The New ABC Building in South Brisbane

Our public broadcaster reflects a commercial network

The ABC is relocating its Queensland headquarters to a purpose-built broadcasting facility on the corner of Grey Street and Russell Street, South Brisbane, situated between the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) and Griffith University’s Queensland Conservatorium of Music. This move is known as the Brisbane Accommodation Project.

The ABC evacuated its Toowong site in December 2006 over concern about staff health and safety following the identification of a cancer cluster.

The Queensland Government worked closely with the ABC throughout the site selection process, and in December 2008 ABC Managing Director Mark Scott announced that the new location had been confirmed at South Bank.

On October 30, 2009, the Queensland Premier, Anna Bligh MP, and the Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Anthony Albanese MP, announced joint State and Federal Government funding for the collocation of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) with the ABC in its new building at South Bank.

ABC News Report  December 13 2011

Brisbane Times Report

Senate Inquiry 2011 : Recent ABC programming decisions

Recommendation 1

3.50         The committee recommends that the ABC ensure that it maintains an effective capacity to internally produce quality programming across the regions in addition to news, sport and current affairs. The committee notes that the increasing use of external producers has the capacity to diminish the ABC’s independence and skill base.

3.51         The committee calls on the ABC and the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy to identify and implement processes which ensure value for money, transparency and skill retention. In the context of the need to maintain the ABC’s skills base, the committee calls on ABC management to immediately reassess the implications of any employment decision on its capacity to deliver quality programming across the network.

Recommendation 2

3.69         The committee recommends that ABC management sets out in detail where it sees its future as a broadcaster and a content producer, and particularly with reference to the ABC Charter responsibilities of balancing programs of wide appeal and specialist interest as well as how ABC programming reflects the cultural and regional diversity of the Australian community.

Recommendation 3

3.74         The committee recommends that ABC management release a draft television production strategy for staff, community and private sector consultation, prior to its finalisation.

Recommendation 4

3.75         The committee recommends that the ABC consult with stakeholders prior to making significant changes to either internal creative and production structures or state-based activities.

Recommendation 5

3.76         The committee draws the attention of ABC management to the ABC Charter obligations to ‘encourage and promote arts, including musical, dramatic and other performing arts’ and calls on ABC management to urgently publish a strategy outlining how it can meet this obligation given the planned disbanding of the ABC arts unit.

Recommendation 6

3.87         The committee recommends that wherever appropriate the ABC include free archival use clauses in all future co-production contracts.

Recommendation 7

3.99         The committee recommends that the ABC publish annual targets of regional content on ABC television against which it reports in order to meet its Charter obligation to ‘reflect the cultural diversity of the Australian community’ and to promote ongoing internal program production in the BAPH states and regional Australia.

Recommendation 8

3.132    The committee recommends that the ABC actively manage its production facility infrastructure, particularly in the BAPH states, so that it is utilised as effectively as possible.

Recommendation 9

3.133    The committee recommends that the government take into account the findings of the Convergence Review about the structure of the media market and investment in Australian content by all broadcasters when considering the ABC’s funding needs in the forthcoming triennial funding round.

Recommendation 10

3.148  The committee recommends that as part of the triennial funding round, the government consider the ABC’s capacity to maintain a critical mass of staff, skills, infrastructure and production in regional areas.

Submission to the Inquiry from Friends of the ABC (Vic)  (PDF 267KB)

• Information about the Inquiry
• Submissions Received
• Public Hearings and Transcripts
• Report

Latest Update Newsletter

Further information on matters in News+Views Spring 2011

• ‘Shutting down ABC TV production’ by Quentin Dempster
• Inquiry into ABC Cuts 2011 – FABC submission
• 66 prominent Australians oppose ABC TV arts cuts
• Radio National – 2012 changes:
  • FABC letter to ABC re RN review
  • FABC letter to ABC re draft RN 2012 schedule
  • RN’s draft 2012 program schedule

Celebrating an ABC Milestone!

Phillip Adams from Latelline Web

This year marks an extraordinary anniversary in Australian broadcasting as Phillip Adams celebrates 20 years as presenter of ABC Radio National’s flagship program, Late Night Live. Phillip’s first program was broadcast on 28 January 1991, and Late Night Live remains one of the ABC’s most listened to and downloaded programs.

If you’re one of Phillip’s Gladdies, Poddies or Noddies, click here to leave your comments about Phillip and what Late Night Live has meant to you.

James Dibble RIP

James Dibble Youtube

Media Coverage

ABC News Online December  13 2010

The Daily Telegraph December 13, 2010

Wikipedia Entry

Adrift in a neo-con fantasy land – by David Salter in The Australian

ANTI-ABC voices misunderstand the industry and fear the loss of profits.

YET again, The Australian has devoted prominent space on its opinion pages to a proponent of the view that the ABC should be privatised, abolished or at least have the range of its activities restricted by legislation.

The latest messenger of the newspaper’s fatwa against public broadcasting is Judith Sloan. She repeats a familiar Aunty-bashing charge, asking why taxpayers should be funding the ABC “to compete against private providers who both want to and can do everything that the ABC can do”. That one rhetorical question parades so many straw men and false assumptions that it needs to be challenged in detail.

Full story here.

FABC Election Report 2010

Supporting the ABC	2010 Election Report
Key issues:  Independence -  Funding  International Broadcasting from political & commercial influence

Friends of the ABC’s election report is a summary assessment of the results of its election questionnaire. Note: . Targeted funding undermines the ABC’s independence. It is important that all operational funding be provided as part of the ABC’s base triennial funding to promote the ABC’s arms-length operation from government. . The position of staff-elected director on the ABC Board, abolished by the last Coalition Government, is an important counter to governments that stack the Board and ensures at least one member of the board with public broadcasting experience. . The last Coalition Government put Australia’s international television service, established by the ABC, out to tender. The contract expires next year and powerful commercial media interests are lobbying to take the service away from the ABC.

Greens	support increased base triennial funding (to rebuild the ABC and to enable it to introduce new services, such as an education channel) and indexation that ensures funding is maintained in real terms propose a per capita funding model to protect ABC funding from political vagaries support the introduction of a transparent, merit-based selection process for ABC Board appointments, and restoration of the staff-elected position on the ABC Board support the current prohibition on advertising and sponsorship on radio and TV being extended to online support Australia’s publicly-funded international television service remaining with the ABC support the ABC maintaining a strong in-house production capacity
Labor Government	Labor only provided to FABC its record in government. The Labor Government: increased base triennial funding. Extra funding was for new initiatives only (i.e., not to rebuild the ABC), with the exception of funds for local tv drama – now entirely outsourced practised a merit-based ABC Board appointment system The legislation the Government introduced to embed the system and restore the staff-elected position to the Board lapses as a result of the election. has not extended to online services the prohibition on advertising and sponsorship on radio and TV has not announced whether or not it will put the ABC’s international television service out to tender
Liberal-National Coalition	promised only not to cut ABC funding already committed, i.e. until 2012; and no commitment beyond that time that funding would not be targeted to specific area supports the introduction of a new transparent and merit-based ABC Board appointments system, but with qualifications would not restore the staff-elected position on the ABC Board would maintain the current prohibition on advertising and sponsorship on radio and TV, but not extend the ban to ABC online would again put Australia’s public funded international television service out to tender

Friends of the ABC’s questionnaire, along with replies and an outline of what FABC is seeking is at www.fabc.org.au

Printed & authorised by Glenys Stradijot, Friends of the ABC (Vic) Inc. A0034181A. 208 Bank Street, South Melbourne, Vic 3205. 16Aug10



Where Are They Now? A Campaign Suggestion

In June 1996  100 Prominent Australians who think the ABC is worth saving wrote an open letter to the then Prime Minister expressing concerns which remain current, 13 years later!!!

Perhaps we need to contract those 100 Prominant Australians and add to their ranks in another opne letter this year?

Suporting Save Our SBS Campaign

Save Our SBS Campaign

Rebuild the ABC NOW!

The Labor Government is well aware of the shortfall in ABC funding. Leaks from the KPMG report on ABC funding reveal the ABC needs an additional $125.8 m for the next 3 years just to continue at its current depleted level of operation. The commercial creep is on as the ABC seeks to supplement its inadequate funds with commercial activities.

Write to Prime Minister Rudd: Ask how the Labor Government will adequately fund the ABC and keep it commercial-free. Ask what it will do in the forthcoming May Federal Budget to rebuild the ABC.

The Honourable Kevin Rudd MP, Prime Minister, Parliament House, Canberra 2600.