Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications Answers to Senate Estimates Questions on Notice Supplementary Budget Estimates Hearings October 2012 Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Portfolio Australian Broadcasting Corporation Question No: 139 Program No. ABC Hansard Ref: Page 73 Topic: Mr Loewenstein Senator Abetz asked: Mr Scott: … I should point out that Mr Loewenstein is not an employee of the ABC. As you pointed out, he has appeared as a guest on our programs, but he is not an employee. Senator ABETZ: But he gets paid a fee from time to time for those appearances? Mr Scott: I would have to check on that. I do not know… Senator ABETZ: It was within the week of that column that the ABC took that decision. Compare Mr Milne's column to Mr Lowenstein's offensive comment, which remained in the ether for five weeks before an apology was finally dragged out of him. Is the ABC willing to continue to have Mr Loewenstein appear as a credible panellist on its programs? Mr Scott: That decision was made, I think, at the editorial level of Insiders. The first I have become aware of this incident was this afternoon. I can take that question on notice, but I understand this was a very offensive statement made— Answer: Antony Loewenstein is a freelance journalist, blogger and author and has appeared as a guest and commentator from time to time on various ABC Radio networks. In 2012 he has appeared on triple j’s Hack and Sunday Night Safran, on Radio National on Common Knowledge, on 702 ABC Sydney Afternoons and on 105.7 ABC Darwin Afternoons. He has not been paid for any of his contributions to ABC Radio programs, however, he has received payment for articles he has contributed to The Drum website, which is not unusual for contributors to The Drum website. There are no current plans for Mr Loewenstein to appear on ABC radio nor to commission pieces from Mr Loewenstein for The Drum. Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications Answers to Senate Estimates Questions on Notice Supplementary Budget Estimates Hearings October 2012 Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Portfolio Australian Broadcasting Corporation Question No: 140 Program No. ABC Hansard Ref: Pg 74 Topic: Twitter Account Senator Abetz asked: If you could, I would appreciate it, because one of them is: COMPLETE this joke: Tony Abbott's COS and a mussel walk into a bar … and at the end of the blog he clearly identifies himself as a foreign correspondent with you. Mr Scott: This is not a blog, it would appear to me; this is a Twitter— Senator ABETZ: Sorry, it is Twitter—my apologies. Mr Scott: That is all right; we can give you a brief on those. But the social media policy applies specifically to Twitter, so we will examine this in light— Answer: The comments referred to were posted by ABC journalist Eric Campbell to his personal twitter account. Such content is covered by the ABC’s Use of Social Media Policy, which sets out guidelines for those ABC staff who engage in a personal capacity on social media platforms. The policy is based on four key principles: 1. Do not mix the professional and the personal in ways likely to bring the ABC into disrepute. 2. Do not undermine your effectiveness at work. 3. Do not imply ABC endorsement of your personal views. 4. Do not disclose confidential information obtained through work. Mr Campbell’s tweets are considered a breach of the ABC’s Use of Social Media Policy. Mr Campbell has removed his account and it is no longer active. ABC News management has raised this matter with Mr Campbell. Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications Answers to Senate Estimates Questions on Notice Supplementary Budget Estimates Hearings October 2012 Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Portfolio Australian Broadcasting Corporation Question No: 141 Program No. ABC Hansard Ref: Page 74-75 Topic: 774 ABC Melbourne website Senator Abetz asked: Senator ABETZ: I move now to the issue of the 774 ABC Melbourne website. On 17 April, at 20:12, there is 'Abbott responds to Afghan withdrawal' and a picture of Mr Abbott. When you run your cursor over the photograph, the word 'rabbit' appears. How does this occur on ABC websites? This was a story by one Karina Hogan. Mr Scott: Again, I am not aware of it. It has not been brought to my attention. Senator ABETZ: Can we have a look at that to ascertain whether this was an employee of the ABC who did this and whether they are still employed—three months later, I trust that she is no longer an employee of the ABC. It raises the question of how this could occur. But this same Karina Hogan then tweeted, exactly three months later, 'Tony Abbott MHR, you're an idiot, that's all.' That sort of straight out abuse should not be associated with the ABC. Answer: The photo was sourced from AAP in 2009 and, as commonly occurs, was stored on the ABC’s online system as a ‘stock image’ managed by the online resource library. Such images are used from time to time and tagged and re-tagged by various users. News management was unaware of the tag, however, consider that the tag “rabbit” was likely applied to the image some time ago relating to a then news story about whether Mr Abbott had been called “rabbit” in Parliament. The tag has now been removed on 17 October 2012. The female staff member, to whom the Senator referred in the Estimates hearing, and whom he inferred was responsible for the tag and a later inappropriate tweet, was a student journalist who undertook work placements with ABC Radio followed by a temporary assignment with 774 ABC Melbourne in early- mid 2012). She is no longer working with the ABC. The ABC understands the tweet was made by Ms Hogan using her personal twitter account. As noted in response to QoN 140, all ABC staff are required to comply with the ABC’s Use of Social Media policy. That policy sets out the principles by which is staff should undertake personal and professional use of social media, including the requirement that such use not bring the ABC into disrepute, compromise effectiveness at work or imply ABC endorsement of personal views. Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications Answers to Senate Estimates Questions on Notice Supplementary Budget Estimates Hearings October 2012 Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Portfolio Australian Broadcasting Corporation Question No: 142 Program No. ABC Hansard Ref: Page 76 Topic: ABC regional radio Senator Williams asked: Senator WILLIAMS: Does management receive any or many complaints about editorial bias in the ABC regional radio? If so, about which regional services, the nature of the complaints and what action, if any, is taken? Answer: From time to time, ABC management receives comments and complaints from audience members on a range of issues, including perceived editorial bias. Since 2010, the ABC’s Audience and Consumer Affairs unit has received 39 such complaints. Of these 39 complaints, 30 required further investigation. Of those, 10 referred to ABC news content broadcast on regional radio stations, including one which remains open for investigation at the time of preparing this answer. Complaints related to content on: ABC Capricornia, ABC Central Victoria, ABC Central West NSW, ABC Far North Queensland, ABC Gippsland, ABC Gold Coast, ABC Goulburn Murray, ABC Illawarra, ABC Mid North Coast NSW, ABC New England North West NSW, ABC Newcastle, ABC North Coast NSW, ABC North Queensland, ABC Northern Tasmania, ABC Riverina, ABC South East NSW, ABC Southern Queensland, ABC Sunshine Coast, ABC Western Plains NSW, ABC Wide Bay. Complainants raised a broad range of concerns including coverage of federal and state politics, climate change and environment issues, same sex marriage, sport, refugees and local issues. None of the complaints that were investigated by the Audience and Consumer Affairs unit were upheld (one remained open for investigation at the time of preparing this response). Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications Answers to Senate Estimates Questions on Notice Supplementary Budget Estimates Hearings October 2012 Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Portfolio Australian Broadcasting Corporation Question No: 143 Program No. ABC Hansard Ref: In Writing Topic: Auction Room advertising Senator Bilyk asked: Senator BILYK: Yes, but it is made in Tassie. I did not see any advertising for it. I am wondering how much advertising there was for it. The timeslot has changed, as well. Mr Scott: I would have to take that on notice. There are two different kinds of promotion. There is the promotion we do externally, and we do a relatively little amount of that. That might be billboards or newspaper ads and the like. The second kind is internal promotion. Again, our Television division will make a call on that. We have a finite amount of space and they can make the decision on where best to invest to build the biggest audience. It is not just on television; it could also be on radio or on our online site. I will have to take on notice the specific promotion schedule for Auction Room. Senator BILYK: Can you also tell us how much money was spent on that promotion. Mr Scott: Yes, but lot of it will just be an edit that is done internally with internal resources. Senator BILYK: That is fine, but I would like to know. One could be cynical and say the timeslot has changed and it did not get much advertising, and one might wonder whether there was a potential there for Tasmanian production to be stopped.