THE loss of Top Gear to the Nine Network will have a material effect upon the ability of the public broadcaster to commission Australian productions, according to Matt Campbell, SBS's director of television and online content.
"The loss of Top Gear is certainly a blow to us, and it is a blow to the producers sitting in the room, because Top Gear for the last four years has been funding many of your programs," Mr Campbell told delegates at the 2010 Australian International Documentary Conference in Adelaide last week.
Campbell also said advertising revenue from the program was "quite a few millions -- and without it, frankly, we are in the shit"."How dire is it?" he asked of SBS's budgeting. "It's dire. We have no money for online; we have no money for SBS TWO."
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