Content Plan 2020-22 ABC CONTENT PLAN 2020-22 Contents Opening statement 3 Who, why and how 4 The changing landscape 7 Our ongoing purpose 10 Priorities for 2020-22 16 2 Right: Yumi Stynes Our content 22 Cover (L-R): Aaron Pedersen in What we value and how we work 70 Mystery Road 2 (Bunya Productions. Photo David Dare Parker.); Annabel Crabb; Anh Do hosts Anh's Brush With Fame (A Screentime production. Photo Luke Cameron.); and Virginia Trioli ABC CONTENT PLAN 2020-22 Opening statement The ABC is one of the nation’s most trusted1, As you read the Plan, you’ll see the depth and important and valued institutions. We are breadth of our programs and services. Join us integral to Australians, with our television, as we share what it means to be Australian, radio and digital services a constant from Conversations that profile amazing companion to many. Australians, to the marine and animal life on and off our shores in Australia's Ocean The values that have been at the heart of Highway, from the solemnity of Anzac Day the ABC since 1932 – outstanding journalism, to the celebration of One Night Stand, from hosting conversations that matter, delivering Mystery Road to travelling the Back Roads compelling content that is distinctive, high- and investigating the issues and covering the quality and Australian – ensures the ABC stories that matter to you. will remain strong, relevant and essential to future generations. Although the media landscape has changed The ABC is accessible, bold, creative significantly since the ABC was founded, and we are Yours, Australia 3 our purpose and the community’s need for public broadcasting services continue. We connect Australians wherever they are. We unite them in moments that matter and offer solace and observation in times Gaven Morris of sadness. In times of crisis, we provide Director of News a lifeline. We proudly celebrate Australian people and moments. Through our international services, we present a uniquely Australian perspective to the world and promote Australian values and culture. Judith Whelan This Content Plan sets out our creative Director of Regional & Local ambitions for the next three years. It articulates how we will deliver services for all Australians and make distinctive content with impact. It shows how we will build and reflect our cultural identity by looking and sounding like contemporary Australia, encouraging Michael Carrington creativity and pushing boundaries in the Director of Entertainment & Specialist way we tell stories. 1 Source: ABC Corporate Tracking Study, 2017-18; Roy Morgan State of the Nation 31 – Media Report August 2019 ABC CONTENT PLAN 2020-22 4 Who we are We are the independent source of conversations, culture & stories for all Australians. Left: Shaun Micallef hosts Shaun Micallef's Mad As Hell (An ITV Studios Australia and Giant Baby production) ABC CONTENT PLAN 2020-22 Why we exist Since 1932 we’ve told stories, sparked discussions and delivered experiences guided by the principles enshrined in our Charter. These are to: • be independent and innovative • be widely appealing and specialised 5 • inform, entertain and educate • encourage and promote the performing arts in Australia • contribute to a sense of national identity • reflect the cultural diversity of the Australian community • encourage an international Right: Jemima from Play School understanding of Australia. ABC CONTENT PLAN 2020-22 How we do it We speak with honesty, without fear or favour. We are bold and courageous, ambitious and accessible. We are Yours, Australia. 6 Left: Dandrogyny in You Can’t Ask That ABC CONTENT PLAN 2020-22 The changing landscape Since 1932, Australia has changed significantly, and we've evolved with it. From a single radio service, the ABC now operates from 56 Australian and 11 international locations to deliver 11 national radio networks, local radio services across Australia, four national TV channels, international services for radio and TV and a variety of digital services including ABC News, ABC iview, ABC listen and ABC Life. This evolution will continue as we respond to changes in Australia's population, the way people engage with media and the broader media landscape. 7 Left: Costa Georgiadis ABC CONTENT PLAN 2020-22 A growing and diverse population Australia’s population2 is: • growing – It’s already grown by 3.7 million people in the past 10 years to 25 million and is forecast to grow to 29.9 million people by 2030. • increasingly diverse – 26% of Australians (>6 million people) are born overseas, 2.8% identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and 21% of Australians speak a language other than English at home (with Mandarin the most common). • spreading into the outer suburbs – By 2056 it’s projected that in our capital cities, the outer suburban population will have more than doubled (with modest growth in other areas). This means: 8 • there are more people to reach. • we have to form new relationships with people who haven’t traditionally grown up with the ABC. • we’ll need to continually evolve to be relevant and accessible to the changing make-up of Australia. Left: Dalara Williams in Black Comedy (A Scarlett Pictures production. Photo Kelly Gardner.) 2 Source: Population Projections Series B ABS Nov 2018; Population ABS Dec 2018, 2008 ABC CONTENT PLAN 2020-22 The explosion of technology Media globalisation and Below: Sarah Ferguson How Australians source media is becoming increasingly fragmentation digital and on demand with: How Australians source content is becoming more • broadcast usage flat or declining – While still the fragmented and global with: ABC’s broadest reaching platform, since 2016 ABC TV • more global media players going directly to Australian usage has declined (from reaching 54% of Australians audiences every year – This includes Google, each week to 46%). Since 2017 ABC Radio stations have Facebook, Netflix, Spotify, Amazon, Apple and Disney. seen time spent listening decline by 5.6%.3 • Australians using these global platforms in increasing • digital devices and usage up – In 2019 there are on numbers – In 2019, 43% of Australians claim to use average 17 digital media devices in each Australian Netflix each week and Australians 18–24 spend household (up 25% from 2017)4 and 31% (up from 20% on average 48 minutes per day on YouTube. Both in 2016) of Australians access the ABC weekly via our Facebook and YouTube reach 71% of the Australian apps and websites.5 population each month, with Google’s reaching 80%.7 • on demand media now mass – 76% of Australians This means: claim to use a video on demand (VOD) service weekly (up from 68% in 2018), Apple News is used by 25% • we need to be distinctive and compelling to reach 9 of Australians (~6 million people) each month (with and engage with people. ABC the #1 News provider on it) and 16% of Australian households own a smart speaker (up 191% YOY).6 • to allow people to find and engage with our content we’ll need an increased focus on building content This means: relationships and brands. • we have to develop, commission, produce and • our purpose in contributing to ‘a sense of national distribute content in ways that work for audiences and identity’, being a ‘source of independent Australian how they use an increasing number of broadcast and stories’ and ‘supporting the Australian media digital platforms. We need to be where they are as well production sector’ is more important than ever. as building strong distribution channels of our own. • there are new ways to tell stories and reach Australians based on the technology they use. We need to explore this while balancing opportunity and long term value. 3 Source: OzTam – 5 City Metro Reach (%), 2016; GFK 24HR 5 City Nets + DAB (2017 – 2019) – Total ABC Radio Combined, 2019 4 Source: Telsyte Australian Digital Consumer Study, 2019 5 Source: ABC Corporate Tracking Study, August 2019 6 Source: ABC Video on Demand Study (claimed usage), 2019; Telsyte Digital Consumer Study, 2019 7 Source: ABC Video on Demand Study; Nielsen Digital Content Ratings, Jan-June 2019; Nielsen DCR Monthly Total, Ppl 2+, based on Jan-July 2019 month avg, 2019. Our ongoing purpose ABC CONTENT PLAN 2020-22 Although the landscape has changed significantly, the ABC’s purpose and the community’s need for public broadcasting services remains essential. 10 Over the next 3 years, we will continue to: Inform – by helping people stay up-to-date, understand and act on the stories that matter to them. Entertain – in ways that are distinctive, relatable and uniquely Australian. Educate, inspire and explain – by exploring the world we live in and our place in it. Make a difference – by promoting positive change for individuals and society as a whole. Connect the nation – by celebrating and reflecting on the things that bring us together. Left: Antony Green ABC CONTENT PLAN 2020-22 Inform For example: We’ll help people stay up-to-date, More outer metropolitan coverage understand and act on the stories In 2020 ABC News is sharpening its focus on serving that matter to them by: Australians who live in outer metropolitan areas. We have already embedded our teams in areas as diverse as Tarneit • working with people and communities and Box Hill (VIC), Sunnybank (QLD) and Mandurah (WA) to to identify and share the stories, raise the issues that matter most to those communities. As part of this we will be expanding our bureau in Parramatta (NSW) to concerns and topics that matter to them ensure we have the broadest range of issues and perspectives • objectively reporting on issues represented in our news. and events as they happen, focusing US Election on stories that are vital for strong The 2020 US Election will be keenly watched around the globe.