ABC Annual Report 2016
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Annual Report 2016 FROM THE EVERYDAY TO THE EXTRAORDINARY Storm Brewing by ABC Open contributor davetomo. Wedderburn, Victoria. New South Wales – Ultimo ABC Ultimo Centre 700 Harris Street Ultimo NSW 2007 GPO Box 9994 Sydney NSW 2001 Tel. +61 2 8333 1500 abc.net.au 6 October 2016 Senator the Hon Mitch Fifield Minister for Communications Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Dear Minister The Board of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation is pleased to present the Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2016. The Report is prepared in accordance with the requirements of Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983, and was approved by a resolution of the Board on 21 September 2016. It provides a comprehensive review of the ABC’s performance in relation to its legislative mandate. The editorial theme of this year’s report—From the Everyday to the Extraordinary—highlights the ABC’s role in reflecting and reporting on matters that are important to the lives of Australians, bringing them the information they need every day, and the extraordinary stories that contribute to our national identity. Yours sincerely James Spigelman AC QC Chairman ii AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION ANNUAL REPORT 2016 Contents ONE TWO THREE FOUR ABOUT THE ABC AUDIENCE INSIDE THE ABC CORPORATE ABC services 4 EXPERIENCES Editorial quality 80 RESPONSIBILITY ABC Board Audience trends 30 Infrastructure Corporate responsibility 102 of Directors 9 Online 32 and operations 84 Corporate Board Directors’ Television 42 People 88 statement 14 responsibility in Radio 51 Work health a broadcasting Organisational and safety 94 Regional 58 context 104 structure 17 Corporate services 96 News and Environmental ABC Executive 18 current affairs 61 responsibility 108 The Year Ahead 23 International Social responsibility 111 Purpose, Vision services 67 and Values 24 Consumer experiences 73 FIVE SIX SEVEN EIGHT GOVERNANCE CHARTS, GRAPHS FINANCIAL APPENDICES Corporate AND TABLES PERFORMANCE Appendices 217 governance 120 Audience Financial summary 168 Glossary 263 Annual Performance experiences 142 Independent Index 264 Statements 126 Inside the ABC 154 auditor’s report 170 Bonner Committee 134 Corporate Financial statements 172 ABC Advisory responsibility 160 Council 136 Financial performance 164 Contents 1 CHAPTER ONE ABOUT THE ABC The ABC’s vision is to be the independent home of Australian conversations, culture and stories. Contents: ABC services 4 ABC Board of Directors 9 In Hitting Home, Board Directors’ statement 14 award-winning Organisational structure 17 journalist ABC Executive 18 Sarah Ferguson The Year Ahead 23 examined how an Purpose, Vision and Values 24 abusive relationship escalates to violence. Sarah Ferguson in Hitting Home 2 AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION ANNUAL REPORT 2016 About the ABC 3 ABC services Capital National Radio Radio Australia City Local Networks1 a news and Radio2 information radio RN, Classic FM, service for the available triple j Pacific region from all eight capital cities 1 Regional Digital Radio3 Streaming4 Local Radio Double J, ABC Jazz, ABC has a presence Country, ABC Grandstand, all digital radio services are streamed online in 48 regional triple j Unearthed, and locations around ABC Extra for special events Australia ABC2 ABC main including ABC KIDS—content for channel preschoolers between 5am and the ABC’s primary 7pm—and ABC2 for a younger television channel adult demographic between 7pm and 5am ABC3 ABC iview a dedicated the ABC’s children’s online television channel service 2 ABC Open a place where regional Australians tell their stories through written and visual media, with ABC Open producers across the country 3 abc.net.au Mobile content to stream and download, apps for smartphones and tablets and unique broadband content 1 Also available in mainland capital cities as a digital radio service, and via digital satellite subscription services. 2 Also available in mainland capital cities as a digital radio service. Some Local Radio services are available via digital satellite subscription services. 3 Double J and ABC Jazz are also available on free-to-air digital and subscription television services. 4 Also streamed are Capital City Local Radio, National Radio Networks and half of all Regional Local Radio services. 4 AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION ANNUAL REPORT 2016 ABC services ABC News and Current Affairs online in-depth journalism content, analysis and opinion ABC News 24 a national, 24-hour news network for television 4 ABC NewsRadio Australia Plus a national, television and online services 24-hour news for audiences across network for radio Asia and the Pacific ABC International Development partnering with media, civil society and government organisations in the Asia-Pacific region, to assist in designing and delivering communication initiatives 5 ABC Retail Video Entertainment Sales and Business ABC Shop Online and Distribution Development and 224 ABC Centres format, digital content, DVD and digital distribution throughout Australia footage, audio and stills Studio and Media ABC Publishing ABC Music and Events Production and Licensing provision of surplus a variety of music products and live events magazines, books production services and merchandise to the market Images on this page 1 Dance on Landing by ABC Open contributor Greg Norman. Borroloola, Northern Territory. 2 Spraybow by ABC Open contributor Brett Delaney (surfwx). Newcastle, New South Wales. 3 100 Hundred Year Line by ABC Open contributor Andrew Gosling. Broken Hill, New South Wales. 4 Dining amongst the spiders by ABC Open contributor Lynda Snowden (CountryMum). Tocumwal, New South Wales. 5 Salmon Hole Fishing by ABC Open contributor Melanie Halton. Mount Gambier, South Australia. About the ABC 5 ABC services Darwin London Beijing Beirut Tokyo Washington Jerusalem Katherine New Delhi Bangkok Nairobi Kununurra Jakarta Port Moresby Broome Cairns Mount Isa Townsville Karratha Mackay Alice Springs Rockhampton The ABC operates Longreach Bundaberg from 56 locations Sunshine Coast Geraldton Brisbane Toowoomba around Australia Gold Coast Kalgoorlie Lismore Perth and 11 overseas Coffs Harbour Tamworth Port Augusta Port Macquarie Broken Hill Muswellbrook Bunbury Port Pirie Dubbo bureaux Esperance Newcastle Port Lincoln Renmark Orange Mildura Wagga For more information regarding the ABC’s domestic and Albany Adelaide Wagga Sydney Wollongong international locations, see Appendix 17 on page 258. Canberra Nowra Wodonga Horsham Bendigo Mount Gambier Shepparton Bega Ballarat Melbourne Sale Warrnambool Key Burnie Launceston Australian locations International bureaux and Hobart news correspondents Last mob for the day by ABC Open contributor Jessica Payton. Brewarrina, New South Wales. 6 AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION ANNUAL REPORT 2016 ABC services Darwin London Beijing Beirut Tokyo Washington Jerusalem Katherine New Delhi Bangkok Nairobi Kununurra Jakarta Port Moresby Broome Cairns Mount Isa Townsville Karratha Mackay Alice Springs Rockhampton Longreach Bundaberg Sunshine Coast Geraldton Brisbane Toowoomba Gold Coast Kalgoorlie Lismore Perth Coffs Harbour Tamworth Port Augusta Port Macquarie Broken Hill Muswellbrook Bunbury Port Pirie Dubbo Esperance Newcastle Port Lincoln Renmark Orange Mildura Wagga Albany Adelaide Wagga Sydney Wollongong Canberra Nowra Wodonga Horsham Bendigo Mount Gambier Shepparton Bega Ballarat Melbourne Sale Warrnambool Key Burnie Launceston Australian locations International bureaux and Hobart news correspondents About the ABC 7 ABC services ABC Board of Directors Role and responsibilities of the Board The role and responsibilities of the ABC Board derive In addition, individual Directors are required to meet from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act objective standards of care and good faith, as set 1983 (the ABC Act). Section 8 of the ABC Act requires out in the PGPA Act. the Board to ensure the functions of the Corporation Directors are required to observe the ABC Board are performed efficiently and with the maximum Protocol, first adopted in September 2004, which benefit to the people of Australia, while maintaining sets out their responsibilities and rights. They are the ABC’s independence and integrity. It is required required to provide a declaration of interests upon to ensure that the gathering and presentation of news their appointment, which is updated as necessary. and information is accurate and impartial according At each meeting, Directors are asked if they wish to the recognised standards of objective journalism; to declare a material personal interest in any items to develop codes of practice relating to programming on the agenda. Induction processes are in place matters; to ensure compliance with the ABC Act and for new Board members, and online training is other relevant legislation; and to consider matters of available through provision of the Directors’ Manual Government policy relevant to the functions of the and Public Sector Governance in Australia modules Corporation when requested to do so by the Minister. from Wolters Kluwer, CCH. Other professional The ABC Act also requires the Board to prepare development for Directors is provided as required. corporate plans for the ABC and to notify the Minister of any matters likely to cause significant deviation from The ABC Charter and Duties of the Board are set out those plans. in Appendix 1 (see page 218). The Board is the ‘accountable authority’ of the ABC under the Public Governance,