UpdateApril 2017 Vol 25, No. 1 Thrice Yearly Newsletter “YOU NEED TO BE PREPARED TO MAKE ENEMIES” CARO MELDRUM-HANNA, who has just won the 2016 Graham Perkin Journalist of the Year Award. resulting in the current Royal Commission. after Australia’s Shame was broadcast. However, such courageous journalism is Amanda Meade Four Corners’ investigation of the 2011 not without its cost, as Amanda Meade the Guardian death of a young mother on Ten Mile Beach reveals in this article in northern New South Wales was one of Nine’s 60 Minutes might have hogged the stories that prompted an independent aro Meldrum- Hanna has just been the headlines with its kidnapping antics in review that led to charges being laid against announced as the 2016 Graham Beirut this year but in Australian TV current two men. Both have pleaded not guilty. CPerkin Australian Journalist of affairs it was the ABC’s Four Corners that The sharp focus of Four Corners’ cameras the Year. Her outstanding investigative made its presence felt. on Lynette Daley’s brutal end in Callous journalism produced some of Four The program’s shocking images from Disregard has finally given her grieving Corners’ finest programs in 2016, including inside the Don Dale detention centre family another chance to seek justice. her exposure of the treatment of inmates forced a royal commission into youth in the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre, detention in the Northern Territory the day continued on page 4. From the Editor 1 Senate Committee Public Media union cries foul over Hearing 11 ABC’s ‘back office’ cuts 15 ABC takes Top Awards 5 Xenophon fighting to save Questions for the new Inside Travails with My Aunt 6 short wave transmission 12 Chairman of the ABC Board 16 Turning a once-shining jewel Michelle Guthrie National President and Update into mainstream sludge 7 restructure revealed 13 Media Adviser visit Canberra 17 An Open Letter to ABC MD Friends rally in Ultimo 14 State News 18 Michelle Guthrie 9 Somerville Cartoon 15 NSW Branch News 21 The other Guthrie... 10 Update From the Editor Publication Information (and NSW President) Update is published three times a year by ABC Friends National Inc. GPO Box 4065 Melbourne Vic 3001 The first three months of proposal. Further detail on the cuts can be found in this Update. Print Post approved: PP245059/00002. 2017 have not been good Extracts from newspapers and other for the ABC. Short Wave Transmission publications appearing in Update do Whilst the ABC remains one of our most The announcement on December 6, 2016, not necessarily reflect the views of the members of ABC Friends. trusted and valued institutions in the that the ABC would cease shortwave broadcasts on January 31, 2017, has Update is distributed to all members of estimation of the Australian public, it ABC Friends as part of the membership has been severely damaged by a series proved to be a public relations disaster for fee. Update is also supplied to of highly contentious and unpopular Michelle Guthrie and ABC Management, journalists, politicians and libraries decisions by ABC Management. The which seems to have moved into the “Post across Australia. result of these decisions has been Truth” era in a rather desperate attempt Update is edited and produced in further loss of talented, experienced to justify its decision by providing a series Sydney and contributions are welcome of “alternative facts.” Regarded by many from state and regional branches. Email and dedicated program makers and your contribution (in Microsoft Word) presenters, and the many technical staff Australians and our Pacific neighbours to [email protected] or post to who supported them. Morale within ABC as an essential service, the closure address below staff is at an all-time low. has resulted in three separate Federal Material may be quoted or reproduced Government processes of scrutiny: from Update provided the source is Recently departed Board Member acknowledged and reproduction is sent Professor Fiona Stanley summed it up 1 - Senate Estimates Inquiry (ongoing) to the Editor at the above email or postal thus: “The people who know most about 2 - ABC Amendment (Rural and Regional address. content and the audience they serve are Advocacy) Bill 2015 (Public hearings Would you like to receive not being sufficiently consulted. The ABC already held) has a fabulous, passionate, intelligent, Update newsletter 3 - ABC Amendment (Restoring wonderful staff with deep knowledge in electronically? Shortwave Radio) Bill 2017 (Receiving their fields. Engage more with them!” Save the planet’s trees and ABC Friends’ submissions.) printing and postage costs and read Catalyst may return in another form (in The final bill above has been introduced Update on your tablet or computer. When fact we believe it will later in 2017), but Update is published, you will receive an by South Australian Senator Xenophon, probably not the almost 20 specialist email with a link to the latest issue (each and proposes that Federal funding be newsletter is a 2-3MB PDF). science broadcasters who have been guaranteed to maintain the short wave lost. The ‘Save RN Music’ campaign has You can try this now by going to service. Ms Guthrie had rather a tough time www.fabcnsw.org.au and clicking on been passionate and sustained, with over in Senate Estimates under very informed “Newsletter”. If you prefer this delivery 25,000 signatures on a petition to restore questioning by Senators McCarthy (Labor, option for future Updates please contact music programs to Radio National, but the your local state branch (see back page). NT) and McKenzie (Nat. Victoria), especially specialists who produced those programs on the question of consultation with are long gone. Who to write… those affected prior to the decision. She Anyone seeking basic information about 200 More Jobs Gone claimed that there was, but could not say writing to persons of influence might find with whom. Friends’ investigations have it helpful to go to www.fabcnsw.org.au Loss of funding under the Abbott and where there are some menu items Turnbull governments has already seen satisfied us that there was none, not even under “Be Active” leading to pages of 500 ABC jobs disappear. The much with long-serving ABC staff in NT, and no information: Who can I write to? What anticipated Guthrie “restructure” will see member of ABC Management visited NT can I say? another 200 staff out the door. Whilst the to discuss the implications of closure with early suggestions from Ms Guthrie were staff or users of short wave. The annual Update Editor - Mal Hewitt that most of these jobs would be “middle cost of this essential service to Australians PO Box 1391 North Sydney 2059 in Northern Australia - $1.2m. (The cost of [email protected] management” and “back office” jobs, it is now known that up to 70 production one hour’s TV drama!) Much more on short Assistant Editor - Chris. Cartledge staff on programs like 7.30 and Foreign wave in this Update. [email protected] Correspondent – camera operators, vision Cartoonist - Phil Somerville mixers, lighting producers – will go. One 70 YEARS of ABC in the Editorial Cartoonist for stated aim of these cuts is to provide up NORTHERN TERRITORY The Sun-Herald (Sydney) to 80 content roles in Regional Australia Another milestone in the story of ABC [email protected] over the next 18 months, and Friends services to all Australians across our vast would support strongly the rebuilding of Layout Artist - Paul Martens continent has just been passed – 70 years resources and staff in regional locations, [email protected] of ABC staff, studios and facilities in the but we have seen no details of such a Northern Territory, concentrated in Alice Page 2 Springs, Katherine and Darwin. Go tumultuous years in the life of the ABC, WELL-DESERVED to the Friends’ website to find stories years which have seen unprecedented RECOGNITION for ABC from ABC reporters, with their vivid cuts in funding from the Abbott and JOURNALISTS recollections of their time as Territorians, Turnbull governments, sustained attacks December Update featured Four including Tony Eastley and the trials of from politicians of the right with their Corners, recipient of Friends’ National Lindy Chamberlain; Clare Martin (later accusations of bias, and the relentless Award for Broadcasting Excellence, in NT Chief Minister) and Land Rights; campaign waged by the Murdoch press recognition of an extraordinary 55 years Charlie King and the achievements and its lackeys against the very existence of courageous investigative journalism. of NT sportsmen and women; Matt of a publicly funded broadcaster. The Our front page this issue features Caro Peacock and the Stolen Generations fact that Spigelman was willing to serve Meldrum-Hanna, just announced as the or the Ozone Hole. Their stories reflect another 5 year term, but the Turnbull Graham Perkin Journalist of the Year NT as our “last frontier,” and yes, government preferred that he didn’t, for “Australia’s Shame,” her devastating Territorians are different from the rest of suggests that he was doing a very good Four Corners program on the Don Dale us! job! The same government which has Juvenile Detention Centre in NT. We ignored its own selection processes and How incomprehensible, then, that congratulate Caro, and the 8 other ABC given a position on the board to its own current ABC management should deny journalists who have won awards, listed thousands of Territorians access to their chosen candidate – Vanessa Guthrie. in this Update. You are the reason why ABC in 2017 by turning off short wave. We welcome Justin Milne – thousands of we must fight to the last breath to keep words in the press have been expended the ABC strong, independent, and free of FAREWELL JIM, WELCOME on his background, and in this Update, political and commercial influence, so that JUSTIN Ranald Macdonald has posed some you can continue to report with honesty ABC Friends expresses its appreciation questions for him.