Mission Statement As Australia’s national broadcaster and major cultural organisation, the ABC’s mission is to provide its audiences with the best programs, performances, products and services it can acquire and produce. To achieve this the ABC will: ´ transmit independent, comprehensive and innovative national broadcasting services for all Australians; ´ inform, entertain and contribute to a sense of national identity; ´ reflect Australia’s regional and cultural diversity; ´ broadcast programs of an educational nature; ´ contribute towards the diversity of broadcasting services in Australia; ´ broadcast programs that provide a balance between wide appeal and specialised programs, making use of and being receptive to Australian creative resources; ´ provide an independent service for the broadcasting of news and information regarding local, Australian and overseas events; ´ contribute to public debate concerning issues and matters of importance to Australians; ´ encourage and promote the musical, dramatic and other performing arts in Australia; ´ transmit broadcasting programs outside Australia; and ´ utilise new production and delivery technologies to respond to audience needs. The ABC may also: ´ provide subscription broadcasting services and subscription and open narrowcasting services. Front cover: Top: The winning photo in The Backyard website competition, from Dorrigo, NSW; Geraldine Doogue, Radio National Middle: Radio control room tie lines; Chris Moon cameraman for Strings on the Strzelecki, Lake Hart, SA Bottom: ABC Online front page ABC Annual Report 1999–2000 Contents Programs & Services .......................................... 2 Selected Highlights ............................................. 6 Corporate Plan Summary ................................... 8 Organisational Chart ......................................... 13 Financial Summary .......................................... 14 The ABC Board ................................................ 16 ABC Board of Directors Statement .................... 19 Members of the Executive ................................. 23 Portfolios Local & Regional Services .............................. 25 Marking the Millennium ............................ 30 ABC Radio Audiences .............................. 31 National Networks ......................................... 32 Network Television ................................... 38 Television Content Analysis ...................... 41 ABC Television Audiences ........................ 43 News & Current Affairs .................................. 44 Annual Production .................................... 45 Program Production ....................................... 48 East Timor ............................................... 51 Technology, Strategy & Development ............. 52 ABC Enterprises ............................................ 55 Human Resources .......................................... 58 Finance & Business Services.......................... 62 Corporate Planning & Communications .......... 66 Freedom of Information ............................ 69 Complaints handling and audience feedback .................................... 70 International Relations .............................. 71 Performance against Service Commitment .......................................... 71a National Advisory Council (NAC) ............. 72 Symphony Australia ...................................... 73 Financial Statements ..................................... 79 Appendices .................................................. 113 List of graph tables and maps ...................... 150 Index ............................................................ 151 1 ABC Annual Report 1999–2000 Programs & Services National Networks NewsRadio on the Parliamentary and News Network ´ Australia’s national television service. NewsRadio is Australia’s only continuous ´ Four national specialist radio news and current affairs radio service. Its networks. comprehensive and innovative programming is based on immediacy, ´ An international radio service. accuracy, impartiality and reliability. It is ´ A dynamic internet service. broadcast in all capital cities and Newcastle on the Parliamentary and News Vision Network when Federal Parliament is not To provide all Australians with the most sitting. comprehensive information, entertainment and cultural programming and an Radio Australia Australian voice to Asia and the Pacific. Radio Australia, the ABC’s international service, broadcasts by shortwave, online, Programs and Services satellite and local rebroadcasts to the Asia- ABC Television Pacific regions and world-wide, in English, A national television service with State Indonesian, Tok Pisin, Chinese, Vietnamese news, current affairs and sport, with and Khmer. It is a leading provider of production and transmission centres in all Australian, regional and international news States and Territories. ABC Television and information, as well as knowledge and provides all Australians with cultural programming. comprehensive information, entertainment ABC Online and cultural programming. ABC Online, the ABC’s internet network, Radio National extends and enhances ABC radio and Radio National provides a unique national television programming as well as being a forum for ideas and culture through high- major creator of online content in its own quality journalism, presenting in-depth right. It provides a distinctively Australian information and analysis of international perspective on local, national and and national issues and specialist fields, as international activities to internet users well as performance and music. domestically and overseas. Its diverse programming explores the Audiences capabilities of the radio medium in a wide ´ The average weekly reach of ABC range of forms, including features, Television in the 6am to 12 midnight documentaries, panel discussions, timeslot was 8.9 million people in the performance and music. five metropolitan cities, and 4 million ABC Classic FM people in regional areas. ABC Classic FM is a national stereo FM ´ ABC Television’s overall (6am to network devoted to classical music, jazz, midnight) five city audience share drama and acoustic art and is a major increased to 15.3 per cent for the cultural force in Australia. 1999–2000 financial year, with the evening (6pm to midnight) share Triple J averaging 15.3 per cent. Triple J is the ABC’s national youth radio network, broadcast on stereo FM in all ´ Radio National’s overall eight city capital cities and 44 regional areas. Its weekly reach was down slightly (1.2 programming highlights new, innovative per cent) to 646,000 while the share and adventurous music, with a strong was also down fractionally from 1.9 commitment to Australian music, as well per cent to 1.8 per cent. as news, information and entertainment for young Australians. 2 ABC Annual Report 1999–2000 ● Darwin Darwin Brisbane ◗ ▲ ABC–TV Kununurra ▲ ABC–TV ▼ 105.7 ABC Darwin ▼ 612 ABC Brisbane ◆ Radio National 657 ◆ Radio National 792 ✚ Triple J103.3 ● Cairns ✚ Triple J 107.7 ✹ Classic FM107.3 ● Broome ✹ Classic FM 106.1 ★ NewsRadio (PNN) 102.5 ★ NewsRadio (PNN) 936 ✪ ❖ ABC Shop ●▲ Townsville QSO ✦ ✪ ● Mt Isa ABC Shop ● Karratha ● Mackay ▲● Alice Springs ● Longreach ●▲ Rockhampton ◗ Gladstone ✦ ●Bundaberg ◗Maryborough ●Maroochydore Toowoomba● ● ●Gold Coast ●Geraldton ●Lismore Kalgoorlie● Tamworth ◗Coffs Harbour Pt Augusta ● ● ● ●Broken Hill Dubbo● Kempsey ● Perth ● ● Muswellbrook Pt Pirie Orange ● ● Newcastle ● Pt Lincoln Esperance ● Renmark ● ▼ 1233 ABC Newscastle ●Bunbury ●Mildura ● ●Adelaide ●Wollongong ◆ Radio National 1512 ● Albany Wagga Wagga ● ◗Nowra ✚ Triple J 102.1 Shepparton ◗ ● ● ✹ Classic FM 106.1 ● Wodonga Horsham ● ✦ ★ NewsRadio (PNN) 1458 Bendigo ● Bega Mt Gambier● ● ✪ ABC Shop ● Warrnambool● Sale ◗Morwell Perth Adelaide Melbourne Sydney ▲ ▲ ▲ ABC–TV ▲ ABC–TV ABC–TV ● ABC–TV ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ 720 ABC Perth 891 ABC Adelaide 774 ABC Melbourne Burnie ●▲Launceston 702 ABC Sydney ◆ Radio National 810 ◆ Radio National 729 ◆ Radio National 621 ◆ Radio National 576 ✚ Triple J 99.3 ✚ Triple J 105.5 ✚ Triple J 107.5 ● ✚ Triple J 105.7 ✹ Classic FM 97.7 ✹ Classic FM 103.9 ✹ Classic FM 105.9 ✹ Classic FM 92.9 ★ NewsRadio (PNN) 585 ★ NewsRadio (PNN) 972 ★ NewsRadio (PNN) 1026 ★ NewsRadio (PNN) 630 ❖ WASO ❖ ASO ❖ MSO ❖ SSO ✪ ABC Shop ✪ ABC Shop ✪ ABC Shop ✪ ABC Shop Hobart Canberra ▲ ▲ Key ABC–TV ABC–TV ▼ 936 ABC Hobart ▼ 666 ABC Canberra Metropolitan Services Regional Services ◆ Radio National 585 ◆ Radio National 846 ▲ ABC Television production centres ● Regional Radio Studios ✚ Triple J 92.9 ✚ Triple J 101.5 ▼ Metropolitan Radio ◗ Regional Studio outposts ✹ Classic FM 93.9 ✹ Classic FM 102.3 ★ ★ ◆ Radio National ▲ Television Production Centres NewsRadio (PNN) 729 NewsRadio (PNN) 1440 ❖ ✪ ✚ Triple J youth network ✦ Radio Australia Transmitters TSO ABC Shop ✪ ABC Shop ✹ ABC Classic FM ★ NewsRadio on the Parliamentary and News Network ❖ State Symphony Orchestra ✪ ABC Shop ´ ABC Classic FM’s eight city weekly ´ A total of 438 hours of Radio reach was up by 3 per cent to Australia programs are relayed or 773,000 while its share dropped rebroadcast every week in Asia, the fractionally from 2.8 per cent to 2.7 Pacific, Europe and North America per cent. on 219 radio stations or cable outlets. ´ Triple J’s eight city weekly reach ´ In Asia and the Pacific alone, 116 increased by 0.5 per cent to stations in 22 countries relay or 1,556,000 and its share went from rebroadcast weekly 354 hours of 6.9 per cent to 7 per cent. Radio Australia