AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Front cover: Jeremy Fernandez reporting from Rosedale, New South Wales. Image: David Sciasci Frances Djulibing as Ruby in Operation Buffalo. Image: Ben King / Porchlight Films Letter to the Minister 9 September 2020 The Hon Paul Fletcher MP Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Dear Minister The Board of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation is pleased to present its Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2020. The report was prepared for section 46 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013, in accordance with the requirements of that Act and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983. It was approved by the Board on 9 September 2020 and provides a streamlined, yet full, overview of the ABC’s performance and delivery in line with its Charter remit. The ABC walked beside Australians through the stress, fear and change of late 2019 and early 2020, a time full of uncertainty. It provided constant support for audiences with its wide-ranging and comprehensive news coverage, and help and distraction through quality discussion, entertainment, music, children’s content and specialist services. We adapted to our new operating circumstances expediently, while facing our internal challenges head on. There can be no better example of the ABC’s dedication to Australian stories, culture and experience than its activities throughout 2019-20. I trust you will find the same reflected within this report. Sincerely, Ita Buttrose AC, OBE Chair Letter to the Minister i Yvonne Strahovski as Sofie Werner in Stateless. Image: Matchbox Pictures ii AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Contents Letter to the Minister i Audience data and analysis 46 Foreword from the Chair 2 Inside the ABC 60 The Board 4 Responsibility 76 Purpose and Vision 8 Accountability 90 The Leadership Team 9 Annual Performance Statements 103 Where We Are 10 Financial Summary 116 What We Do 12 Appendices 174 Snapshot of the ABC 2020 13 Compliance Index 220 The Year Ahead 14 Glossary 222 Content, services & communities 16 Contents 1 Foreword from the Chair The last 12 months has been a year that we will By keeping Australians informed about never forget. Who could have imagined how important issues such as irrigation’s impact much Australia and the world would change on our rivers, climate change, digital because of COVID-19? Where will we be in transformation, the high incidence of mental another 12 months? Will our lives have returned health illnesses, Indigenous people’s need for to normal or the “new normal” whatever that is? a voice in our Constitution, gender and cultural equality, homelessness, the skills younger Few, if anyone, know the answer but what I Australians will need for jobs of the future, and do know is that the ABC and its dedicated why our older citizens need better care, the ABC employees, who are passionate about public helps Australians to participate more fully in broadcasting, will still be doing what they do our democracy as informed citizens. best – delivering news, entertainment and information to Australians wherever they live. A well-informed Australia is a clever and They rely on us to do this because they know competent Australia that bases opinion on fact. they can. The strength of the ABC and its relationship with During the year I posed the question what would the nation comes from the people who work for Australia look like without the ABC? us. The creativity in the programs they produce, the dogged and independent journalism they There are some who do wish that fate for pursue and the connection with Australians Australia. They should be careful what they wish that they provide through conversations, are for because an Australia without the ABC would at the very heart of what the ABC delivers to not be well informed and our country’s future its audiences. My thanks to them all for their would be diminished. resilience and commitment. The ABC is part of the Australian fabric and has The ABC has a statutory requirement to operate helped shape our nation since 1932. During that as efficiently as possible. We have a strong track time, it has educated, informed and entertained record in identifying savings and reinvesting millions of Australians. them in services. This is how we created ABC It has delivered compelling programs that News 24, ABC iview and a range of packages to never would be shown on commercial outlets. boost services in rural and regional Australia. It will continue to do so. It has produced It’s worth remembering that the ABC serves quality investigative news and current affairs a population just over one-third the size of as opposed to opinion-based news programs. the United Kingdom (over a landmass 32 It will continue to do so. times bigger), and does so with total funding Three of Australia’s most important Royal of around one-seventh the size of the BBC’s Commissions – Misconduct in the Banking, budget. The BBC receives the equivalent Superannuation and Financial Services Industry, of $6.7 billion for a population of 67 million Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, compared to the ABC’s $1.065 billion funding and Aged Care Quality and Safety – were for our population of 25 million. the result of Four Corners’ investigations. During times of crisis Australians turn to the These Royal Commissions and their significant ABC. During the summer bushfires we played outcomes are a reminder of the value – dare I say a critical role in keeping people safe, with the priceless value – that the ABC represents. our teams in rural and regional communities I don’t think there has been enough discussion working around the clock to make sure crucial about the value of the ABC, particularly its information was available to people in danger importance to Australian democracy. from the fires. They were on the ground in almost all the fire zones and in communities, conducting emergency broadcasting to disseminate crucial and, at times, life-saving information. 2 AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Emergency broadcasting is a high-pressure COVID-19 has forced us all to pause and reflect job, requiring expert filtering and prioritising on the way we live. It also has focused our of information from fire and emergency attention on older Australians and the quality services, government authorities, community of aged care. Many Australians are questioning organisations and listeners, often whether or not we value our older citizens calling in from dangerous, stressful and well enough. unpredictable situations. A little girl from Old People’s Home for 4 Year There were times when the lives of our reporters Olds, one of my favourite ABC programs in the were at risk and there were concerns for their past year, summed up the situation succinctly. safety and mental wellbeing. They witnessed When asked why she thought a group of older heartbreaking human tragedy and while men and women in an aged care facility looked nothing compares to the anguish of people who so sad she said: “They don’t have anyone to play were directly affected by the fires, covering with them”. the summer bushfires did have an impact on Out of the mouths of babes… how wise children our teams to varying degrees. It would be can be. impossible not to be affected in some way, just as it’s impossible for any of us not to be affected by the impact of Coronavirus. At the time of writing Australians are continuing to turn to the ABC to keep up-to-date with the latest COVID-19 developments and hear the important messages from governments. They trust us to deliver the advice and information they are seeking. Ita Buttrose AC, OBE Chair, Australian Broadcasting Corporation Emcee, Geraldine Doogue and ABC Chair, Ita Buttrose at the ABC’s 80 Years of International Broadcasting event. The date of the event was 29 November, 2019. Forward from the Chair 3 Image: Orlando Sydney Event Photography The Board Ita Buttrose AC, OBE David Anderson Chair ABC Managing Director 7 March 2019 – 6 March 2024 6 May 2019 – 5 May 2024 Ita Buttrose has held executive and editing roles ABC Managing Director David Anderson’s career for major Australian media companies including in the broadcast television and media industry Australian Consolidated Press, News Ltd and spans more than 30 years. Fairfax, and has run her own media company, A leader in television production, he has Capricorn Publishing. She has served on the been responsible for commissioning boards of Australian Consolidated Press, News successful programs across all genres as Corp Australia, and Television & Telecasters well as overseeing the Corporation’s digital Pty Ltd (Network TEN). She has worked in print, transformation. radio and television and has written 11 books. She was inducted into the Australian Media Hall A succession of high-level positions, including of Fame in 2017. Director of Strategy & Planning and Director of Digital Network, has ensured his familiarity A founding member and former president of with every aspect of the ABC. David has Chief Executive Women, Ita is a committed played a pivotal role in leading its transition community and welfare contributor. She chaired from a broadcaster into a modern digital Arthritis Australia from 2003 to 2006 and later media organisation, providing trusted on- Alzheimer’s (now Dementia) Australia from demand content for the changing needs and 2011 to 2014 and is now National Ambassador expectations of audiences. for Dementia Australia. She is Chair of The Australian Mental Health Prize Advisory Group. Immediately before his appointment to his current role, David held the position of Director She has been a member of the Sydney Symphony Entertainment & Specialist.