Emma Gillespie

I mean, they're very strong words to hear from the ABC managing director.

I guess part of this conversation is hindsight is a beautiful thing.

The ABC commissions a whole bunch of programs, you know, in any given year and who could have known how successful Bluey would be, I suppose.

But that doesn't take away from the fact that it's very pointed to hear the head of the ABC talk about his own organisation in such a way.

So that's the perspective from the now managing director of the ABC talking about this deal that was done in 2017.

But what about Charlie Gearside, this entrepreneur who's sort of reignited the conversational focus on the deal?

What's his angle?

Wow.

I do think it's important to maybe address the fact that the ABC is a public broadcaster.

It has certain obligations and responsibilities to commission certain types of content, kids' shows included.

And I have heard some critics say that the commercial aspect of a show's success

shouldn't be the responsibility of the public broadcaster's decision-making in the shows that it commissions.

And as well, BBC Studios signed a massive deal with Disney in 2019.

And that deal really bolstered Bluey's presence around the world, especially in the US.

Who knows, and we'll never know really, if the ABC had gone it alone and, you know,

didn't seem to have the funding to go it alone in the first place.

But if it had, who knows if American audiences, British audiences and audiences in over 100 countries would have ever noticed Bluey.

Yeah, and money from the licensing of the broadcast rights still goes back to those creators and producers in Brisbane.

Oh, so a lot's made here.

Oh, that's really interesting.