Friends of the ABC (NSW) Inc. quarterly newsletter July 2011 UPDATE Vol 19, No.2 incorporating Background Briefi ng friends of the abc No time for complacency Public broadcasting needs public support to survive Murdoch broadcasters whose free content threatens its profi ts. Recent events in Britain provide an alarming picture of the Murdoch juggernaut and how quickly a public broadcaster can be shackled. Murdoch’s News Corporation is set to become Britain’s largest private media company, with a turnover that is expected to be double that of the continued page 3. InsideUpdate President’s Report 2 Yes, the day has arrived... 4 Growing Our Public Voice 5 Wretched banality not just media’s fault 7 ABC Television Production - Murdoch Turns 80 by Georgina Simmonds, Vic FABC A Distant Memory? 8 Commissioning TV Documentaries at the ABC 9 of a service by one government is From Glenys Stradijot, rarely reversed by another, regardless Kim Dalton’s fi ve year plan to Campaign Manager/ privatise ABC TV major productions 10 Executive Offi cer, of its political persuasion. The Spicks & Specks - Good old Friends of the ABC (Victoria) commercialisation of SBS is a good fashioned show business 11 example. Branch News 12 ndependent public broadcasting Public broadcasting is also under News not good as ABC faces Iaround the world is in danger attack from the powerful Murdoch budget crisis 14 from political parties antagonistic to media empire. Its capacity to infl uence the Murdoch dynasty’s war on its existence. And the privatisation, elected governments is growing, and the ABC 15 commercialisation or serious erosion it is actively trying to cripple public Page 1 FFRIRI 001313 NNewsletter.inddewsletter.indd 1 99/06/11/06/11 88:55:55 AAMM Update Publication Information Update is published four times a year by From The President Friends of the ABC (NSW) Inc. (FABC), PO Box 1391 NORTH SYDNEY 2059. Printpost approved PP245059/00002 ours Update Corners, goes on to Monday print, the 30th fate of circulateDay 1997 then to launchbefore itsthe now election. familiar To become a member phone May provided a powerful reminder wave-form logo. A sly coup by a coterie (02) 9990 0600 or email to F the Gillard Government is in Thank you, Glenys! Aof the importance of investigative of like-minded, inner city staff has [email protected] the balance. or access our website journalism in the body politic of ANOTHERcommandeered SUCCESSFUL the ABC’s transmitters NSW So is the future of the National www.fabcnsw.org.au. Australia. Its exposure of the appalling FABCand stipend CONFERENCE to broadcast almost Broadcastingpractices in many Legislation of the Amendment Indonesian exclusively to the vocal minority who Extracts from newspapers and other Bill,abattoirs which which changes process the method Australian of Weshare are theirindebted prejudices’ to the Blue Mountains publications appearing in Update do not Branch for hosting the biennial necessarily reflect the views of the appointmentcattle had an ofinstant the ABC result Board, in the and Chris Kenny repeats several of the conference of Friends of the ABC at members of FABC. restoresFederal theParliament, position andof the across staff- the often heard, but completely untrue, Update is distributed to all members of electedentire industrydirector. whichIt remains exports a failure live of BlackheathMurdoch mantras:on August 14th and 15th. FABC, as part of the membership fee. sheep and cattle. The RSPCA had Thirty three representatives from the the Rudd-Gillard Government that, ‘In Australia, a large segment of the Update is also supplied to journalists, tried in vain to prompt the Australian branches and the NSW Executive despite both issues being Labor policy population does not watch, listen or care politicians and libraries across Australia. government to act several times in gathered to discuss, debate, formulate It is edited and produced in Sydney but prior to the last election, it was much for the ABC, although their tax recent years, with no result. Four contributions are welcome from NSW country unable to implement policy that is policydollars and support to be it’ informed. Mark Scott, and interstate branches. Corners produced a result within Managing Director, paid a ringing very important to the future of the Sorry, Chris – recent audience survey Material may be quoted or reproduced 24 hours, as a result of which the tribute to ABC staff who have kept the ABC. Similarly, a decision on the fi gures reveal that in any week, 73% of from Update provided the source is industry will be forced to act. We ABC at the forefront of the digital acknowledged and reproduction is sent to Australia Network, the government- Australians access the ABC in one of recognize the outstanding work of media revolution, and spoke of the President FABC. fundedthe Four international Corners production television team in its forms. exciting plans for the future as the ABC service,another currently example inof thejournalism hands of of the the ‘Under Scott the ABC has more vehicles Would you like to receive Update leads the way in new forms of magazine electronically? ABC.highest was standards. delayed by What the election.a pity for the and more funding than ever, so questions communication, all without an Save the planet's trees and The Friends Sky/MurdochAustralian media is lobbying landscape hard that to suchtake about who it serves and how this is printing and postage costs and read Update overa program the network, could never asking be that expected it be increasecontrolled in becomerecurrent very funding. salient.’ One magazine on your computer. statistic alone was impressive – 73% of subjectfrom the to rathera tender sick process. joke that is More vehicles yes, but more funding?? Each quarter, when Update is published, you Australians use the ABC in any week. currentFriends affairs of the in ABC the hascommercial made a rivals The increase in ABC funding in the will receive an email with a link to the latest Mark’s address will be published in full issue (each magazine is around 0.5MB). submissionof the ABC. to the Minister for Foreign 2009 Budget was the fi rst signifi cant You can try this now by going to our in the next Update. Affairs,Murdoch’s asking Minions that the serviceCrank beUp the increase since 1986. Conversely, the website at www.fabcnsw.org.au and Hawke,John Cleary, Keating night-time and Howard presenter years on clicking on Update. retainedAttack by the ABC. The new Sundayssaw cuts on to ABC the ABCradio or brought status quo the If you prefer this delivery option for future minister, whichever party he/she Updates please send an email to the comesCoincidentally, from, will the have Four to makeCorners a perspectiverather than of increases, staff and inpresenters fact in real to Membership Secretary. decisionprogram very followed soon. a weekend in theterms, changes the ABCwhich of are2011 taking operates place on which, in both an editorial and a withinsubstantially the ABC, less making than it it received clear that Who to write… I urge all members of Friends of the long piece by journalist Chris Kenny, thein resources,1986, despite particularly a huge increase in radio, in are Anyone seeking basic information about ABC, and all regional branches, to The Australian continued its by oftenmethods stretched of delivery. paper thin, and the writing to persons of influence might find it immediately contact their local helpful to go to the FABC NSW website now predictable broadsides, as part goodwill‘In 2009 of the staff board is vitalalso discussedto keeping ongoing the Federalof Murdoch’s Member world-wide to express campaign their www.fabc.org.au where there are some ABCconcerns on the about air. allegedJohn brought political to bias us fromthe menu items under "Be Active" leading to strongagainst support publicly for funded passage broadcasters. of the witformer and Whitlamwisdom ofstaff a long member career Kerry in the pages of information: >OVJHU0^YP[L[V& NationalI quote: Broadcasting Legislation >OH[JHU0ZH`& ABC,O’Brien including on the 7.30time Report.’ as staff-elected Amendment Bill, and for the ABC to ‘The failure to observe basic editorial directorThe conservative and president press of has the neither ABC staff retainprinciples control is at ofthe the heart Australia of the malaise FABC (NSW) Executive Committee union.forgiven Extracts nor forgotten from John’s that Kerry Office Bearers Network,in ABC news unless and we current want affairs. to see Fewthe presentationO’Brien had can a press be found job nearly in this 40 President - Mal Hewitt Murdochsignifi cant view stories of arethe broken, world, thealong response Update.years ago in the Whitlam government. Phone: 02 9637 2900 withto live his events advertising, is slow and broadcast idiosyncratic into Email: [email protected] Read Kerry O’Brien’s piece in this Asiaand andits commentators the Pacific by indulge the Australian in an elitist UpdateJames Ricketson, for an interesting an independent insight into Secretary & Treasurer - James Buchanan Government.conversation in which everyone concurs producerlistener responsesof documentaries, to his interviews told of his Phone: 02 9371 5621 on climate change, the evils of profi t- experience (and frustration) of dealing Email: [email protected] In the short period prior to the with politicians! Both Darce Cassidy driven enterprises and the racism of those with the ABC over a long period of election, Friends of the ABC sought and Glenys Stradijot provide effective Membership Secretary - Angela Williamson concerned about border protection’ time in trying to get material screened Phone: 02 9416 4463 details from each of the major parties responses to the Kenny diatribe Also predictable are the sweeping whichelsewhere elements in Update. within Suffi the ceAustralia to say Email: [email protected] regarding their policies in relation to generalizations and failure to back populationthat the ABC may remains find confronting one of the ormost Update Editor - Mal Hewitt the ABC.