From multimedia to digital content and applications : remaking policy for the digital content industries

Abstract

This article analyses the two policy moments of digital content industries policy development of the Keating (1992-1996) and Howard governments (2001-2004). In bringing these two moments into dialogue our aim is to illuminate and evaluate the broader policy frameworks and political and policy contexts that gave rise to and subsequently shaped these different digital content strategies. The Keating government connected culture and services to harness multimedia as vehicles for cultural expression and as a new economically viable growth industry suited to a convergent information age. The Howard government's innovation agenda has reconstructed industry development priorities for the digital content industries influencing their conception as inputs and enablers for both the ICT and broader industries in an information economy framework. The article concludes with an evaluation of the assumptions and priorities, shortcomings and advantages of these two quite different approaches to developing digital content industries.