Govt to study mandatory screening of local animations on TV channels

The communications and digital ministry is ready to study the need for a special mandatory quota for local television companies to broadcast local animations on their channels.

Minister Fahmi Fadzil said this could help local creators showcase their work to the public.

"This is a matter I support. I feel there is a need for us to look at digital content produced in the country, not just for us to generate or publish, but for us to broadcast and exhibit.

"If our films have this mandatory screening scheme, perhaps for animations and several other matters, we need to consider what are the suitable policies that can help these digital content creations to showcase their work to the general public, especially in Malaysia," he told reporters in Cyberjaya yesterday.

Fahmi said the government was also ready to study efforts to help creators export their work.

"We need to look at what we can do to export the work, at least to the Southeast Asian region, (because) compared to Asean, we see that Malaysia has a population of 34 million but Asean has over 660 million people.

"So in terms of the market segment, there are more opportunities. We must look at what we can do to help them, not just domestically but to export their work abroad," he said.

Fahmi said the government would also hold further talks with the relevant parties following complaints by local animation companies claiming that television stations refused to buy their work due to high prices.

"This is an economic issue. I need to hold further discussions with all parties involved to understand. Unlike telefilm productions or other productions, we cannot deny the reality that animation works need bigger resources, and look at whether or not our television stations can afford them."