Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, , 7:55:08 to 8:00:54
Discussion on SBS staff travel for international content markets like MIPCOM and LA screenings, including cost controls, itineraries, and hospitality such as Dodgers game tickets.
Topics: Travel and event costs, Government spending
Speakers: Ms Jane Palfreyman, Senator The Hon Sarah Henderson, Unknown Speaker, Speaker 17, Ms Cathy Rainsford
Uh can you tell me about uh other overseas travel? So I believe SBS staff went to MIPCOMCAN in uh just recently, is that right?
Uh there was um there was an LA screening event. Is that what you're referring to, Senator? I'm just trying to Oh MIPCOM.
So it would have been not in the last round of questions on notice.
That's one of the key content buying trips, yes.
And what how many attended from SBS to MIPCOM?
Uh Senator, let me just find that for you. Uh I don't have that in front of me, but we may be able to get it while we're talking.
Did you go on that trip?
No, I didn't, Senator.
And is that a program buying trip?
Yes, MIPCOM is a sort of global trip where program makers uh and broadcasters meet um to you know discuss upcoming content and and arrangements to purchase content. I might just throw it our CFO. We don't have that in front of us right now, Senator, but we can come back to that within the meeting and and maybe able to share that with you.
If you could, I'm looking for flight accommodation and other costs. And what was the itinerary for that trip?
Um I imagine again, I don't have the specific itinerary in front of me. I imagine there's lots of screening of content for broadcasters and those wishing to purchase content. Uh there's lots of meetings uh with production companies around the world to look at scripts and and upcome upcoming plans uh to see if it's in line with our charter and if it's something we may wish to purchase. There are meetings often uh with companies we might looking to do some co-productions on, uh, and so it's um a mix of all those types of events and meetings.
And um right, well I'm keen to get that information back from you. Uh was there any did staff conduct any personal travel or was there any did anyone bot on any holidays before or after that trip?
After the MIPCOM event. That's right. Uh not to my knowledge, um, but uh again as we seek to get that information for you, we can clarify that question.
Uh if you could, what are your uh what are the sorts of cost controls that you impose when travelling overseas?
Um there's a process for approvals that goes up through relevant directors and through to the CFO. Uh we have um travel sort of policies uh in line that sort of help us and help the business navigate travel, whether it's domestic flights or overseas flights and what the allowances are.
All right, if you could provide further further detail on notice. And could you also provide um details of meals and um alcohol consumption as well?
Yes, we can take that on notice and come back to you, Senator.
Uh what other international travel has staff undertaken this year?
Um, Senator, it mostly relates to content screening events as you highlighted MIPCOM being one of them. Um obviously at times we film content overseas uh as well, obviously with the FIFA World Cup, we um had a small team over there, you know, facilitating our broadcast of the FIFA World Cup.
Um so it wasn't just the three, you and two others, there was also a broadcast team.
There is a small broadcast team, noting that our main studio is here in Sydney, where as ever intent is to be as efficient as as possible. Um we had our main studio here in Sydney, but we did have um some production crew over in uh America uh to reflect the event, yes.
All right, could you also please provide those costs as well?
Yes, we can take that on.
There was a screening which we responded to in the United States.
Oh Senator, in the last set of corns we responded to um another uh content buying trip um which uh was LA screenings.
Yes.
Um that was included uh in the Previous one response.
Yeah, but that was this calendar year.
That was this calendar year, yes.
Yes, so we've got the details of that. So travel cost over 11 day period was it 15,510 for flights, just over 10,000 for accommodation 1,489 for incidentals, including taxi and meals. I'm just trying to work out how many people attended Los Angeles.
I believe we had two in attendance at LA, two in attendance.
And two staff went to an LA Dodgers game?
Yes, Senator. Those tickets were provided to them by the host distributor.
And did was there any other not to my knowledge, Senator? Any other events?
Outside of the content screening event, not to my knowledge, Senator No.