ALL ABOUT AUDIENCES Annual Report 2015 The ABC’s vision is to be the independent home of Australian conversations, culture, and stories. In pursuing that vision, the ABC places audiences at the centre of its activities and strategies for the future. New South Wales – Ultimo ABC Ultimo Centre 700 Harris Street Ultimo NSW 2007 GPO Box 9994 Sydney NSW 2001 Tel. +61 2 8333 1500 abc.net.au 6 October 2015 Senator the Hon Mitch Fifield Minister for Communications and Arts Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Dear Minister The Board of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation is pleased to present the Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2015. The Report is prepared in accordance with the requirements of Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983, and was approved by a resolution of the Board on 24 September 2015. It provides a comprehensive review of the ABC’s performance in relation to its legislative mandate. The editorial theme of this year’s report—All About Audiences—highlights the ABC’s focus on audiences at the centre of strategic decision making. The report demonstrates the ways in which the ABC has continued to deliver relevant, distinctive and high-quality content to all Australians that engages, challenges and helps them participate as citizens in the life of the nation. Yours sincerely James Spigelman AC QC Chairman ii AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION ANNUAL REPORT 2015 Contents ABOUT CORPORATE 1 THE ABC 4 RESPONSIBILITY ABC services 4 Corporate responsibility 94 ABC Board of Directors 11 Corporate responsibility in a broadcasting context 96 Board Directors’ statement 14 Environmental responsibility 99 Organisational structure 17 Social responsibility 105 ABC Executive 18 The Year Ahead 22 GOVERNANCE ABC strategic objectives 23 5 Purpose, Vision and Values 23 Corporate governance 114 Performance against the ABC Strategic Plan 2013–16 120 AUDIENCE Government outcomes 123 2 EXPERIENCES Advisory bodies 128 Audience trends 26 Online 30 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE Television 39 6 Radio 49 Financial summary 134 News and current affairs 53 Independent auditor’s report 138 International services 59 Financial statements 140 Consumer experiences 63 7 APPENDICES 3 INSIDE THE ABC Appendices 194 Glossary 244 Editorial quality 72 Indexes 245 Infrastructure and operations 75 People 78 Work health and safety 83 Corporate services 86 About the ABC 1 ABOUT THE ABC Contents: ABC services 4 ABC Board of Directors 11 Board Directors’ statement 14 Organisational structure 17 ABC Executive 18 The Year Ahead 22 ABC strategic objectives 23 Purpose, Vision and Values 23 Ailiche by ABC Open contributor Emily Blissland. Warrnambool, Victoria. 2 AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION ANNUAL REPORT 2015 The ABC’s vision is to be the independent home of Australian conversations, culture and stories. All about audiences means providing a range of distinctive and relevant content. About the ABC 3 ABC Radio National, ABC Classic FM ABC Local Radio Snapshot of and triple j available from 56 locations national radio networks, around Australia, also available ABC Services also available in mainland in mainland capital cities as capital cities as a digital a digital radio service2 radio service1 Digital Radio Double J, ABC Jazz, ABC Streaming ABC TV Country, ABC Grandstand, all digital radio services the ABC’s primary triple j Unearthed, as well as are streamed online television channel ABC Extra, a special events digital radio station3 ABC2 ABC KIDS content for a younger adult content for preschoolers demographic between 7pm ABC3 between 5am and 7pm, and 5am running on the a dedicated children’s channel running on the ABC’s second ABC’s second free-to-air free-to-air television channel television channel abc.net.au ABC iview content which can be Mobile services streamed or downloaded, plus a range of apps for an online television service content uniquely designed smartphones and tablets for broadband delivery 1 Also available via digital satellite subscription services. 2 Some Local Radio services are available via digital satellite subscription services. 3 Double J and ABC Jazz are also available on free-to-air digital and subscription television services. 4 AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION ANNUAL REPORT 2015 ABC services ABC Open an initiative for Australians ABC Retail ABC Publishing in regional communities to 50 ABC Shops and 81 ABC and Licensing produce and publish photos, Centres throughout Australia, magazines, books stories, videos, and sound plus ABC Shop Online and merchandise through the ABC Video Entertainment Sale and Business ABC Music Development and Events and Distribution format, digital content, footage, variety of music products DVD and digital distribution audio and stills and live events Digital Business ABC News 24 ABC NewsRadio Development national, continuous news national, continuous news online and mobile products television network radio network ABC International Australia Plus ABC News and Projects Current Affairs online the converged television, radio and online services assisting media organisations in-depth journalism content reach audiences across Asia in the region with strategic and analysis and the Pacific advice, training, mentoring and technical support About the ABC 5 Snapshot of the ABC in 2014–15 PERCENTAGE OF % AUSTRALIANS 71 131 PERCENTAGE OF NUMBER OF ABC % who believe the ABC provides % COMBINED REACH AUSTRALIANS84 71 131 a valuable service to theCOMBINED community REACH NUMBER OF ABC 84% who believe the ABC provides OF ABC SERVICES RETAIL OUTLETS a valuable service to the community(SEE PAGE 26) OF ABC SERVICES RETAIL OUTLETS (SEE PAGE 26) PERCENTAGE OF operated throughout Australia PERCENTAGE OF via radio, television and% online operatedvia throughout1 radio,31 Australia television and online AUSTRALIANS % 71 131(SEE PAGE 64) (SEE PAGE 64) AUSTRALIANS 71(SEE PAGE 26) COMBINED REACH (SEENUMBER PAGE 26) OF ABC 84% who believe the ABC provides COMBINED REACH NUMBER OF ABC 84% whoPERCENTAGE believe thePERCENTAGEa ABC valuable provides service toOF the community OF OF ABC SERVICES RETAIL OUTLETS a valuable service(SEE toPAGE the 26) community % 131 AUSTRALIANS OF71 ABC SERVICES% RETAIL1 operatedOUTLETS31 throughout Australia (SEE PAGE 26) AUSTRALIANS 71via radio, television and online operated throughout(SEE PAGE Australia 64) viaCOMBINED radio, television(SEE PAGE and 26) online REACH NUMBER OF ABC % who believe the ABC provides (SEE PAGE 64) NUMBER OF ABC 84 % who believe the ABC provides (SEE PAGE 26) COMBINED REACH 84a valuable service to the community OF ABC SERVICES RETAIL OUTLETS (SEE PAGE 26) a valuable service to the community OF ABC SERVICES RETAIL OUTLETS (SEE PAGE 26) via radio, television and online operated throughout Australia via radio, television and online (SEE PAGE 64) operated throughout Australia (SEE PAGE 26) (SEE PAGE 64) PERCENTAGE OF (SEE PAGE 26) % ABC RADIO’S AUSTRALIANS 71 131 NUMBER OF % who believe the ABC provides COMBINED REACH 4.8 AVERAGENUMBER OF ABC 84 MILLION LANGUAGES a valuable service to the community OF ABC SERVICES five-city weeklyRETAIL metropolitan reachOUTLETS (SEE PAGE 26) (SEE PAGE 49) that radio content is provide via radio, television and online ABCoperated RADIO’S throughout Australia 4 in to the Asia-Pacific region ABC RADIO’S(SEE PAGE 64) NUMBER OF (SEE PAGE 26) 4.8 AVERAGE NUMBER(SEE PAGE 232) OF 4.8 AVERAGEMILLION LANGUAGES MILLION ABC RADIO’Sfive-city weekly metropolitan reach LANGUAGESABC RADIO’S five-city weekly(SEE metropolitan PAGE 49) reach that radio content is provide (SEE PAGE 49) ABC RADIO’S thatNUMBER radio4 content is provide OF AVERAGE 4 NUMBERin to the Asia-Pacific OF region NUMBER OF 4.8 in to the Asia-Pacific(SEE PAGE region 232) MILLION 4.8 AVERAGE LANGUAGES MILLIONfive-city weekly metropolitan reach 4.8(SEE PAGE 232) LANGUAGESAVERAGE (SEE PAGE 49) five-city weekly metropolitan reach that radio content is provide (SEE PAGE 49) 4MILLION that radio content is provide LANGUAGES in4 to the Asia-Pacific region (SEE PAGE 232) infive-city to the Asia-Pacific weekly region metropolitan reach (SEE(SEE PAGE 232)PAGE 49) that radio content is provide ABC RADIO’S MILLION 4 , 9.4 NUMBER OF in to the Asia-Pacific region 5724.8 AVERAGE600 ABC TELEVISION’S (SEE PAGE 232) MILLION five-city weekly metropolitan reach LANGUAGES AVERAGE AVERAGEthat radio content is provide (SEE PAGE 49) 4 MILLION ACTIVE USERS five-city weeklyMILLION9in .4 metropolitanto the Asia-Pacific reach region 9(SEE.4 PAGE 39) (SEE PAGE 232) each month572, of the ABC flagship,600 app ABC TELEVISION’S 572(SEE PAGE 31) 600 ABC TELEVISION’S AVERAGE AVERAGEMILLION AVERAGE AVERAGE9.4 MILLION ACTIVE, USERS 9five-city.4 weekly metropolitan reach ACTIVE572 USERS600, five-cityABC weekly TELEVISION’S(SEE metropolitan PAGE 39) reach 572each month of the600 ABC flagship app (SEE PAGE 39) ABC TELEVISION’S eachAVERAGE month of the(SEE ABCPAGE 31) flagship app AVERAGE (SEE PAGE 31) AVERAGE AVERAGE ACTIVE USERS five-city weekly metropolitan reach ACTIVE USERS (SEE PAGE 39) five-city weekly metropolitan reach each month of the ABC flagship app (SEE PAGE 39) (SEE PAGE 31) each month of the ABC flagship app , 4.4(SEE PAGEMILLION9 31).4 MILLION 98.49 % 572 600 ABC TELEVISION’SABC TELEVISION’S PERCENTAGE AVERAGE AVERAGE AVERAGE WEEKLY OF AUSTRALIANS MILLION ACTIVE USERS regional reach 4.4five-city weeklyMILLION metropolitan reach % MILLION 9.4 (SEE PAGE4.4 39) (SEE PAGE 39) who can access98.49 ABC’s% digital each month of the ABC flagship app ABC