Commercial free-to-air television has been named Australia's most trusted source of news, with a new Deloitte report finding it also contributes $2.4 billion to the national economy. The findings were released in Canberra on Tuesday, commissioned by Free TV Australia.
Near-Universal Trust in Free-to-Air TV
The report found that almost 90 per cent of Australians surveyed trust free-to-air television more than social media, AI-generated content, and the majority of other news sources available to them. The result underscores the enduring role that broadcast television plays in how Australians access and evaluate information — even as the media landscape continues to fragment across digital platforms.
The findings come at a time when concerns about the reliability of artificial intelligence and its growing influence across industries are increasingly front of mind for policymakers and the public alike.
Industry Leaders Gather in Canberra for Launch
Well-known faces from the television industry made the trip to the nation's capital for the report's formal release. Among those present was Sunrise presenter Matt Shirvington, who spoke to the emotional power of live broadcast television, recalling watching a young Cathy Freeman compete in her 400-metre final as a formative and inspiring moment.
Free TV Australia chief executive Bridget Fair said the report validates what the industry has long believed — that commercial television functions as cultural infrastructure for the country.
"This report puts hard numbers behind something we've always known – free television is cultural infrastructure for this country," Fair said. "It gives Australians shared stories, shared facts and shared values."
A Call for Policy Action
Despite the positive findings, Fair struck a cautionary note, warning that free-to-air television's continued availability cannot be assumed. She called for decisive policy action across three key areas: addressing competition failure in advertising technology, protecting Australian content from being used or replicated by artificial intelligence without authorisation, and ensuring free and universal access to major broadcasts for all Australians, regardless of where they live or how they choose to watch.
"Commercial television cannot be taken for granted," Fair said, urging governments to act before the conditions that support the industry erode further.
Economic Contribution Highlighted
Beyond its social and cultural role, the Deloitte research found commercial free-to-air television generates $2.4 billion for the Australian economy — a figure the industry says reinforces the case for a policy environment that supports the sector's long-term sustainability.
