

When BTN High asked young people if free-to-air television was still important, a surprising number said yes, despite admitting they rarely watched it.

An expert from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) agrees free-to-air television still has a place in Australia and fulfils a number of crucial purposes.

But as its viewership declines in favour of paid streaming services and social media content, he says Australia must take action to ensure free-to-air TV's survival into the future.

Little love for free-to-air among teens

Ratings reports show young people have been abandoning free-to-air television in droves.

Data from OzTam — Australian media's official audience measurement source — shows viewership of commercial free-to-air channels among children and teens has fallen dramatically in the past decade or so.

Since 2009, the daily viewing time of kids aged from nought to four has decreased by 75 per cent, from an average of 69 minutes to 17 minutes.

Five to 12-year-olds' average free-to-air viewing time has dropped by 77 per cent in the same period, from 66 minutes to 15 minutes, while 13 to 17-year-olds' viewership is down a whopping 80 per cent, from 64 minutes to 13 minutes.

Despite the drop in young eyeballs watching free-to-air TV, content consumption is actually growing.

Each week, the average Australian spends about 10.5 hours watching subscription video on demand from services like Netflix and Stan, according to Deloitte's 2023 Media and Entertainment Consumer Insights report.

The same study found Australians had an average of 3.2 paid entertainment subscriptions, up from 3.1 in 2022.

According to research by Australian Children's Television Cultures, the most popular streaming platforms for young people are Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube.

The young people we spoke to on the street confirmed this, with vast majority pointing to Netflix, YouTube and social media as their go-to platforms for content.

Claire, 13: Netflix.

Rohan, 15: Netflix, Stan, Stan Sports. Yeah, that's where I watch most of my stuff.

Courtney, 13: Sometimes I go on Instagram.

Charlie, 15: There might be more options … for social media, compared to a free-to-air, I guess. And you can just have it on your phone — you don't need a TV for social media.

'We need the information'

Australia's media consumption has evolved dramatically in the past century from the groundbreaking radio and cinema of the early 1900s.

So, how is the switch to paid streaming services any different, and is it a problem?

Tim Koskie from the UTS Centre for Media Transition says free-to-air television still plays an important role in Australian society by supporting local creativity and production.

He says it's also an important way for people to access reliable and trustworthy news about issues that affect everyone, as well as giving Australians access to a shared sense of identity and cultural understanding.

"The COVID thing really emphasised the role that the media plays in coordinating public responses," Dr Koskie says.

"We do need to make sure that you know that there's a tornado, we do need to make sure that you know that there's COVID. 

"I worry about the social aspect that we can't be by ourselves in a world — we need the information."

Dr Koskie says while he loves the "freedom" the internet allows content creators, it also can be difficult for the public to know who to trust online.

"[But a media] professional can lose their job if you if they lie to you."

Laying down the law

The Australian government has made efforts to protect free-to-air media values.

Recently, there's been a lot of talk about anti-siphoning legislation, designed to ensure moments "of national importance" — like sporting and cultural events — are free for all Australians to watch on TV.

The authorities have enforced these laws since 1992, but they haven't been updated to include digital streaming rights.

It means right now, sports and events can have their digital streaming rights snapped up by pay-walled streaming services.

And that's a problem, because many households now rely on digital streaming for their free-to-air viewing.

In fact, digital streaming makes up 20 per cent of all free-to-air viewing and that number is growing.

Telling local stories

Dr Koskie says free-to-air TV also plays big role in ensuring local stories get told.

Around Australia, free-to-air television stations have been shutting down their local TV news bulletins in recent years, due largely to a decline in ratings.

"And it's profoundly ironic that 30 years ago, I could know what was happening across the street [because of local news programs] and now with the internet — this massive information machine where I can get an infinite amount of endless information — I no longer get to know what happens across the street, because it's all been closed down."

He says the local content gap isn't being filled by reliable news sources online.

In Australia, free-to-air TV channels have set amounts of locally made content they must broadcast by law to support Australian creative industries and protect the country's stories.

The quota is a minimum of 55 per cent locally made content, but at present, streaming services are not required to supply any.

Switch to social

Things are changing though, and the government has been reviewing and updating anti-siphoning legislation to protect more free-to-air sports.

New laws forcing smart TV manufacturers to promote local free-to-air channels on their home screens have also been proposed.

And the government has promised to introduce a local content quota system for streaming services by the start of July.

But the young people we spoke to say free-to-air TV stations need to make other changes to keep them interested.

Milly, 15: Maybe like appealing to a wider audience, because there's really nothing in between kid shows and then the news.

Rohan, 15: I think they'd have to join the social media game to become more relevant to the younger generations now. So I think that's the only way to save them right now, in this current climate.

Charlie, 15: Social media, I guess it's kind of taking over?

Dr Koskie says the shift to content consumption via social media was inevitable.

"[But] I am very worried about the extent to which we have given such an incredible amount of power to some guys in Silicon Valley," he says.

"People need multiple sources, I think, to get a variety of perspectives."

A matter of 'policy consistency'

While young people say free-to-air television is not a big part of their viewing habits, many we spoke believe it is still valuable.

Claire, 13: There are people who can't afford streaming platforms, and I think that entertainment should be free.

Lily, 15: If you want to watch the news, you don't want to have to pay and you need to know what's going on. So that makes sense.

Milly, 15:  Definitely the news [is important]. But also … sometimes there's just exposure to random stuff [on free-to-air TV], like TV shows and stuff you wouldn't have gone on to.

Alek, 15: Definitely … it's good to because it's free. Some platforms aren't free, and it definitely has stuff that lots of people watch.

Dr Koskie says policy consistency from the Australian government will be key if we want to hold on to the benefits that free-to-air television provides.

"And that developing their skills, and applying their creative talents to developing this content is going to be worthwhile in the Australian space."