Friends of the ABC (NSW) Inc. quarterly newsletter April 2012 UPDATE Vol 20, No. 1 incorporating Background Briefi ng friends of the abc CALL TO ACTION BY ALL FRIENDS The Rudd Government was elected in 2007 on a promise that they WRITE TO: would immediately restore the position of Staff-Elected Director Senator Conroy, Minister for Communications, to the Board of the ABC. 5 years later we are still waiting! Parliament House, Canberra EMAIL TO: Why does the Board need a staff- down” that has affl icted local [email protected] elected director? radio in a search for a “younger This and previous Updates are full of demographic” CONTACT YOU LOCAL FEDERAL bad management decisions endorsed ABC STAFF, WHO ARE MOST MEMBER, IF LABOR DEMAND THAT by the Board: The ABC is becoming AFFECTED BY THESE DECISIONS, THE LEGISLATION BE DEALT WITH more “Sydney-centric” even though HAVE NO VOICE ON THE BOARD, IMMEDIATELY. its charter clearly states that it is to and increasingly feel that their views serve the needs of all Australians don’t matter – morale is low. -Once thriving and busy studios in Staff-Elected Director in Exile, other capital cities have been closed Quentin Dempster, puts it this way: Inside and staff “let go”-The ABC staff “The ABC needs Friends now more redundancy bill in 2011 was $7.3m than ever to point out to all Senators -The loss of skills, expertise, experience Update and MHRs that this great institution and culture has been catastrophic is for all Australians, not just those -In house television production has from Sydney and Melbourne. Good SMOKE AND MIRRORS: ABC’S TV been slashed despite clear evidence PRODUCTION STRATEGY 3 ideas, great writing, skilled fi lm and that it is cheaper than outsourcing, documentary making, editing and THE FALL AND FALL OF with most entertainment programs ABC TELEVISION 4 production are available right across the being made by the same companies A VERY BRITISH SUMMER ON country. The ABC exists as a taxpayer that serve the commercial networks YOUR ABC 5 funded entity as a major vehicle for – and the programs show it! JIM SPIGELMANAPPOINTED the discovery, training, nurturing and -Even these local products are being CHAIRMAN OF THE ABC BOARD 6 release of that talent – not as a business overwhelmed by British-made buy-ins ABC Q&A: ‘ADVENTURES IN partner to fully commercialised program -Whilst management argues effi ciency AUTOCRACY’ 6 making.” and cost-saving, we must ask whether A COMMENT ON THE Australia deserves better from a THE BILL IS NOT HELD UP BY A INDEPENDENT AUSTRALIA STUDY ON Q&A 8 publicly-funded “national” broadcaster HOSTILE SENATE – IT HAS THE -Radio National, the “jewel in the SUPPORT OF THE GREENS BRANCH NEWS 9 crown” for thinking Australians, is THE LABOR GOVERNMENT MUST clearly suffering from the “dumbing BE MADE TO HONOUR ITS PROMISE Page 1 FFRIRI 001616 NNewsletter.inddewsletter.indd 1 33/04/12/04/12 11:42:42 PPMM Update Publication Information Update is published four times a year by Friends of the ABC (NSW) Inc. (FABC), From the President PO Box 1391 NORTH SYDNEY 2059. Printpost approved PP245059/00002 To become a member phone ndoubtedly, the Friends of remaining facility where the ABC can (02) 9990 0600 or email to the ABC Branches scattered produce anything more than a local [email protected] across the state are our real newsreader sitting at a desk. This is a or access our website U www.fabcnsw.org.au. strength, with their local advocacy, broadcaster once proud of its federal support, publicity and lobbying for structure and national organization. Extracts from newspapers and other publications appearing in Update do not the ABC, and their unique value as a We have also reproduced a study by necessarily reflect the views of the voice to local political representatives. David Donovan, Managing Editor of members of FABC. This edition of Update includes Independent Australia, of the Sydney/ Update is distributed to all members of accounts of the outstanding work of Melbourne bias of the fl agship and FABC, as part of the membership fee. some of these branches: a community popular Q&A program. What is Update is also supplied to journalists, politicians and libraries across Australia. forum in Northern Rivers involving revealed is a disturbing imbalance It is edited and produced in Sydney but local politicians and community in representation, both geographical contributions are welcome from NSW country leaders which produced concrete and organizational. I urge all Update and interstate branches. recommendations; a Mid-North Coast readers with internet access to examine Material may be quoted or reproduced promotion through their local ABC from Update provided the source is Donovan’s extraordinarily detailed acknowledged and reproduction is sent to Shop; proposed public meetings in and thorough analysis, which can be the President FABC. Hunter and Central Coast with ABC found at www.independentaustralia. Would you like to receive Update personalities as guest speakers; a fi lm net/2012/republic/an-abc-qanda- magazine electronically? night in Armidale; a bold initiative case-study/ Save the planet's trees and The Friends from Blue Mountains Branch to printing and postage costs and read Update reinvent itself in a strategy to reach a NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD magazine on your computer. broader spectrum of the community. Friends of the ABC welcomes the Each quarter, when Update is published, you will receive an email with a link to the latest Thank you to leaders of local branches appointment of retired Chief Justice issue (each magazine is around 0.5MB). and their committees who work so Jim Spigelman to the Chair of the ABC You can try this now by going to our hard for “our” ABC. Board. It is a sign of the high regard website at www.fabcnsw.org.au and There is a very clear perception that clicking on Update. in which he is held that both sides of “our” ABC is under threat, not from If you prefer this delivery option for future politics welcomed his appointment. Updates please send an email to the hostile politicians but from its own Darce Cassidy gives us an interesting Membership Secretary. management. The new Radio National insight into Jim Spigelman’s earlier Who to write… has not pleased many loyal RN life in radical student politics, and his Anyone seeking basic information about listeners, and the constant erosion of advocacy for aboriginal rights. writing to persons of influence might find it ABC TV’s capacity to produce its own Friends of the ABC looks forward helpful to go to the FABC NSW website material is given extensive coverage in www.fabc.org.au where there are some to early discussions with the new menu items under "Be Active" leading to this issue. chairman on its major concerns pages of information: Who can I write to? regarding current ABC board policies. What can I say? THE SYDNEY BROADCASTING CORPORATION FABC (NSW) Executive Committee If current trends and policies Office Bearers Mal Hewitt continue, Sydney will be the only President - Mal Hewitt President, NSW FABC Phone: 02 9637 2900 Email: [email protected] Secretary & Treasurer - James Buchanan Phone: 02 9371 5621 Saturday 30 June at 2 pm Email: [email protected] Membership Secretary - Angela Williamson Kerry O’Brien Phone: 02 4883 4048 Email: [email protected] will be guest speaker at the Northern Rivers FABC Update Editor - Mal Hewitt PO Box 1391 N. Sydney NSW 2059 branch meeting. Email: [email protected] Kerry will discuss his career as an ABC Cartoonist - Phil Somerville journalist and will present awards to fi nalists Editorial Cartoonist for The Sun Herald (Sydney) in a Junior TV Journalist competition being [email protected] conducted by the branch. The event will be Layout Artist - Paul Martens held at the Bangalow A and I Hall. [email protected] Check the branch website Membership Line: 02 9990 0600 www.friendsabcnr.net for more details. Page 2 FFRIRI 001616 NNewsletter.inddewsletter.indd 2 33/04/12/04/12 11:42:42 PPMM SMOKE AND MIRRORS: ABC’s TV PRODUCTION STRATEGY have published a breakdown of all retaining the content in its archive for Quentin Dempster programs and resources on which future use. Host of 7.30 NSW, it relies to reach its 75% to 25% 2. The ABC production strategy ABC Staff-Elected breakdown fi gure. reveals a shift in management ‘spin’ Director in Exile This data is available. It should be to basically declare that in house published in the ABC annual report production in Brisbane, Adelaide, he ABC has produced a TV to Federal Parliament. Australian Perth and Hobart (BAPH) can be taken production strategy for 2011 to taxpayers are entitled to know how to mean news and current affairs only. 2013 in response to the recent their money is being leveraged into Nothing else or very little down the track. T content with co-investors from Senate inquiry into outsourcing. So much for any commitment to the commercial TV production The strategy document asserts: “No federalism within content creation industry, fi lm and TV fi nance and less than 75 percent of television and the skills which can be discovered lotteries agencies. You will note content will be internally-produced and nurtured outside Melbourne and that the ABC continues to use the (a proportion of all hours produced Sydney. The ABC is already painfully word ‘independent’ to describe excluding and news and current affairs) Sydney-centric. You would think that this sector. It is not independent. over the three year period.