Friends of the ABC (NSW) Inc. qu a rt e r ly news l e t t e r December 2004 Vol 14, No. 11 1 in c o rp o ra ti n g ba ck g round briefing national magazine up d at e friends of the abc LEVY: ABC UNDERFUNDED BY HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS The woman regarded as the most influential manager in the ABC has told NSW Friends of the ‘grim reality’ of programming at current funding levels. In her address to the Friends AGM in September, the Head of ABC Television, Sandra Levy painted a stark picture. A 30% decline in funding in real terms over the last 20 years. A 50% drop in staff numbers. Production Sandra Levy, Head of ABC-TV costs rising at levels not commensurate with CPI increases. By contrast the commercial networks, Nine and Seven, which don’t produce the range of programs as the ABC in areas such as arts, science, religion, or indigenous affairs, each spend $700M a year more than the ABC on running their television networks. Continued on Page 2 Cartoon courtesy Phil Sommerville WINDFALL FOR ABC EXECUTIVES The ABC’s Annual Report 2003-04 reveals that senior executives in the cash-strapped national broadcaster have given themselves whopping pay rises. Continued on Page 9 LEVY: ABC UNDERFUNDED age group. The biggest increase Grass Roots. BY HUNDREDS OF has been in Melbourne (34% +) We are still are in dialogue with MI L L I O N S Geoffrey Atherton another series. Continued from Page 1 Local content. 6:30 to 8 o’clock strands are all Tony Squires. "We’d love to do more if we had Australian from Monday to Friday. The ABC can’t afford to or man- the money," Levy said, also adding age to keep everybody of talent the Einstein "we’d love to do more if we could New shows such as working on our network. We are F a c t o r make more hours in the day. have been well received. very fond of Tony and hope the next project he does works out well. She admitted that the range and Funding rejections. diversity of ABC content is being Submissions to the Federal ‘adjusted’ and production methodol- Government for an all-Australian Repeats in prime time. ogy reduced to match the funding digital TV channel for children and We’re running Cracker now because realities. additional funding for Australian we think they’re cult pieces. We only drama were both rejected this year. repeat those things which we think On a brighter note, Levy said are classics. But we don’t do it very more than 50 ABC programs had Licence fees. often. achieved audiences of more than a This is not something that I can make happen or not make happen. Parramatta branch member Mal million people this year. Hewitt also asked Sandra if she Dumbing down. could clone the ABC’s Middle East Sandra made two particularly I don’t believe that there’s a sin- Correspondent Jane Hutcheon. resonant observations. gle program that we wouldn’t put on Sandra tactfully suggested he refer the ABC that isn’t appropriate for the his request to the News and Current "The ABC functions at 100s of ABC… all of our programs are valid Affairs Division. millions of dollars a year less than appropriate programs that fall within its rivals and competitors in its mar- our appropriate responsibilities with- Mal will be pleased to hear that ketplace." in Charter. I don’t think we should Jane has just been appointed as the confuse success with dumbing-down. ABC’s Europe Correspondent based "The money you get from gov- in London. She takes over from Philip ernment each year doesn’t even Williams in early 2005, and joins Drama costs. maintain often our current levels of Australian drama, miniseries and another ABC luminary, Fran Kelly. activity. It’s a very very very stressful telemovies are about $1M to $3M place to work. You’re constantly an hour. Low-cost high-volume having to evaluate and lose things." video tape studio is about $500,000 an ho u r . Th a t ’ s a lot of weeks of Th e Here’s a summary of some other Bi l l . areas she covered: The new Communications TV Aud i e n c e s. Minister Senator Helen Up 24% in the last 3 years with Coonan. A delight to work with (!) increases across all age groups, including a 25% jump in the 16-39 Inside: Levy: ABC Underfunded..........1-2 The Acting President’s Report 3 Private lives vs public broadcaster 4 Introducing the FABC Bulletin 5 Our ABC: A Dying Culture? 6 Funding Fiasco 8-9 BTN is back 12 FABC NSW Events 12 Branch News 14 (l to r) Liliane Leroy, Gary Cook, and Peter Burke look on as Sandra Levy addresses the NSW Friends AGM. Page 2 THE ACTING PRESIDENT’S REPORT The Federal Election is over and issues of ABC funding and quality overwhelming original news coverage. despite the best efforts of many public broadcasting get the prominence Friends branches in NSW, the ABC they deserve. He also flagged a crisis of confi- never really seemed to register on dence in mainstream media quoting the voters’ radar. New Committee a previous Olle lecturer Eric Beecher, who in one survey found The Coalition, which promised The responsibility for keeping the 70% of Australians relying on non- the least support of any major party ABC in the spotlight over the next media sources for their information. to the ABC in its campaign, was re- year falls to our new Executive elected with an increased majority Committee. However the best solution Chris and will take control of the Senate Anderson could come up with was from July next year. As you can tell from the photo the idea that networks should pool there are some new faces, and some audio and video coverage of press For the record, the Coalition has old ones. I’m looking forward to conferences to free up journalists to promised to extend ABC NewsRadio working with all of you. generate more in-depth coverage. to all transmission areas around Australia with populations over There are some crunch times The Olle Lecture was established 10,000 and improve the reception of ahead, and one of our biggest in 1996 by presenters and staff at local radio in some regional areas, responsibilities will be the Friends’ 702 ABC Sydney to honour the including Dubbo and Wagga Wagga.. role in highlighting the chronic lack of memory of Andrew Olle and assist funding at the ABC, and the continuing the Andrew Olle Memorial Trust raise To those branches who organ- threats to its independence. funds for research into neuroscience, ised Meet the Candidate forums in particularly brain tumours. their regions, well done on a sterling Andrew Olle Lecture effort. While not wanting to take away I attended this year’s Andrew from the contribution the Lecture Election posters, flyers and Olle Media Lecture on behalf of the makes to the Trust, I left the evening bumper stickers were made available Friends and came away somewhat wondering how far this kind of to all branches. It’s worth noting that disillusioned. Lecture advances the ideal of the Friends groups actively campaigned public interest as championed by the in two marginal seats that changed The former Optus and TVNZ late broadcaster. hands, Parramatta and Richmond. CEO Chris Anderson gave the lec- ture in his current incarnation as a David Barrington For the next three years and PBL Board member. In previous Vice President beyond, the Friends will continue to incarnations he was also an executive raise our voice in a frank, fearless at the ABC and Fairfax. Anderson and non-partisan way, to ensure the bemoaned the fact that opinion is FABC COMMITTEE MEETINGS The NSW Committee meets on the third Monday each month (except December and January) at 6.00pm at the Gaelic Club, 64 Devonshire St., Surry Hills. Members are welcome to attend as observers. Please make arrangements in advance by contacting a member of the Executive. FABC NSW E x e c u t i v e C o m m i t t e e (back) Janet Crennan, Bob Kijurina, Mal Hewitt, Alison Rahill, Correll Fawcett, Jason Lowe, Nance Loney, Brian Davies, Mike Hudson. (front) Jon Philips (since stood down), James Buchanan, Gary Cook, David Barrington, Carolyn Green. (absent: Klaas Wo l d r i n g ) Page 3 PRIVATE LIVES VS THE PUBLIC BROADCASTER The ABC is pushing ahead with None of Your Business! Business" on any declaration forms attempts to peer into the private lives handed to them. of its staff. After a joint campaign by the ABC’s three unions, CPSU, MEAA, Storm clouds In the September edition Update and APESMA, and widespread pub- readers were informed of the ABC licity among Friends groups and the For the record, Update believes Human Resources department’s media, the push to implement the ABC staff should be free to pursue push to introduce a draconian Draft Draft Code seemed to have gone on whatever interests they choose in Code of Conduct. the back-burner. the private time outside work hours, provided the work they produce for Recapping briefly, the Draft Code That was until late October when the ABC doesn’t contravene the threatens to limit the ability of ABC staff in ABC Local Radio complained ABC’s editorial policies. staff to involve themselves in public that they had received ‘disclosure debate, by prohibiting any kind of forms’ as part of their job plans for It’s been pointed out that promi- personal behaviour that could, in its the coming year.