The Senate Environment and Communications References Committee The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's commitment to reflecting and representing regional diversity March 2013 © Commonwealth of Australia 2013 ISBN 978-1-74229-788-0 This document was printed by the Senate Printing Unit, Parliament House, Canberra Committee membership Committee members Senator Simon Birmingham (LP, SA) (Chair) Senator Doug Cameron (ALP, NSW) (Deputy Chair) Senator Catryna Bilyk (ALP, TAS) Senator the Hon Ron Boswell (NATS, QLD) Senator Anne Ruston (LP, SA) Senator Larissa Waters (AG, QLD) Substitute members Senator Scott Ludlam (AG, WA) to replace Senator Larissa Waters (AG, QLD) Participating members Senator Carol Brown (ALP, TAS) Senator Christine Milne (AG, TAS Senator the Hon Lisa Singh (ALP, TAS) Senator the Hon Lin Thorp (ALP, TAS) Committee secretariat Ms Sophie Dunstone, Acting Secretary Mr Chris Lawley, Senior Research Officer Mrs Dianne Warhurst, Administration Officer Committee address PO Box 6100 Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Tel: 02 6277 3526 Fax: 02 6277 5818 Email: [email protected] Internet: www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate_Committees?url=ec_ctte/ index.htm iii iv Table of Contents Committee membership ................................................................................... iii Abbreviations and acronyms ...........................................................................vii Chapter 1 - Introduction .................................................................................... 1 Conduct of the inquiry ............................................................................................ 1 Context of the inquiry ............................................................................................. 1 Structure of the report ............................................................................................. 3 Chapter 2 - Background ..................................................................................... 5 Origins and growth of national broadcasting in Australia ..................................... 5 The Australian Broadcasting Company ................................................................. 7 The ABC Charter .................................................................................................. 10 Reviews of the ABC and its operations ................................................................ 11 Chapter 3 - Key issues ...................................................................................... 15 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 15 The ABC's responsibility to reflect and represent regional diversity .................. 15 Centralisation of production in Sydney and Melbourne ...................................... 20 Co-production ....................................................................................................... 24 The closure of the Perth production unit .............................................................. 28 Proposed closure of the ABC production unit in Hobart ..................................... 29 Impact of the proposed closure of the Hobart production unit ............................ 30 Government Senators' Additional Comments ............................................... 41 Australian Greens' Additional Comments ..................................................... 47 Appendix 1 - Submissions, tabled documents and answers to questions taken on notice ............................................................................. 49 Submissions .......................................................................................................... 49 Answers to questions taken on notice .................................................................. 51 Tabled documents ................................................................................................. 51 Appendix 2 - Public hearings ........................................................................... 53 Appendix 3 - The ABC Charter ....................................................................... 55 v vi .