Friends of the ABC (NSW) Inc. quarterly newsletter December 2011 UPDATE Vol 19, No. 4 incorporating Background Briefi ng friends of the abc ABC BOARD AND MANAGEMENT IS DESTROYING THE ABC’S CREATIVE INDEPENDENCE sought. We are about to lose our utilised. The ABC does not pay state Quentin Dempster specialist expertise in arts coverage. payroll tax or company tax and has a Host of 7.30 NSW, Leaked documents indicate that clear operating cost advantage over the distinguished ABC outsourced programming can be commercials because of this. The ABC journalist very expensive, particularly where does not pay an effi ciency dividend. outside production companies The strategy of the current ABC board have negotiating leverage, which and management is destructive of the Quentin Dempster, presenter of 7.30 consequently leaves the ABC with no ABC’s creative independence. The NSW and courageous spokesperson IP – intellectual property – or archive. only hope we have to restore that for ABC staff, responds to the The ABC has made itself entirely creative independence is through the recently released report of the Senate dependent on the commercial current convergence review where the Inquiry into ABC Television. television production sector adequacy of funding for the broadcaster I’ve read the report and it fi nds that for almost all its non-news can be confronted. the concerns of ABC staff and the programming. Friends about dismantling the skills This is a strategic mistake which base within ABC television production over time will add to our costs. are justifi ed. Neither the MD nor the Director of The distressing aspect of all this is Television produced any rebuttal Inside that the ABC has ignored the inquiry’s evidence to submissions that it fi ndings. As at today’s date (November is demonstrably cheaper to make 24th) we still haven’t seen the three television in-house, given the Update year TV production schedule promised taxpayer investment in the ABC’s by ABC management. studios, sound stages, rehearsal From the President 2 In the meantime redundancies spaces and post-production The enemy within 4 of skilled broadcasters in arts technology around the country. The Radio National restructure programming and other areas are being These assets are currently under audience driven or budget driven? 5 Protest to the Board 6 The View 6 Northern Rivers Branch Report into Recent ABC programming decisions 6 Our seminar on national broadcasting will take place on Radio National - Saturday 18 February starting at 2 pm at the Bangalow Bowling Stop The new look for 2012 7 and Sports Club with local MPs Janelle Saffi n (Page electorate) Press! and Justine Elliot (Richmond electorate) in attendance. We will Branch News 8 be looking at the future of both the ABC and SBS and will invite Mike Carlton on the ABC of the attendance by ABC Advisory and ABC Board members. 1960’s 10 Page 1 FFRIRI 001515 NNewsletter.inddewsletter.indd 1 22/12/11/12/11 112:202:20 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 (02) 9990 0600 or email to he tragic helicopter accident trauma of [email protected] in August which took the covering several or access our website lives of reporter Paul Lockyer, atrocities in www.fabcnsw.org.au. Tpilot Gary Ticehurst and South-East Asia, Extracts from newspapers and other cameraman John Bean served as a including fi rst publications appearing in Update do not reminder of the dangers which are reports from necessarily reflect the views of the part of being a correspondent for the areas devastated members of FABC. ABC, particularly those working in by the tsunami Update is distributed to all members of the world’s trouble spots. We take FABC, as part of the membership fee. in Thailand. Peter Lloyd for granted that, day by day, we Update is also supplied to journalists, (image courtesy of We must Allen & Unwin) politicians and libraries across Australia. will be kept up to date with what It is edited and produced in Sydney but is happening across our nation and never forget contributions are welcome from NSW country throughout the world, but often the personal cost to many ABC and interstate branches. correspondents are working at correspondents in bringing the news Material may be quoted or reproduced considerable personal risk and great to the comfort of our living rooms. from Update provided the source is personal discomfort. Typical was Paul acknowledged and reproduction is sent to MIXED REPORT CARD ON THE 24 the President FABC. Lockyer’s honest and compassionate reporting from fl ood-devastated HOUR NEWS CHANNEL Would you like to receive Update Queensland towns in January 2011, The ABC’s bold venture in establishing magazine electronically? Save the planet's trees and The Friends where he was often fi rst on the scene a 24-hour News Channel without printing and postage costs and read Update thanks to Gary Ticehurst and the any additional funding has provided magazine on your computer. ABC helicopter, with John Bean’s a number of free kicks to the ABC’s Each quarter, when Update is published, you camera close at hand. Each was an critics, including its own MediaWatch will receive an email with a link to the latest outstanding professional in his fi eld. program. Resources are frequently issue (each magazine is around 0.5MB). All three are irreplaceable in the ranks You can try this now by going to our stretched to breaking point, and whilst website at www.fabcnsw.org.au and of the ABC. the concept itself is commendable, clicking on Update. Throughout a summer of do we really need news coverage and If you prefer this delivery option for future unprecedented natural disasters commentary every minute of the day Updates please send an email to the Membership Secretary. across Australia – fl oods in four states, and night? The larger question goes bushfi res and cyclones – ABC staff, well beyond just the News Channel – is Who to write… often working in extreme conditions, the ABC trying to do too much within Anyone seeking basic information about writing to persons of influence might find it provided up-to-date information to a limited budget, placing impossible helpful to go to the FABC NSW website the community. Managing Director demands upon its already stretched www.fabc.org.au where there are some Mark Scott paid tribute to the work resources, both human and material? menu items under "Be Active" leading to All the evidence suggests that it is, and pages of information: >OVJHU0^YP[L[V& of staff in providing an essential >OH[JHU0ZH`& service at both local and national that Friends of the ABC must continue levels with outstanding dedication to advocate for a signifi cant increase in FABC (NSW) Executive Committee and professionalism. Such a service is each triennial budget. Office Bearers a major reason for the extraordinary President - Mal Hewitt ABC TELEVISION – WHAT’S LEFT? Phone: 02 9637 2900 trust in which the ABC is held by Insuffi cient funds for television Email: [email protected] the vast majority of the Australian production has been the primary Secretary & Treasurer - James Buchanan community. Phone: 02 9371 5621 reason for the erosion of the Email: [email protected] There can be few ABC’s capacity to produce its own more dangerous Membership Secretary - Angela Williamson material. The current intense debate, Phone: 02 9416 4463 places in the world which resulted in a Senate Inquiry, Email: [email protected] than Afghanistan, is highlighting the questions of Update Editor - Mal Hewitt especially for a outsourcing, editorial control, PO Box 1391 N. Sydney NSW 2059 woman, but ABC independence and quality. NSW Email: [email protected] correspondent Friends of the ABC was a signatory to Cartoonist - Phil Somerville Sally Sara reports Sally Sara a submission to the inquiry from all Editorial Cartoonist for The Sun Herald (Sydney) daily with clarity, state branches, which can be seen on [email protected] veracity and courage. Mark Colvin, www.fabc.org.au Layout Artist - Paul Martens presenter of PM, almost lost his life The Senate Committee has recently [email protected] and is permanently disabled as a result handed down its report. The fi rst of a virus contracted whilst covering Membership Line: 02 9990 0600 recommendation is: “that the ABC the massacres in Rwanda. Peter ensure that it maintains an effective Lloyd has put on record the personal capacity to internally produce quality Page 2 FFRIRI 001515 NNewsletter.inddewsletter.indd 2 22/12/11/12/11 112:202:20 PPMM programming across the regions in country without it. For those reasons, to provide priceless advocacy for the addition to news, sport and current and many more, it must be cherished, ABC in their local areas and inviting affairs. The committee notes that the nurtured and defended.” high-profi le ABC personalities to increasing use of external producers their forums and functions. The has the capacity to diminish the THE AUSTRALIA NETWORK – branches maintain strong relationships ANOTHER LABOR GOVERNMENT ABC’s independence and skill base.” with their political representatives, FIASCO Recommendation 5 reminds ABC reinforcing the importance of local management of the ABC’s Charter It is diffi cult to imagine a more voices in defending an independent, obligations to “encourage and promote incompetent method of determining commercial-free public broadcaster. I arts, including musical, dramatic the future of The Australia Network, thank all those involved in branches and other performing arts” and calls our television broadcasting channel for their dedication to the cause, on ABC management to urgently into the Asia/Pacifi c region, currently especially John and Margaret Hale, publish a strategy outlining how it operated by the ABC.