Friends of the ABC (NSW) Inc. quarterly newsletter September 2012 UPDATE Vol 20, No. 2 incorporating Background Briefi ng friends of the abc STAFF- ELECTED DIRECTOR AT LAST! Special Report From the President Inside Update CALL TO ACTION UPDATE once again be putting his name forward for election, and Friends A Pictorial Account In the dying days of the Federal FABC Bi-ennial State Conference 3 of the ABC strongly endorses his Parliament prior to the Winter Recess, Michael Millet candidature. Throughout his our CALL TO ACTION by FRIENDS FABC Bi-ennial State Conference period as “Staff-Elected Director in Speaker 4 (April Update) produced a long- Exile,” Quentin has consistently Linda Mottram awaited result – the passage of the Bill and courageously spoken on behalf FABC Bi-ennial State Conference which will place at arm’s length from of ABC staff on many issues, and Speaker 6 Government the process of appointing has been a strong voice against the Quentin Dempster Board Members to the ABC, and FABC Bi-ennial State Conference progressive loss of skills, expertise, restoring the position of Staff-Elected Speaker 9 experience and culture as the ABC Director. Thanks to all Friends who Branch News 11 has closed studios outside of Sydney wrote to Senator Conroy, Minister for Aunty looms too large 14 and Melbourne, and continued Communications, or contacted their Letter to the Editor 15 down the path of outsourcing of local Federal Member. production. Notice of FABC Annual Quentin Dempster, the last ABC General Meeting 15 staffer elected to the position, will Continued on Page 2. Page 1 FFRIRI 001717 NNewsletter.inddewsletter.indd 1 229/08/129/08/12 88:30:30 AAMM Update Publication Information President’s Special Report continued Update is published four times a year by Friends of the ABC (NSW) Inc. (FABC), PO Box 1391 NORTH SYDNEY 2059. STATE CONFERENCE of - Outsourcing – what are we losing? Printpost approved PP245059/00002 FRIENDS. - How to achieve the elusive “balance” To become a member phone in programming. The bi-ennial State Conference was (02) 9990 0600 or email to - Dumbing down – is it fact or [email protected] held in Gosford on 18th and 19th perception? or access our website August, hosted magnifi cently by our - Where have the Arts gone on the www.fabcnsw.org.au. Central Coast Branch and meticulously ABC? Extracts from newspapers and other organized by Klaas Woldring. Attended - The Convergence Review – what publications appearing in Update do not by up to 50 delegates and observers implications for the ABC? necessarily reflect the views of the from NSW branches and the NSW members of FABC. - Problems of local reception in some Executive, and a sole representative Update is distributed to all members of areas. FABC, as part of the membership fee. from South Australia, the conference There was also discussion of the Update is also supplied to journalists, examined and discussed the pluses current state of the “Friends”, as politicians and libraries across Australia. and minuses of a rapidly changing It is edited and produced in Sydney but membership ages and numbers fall. contributions are welcome from NSW country ABC, and the ways in which the and interstate branches. Friends can best support the ABC as it ACTION PLAN Material may be quoted or reproduced fi ghts to retain its independence from Five working parties were established from Update provided the source is political and commercial infl uence in acknowledged and reproduction is sent to to produce action plans and strategies the President FABC. a changing media landscape. We were for Friends of the ABC in the following guided in our discussions by three Would you like to receive Update areas: guest speakers, all of whom will play a magazine electronically? 1. A review of the ABC Charter in the very important role in steering the ABC Save the planet's trees and The Friends context of new technologies which printing and postage costs and read Update through some very challenging waters were not even dreamed of when magazine on your computer. ahead: Each quarter, when Update is published, you the Charter was established and will receive an email with a link to the latest Michael Millett, Director of Corporate amended. issue (each magazine is around 0.5MB). Affairs for the ABC, representing 2. How best to support the ABC You can try this now by going to our Management, gave us insights into website at www.fabcnsw.org.au and in future Budget arguments current and future new directions and clicking on Update. in Canberra, particularly with initiatives, addressing diffi cult and If you prefer this delivery option for future the possibility of a change of Updates please send an email to the challenging issues with honesty. Membership Secretary. government. Quentin Dempster, Host of 7.30 NSW, 3. Promoting the ABC’s role as Who to write… brought the ABC Staff perspective on Anyone seeking basic information about an educator – access to archive those Management plans with his writing to persons of influence might find it material as well as the ABC’s role usual clarity of thought, wisdom and helpful to go to the FABC NSW website in primary, secondary, tertiary and www.fabc.org.au where there are some enormous experience. menu items under "Be Active" leading to community education and the pages of information: Who can I write to? Linda Mottram, veteran ABC Arts. What can I say? journalist, Foreign Correspondent, 4. The local content challenge – the and presenter of Mornings on 702, ABC is not required to meet local FABC (NSW) Executive Committee spoke with passion about her career Office Bearers content quotas which apply to experiences, and the challenges of President - Mal Hewitt commercial producers – why Phone: 02 9637 2900 working in new technologies without should it not have to? Email: [email protected] losing the depth and quality of content Secretary & Treasurer - James Buchanan we expect from the ABC, but also the 5. How does the ABC remain Phone: 02 9371 5621 integrity and concern for the truth “balanced” and free of bias? Email: [email protected] which must go with reporting from the Working parties have one month to Membership Secretary - Angela Williamson world’s trouble spots. produce strategy documents, which Phone: 02 4883 4048 Email: [email protected] All three presentations are included will be shared with branches and published in Update. Update Editor - Mal Hewitt in this Update. PO Box 1391 N. Sydney NSW 2059 We are grateful to the Central Coast Email: [email protected] CONFERENCE AGENDA Branch for hosting an enjoyable Cartoonist - Phil Somerville Delegates and ABC representatives and productive conference, to our Editorial Cartoonist for The Sun Herald (Sydney) discussed questions such as: three ABC representatives for their [email protected] - New technologies and delivery valued input, and to all delegates Layout Artist - Paul Martens methods, but at what cost? for their positive and constructive [email protected] - Are ratings more important than contributions. quality and depth? Membership Line: 02 9990 0600 - Are older audiences being abandoned Mal Hewitt in search of a younger demographic? President, NSW FABC Page 2 FFRIRI 001717 NNewsletter.inddewsletter.indd 2 229/08/129/08/12 88:30:30 AAMM A Pictorial Account FABC Bi-ennial State Conference 1. 2. 4. 1. Klaas Woldring, Conference organiser 2. Central Coast Branch participants – John and Margaret Lund and Audrey McDonald 3. Quentin Dempster with Alison Brisbane, Central Coast branch 4. Michael Millett with Angela Williamson (Membership Secretary) 5. Our youngest Friend, Jeremy Hewitt 6. Linda Mottram with James Buchanan 3. (Secretary/Treasurer) 5. 6. Page 3 FFRIRI 001717 NNewsletter.inddewsletter.indd 3 229/08/129/08/12 88:31:31 AAMM Michael Millet FABC Bi-ennial State Conference Speaker Michael Millett joined the ABC but the recent Fairfax experience as Director of Communications exposes the danger of complacency and in February 2009, just in time to inertia. help deliver the biggest funding ABC checklist - ABC is relatively increase in the ABC’s corporate well-positioned, and has dramatically history. While he would like to increased its content offerings. Under Mark claim the credit, the tri-funding Scott this has been a key strategic goal boost to the ABC was the result -“reach more Australians, in more ways, of years of hard work and more often” and “at a time they want, on a lobbying by key people inside device they want, in a format they want”. the ABC and by stakeholders This has led to new content funded by like the Friends of the ABC. Canberra : drama, ABC3, ABC open, the Michael’s Division, now called education portal, digital radio, as well as Corporate Affairs, is responsible services funded by the ABC: news24, for public affairs, governance, iView and iPhone apps, ABC online. corporate strategy, internal and external communications, the Why? Is the ABC over-stretching? Going state and territory directors and too fast in pursuit of younger audiences? management of the MD’s Offi ce Sacrifi cing quality for ratings? The answer and Board Secretariat. is no. ABC, like everyone else in the media Michael’s shift to the national sector, has had to develop new audience broadcaster came after a long strategies, in response to competition career in print journalism. For from new competitors – spotify, 600 radio the previous two years he was channels on iTunes. deputy editor of the Sydney The pressure – yes, we have the over Morning Herald. In a 20-year stint 65s. The ABC has 73% combined reach with the Herald, Michael served - 35% only watch ABC TV, 9% only listen as a political correspondent, to ABC radio, 29% access both.