ABSTRACT
The convergence of Television (TV) and film in the 1980s led to greater opportunities within TV for an independent production industry. The federal film policy in question was the tax concessions for feature film, documentary and TV mini-series production. This policy was first mooted in the 1980 election campaign (and enacted in June 1981). In addition, investors looked to further minimise their risk by selling the production— whether TV mini-series or feature film—before it was completed. At the same time the Australian TV market was changing. The late 1970s and the 1980s saw the slow but inexorable move towards (higher-budgeted) national programming and away from (lower-budgeted) local programming in all but news and current affairs. The state government film institutions—be they Film Victoria or the South Australian Film Corporation—increasingly looked to TV as a stable revenue source. The most important cross-over from film to TV in the 1980s was provided by the Kennedy-Miller organisation.
