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Issue 29 / Autumn 2009 Page 1 ABC First Again – Long Before ‘Babe’ by PEGGY HAMILTON

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News newsletter of friends of the& abc (vic)Views inc. Issue 29 autumn 2009 Vic Bushfires Highlight Need for ABC page 1 Vic Bushfires Highlight Need for ABC Victoria’s recent bushfires have again highlighted the importance More Funds for the ABC! of having a prominent national public broadcaster. pages 2–3 ABC First Again The public broadcaster dealt sensitively with those Chris Masters Retires who suffered terrible loss, and kept a concerned Radio National Update nation informed. Through the ABC, governments and other important services were quickly able to relay pages 4–5 reassurance of help for survivors to rebuild their lives. Terry Norris’s address The ABC assisted the community to grieve through to the 2008 AGM its open discussion lines, and united the country around providing emotional and practical support for those pages 6–7 affected. We continue to depend on it to moderate ABC Bushfire Reporter public debate and to provide objective information Think Nationally, and analysis as we look to prevent such tragic loss Act Locally! of life from ever happening again. ABC & SBS Review Our treasured public broadcaster is part of the Murdoch’s ABC glue that holds this country together. A national ABC Books Sells its broadcaster – one that all Australians know to tune Soul to Murdoch to in times of emergencies and one which has the trust ABC News on the job in the smoke at Buxton, a small town Two Women Heads just north west of Marysville. Jonathon Lee (sound operator) of the nation – cannot suddenly be resurrected if it is at the ABC & Peter Wilson (camera). eroded and loses its pre-eminent position in Australian life. Any government that allows that to happen does page 8 the ABC worked in close cooperation with emergency so at our peril. Beginnings of a services to provide vital information throughout new ABC Board Victoria’s bushfire season. It let people isolated by Friends of the ABC urges people affected by Victoria’s Friends Notices fire know they were not forgotten. The significance bushfires to give their written feedback and ideas on of the ABC’s extensive local radio network, that doesn’t the ABC’s role in the preparation and response to the require electricity or a phone line to receive, came to fires to the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission the fore. www.royalcommission.vic.gov.au Tel: 1800 243 650 More Funds for the ABC!!! well, we hope that will The May Federal Budget is critical for affairs, Radio National and Radio be the news. By the time the ABC’s future. It is the first in which Australia to name a few. you get this newsletter the new Labor Government will address the ABC’s funding for the ABC funding. When you consider the level of funds next three years will be Hopefully the Budget contains provided for the ABC in the Budget, known, including funding funding sufficient to allow the ABC keep in mind that a 2002 Macquarie for the new ABC televi- to expand its services. It is important Bank study ranked the ABC 16th out sion channel dedicated that the national broadcaster remains of 17 public broadcasters in developed to children’s program- relevant as new platforms for delivering countries in its comparison of income ming which the Govern- content evolve. on a per capita basis. Friends of the ABC (Vic) Inc. ment announced in April. Just as important, the ABC needs The last public information we have gpo Box 4065 the resources to rebuild. The extension on the dire state of the ABC’s funding Melbourne, vic 3001 of its online and digital services should are leaks in 2006 from the government- tel +613 9682 0073 not come at the expense of existing commissioned KPMG report which fax +613 9682 0074 services. Along with Australian television revealed that funding after indexation fabcvic @ vicnet.net.au drama, many other areas of the ABC needed to rise $48.1 million per annum www.fabc.org.au have suffered as the result of a decline just for the ABC “to sustain its present inc no. a0034181a in funding over many years – current outputs”. issue 29 / Autumn 2009 Page 1 ABC First Again – Long Before ‘Babe’ BY PEGGY HAMILTON Two comperes, one pianist at one grand piano, various entertainers, one large pig, three cameras and two hundred children all going to air live on Melbourne’s ABC Channel 2 every Thursday afternoon from 5–6pm. That was my life for seven years, from 1960 to 1967, and I was constantly exhilarated, exhausted, amused and nervously-prostrated by the experience. very soon after having been promoted by the ABC floor was hilarious), high and long jumps, and many to a full-blown TV producer/director, I was invited to other events were included. The audience was split create an entirely new programme, in the form of a in four parts, each part being given a colour, and children’s birthday party. The only other requirement barracked for their team. Gold, silver and bronze placed upon me was that it should have one male and medals (wrapped chocolate coins) were presented to one female compere, children in the studio and one the winners while appropriate colour songs were sung. pianist. The rest was up to me. This programme was one of our last-Thursday-in- Following auditions, the two comperes Clive Winmill the-month specials, each of which was on a particular and Maryrose Campbell were quickly found, and the theme ranging, through others, from Ancient Egypt brilliant pianist Wendy Pomroy was in place at the to the Court of Versailles, the Mad Hatter’s tea party, keyboard. What else? ‘A mascot’, I thought. I love pigs, Medieval England, Arabian Nights to Halloween. so asked the Props Department to find me a baby pig. Each was as authentic as it was possible to make A name for same? ‘Hamlet’, I thought, ‘of course’. it, and it was all highly educational without the kids Hamlet appeared from a trailer mocked-up as a castle knowing it. Hamlet the pig, star of complete with Elsinore emblazoned above a functional But there is no doubt that, each week, Hamlet was Partyland, grew from a tiny drawbridge on chains, down which he trotted onto the star. From his first appearance as a tiny piglet on piglet to a monster ‘Large the studio floor, introduced by his own fanfare and the first performance ofPartyland to his retirement to White’ weighing 320 kg upon everyone singing the ‘Hamlet” song. The two hundred the Melbourne Zoo close to three years later, he had retirement. children were all on camera, as a contributing part of the sweetest nature and never put a dainty foot wrong. whatever was happening on the studio floor and there When his fanfare sounded, he never failed to step was an unseen almost-as-large audience of parents out onto his drawbridge and down onto the studio hidden away off camera. floor, to be met, patted and fed cakes by the birthday That programme was so popular that the audience children. He travelled in his trailer Elsinore with the children had to be booked six months ahead, and the show when it went on tour to Geelong, Bendigo birthday segment, featuring 12 children who were and Mildura, and appeared on stage as required. celebrating their birthday that week, was booked out He enjoyed going with the rest of the cast to Elwood two years ahead! Of course the audience was much beach where, dressed in a bikini, he either lay on the more than a mass of passive observers, being required sand under a beach umbrella or paddled at the water’s to join in songs, quizzes and other competitions, run edge. From a new-born baby pig on the first show to races and, on one glorious occasion, take part in a full- a monster ‘Large White’ weighing 320 kg on retirement, blown Olympic games which was timed to co-ordinate his was no mean achievement, and is a memory that with the 1960 Games in Rome and to remain as close I shall treasure forever. to the original as possible. We borrowed the Olympic flame which had been Peggy Hamilton was the ABC’s first female producer. used in 1956 in Melbourne, lowered the studio lights More about Peggy and a video link to archival footage and one child with flame aloft ran right round the of Hamlet entering the studio from his castle, Elsinore studio floor arena to very dramatic effect. Running and is at www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2008/12/23/2453647. swimming races (breast-stroke up the studio htm?site=southeastnsw Page 2 News & Views Chris Masters Retires BY GAEL BArrETT Chris Masters has had more influence over Australian society, over the fight against corruption, the extension of justice and the search for truth in public affairs than the vast majority of Australian politicians. His forty years working in the media illustrate the great power journalism has to scrutinise the world around us and reveal those dark areas that many people would prefer to remain in the shadows. he is a reporter of integrity, honesty, my `death by a thousand courts’.” commercial broadcaster doggedness and determination who, Chris Masters’ five Walkley Awards, Alan Jones. It was chosen in addition, possesses an instinct to the journalists’ Oscar, deserve a as Biography of the Year burrow in the right places, to sniff out cabinet all to themselves. Some of his by the Australian Book the useful informant, and to analyse most notable programs were The Big Industry Association and reams of documents in order to arrive League, leading to a royal commission won the Queensland at properly supported conclusions.
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