In 1996 Steve was appointed Commissioning Editor of ABC TV Drama to oversee development during the restructure which occurred in the wake of the Mansfield Report. During that time he acted as Executive Producer on the 13 part ABC series, CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL which was broadcast nationally in 1997/8 and again in 1999.

"In 1994, my son was diagnosed with insulin dependent diabetes and at age 8 years faced a lifetime of injecting himself 4 times a day. My wife and I spent a week in a ward at Sydney Childrens Hospital learning how we would all deal with that. It opened my eyes to the great work the doctors and nurses do and the courage of children facing terrible pain and the loss of good health.

When I arrived at the ABC, the Head of Drama came to me and said, "We have an empty studio, hardly any money but we need to do something." That's how it began. It was a very cheap series but it had a great cast, and Denny Lawrence, the producer, developed some very good scripts." Steve Knapman

VHS copies of the program are available through ABC Shops or www.abcshop.com.au