Mr Barry Jones asked the Minister representing the Minister for Communications, the Information Economy and the Arts, upon notice, on 25 March 1998:

(1) Other than news and sport, what are the 20 ABC programs with the highest television audience ratings.

(2) How many of the programs referred to in part (1) originated in the UK or Ireland.

(3) What effect have budget cuts had on the ABC's capacity to make film or feature television programs.

Mr Warwick Smith (Minister for Family Services) —The Minister for Communications, the Information Economy and the Arts has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:

(1) A list of the top 20 television programs for the year-to-date (28 December 1997 to 14 March 1998) is attached.

(2) 12 of the 20 most popular programs in this period originated in the UK or Ireland.

(3) In each year the ABC reviews its planned programs to decide if they will proceed. In any given year a number of programs may be cancelled or deferred. In 1997/98 the following programs planned for production were cancelled or deferred. These include:

cancellation of a planned film review series

cancellation of series on Australian film-makers

cancellation of a planned comedy co-production

a reduction in independently produced documentaries from 35 to 28

a reduction in the number of mini-series from four to two

reduction in the funds available for licence fees/investment in independently

produced mini-series

reduction in the number of drama series planned for Sunday evening transmission from two to one.

TOP 30 PROGRAMS EXCLUDING NEWS & SPORT

YEAR-TO-DATE (28/12/97—14/3/98)

TOTAL PEOPLE—FIVE CAPITAL CITIES

(SYDNEY, MELBOURNE, BRISBANE, ADELAIDE & PERTH)

AVERAGE AUDIENCE `000s

Source: A.C. Nielsen (Australia) Pty Ltd, Copyright