Australian Broadcasting Corporation ANNUAL REPORT 2007 then... Front cover images: MA (Mick) Ferry was the first regular race commentator in the world. Starting with the Autumn Meeting at Randwick (Sydney) in 1925, he broadcast descriptions of the races from his flat, outside the course. Enthusiastic racing authorities cut down a tree that obstructed his view of the track. Mick Ferry continued as the ABC's chief racing commentator in Sydney until his death in 1943. Andrew Taylor, Four Corners cameraman, filming Apache helicopter gunships landing at Tarin Kwot in southern Afghanistan (June 2007). The Australian military Reconstruction Task Force and the Special Operations Task Group are based at Tarin Kwot. RADIO • TELEVISION • ONLINE • 1 innovation in broadcasting 75years ... and now SHOPS • INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING 2 Highlights of 2006–07 Total number of hours broadcast06–07 Radio—8 760 hours on each network and station Television—17 348 hours, including ABC2 and state-specific content 3.9 million pages of content on ABC Online ABC services reached an estimated 72% of all Australians via Television, Radio and Online ABC Radio had a weekly 5-city metropolitan reach of 3 687 000 or 33% ABC Television had a weekly 5-city metropolitan reach of 8.46 million or 60.4% and weekly regional reach of 4.1 million or 64.2% ABC Online had a monthly reach of 18.3% of Australia’s active internet population Averaged 400 000 live radio streams per month, just under 2.4 million podcast downloads per month and 4.6 million vodcast downloads in first half of 2007 89% of Australians continue to believe the ABC provides a valuable service to the community 81% of Australians believe the ABC does a good job covering country/regional issues 71% believe the ABC is efficient and well-managed 3 ABC Television launched new Australian programs, including The ABC of Our Lives: 50 Years of Television, Who Killed Dr Bogle and Mrs Chandler?, Constructing Australia: The Bridge, Carbon Cops, Air Australia, Difference of Opinion, jtv, Family Footsteps, Choir of Hard Knocks, Bastard Boys, Curtin, Life at 1 and Operatunity Oz Radio Australia programming available through 160 local rebroadcasters in 40 countries in Asia and the Pacific, shortwave broadcasts, satellite services and 12, 24-hour FM relays Australia Network television available in 41 countries, retransmitted by 400 pay television operators, in more than 200 000 hotel rooms and available in 21 million homes The ABC broadcast 3 581 hours of first release Australian television content, including ABC2 ABC’s digital television services reach 97% of Australia’s population from 237 transmitter locations 42 ABC Shops and 103 ABC Centres throughout Australia and online generated $3.3m net profit which was returned to programming last year The ABC had total revenues of $995m from ordinary activities with $1 059m in total assets 4 The National Broadcaster Darwin Katherine Kununurra Broome Karratha Alice Springs Geraldton Kalgoorlie Perth Wagin Esperance Pt Lincoln Metropolitan Services Bunbury Television Production Centres Albany Metropolitan Radio Online Production Centres Regional Services Regional Radio Studios Television Production Centres Radio Australia Transmitters • ABC national Radio networks—ABC Radio National, triple j, ABC Classic FM and ABC NewsRadio on the Parliamentary and News Network—are available throughout Australia • ABC Regional Radio studios collect content for use on ABC Radio and ABC Online • ABC Shops and ABC Centres are found at 146 locations throughout Australia • Local frequency information for ABC services is available in Appendixes 23 (Television) and 24 (Radio) 5 Radio The ABC has four national radio networks—ABC Radio National, ABC Classic FM, triple j and ABC NewsRadio—as well as 60 Local Radio stations around Australia, and three internet music-based services, dig, dig jazz and dig country. Cairns Television ABC Television operates two channels. Townsville The main channel is a national service Mt Isa with State and Territory news breakouts. It is available in analog and digitally Mackay on free-to-air digital and subscription television platforms. Longreach Rockhampton The ABC2 digital television service Gladstone is available free-to-air and on Bundaberg subscription platforms. Maroochydore Online Toowoomba Brisbane The ABC Online website contains 3.873 Gold Coast million pages of content across 12 subject Lismore gateways, including content designed for broadband delivery. ABC services Tamworth Coffs Harbour Pt Augusta are also available via WAP, SMS, 3G Broken Hill Dubbo Port Macquarie and i-mode platforms. Pt Pirie Muswellbrook Orange Newcastle Renmark Erina Shops Mildura Sydney ABC-related products are available from Adelaide Wagga Wagga Wollongong Shepparton Nowra 42 ABC Shops and 103 ABC Centres Horsham throughout Australia, as well as the Bendigo Wodonga Canberra Mt Gambier Ballarat Bega ABC Shop Online and an order-based Sale Customer Delivery Service. Warrnambool Morwell Melbourne International Broadcasting International radio and online service Burnie Launceston Radio Australia, is available by shortwave, satellite and rebroadcast arrangements Hobart to Asia and the Pacific. International television and online service, Australia Network, is available via satellite and rebroadcast arrangements to Asia and the Pacific. Office of Maurice L. Newman AC Chairman 2 October 2007 ABC Ultimo Centre 700 Harris Street Ultimo NSW 2007 Australia GPO Box 9994 Sydney NSW 2001 Tel. +61 2 8333 5363 Senator The Hon. Helen Coonan Fax. +61 2 8333 2967 Minister for Communications abc.net.au Information Technology and the Arts Parliament House CANBERRA ACT 2600 The Board of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation is pleased to present the Annual Report of the Corporation for the year ended 30 June 2007. The report is prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997 and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983. Yours sincerely contents 7 Letter of Transmittal 6 section 1 Corporate Report 10 ABC Vision, Mission and Values 10 Significant Events in 2006–07 10 Corporate Plan Summary 13 ABC Board of Directors 15 Board Directors’ Statement 19 ABC Advisory Council 22 The Year Ahead 23 section 2 Overview 24 ABC Audiences 26 ABC Services 42 ABC in the Community 44 ABC People 48 Commitment to a Greener Future 53 Corporate Governance 56 Financial Summary 63 ABC Divisional Structure 66 section 3 ABC Divisions 68 Radio and Regional Content 70 Television 74 News 80 Innovation 84 International 87 Commercial 92 Operations 96 Corporate 102 section 4 Summary Reports 110 Performance Against the ABC Corporate Plan 2004–07 112 Outcomes and Outputs 126 06–07 section 5 Independent Auditor’s Report 139 Financial Statements 141 Appendices 183 Index 236 ANNUAL REPORT 20 Glossary 239 ABC Charter and Duties of the Board 240 8 A 1950s re-enactment of Charles Sturt’s 1829–30 expedition. documentaries then... Australia’s great arterial river system has Fifty-five years after that radio documentary borne explorers, traders and storytellers, from series, John Doyle and scientist/author Dr the earliest period of European settlement. Tim Flannery undertook another expedition to document a river system in a state of Over ten weeks in 1951, ABC Radio recreated environmental crisis. ABC Television presented the 1829–30 expedition of Charles Sturt Two Men in a Tinnie, a series filmed on their down the Murrumbidgee to its junction with journey along the Murray-Darling Rivers. that “broad and noble river”, the Murray. With the assistance of local Aborigines, The ABC has documented Australia and its Sturt’s party followed the Murray to Lake evolving place in the world through long-form Alexandrina and on to the ocean mouth, narratives from its earliest days. Dr Cecil south of Adelaide. Madigan used a pedal radio transceiver in section 1 9 the Flinders Ranges in South Australia to on rural Australia, Chequerboard and, later, file his radio talks as leader of the first renowned natural history projects such as major expedition across the Simpson Desert Nature of Australia. in 1939. Shortly after World War II, Colin Simpson presented Australian Walkabout At the beginning of the new millennium, ABC with stories of crocodile hunting in the Gulf Radio National audaciously chose to present of Carpentaria, jungle patrols on the island a 15-hour documentary review of the previous of New Guinea and the operations of a 1 000 years – “A Thousand Years in One pearling lugger off Broome. Day”. Extraordinary. In 1960, the ABC established its first television On any ABC platform—radio, television or documentary unit, which produced landmark online—Australians continue their journeys series that helped significantly to define the of discovery about the world around them, genre in this country: A Big Country, focusing their land and their social evolution. ... and now Australian of the Year Tim Flannery and respected writer and satirist John Doyle examine the issue of Australia's challenging water future in “Two men in a tinnie”. 10 ABC Vision, Mission and Values Vision and impartiality, reflecting a balanced Valued for playing an active role in the and broad range of views and interests lives of all Australians. Creative—a commitment to innovation, Mission ideas and support for talented people Uphold the ABC’s Charter through distinctive programs and services that Courageous—encouraging the leadership inform, educate and entertain. and vision to adapt to change with integrity and decisiveness