Friends of the ABC (NSW) Inc. quarterly newsletter

September 2012 UPDATE Vol 20, No. 2 incorporating Background Briefi ng friends of the abc STAFF- ELECTED DIRECTOR AT LAST! Special Report From the President Inside Update CALL TO ACTION UPDATE once again be putting his name forward for election, and Friends A Pictorial Account In the dying days of the Federal FABC Bi-ennial State Conference 3 of the ABC strongly endorses his Parliament prior to the Winter Recess, Michael Millet candidature. Throughout his our CALL TO ACTION by FRIENDS FABC Bi-ennial State Conference period as “Staff-Elected Director in Speaker 4 (April Update) produced a long- Exile,” Quentin has consistently Linda Mottram awaited result – the passage of the Bill and courageously spoken on behalf FABC Bi-ennial State Conference which will place at arm’s length from of ABC staff on many issues, and Speaker 6 Government the process of appointing has been a strong voice against the Quentin Dempster Board Members to the ABC, and FABC Bi-ennial State Conference progressive loss of skills, expertise, restoring the position of Staff-Elected Speaker 9 experience and culture as the ABC Director. Thanks to all Friends who Branch News 11 has closed studios outside of Sydney wrote to Senator Conroy, Minister for Aunty looms too large 14 and Melbourne, and continued Communications, or contacted their Letter to the Editor 15 down the path of outsourcing of local Federal Member. production. Notice of FABC Annual Quentin Dempster, the last ABC General Meeting 15 staffer elected to the position, will Continued on Page 2. Page 1

FFRIRI 001717 NNewsletter.inddewsletter.indd 1 229/08/129/08/12 8:308:30 AMAM Update Publication Information President’s Special Report continued Update is published four times a year by Friends of the ABC (NSW) Inc. (FABC), PO Box 1391 NORTH SYDNEY 2059. STATE CONFERENCE of - Outsourcing – what are we losing? Printpost approved PP245059/00002 FRIENDS. - How to achieve the elusive “balance” To become a member phone in programming. The bi-ennial State Conference was (02) 9990 0600 or email to - Dumbing down – is it fact or [email protected] held in Gosford on 18th and 19th perception? or access our website August, hosted magnifi cently by our - Where have the Arts gone on the www.fabcnsw.org.au. Central Coast Branch and meticulously ABC? Extracts from newspapers and other organized by Klaas Woldring. Attended - The Convergence Review – what publications appearing in Update do not by up to 50 delegates and observers implications for the ABC? necessarily reflect the views of the from NSW branches and the NSW members of FABC. - Problems of local reception in some Executive, and a sole representative Update is distributed to all members of areas. FABC, as part of the membership fee. from South Australia, the conference There was also discussion of the Update is also supplied to journalists, examined and discussed the pluses current state of the “Friends”, as politicians and libraries across Australia. and minuses of a rapidly changing It is edited and produced in Sydney but membership ages and numbers fall. contributions are welcome from NSW country ABC, and the ways in which the and interstate branches. Friends can best support the ABC as it ACTION PLAN Material may be quoted or reproduced fi ghts to retain its independence from Five working parties were established from Update provided the source is political and commercial infl uence in acknowledged and reproduction is sent to to produce action plans and strategies the President FABC. a changing media landscape. We were for Friends of the ABC in the following guided in our discussions by three Would you like to receive Update areas: guest speakers, all of whom will play a magazine electronically? 1. A review of the ABC Charter in the very important role in steering the ABC Save the planet's trees and The Friends context of new technologies which printing and postage costs and read Update through some very challenging waters were not even dreamed of when magazine on your computer. ahead: Each quarter, when Update is published, you the Charter was established and will receive an email with a link to the latest Michael Millett, Director of Corporate amended. issue (each magazine is around 0.5MB). Affairs for the ABC, representing 2. How best to support the ABC You can try this now by going to our Management, gave us insights into website at www.fabcnsw.org.au and in future Budget arguments current and future new directions and clicking on Update. in Canberra, particularly with initiatives, addressing diffi cult and If you prefer this delivery option for future the possibility of a change of Updates please send an email to the challenging issues with honesty. Membership Secretary. government. Quentin Dempster, Host of 7.30 NSW, 3. Promoting the ABC’s role as Who to write… brought the ABC Staff perspective on Anyone seeking basic information about an educator – access to archive those Management plans with his writing to persons of influence might find it material as well as the ABC’s role usual clarity of thought, wisdom and helpful to go to the FABC NSW website in primary, secondary, tertiary and www.fabc.org.au where there are some enormous experience. menu items under "Be Active" leading to community education and the pages of information: Who can I write to? Linda Mottram, veteran ABC Arts. What can I say? journalist, Foreign Correspondent, 4. The local content challenge – the and presenter of Mornings on 702, ABC is not required to meet local FABC (NSW) Executive Committee spoke with passion about her career Office Bearers content quotas which apply to experiences, and the challenges of President - Mal Hewitt commercial producers – why Phone: 02 9637 2900 working in new technologies without should it not have to? Email: [email protected] losing the depth and quality of content Secretary & Treasurer - James Buchanan we expect from the ABC, but also the 5. How does the ABC remain Phone: 02 9371 5621 integrity and concern for the truth “balanced” and free of bias? Email: [email protected] which must go with reporting from the Working parties have one month to Membership Secretary - Angela Williamson world’s trouble spots. produce strategy documents, which Phone: 02 4883 4048 Email: [email protected] All three presentations are included will be shared with branches and published in Update. Update Editor - Mal Hewitt in this Update. PO Box 1391 N. Sydney NSW 2059 We are grateful to the Central Coast Email: [email protected] CONFERENCE AGENDA Branch for hosting an enjoyable Cartoonist - Phil Somerville Delegates and ABC representatives and productive conference, to our Editorial Cartoonist for The Sun Herald (Sydney) discussed questions such as: three ABC representatives for their [email protected] - New technologies and delivery valued input, and to all delegates Layout Artist - Paul Martens methods, but at what cost? for their positive and constructive [email protected] - Are ratings more important than contributions. quality and depth? Membership Line: 02 9990 0600 - Are older audiences being abandoned Mal Hewitt in search of a younger demographic? President, NSW FABC Page 2

FFRIRI 001717 NNewsletter.inddewsletter.indd 2 229/08/129/08/12 8:308:30 AMAM A Pictorial Account FABC Bi-ennial State Conference

1. 2.

4.

1. Klaas Woldring, Conference organiser 2. Central Coast Branch participants – John and Margaret Lund and Audrey McDonald 3. Quentin Dempster with Alison Brisbane, Central Coast branch 4. Michael Millett with Angela Williamson (Membership Secretary) 5. Our youngest Friend, Jeremy Hewitt 6. Linda Mottram with James Buchanan 3. (Secretary/Treasurer)

5. 6.

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FFRIRI 001717 NNewsletter.inddewsletter.indd 3 229/08/129/08/12 8:318:31 AMAM Michael Millet FABC Bi-ennial State Conference Speaker

Michael Millett joined the ABC but the recent Fairfax experience as Director of Communications exposes the danger of complacency and in February 2009, just in time to inertia. help deliver the biggest funding ABC checklist - ABC is relatively increase in the ABC’s corporate well-positioned, and has dramatically history. While he would like to increased its content offerings. Under Mark claim the credit, the tri-funding Scott this has been a key strategic goal boost to the ABC was the result -“reach more Australians, in more ways, of years of hard work and more often” and “at a time they want, on a lobbying by key people inside device they want, in a format they want”. the ABC and by stakeholders This has led to new content funded by like the Friends of the ABC. Canberra : drama, ABC3, ABC open, the Michael’s Division, now called education portal, digital radio, as well as Corporate Affairs, is responsible services funded by the ABC: news24, for public affairs, governance, iView and iPhone apps, ABC online. corporate strategy, internal and external communications, the Why? Is the ABC over-stretching? Going state and territory directors and too fast in pursuit of younger audiences? management of the MD’s Offi ce Sacrifi cing quality for ratings? The answer and Board Secretariat. is no. ABC, like everyone else in the media Michael’s shift to the national sector, has had to develop new audience broadcaster came after a long strategies, in response to competition career in print journalism. For from new competitors – spotify, 600 radio the previous two years he was channels on iTunes. deputy editor of the Sydney The pressure – yes, we have the over Morning Herald. In a 20-year stint 65s. The ABC has 73% combined reach with the Herald, Michael served - 35% only watch ABC TV, 9% only listen as a political correspondent, to ABC radio, 29% access both. But Canberra bureau chief, North Asia there is a hole in the middle, and we are correspondent based in Tokyo, missing an entire generation. The board senior writer and news editor. and executive are negligent if they do not address that problem. A convergence report quote: “One of the key objectives of the two public Michael said he was aware of passion broadcasters is to provide all Australians friends have for the ABC and specifi c with broadcasting services regardless of components, and knows that some of this where they live. Traditionally, radio and strategy and its implementation won’t win How can friends then television carried out this function. universal acclaim, but he will try to explain help? By developing Online delivery of content provides far the framework in which we are mapping a narrative based on greater convenience for users. It also out our future in pursuit of the overriding allows for the development of local content charter principle – relevance. the importance of the that is more closely tailored to the needs Without relevance, the ABC cannot ABC in new media of individual Australians. Signifi cantly, make a case in Canberra for increased environment. online content can also provide Australians funding. with opportunities for greater interaction We are in a new media world, with with content and a forum to exchange the constant impact of new technology views.” The ABC is derelict in charter responsibilities if does not pursue online and convergence – fragmentation, New eyeballs - The imperative if we are opportunities wherever possible. globalisation and a drift to online & mobile. to maintain relevance is to reach out to Traditional commercial models are under new audiences. iView is up almost 50% to ABC Funding for the next triennium strain, with consumers, not publishers, 900k monthly visitors 2011. Podcasts are The whole industry is at a tipping point in control. Competition is more acute & up 27% to 60m downloads 2011. ABC – ABC is a safe harbour for quality news global, with many new players competing news 24 – 4m tuned in during the week of & local content. A capital case can be for eyeballs. the leadership change. There were 800k made for sustainability for ABC in digital Implications for ABC - Our funding iPad iView apps, 2m iPhone apps. world, as well as more funding for radio & model provides a degree of comfort and Charter - How does this fi t in with the television, and the capacity to beef up its protection charter? It fi ts perfectly. emergency broadcasting role.

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FFRIRI 001717 NNewsletter.inddewsletter.indd 4 229/08/129/08/12 8:318:31 AMAM How can friends help? By developing the importance of international operations. creative instinct, common knowledge & a narrative based on the importance drive, and fewer repeats. There is only one of the ABC in new media environment. Response to questions on Radio outsourced program, and that is produced As the commercial models struggle to National under supervision. deliver quality, and return to the 19th There are no cuts to the budget, and Ratings show that the audience is century era of narrow business agendas, savings from 2012 changes have been receptive to the changes – overall numbers a well-funded ABC boosts diversity & reinvested in content. It is a truly national are up and social media engagement democracy. Friends can support the need network: more programming out of suggests younger people are joining in. to bolster a news presence in regional Brisbane now & production & staffi ng in Podcasting fi gures are impressive : Jan- and outer-metropolitan areas, and expand Adelaide & Perth unchanged. There are June 2012, close to 2 million programs programming in those areas, and stress 5 new weekly programs: religion, media, downloaded a month.

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FFRIRI 001717 NNewsletter.inddewsletter.indd 5 229/08/129/08/12 8:318:31 AMAM Linda Mottram FABC Bi-ennial State Conference Speaker

During more than 25 years as a some more thrilling anecdotes, I want to journalist, Linda Mottram has add that I believe this won’t have been travelled with Australian Prime the last threat to the ABC. Australia’s Ministers, covered peace and public debate is rightly dynamic. But that war, reported on assassinations dynamism can catch the ABC unawares. and elections, and created radio Take for example, the weakening over the on issues as diverse as Crusader past decade and a half of the bipartisan archaeology, the modern Liberal consensus on the treatment of those party, Afghan women’s art and arriving on our shores to seek asylum. The sheep dog trials. She’s worked ABC rightly spends a lot of time covering in many of the world’s hotspots this issue. If there is one thing the ABC for the ABC, including the Middle “believes in” it is democracy -- and I think East and the Balkans, striving to this extends to the democratic right of explain stories through the eyes all humans to seek freedom. I think if we of those least able to infl uence believe in democracy, we should see the their fate. She’s a Walkley Award asylum debate through that lens. winner, taking out the Radio As public attitudes have hardened, Current Affairs category in 1999 fuelled by political rhetoric the use of for her coverage of the Meja language in the debate has changed, massacre during the confl ict often being manipulated for political ends. in Kosovo. She also spent The ABC must be sure that it doesn’t several years as ABC Foreign adopt language that has been loaded Correspondent in Moscow. for particular meaning. This undermines More recently she has worked its responsibility to be impartial. It as Executive Producer of PM, and undermines, I think, the commitment on ABC 702 Afternoons, and has to democracy. Think for example about taken a strong interest in editorial the way the term border security is used training at the ABC, and in 2012 when discussing boat arrivals. I am has moved into the chair on 702 not saying there are not security issues seeker were beyond politics, now they are Mornings, unable, as she says, to related to these arrivals. But talk of the arguably the opposite. Yet these terms resist the pull of “the wireless.” need to secure our borders in the face of are routinely adopted in our coverage increasing boat arrivals sends has for a She addressed the conference of this story. I think there is a legitimate long time been sending a distinct signal after Saturday evening dinner. question to ask about this. Have we at that all those arriving by boat are a security the ABC done enough to ensure our threat when they are not. stories are shaped to avoid a political Nowadays even the term “asylum slant on this question? Have we become Before I refl ect on the almost quarter seeker” is loaded, often used as it is peddlers of politically loaded language in of a century that I’ve been mostly with alongside ideas like “queue jumpers” and this debate, thus failing to live up to your the ABC, I want to thank you for your the word “illegal”. Once terms like asylum expectations that your ABC will provide commitment to the organisation, warts impartial coverage, cutting through the and all. A free media is the backbone of agendas? I highly recommend the work our democracy. And without vigilance, it is of Tim Soutphommasane on the asylum always at risk. The culture wars of recent question, particularly his writing for the St times demonstrated that particularly in James Ethics Centre and that Centre’s regard to the ABC. And at the time I was There was the work more broadly on the asylum seeker the presenter of the AM radio current occasion when an topic. affairs program, I was among a number Israeli jet bombed On the ABC, I am not saying that we of ABC fi gures targeted in a campaign have necessarily fallen into the trap I to weaken the ABC and, I believe, to a south Lebanon describe above. But a failure of vigilance ultimately tame its coverage of news and road, splitting the will weaken us. And when the politics of current affairs. The Alston complaints over UN convoy we were the issue changes again, then where is AM’s Iraq war coverage were of course the impartiality of the ABC? If we cannot one manifestation of this. And I believe traveling in.. that was be sure that we have fulfi lled our mission, there was lasting timidity at the ABC as a a lesson in how rules those arguing for our de-funding, to use result of that particular attack, timidity that get broken. that clumsy term, are empowered .. and only relatively recently began to lift. they lurk in all political corners. Before I leave this subject and move to So making the link back to my rant

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FFRIRI 001717 NNewsletter.inddewsletter.indd 6 229/08/129/08/12 8:318:31 AMAM about our coverage of asylum issues, I Katyusha missiles, there was no warning In the space of six years as a and others remain wary that we are not at all. correspondent, there was a lot of edge. having the nuanced discussions about our On another day on the same trip in There were colleagues lost. There were coverage because we are too obsessed Southern Lebanon, an Israeli jet used three countless victims of the many acts of with the sparkly new things. I am a huge of the four corners of a UN camp we’d savagery which inevitably defi ne so much supporter of change and I love some of the just arrived at for apparent target practice. of what a foreign correspondent does. In great new things the ABC is doing with its The acrid smell and the sound are three years in Jerusalem alone .. and I note news and radio content. We are reaching unimaginable and stay with me to this day with great delight that from there I got to new and different audiences, but there’s a .. So will the faces of the Fijians peeking travel to 20 different countries .. but during lot else besides to think about and discuss. out from beneath the guard bunker at the my time based out of Jerusalem from There’ve been a couple of moments entrance to the camp, grinning widely and 1994 there were for example innumerable in my life when I thought I wouldn’t be yelling a welcome to us as though nothing bus bombings in Israeli cities, including attending any more pleasant dinners like had happened. Once again I have to note, outside Mahane Yehuda market that this .. my poor driver! was my husband’s preferred place to shop. The bus bombings were terrible. Like the time a Turkish soldier held me When once I asked my Lebanese I remember my Mother arrived one time and a Danish colleague at gunpoint in Christian driver to take me from East for a visit, and on her fi rst morning with eastern Turkey in 1995 .. We’d used Beirut to a certain address in West Beirut, us, we heard a bomb go off just a couple our sat telephone to call our respective he reluctantly agreed, until we got to the of blocks from our apartment building. It offi ces during a pause in a particularly destination street and he realised where I was 8.30am. I called Sydney. .. Andrew fraught journey out of Northern Iraq .. was asking him to take me .. Hezbollah my husband, (then and now working for Eastern Turkey, it turned out, wasn’t the headquarters, he dumped me and sped the BBC) rang his guys. The bombing it place to pull out the sat phone it. And this off. Ok no major threat but it was wryly turned out was just outside the offi ce of was a classic lesson in how others don’t amusing .. I still have the Hezbollah our favorite travel agent . An exUN travel necessarily interpret your actions in the business card ... I know, weird! agent who could fi nd us a route into and same way you do. importantly out of, the most unlikely places Eastern Turkey has long suffered turmoil ... She had contacts ... as Turkey has continued its campaign Anyway. We covered the bombing .. against Kurdish national self-expression. Really barely a story because the pattern Thus it is illegal to send pictures out of To see the Bolshoi was by then so well established.. so there the region without offi cial permission. We Theatre foyer draped was none of the major scramble to get weren’t sending pictures. We were making in black velvet, with enormous numbers of stories across a phone call. But the local plain clothes to Sydney. It was really just a couple of Turkish intelligence agents saw the phone even the theatre’s quick reports and that was that. Not as something quite different and swooped cleaners tearful beside that the bodies blown to bits and strewn on us. A local English speaking teacher her open casket as a around the neighbourhood were any intervened on our behalf .. And eventually less important that any of those in earlier we were let go. But the situation was full string quartet recalled bombings. Not that the sight, the smell, of menance and lasted some hours .. and her great moments in the trauma of it all, had any less impact we were a long way from anyone who music on me as a human being. It was just that could really help us. To this day, I guiltily this was now so gruesomely routine that wonder what the implications might have it didn’t rank as the kind of surprise that been for that teacher who interceded for is so often the basis for deciding whether us, a constant reminder that the presence Arguably the most serious threat I something makes the news or not. of western reporters wading into any ever faced though was …. Russia .. No I couldn’t have done any of what I country can fundamentally change the lives particular part really, just all of it. The have done without my mother and her of locals in they encounter. This includes babushkas routinely warned that death extraordinary strength and fi ne example. those we employ as drivers, fi xers and was my certain fate in minus 25 degree But equally, my husband has been a rock translaters most notably. And for some temperatures if I didn’t see sense and too. And he was going through some of those, the price has been death .. ditch that useless modern Goretex jacket pretty hairy times in his work too. especially in countries like Afghanistan and in favour of proper Russian fur; more He spent a lot of time in the former Pakistan. death loomed when the drivers we hired Yugoslavia, witnessing horror on a scale There was the occasion when an Israeli each time we went to Siberia insisted that scars us all. jet bombed a south Lebanon road, splitting on keeping their cars warm overnight the UN convoy we were traveling in .. that by lighting little fi res under the engines He did much else besides .. and in those was a lesson in how rules get broken. .. Certain Kaboom I feared .. Then there days there was no easy telephone access The Israelis were supposed to call into was driving to the offi ce on the eight so we’d be out of touch for weeks on end the UN ahead of time if an attack was lane highway from our apartment in west when he was deployed. likely to be nearby. The Israeli notifi cation Moscow ... And there was the vodka of But he and I shared a common love of came after the attack. Of course if you course ...... Do not touch!! Fortunately the work, a common love of seeing new were in northern Israel during any of the for me its easier for women than men to places and meeting new people and many cross border skirmishes or wars and refuse, such is Russia’s quaintly sexist take understanding the heart of the problems were on the receiving end of Hezbollah’s on alcohol tolerance. that plagued so many wonderful places.

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FFRIRI 001717 NNewsletter.inddewsletter.indd 7 229/08/129/08/12 8:318:31 AMAM So we were able to share thoughts on There are so many moments like these the eventual fate of a tyrant like Saddam too. And it is only the ABC who does this Hussein, both of us having made several .. though less and less as we carve back trips there .. and we were together caught As I enter my 51st on correspondents and restyle the type of up in the one event that has been able year, I am determined coverage we provide .. less of it being the to tame the well-known robustness of result of journalists doing their job, going daily life in Isreal .. at least for a time .. to keep following my out, fi nding a story and reporting it. the assassination of their Prime Minister mother’s example But what I can assure you of tonight is Yitzhak Rabin at the hands of one of his .. there’s always that I’ve had a wonderful time. own people. I made several trips to Iran I am enjoying my latest new horizon in .. adore it .. he was whisked off to Africa something new out local radio, presenting 702 Mornings. It as the ebola virus wreaked havoc in parts there so go for it. has its own particular risks to one’s mental and savage wars tore apart of areas in a health. You might be surprised to know true Heart of Darkness way .. and always how many people use the station text we could share the experiences from a theatre’s cleaners tearful beside her open number to simply fl ing personal abuse at shared perspective. We understood what casket as a string quartet recalled her great presenters. James Vallentine seems best we went through on these trips because moments in music .. this was a moment I suited to ignoring it .. Richard Glover and we both essentially did the same job. It will never forget and a joy to report for radio. I sob into our respective cups of tea over was an enormous support for both of us Not a lead story .. but what a tribute to the it. People can just be awful. But largely, through some very traumatic times. ABC that there was a place for a glimpse the audience is wonderful, even if they It’s not all been awful of course .. we into this part of the Russian story. sometimes can’t possibly understand have some wonderful art and carpets from And getting inside the Pyramids at Giza how insanely hard it is to be completely the places we’ve been. My husband has with the irrepressible .. until the recent competent across two and half long hours good taste and is a great haggler. revolution at least .. Zahi Hawass, who for of radio. But story wise, I was honoured to so long was the guardian of the Pyramids As I enter my 51st year, I am determined report for example the on stories like the and the voice of their preservation. quintessentially Russian farewell to prima Recording us talking inside the chamber to keep following my mother’s example .. ballerina Galina Ulanova who died Moscow with its special audio qualities again there’s always something new out there in 1998. To see the Bolshoi Theatre foyer reminds me why radio is such a great so go for it. draped in black velvet, with even the medium. And where better to be than at the ABC.

Join us at our annual dinner, with Geraldine Doogue

Date: 7th September

Time Doors open 6:30, sit down 7pm

Numbers attending are Location Cello’s Restaurant in the Castlereagh Boutique Hotel limited so don’t delay. 169 Castlereagh Street, Sydney Last bookings taken if not already fi lled by 8.30pm Cost $65 per person, including two drinks. Tuesday 4th September. Payment on booking with Mastercard, Visa or Cheque

Members may also bring Bookings MUST be made via telephone to non members. Joy 9502 2335 Ivy 9481 0381 Paul 9888 3797

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FFRIRI 001717 NNewsletter.inddewsletter.indd 8 229/08/129/08/12 8:318:31 AMAM Quentin Dempster FABC Bi-ennial State Conference Speaker

Quentin Dempster thanked the digital revolution, 45,000 radio stations “Friends” for their lobby efforts were instantaneously accessible to this year. He was pleased listeners through the internet. While to report that the ABC Act mass circulation newspapers were now in amendment which established grave danger, it may emerge that the local an arms-length merit selection newspaper may have a better chance of process for the appointment survival as a viable business. of ABC directors and the re- Google pulls $1.7bn in advertising from instatement of the staff elected the Australian market, pays negligible tax director position had been passed and contributes no home grown content. by the parliament in late June and That’s what convergence means. How he understood it had been granted does a nation like Australia protect its Royal Assent. content industries, their revenues and the national tax base from those revenues? The ABC would have to mount a strong defensive and advocacy strategy through For the fi rst time in 80 years the practice the response to the convergence of the major parties stacking the board review. News Ltd resents the ABC’s with partisans and ideologues had been existence – particularly on-line. The ABC countered by Senator Stephen Conroy’s is a substantial force in the on-line world. legislation. If this Minister did nothing News Ltd is trying to construct pay walls else for the ABC during his tenure, at around its content, as are Fairfax and least he would be able to say he tried to other major players. The ABC provides address the issue of board stacking. A its content for nothing. Taxpayers have signifi cant legacy! Over 80 years both the already paid for it and if Quentin gets on Labor and Liberal parties used ABC board the board he will be recommending that appointment as part of their adversarial at no time should the ABC charge a fee or games to infl uence peddling, politicising construct a pay wall for its content. the ABC and its governance when it should be regarded by all players as a ‘Platform agnosticism’ is a term now cultural and media institution of great value used inside the ABC in debates about the to the national conversation, and not a allocation of resources to cover ABC News and its quality. Quentin said he was going party political plaything. Quentin said that 24 (continuous TV), NewsRadio, ABC to produce a manifesto, outlining where he had already announced to staff that he Online, radio and TV now available through he stood on all current issues facing the would stand for the position when a ballot smart phones, ipad and iPod. While ABC. It would highlight the need for was called. He hoped to be elected and multi-channelling and multiple devices greater specialisation in content creation. would give the process his best shot after were part of the digital revolution and the It would outline localism as a major maintaining faith with staff over the last ABC should be on every available delivery strategic objective. The ABC could be seven years as ‘staff-elected director in system the debate about the ABC’s raison turned into the nation’s living knowledge exile’. d’être should primarily be about CONTENT base, recruiting and training specialists in Convergence review: Convergence the major fi elds: environment, economics, combined broadcasting, computing international relations, education, science, and broadband internet. You can beam law, media, religion, arts and culture. For your digital TV as your wi-fi modem and, example, Robyn Williams – where are the through internet TV, watch any available The limitless capacity Robyn Williamses of the future ABC? The program, video or audio from anywhere limitless capacity of cyberspace to store in the world. You can also download the of cyberspace and instantaneously retrieve an archive is content to your hard drive and replay it to store and of immense value to a public ‘cybercaster’ at your later convenience. Convergence instantaneously and its educative role. smashes national boundaries. We are Internally the budget allocation through still waiting for the Gillard Government’s retrieve an archive is multi-channelling had stretched things to response to the fi nal convergence of immense value to the limit. The sustainability of operational review report. ABC would have to build a public ‘cybercaster’ base funding was now the major internal a strategy based on the government’s issue. Unless there was some increased response. The survival of public and its educative investment through the triennial funding broadcasting, let alone local commercial role. negotiation the ABC would inevitably face radio and TV, was now in play, particularly a down-sizing, as was now occurring at when you realised that, through the Fairfax and News Ltd. 70% of the ABC’s

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FFRIRI 001717 NNewsletter.inddewsletter.indd 9 229/08/129/08/12 8:318:31 AMAM operational funds go on payroll. It would inside the ABC, that even if it never did be instructive to know the operating costs drama in house again, couldn’t the ABC of the internet servers maintained by the at least have a documentary-making ABC to back up its IView, iPod and Online The ABC could capacity. Through the Dalton model the content services in comparison with the ABC no longer produces documentaries, broadcast transmission costs. I.T. is not have creative such as Country Town Rescue – Andrew now a big number in the ABC’s survival independence unless Denton’s company did that show, and he strategy. it had a capacity to gets the Copyright. It could easily have How can Friends of the ABC help? been done in house by ABC. Creative make things itself talent does not just exist just in Sydney As the FABC considered its campaigning and Melbourne. It exists right through strategy it might be best to wait until we through a genuine Australia. The ABC could not have creative have the benefi t of the government’s mixed production independence unless it had a capacity response to the convergence review. model. to make things itself through a genuine FreeTV, the commercial TV networks, will mixed production model. Soon the ABC accept a continuation of the local content will have no capacity to make things inside quota if they can win the removal of the year from early November to late February the ABC, other than News and Current licence fee. If there is no local content and early March. This was indicative Affairs. In our strategy, Quentin asks us quota, Quentin fears for the future of TV of already constrained budgets. FABC to accentuate the positives, and then production in Australia. In that regard should highlight this defi ciency to drive the outline in forensic detail what we would the role of an adequately funded public need for more operational base funding as like to see, but wait till the outcome of broadcaster would be vital. well as expand content creation for ABC 2, the Convergence review. But ABC must If there is to be any review of the Charter particularly when the commercial networks be much better funded for our National of the ABC the issue of locally-produced could have a local content quota imposed Identity, and for relevance. We must content should be paramount. FABC on their free to air multi-channels. clearly identify the defi ciencies. should start to think about campaigning The argument with the director of TV The coalition will eventually speak about for the eventual doubling of base funding at the ABC, Kim Dalton, was continuing. their intentions. Analogue transmission to the ABC on the basis of local content Mr Dalton favours the total external is about to be switched off. The saving creation. In any event a substantial production on TV broadcast by the from the switch off, $95m for ABC, increase was needed, given rapidly ABC. He says he can turn $1 of ABC could be redirected to ABC operational declining prospects of news print content. money into $3 of content on air through base funding. But the Department of In the fi rst instance the ABC needed to outsourcing and co-production with Communications may already have re- build its current local programming. Four fi nance arrangements with TV and fi lm directed these funds. The ABC would Corners, Lateline, Australian Story, Foreign commissions, the TV production industry produce its triennial funding submission Correspondent, Media Watch all went off and the use of the tax break, the producer by Christmas and the crucial date for the air and deserted the audience and the offset. Quentin said he realised drama ABC’s survival into the future would come marketplace for three to four months a was very expensive. But he was arguing with the May budget in 2013.

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FFRIRI 001717 NNewsletter.inddewsletter.indd 1100 229/08/129/08/12 8:318:31 AMAM Branch News

pages and this has meant a huge digital technology to expand its reach Illawarra increase in people’s workloads, but so greatly and our workshop on the participation in social media gives the subject proved a very fi tting way YOUR CHANGING ABC broadcaster access to a much wider of celebrating the ABC’s eightieth On June 17 about fi fty members of the audience. There are eleven and a half birthday. Friends of the ABC Illawarra met at million Australians on Facebook and Dorothy Jones what has become our regular venue, the the ABC Facebook pages are a valuable Aboriginal Centre in Wollongong, to way of reminding people about the participate in a workshop on how new ABC and its offerings. In addition, two Central Coast technologies are creating many different and a half million Australians have SCOTT BEVAN’S VISIT TO CENTRAL ways of accessing the ABC and enabling Twitter accounts, so this particular COAST BRANCH FABC. WEDNESDAY the national broadcaster to reach wider, social media provides useful insight 18 JULY 2012 more diverse audiences. into the views of the wider community. More than 60 guests attended the Whenever QandA goes to air, for “Lunch With Scott Bevan Function” example, the ABC receives 30,000 organised by the Central Coast Branch tweets and there has to be careful FABC group and held in the Darts selection as to which ones appear on Room at the Central Coast Leagues screen. Club Gosford. The room proved to be Each week, eighty per cent of quite satisfactory without the overhead Australians come into contact with the pounding from the fi tness club we ABC and people feel great trust in it have experienced before. as an institution. It can offer services Scott, a Newcastle boy, said that the not available on commercial networks Central Coast was always a good place and no other network in Australia to visit and he was pleased to be here has i-view which allows listeners and today. Journalism he added is, “where viewers to download programs, for culture meets adventure”. repeat viewing or for individuals to catch up with them at a time they fi nd more convenient. Moreover, in Australia i-view is free! Listeners can also use podcast in much the same way for catching up on radio content. The ABC home page produces an enormous amount of content and the Rod McGuiness broadcaster seeks to make it as easy as possible to access its various sites, aiming to teach people digital literacy, especially in the regions. It even Scott Bevan (image courtesy of ABC NEWS) We were fortunate to have as our has a website devoted to explaining presenter, the ABC’s social media technology and occasionally offers producer, Rod McGuinness from After 20 years of journalism, the workshops to help with this. The Sydney, who told us about his job of former Newcastle Herald reporter ABC Technology Explained website advising existing ABC outlets about was appointed the ABC’s Moscow their relationship to social media such is: www.abc.net.au/technology/ correspondent in January 2008. Scott’s as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. techexplained/about.htm Russian language skills were shocking Many of us were surprised to learn that Rod’s audience showed immense and his Japanese language studies at there are hundreds of ABC websites interest in the information he provided university did little to prepare him for and that it has one hundred and fi fty and provided a barrage of questions. his new venture. However being the different Twitter accounts and over a Even for those of us who might still father of twin boys did. The Russians hundred different Facebook accounts. feel somewhat challenged by all the love their children and his fi rst One of these jobs is to police these technological changes, he made us experience at the airport was a stern accounts, which no doubt requires realize that they have enabled the voice from a Customs Offi cer,” You considerable tact and fi nesse. The ABC ABC to reach a much wider and have children, you, you go to the front takes privacy very seriously and has diverse audience than hitherto. It of the queue, what kind of parents stern conditions regarding the use of is great to know that it has been so are you!” Scott recalled the lines from Facebook. innovative and adventurous in taking a Sting song about a nuclear attack. The ABC moderates all of its Facebook advantage of the various forms of “What can save you, me and you,

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FFRIRI 001717 NNewsletter.inddewsletter.indd 1111 229/08/129/08/12 8:318:31 AMAM Russians love their children too.” the Hunter, and so he has been to the past. Yet only 2 hours out of Scott, his wife, Jo and the twins commissioned to write a book about Moscow, in small villages you can lived on Kutuzovsky Prospekt in this 400km river from Ellerston still see women going to the well Moscow, a street Scott describes “as at the junction of the Hunter and and inside houses in winter, ice on living on the fringe of history, a Pages Creek which is high up in the walls.” thoroughfare on which Napoleon the Barrington area to the Pacifi c Q. Any get-togethers with Tim entered Moscow in 1812.” One day Ocean mouth. “The River Hunter Flannery and John Doyle over the road was blocked as the president makes my heart skip a beat. 11 years your new book . “No, they would approached. A policeman stopped ago I paddled it and I might do it only make me paddle.” again. The narrative fl ow of the book the traffi c and asked Scott and his Q. Lasting impressions of Russia. meanders like the river.” This new family, “Well are you going to cross?” “The people, the warm and beautiful book “The Hunter” is published by Across the family walked and Scott’s Muscovites who did not live up to the ABC. thoughts were, “Me and Vladimir their hard and ruthless reputations”. Scott entertained the audience with Putin, that’s all we had in common, Once again Central Coast FABC his descriptions, his humour and his we can stop the traffi c.” He did at one has enjoyed lunching with a advice. “Once you are hypnotised time suggest to his wife that perhaps television journalist and we now by the screen, you may become he could borrow the kids one day and look forward to Eric Campbell’s visit anaesthetised by it too. The key to maybe get to sit up front at the press at the end of August. Many thanks a good story is to fi nd out about the conference. to Pat McDonnell whose invitations people. In my journalism I am still Again his street in Moscow, were accepted by these presenters. seeking out the answers.” Kutuzovsky Prospekt, from the Margaret Hale Bevan’s house if you walked left about Answers indeed followed the

800m along the road you would questions the audience asked. come to rows of designer boutiques Q. How free is journalism in Russia. Northern Rivers where the “gorgeous things got out of “1 never felt threatened but for On Saturday 30 June, Kerry O’Brien their cars complete with their body- Russian journalists that is a different gave an address on journalism to guards”, turn right and the walk was story. A suburban editor trying to a packed A and I Hall at Bangalow. to the train station, the main line draw attention to the saving of one Kerry kept the large audience to Kiev, a hub of scrounging and of the few tracts of forest left on the enthralled with stories of his early scrawling folk trying to get through outskirts of Moscow was beaten up. days as a journalist where he was their daily life. Fruit and vegetables He is still not well”. fi ling stories for wire services and were cheaper, but here in Moscow Q. On censorship. “lt’s diffi cult then working with the ABC. Kerry he was able to experience “the two to get through the doors, both commented on recent developments Russias within 2 kilometres of each metaphorically and physically. Folks in technology that are making life other”. censor themselves in what they tell easier for journalists but argued that Scott said that he was given some you”. there is no substitute for considered, great seats while in Moscow, a rocket in-depth, quality reporting. His Q. Moscow’s railway stations. “Stalin take off in Kazakhstan, an incredibly address was followed by a lively considered them the Palaces of the moving experience with 3 human question and answer session People, they are really now Museums beings in the rocket, driving a steam that are being restored, including On the same program the fi nalists train in Poland, hearing a landmark busts of Josef Stalin”. in the branch’s Junior TV Journalist speech by Obama, the Georgian War Competition had their short DVDs Q. The future of ABC24. “Lots of and many smaller stories too. He screened. They were thrilled to criticism from outside and within. phoned the Kremlin every day during receive feedback from the judges There are still answers to come.” the 2008 election and on Day 73 he (Jeanti St Clair and Sharlene King) was invited to join an end of winter Q. Your twins and concert and from Kerry. There were two freezing ice hockey game but he was attendances. “Yes they really did wear tertiary, one secondary and two not to ask any questions. However he earplugs at rock concerts but now primary fi nalists in attendance. did and was asked to get off the bus. take them out. And before we took The branch’s next event is likely to His words, “I’m a stupid Aussie, please our twins in utero to a U2 concert be held at Mary Ryan’s bookshop in let me stay on the bus”, swayed the at Madison Square Gardens in New Byron Bay. Members should watch decision and he climbed back on. York we visited a paediatrician for an out for branch emails, the branch “One of the greatest things about opinion. 30 seconds and $500 later website at http://wwwfriendsabcnr. the ABC,” Scott said “is that they we were told it wouldn’t hurt the kids net and local papers for details. at all. We are actually trying to steer have contacts everywhere, Moscow, Members of the Northern Rivers Johannesburg, New Delhi. We them towards classical music now, branch attended the Byron Bay therefore have a better understanding one is happy, one likes Rock & Roll.” Writers Festival on the weekend of of the world we live in and our place Q. Shape democracy might look 3-5 August. Our branch is a modest in the world. The ABC’s international like in Russia. “ It’s forming only, fi nancial supporter of the festival. coverage is so important.” just a generation since it began, but I On the program this year there were While in Moscow Scott Bevan think its future is fairly strong. I don’t numerous ABC identities either often thought about his background, think people will be dragged back chairing or taking part in panel

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FFRIRI 001717 NNewsletter.inddewsletter.indd 1122 229/08/129/08/12 8:318:31 AMAM discussions. These included: Kerry O’Brien, Fran Kelly, Sally Neighbour, Monica Attard, Simon Marnie, Richard Fidler, Petria Wallace, and Chris Uhlmann. The local ABC North Coast station organized an outside broadcast from the festival on the Friday session. Our branch members feel that local stations should be given increased funding to increase live coverage of local events. We also discussed with ABC staff members the need to increase funding for the mentoring of junior ABC staff members so that the wisdom of veteran journalists could be shared more effectively. Neville Jennings President, Northern Rivers FABC ABC

Budding journalist - Katie Brown.

Budding journalist - Jacquelin Robson.

Budding journalist Georgia Lee, with Kerry O’Brien and Neville Jennings. Kerry Obrien.

Page 13

FFRIRI 001717 NNewsletter.inddewsletter.indd 1133 229/08/129/08/12 8:318:31 AMAM entitled to determine the editorial position of the company’s publications. Communications minister Stephen Conroy and his government are preoccupied with the second question but quite unconcerned about the fi rst. The problem with the ABC is not just its bias. Just as big a concern is the way it is using its privileged, government funded position to crowd out the market against its commercial rivals For example, the ABC recently .started a 24 hour news channel. It operates in direct competition to Sky News. The ABC’s online opinion website, The Drum, operates in direct competition with the online opinion pages of the Fairfax and News newspapers and myriad other privately run commercial websites and blogs. The ABC’s rapidly expanding online presence duplicates what Fairfax and News already provide, but with one vital difference - the Fairfax and News sites are, or soon will be, behind a Financial paywall. In the not-too-distant future, Review consumers will have a choice: pay to get 6 July 12 stories and commentary from Fairfax and to our friends”. News, or get them free from the ABC. The ABC’s huge reach While Fairfax and News will inevitably As debate rages about outside of the capital cities attempt to compete with each other and Gina Rinehart and Rupert ensures that at the slightest change against the ABC on the basis of quality, Murdoch ruling the airwaves, to its budget, the cry of “cuts to rural and the diffi culty they have is that the quality of of far greater threat is the ABC, regional communities” goes up. much of what the ABC produces is very writes John Roskam Labor may be annoyed to be invariably high. As it should be, given all the money Two of Australia’s three major media criticised from the left, but it would defi nitely it gets. organisations are cutting costs and jobs prefer to have the national broadcaster The ABC is cutting up and eating Fairfax dramatically and are being changed maintain it’s broad liberal/left perspective to and News’s lunch. It’s not Gina Rinehart fundamentally. Those two organisations, any alternative. and Rupert Murdoch that journalists Fairfax Media and News Limited, are Any discussion about the media in should be worried about. It’s Mark Scott, public companies trying to make a profi t. Australia must take account of the fact that the boss of the ABC, they should fear. There is of course another big of the three most signifi cant players, two Critics of Murdoch like to prove their media organisation. It’s the Australian are privately owned, and one is government point about his power by quoting that Broadcasting Corporation. It’s owned owned. While the organisations have 70 per cent of newspapers bought by by the government, it’s funded by the different market shares and operate across Australians are from News. government, and it’s operated by people a range of the four different platforms of Indeed, the ABC’s Jonathan Green picked by the government. print, radio, television, and online, taken repeated this fi gure just last week on The The business challenge for Fairfax together they are the three dominant media Drum site as he lamented the decline of and News executives is to get paying voices in Australia. media diversity in Australia. Nowhere in the customers to buy their product. The Right now, on many measures, the article was there any mention of the ABC. business challenge for ABC executives is healthiest media outlet in Australia is the On the ABC’s website is its own proud to keep on getting $1 billion a year from ABC. As the privately owned companies go boast that “74 per cent of all Australians the federal cabinet. through the turmoil of their restructures, the use ABC services each week via television, There’s not much doubt who’s got prospect is for the position of the ABC to radio and online ... “. Then there’s the the easier task. The Coalition is scared keep growing relative to Fairfax and News. threat of any government that wants to of the ABC, and Labor is satisfi ed with The emerging dominance of a change this - “87 per cent of Australians it. Admittedly, extracting money from government-owned media company with believe the ABC provides a valuable ministers takes skill, but the ABC has 80 its distinct political slant must surely be as service to the community”. years of practice. important an issue in any debate about a Media concentration in Australia is all Every Coalition politician knows, as the free and independent press as any question going one way - and it’s in the direction of refrain goes, “the ABC is our enemy talking about whether the proprietors of Fairfax are the ABC.

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FFRIRI 001717 NNewsletter.inddewsletter.indd 1144 229/08/129/08/12 8:318:31 AMAM FABC NSW Inc John Roskam Annual General meeting answered by Allan Thomas President, Hunter FABC

AFR 8 July, 2012

Dear Editor, John Roskam (“Aunty looms too large”, Opinion, Jul 6), is worried about the ABC’s increasing media presence at the expense of News Limited and Fairfax. He seems to think the ABC should not be allowed to compete against a commercial equivalent saying the competition is unfair because the ABC is government-funded and because “the quality of what the ABC produces is very high”. Roskam notes that soon consumers will have an online choice: “pay to get stories and commentary from Fairfax and News or get them free from the ABC”. And why not the latter? With roughly ten million tax payers in Australia the ABC costs just $2 per week per taxpayer. Most people would consider that good value given the breadth of the ABC TV, radio, and on-line services, all free of advertisements. Another article in the same AFR edition by John Lanchester, “Can’t buy me love” (Review, July 6), argues that there are some things that should not be subject to market forces. I would argue that being able to choose ad-free radio and TV programs if one so desires, is equally desirable. Does commercialisation have to I also wish to nominate for the position of: ______(optional) permeate everything? In this, the 80th year of the ABC, Name: ______I think it deserves kudos, not brickbats. Historically every government has found the ABC Phone: ______irritating. Surely this indicates balanced reporting rather than bias. Email: ______Allan Thomas

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FFRIRI 001717 NNewsletter.inddewsletter.indd 1155 229/08/129/08/12 8:318:31 AMAM State and Regional Branches

National Web Portal links Central Coast Illawarra Queensland – FABC to all State Branches. Co-convenors: Jan Kent (Secretary) Professor Alan Knight Klaas Woldring Friends of the ABC Illawarra Creative Industries Faculty QUT Go to: Phone: 4341 5170 PO Box 336, Unanderra 2526 GPO Box 2434 www.friendsoftheabc.org.au [email protected] Phone/Fax: 4271 3531 Brisbane 4001 [email protected] [email protected] New South Wales Paula Murray [email protected] Mal Hewitt (President) FABC NSW Phone: 4385 3783 Mid North Coast PO Box 1391 North Sydney 2059 Mobile: 0428 578 535 Drusi Megget South Australia – FABC Phone: 9637 2900 [email protected] 24 Arncliffe Ave Anne Levy [email protected] Port Macquarie NSW 2444 PO Box 7158 Hutt St Cowper Phone: 6583 8798 Adelaide SA 5000 ACT and Region Joyce Gardner (Secretary) [email protected] Phone: 08 8232 5075 Margaret O’Connor 7 Royal Tar Crescent [email protected] Phone: 0422 975 848 Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Northern Rivers Phone: 6568 7532 [email protected] Neville Jennings Western Australia – FABC [email protected] PO Box 1484 Kingscliff 2487 Harry Cohen Phone/Fax: 6674 3830 (H) Armidale PO Box 534 Val Sherwell (Secretary) Eastern Suburbs [email protected] Nizza Siano (Secretary) Subiaco WA 6904 167 Markham Street Byron Bay Sub-branch convenor [email protected] Armidale NSW 2350 16 Holland Rd Bellevue Hill NSW 2023 Jill Keogh Phone: 6772 0342 Phone: 6688 4558 Tasmania – FABC [email protected] Phone/Fax: 9327 3423 [email protected] Melissa Sharpe Parramatta PO Box 301 Bruce Hansell (President) Mal Hewitt North Hobart TAS 7002 Phone: 6775 1889 Great Lakes & Manning Valley 31 Queen St Granville 2142 Phone: 0427 041 161 [email protected] Margaret Gardner PO Box 871 Forster NSW 2428 Phone: 9637 2900 [email protected] Ph: 6554 9181 (H) 6591 3704 (W) [email protected] Blue Mountains [email protected] FABC RESOURCE CENTRE Tony Tayler Victoria – FABC Darce Cassidy 15 Spencer Street Hunter www.friendsoftheabc.org Leura NSW 2780 Glenys Stradijot - Campaign Manager Allan Thomas Friends of the ABC (Vic) Phone: 4784 3642 c/o PO Box 265 [email protected] GPO Box 4065 Merewether NSW 2291 Melbourne VIC 3001 Phone: 4930 7309 Phone: (03) 9682 0073 [email protected] [email protected]

Membership Form NOT for membership renewal Please fill out the form below and return it – use only if joining. with your payment to: The Treasurer, Friends of the ABC (NSW) Inc. Existing members please await reminder notice PO Box 1391, North Sydney NSW 2059. in mail on subscription due date.

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Age to 30 31-50 51+ I would like to receive my copy of Update Magazine electronically My details will be passed on to my local FABC branch. (Strike out if you disagree) 1yr. 3yrs. Individual $20 $55 I am paying by cheque in favour of FABC (NSW) Inc. Family/Household $25 $70 visa mastercard money order Student $15 $40 Card Number Pensioner (or Pensioner couple) $15 $40 Name on credit card Corporate (covers 3 people) $60 - Expiry date I would like to make a donation $______Cardholder S ignature Date Total $ ______

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