Australia Yearbook - 2001

774 Year Book Australia 2001
21.35 COMMERCIAL ART GALLERIES
INDUSTRY—1996–97
Units
Businesses at 30 June no. 457
Employment at end June
Males no. 434
Females no. 721
Persons no. 1 156
Income
Commission income from the sales
of artworks on consignment $m 25.7
Income from sales of artworks
owned by the business $m 49.5
Other income $m 12.1
Total $m 87.3
Cost of artworks sold
Purchases of artworks for resale $m 30.2
Plus opening stocks of artworks $m 28.0
Less closing stocks of artworks $m 25.5
Total $m 32.7
Other expenses
Wages and salaries(a) $m 11.3
Other $m 40.4
Total $m 51.7
Operating profit before tax $m 2.8
Operating profit margin % 3.5
(a) Excludes drawings of working proprietors and partners of
unincorporated businesses.
Source: Commercial Art Galleries, Australia, 1996–97
(8651.0).
Radio and television services
The ABS conducted its second survey of the radio
and television services industries, in respect of
1996–97, following a survey in respect of 1993–94.
In the three years since the first survey, there was
significant change, particularly in the television
services industry with the emergence of pay
television. Table 21.36 summarises the main
results for the two years.
Within the radio industry, while the number of
businesses fell marginally, employment increased
by 5% to 5,064 persons at 30 June 1997. There
were also 11,203 volunteers working in
community and other non-commercial radio
stations. A significant increase (21%) in income,
and a small rise (7%) in expenses during the
period resulted in an operating profit before tax
of $93m for 1996–97. This represented an
operating profit margin of 14.9%, compared with
3.6% in 1993–94.
The television services industry underwent
significant change after 1993–94. This is
illustrated in table 21.36, which shows a major
turnaround in operating profit before tax.
In 1993–94 the industry recorded an operating
profit of $378m, while in 1996–97 there was an
operating loss of $324m. The reason was the
emergence of pay television broadcasting
businesses, which recorded a loss of $1,058m in
1996–97, more than offsetting the $734m
operating profit before tax recorded by
commercial free-to-air broadcasters.
Commercial free-to-air broadcasters experienced
an operating profit margin of 28.2% in 1996–97.
However, due to the losses incurred by pay
television broadcasters, the television industry as
a whole experienced a sharp decline in its
operating profit margin, from 17.7% in 1993–94
to –9.7% in 1996–97.