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What’s New?
Read the Latest Edition of On Air and Background Briefing
You can now read bot the September 2008 issue of our newsletter On Air, produced by the Friends of the ABC (ACT & Region), and the latest edition of the national newsletter Background Briefing, available at this page on the FABC National Resource Centre website. You will need Adobe Reader to read it—for details on how to get this (a free download) visit our Canberra archive page, where you can also read back issues of On Air.
ABC Ahead of the Game with New Media Venture
In a letter to the Canberra Times, the President of FABC (ACT & Region), Jill Greenwell, points out that the ABC’s venture into an Internet service is yet another example of how the public broadcaster is serving the community by taking a long-term view that commercial channels just can’t:
…only a public broadcaster which can take such risks. It is because the ABC does not have to deliver profits to advertisers that it can look to the long-term. It delivers programmes—whenever we want access to them, wherever we are—to us, the audience. And after the risk has paid off, the commercial channels will follow. Full text
666 ABC Canberra Awarded Station of the Year in Local Radio Awards!
At the 2008 ABC Local Radio Awards, our local station 666 ABC Canberra won the coveted Station of the Year (Metropolitan) award. Congratulations to everyone who helped to make this happen!
You can read about the awards, with details of all the winners, in this media release on the ABC website.
Farewell to John Cargher
John Cargher, presenter of Singers of Renown for 42 years has died at his home in Melbourne, aged 89. In a media release, Sue Howard, Director of ABC Radio & Regional Content, said “The ABC was extremely fortunate to have John Cargher’s talent and dedication on air for over 40 years and we will miss him”.
Australia 2020 Summit
Read submissions to the Australia 2020 Summit about the ABC from FABC branches and members here.
You can also read submissions on the official 2020 site.
Mark Scott’s lobbying too
This article on the ABC’s website describes how the ABC’s Managing Director, Mark Scott, and his staff have been busy lobbying the new Government over funding, as indeed have members of the FABC (ACT & Region) Committee (see below). Indeed there is good reason to be lobbying, as there are many signs that the Government is looking to make cuts wherever it can.
So what about you? If you want to add your voice to the calls for the ABC’s funding to be maintained at levels that will allow it to carry out its role properly, why not play your part by sending an email to one or more of your local representatives?
To send an email to your Federal Member or to one of the ACT Senators, just click the relevant link below:
Annette Ellis MP, Member for Canberra:
Annette.Ellis.MP@aph.gov.au
The Hon. Bob McMullan, MP, Member for Fraser:
Bob.McMullan.MP@aph.gov.au
Senator Gary Humphries:
senator.humphries@aph.gov.au
Senator Kate Lundy:
senator.lundy@aph.gov.au
The Hon Dr Mike Kelly AM, MP for Eden-Monaro: follow this link
http://www.aph.gov.au/house/members/memfeedback.asp?id=HRI
ABC Board vacancies to stay unfilled for the time being
The following is an excerpt from a recent Media Release reporting on a number of issues discussed at a meeting between the new Minister for Communications, Stephen Conroy, and FABC representatives from the ACT, New South Wales and Qeeensland. The full text is here.
The Australian government would not fill two soon-to-be vacant positions on the ABC Board, until it could establish a fair, merit based appointment process, according to the Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy.
… Senator Conroy said he supported adequate government funding for the ABC and noted that that degrees of commercialisation should be governed by a properly appointed, independent, ABC Board.
Full text
President’s Report 2007
You can now read the full text of the President’s Report, delivered to the last Annual General Meeting.
‘The Taking of the ABC’
In this article FABC National Spokesperson Professor Alan Knight describes some of the effects on the ABC that have resulted from actions of the Coalition Government.
Visit our New Election Page !
NOTE. We’ll be retaining the material on our Election Page even though the election’s now over, to provide us with a record of the promises made. However, we”ll be redoing the presentation shortly to make it more like a historical record. Please bear with us!
We now have a new Election Page, on which you can find out what the parties have said about a few issues relating to the ABC. If you’re concerned about the future of the ABC, this page is well worth visiting.
Also check out the two election fliers that we have now sent to targeted addresses: this one to voters in the Eden-Monaro electorate and this one to voters in certain Canberra suburbs. The cartoon opposite features in both and was very generously donated by freelance cartoonist Fiona Katauskas—another cartoon of hers can still be seen if you scroll down this page.
Welcome to New Committee Members
The recent AGM saw the election of new members to our Committee. We’re happy to welcome Ben Chaplin and Pam Garrett as newcomers to the Committee, along with Rick Godfrey, who’s returning to the Committee after a long break. Pam will be working with Ann Hosking as joint editors of our newsletter On Air and Ben will be helping Howard with the managing of this website (yeah!).
Former newsletter editor Mark Notaras is now living in Japan but has promised he will stay in touch. We have a big debt of gratitude to Mark, as well as to Margaret O’Connor—a former President and National Spokesperson—who resigned earlier in the year after making a great contribution in both these roles and in many other ways.
More on the ABC’s Natural History Unit
A group of prominent scientists and environmentalists has written an open letter to the ABC board, seeking the reopening of the public broadcaster's natural history unit. See this article from The Age.
Speaking of the drift towards advertising, what about the SBS?
If you’re concerned about the possibility of the ABC heading down the commercial route, spare a thought too for the SBS. Visit this site to sign a petition calling for an end to advertising on SBS.
ABC Closes Natural History Unit—No Warning, No Public Discussion
As part of an apparent move to remove by stealth all in-house program production, the ABC’s Natural History Unit is to close, with the resignation of the Director, Diane Gilmour, and the deployment of staff to other areas. See this report in The Australian. This has happened with almost no media coverage—the only other media report appears to be in this article in Crikey, though you’ll have to be a subscriber to read it in full—and no public consultation, and there is no media release on the ABC’s website.
Members are urged to write letters to the ABC and to newspapers questioning this underhand approach and demanding public discussion of this and any other planned removal of in-house production.
The Canberra Times has now published this letter about the closure from Jill Greenwell, President of the FABC (ACT & Region).
No Ads on ABC Websites—While Funding Is Maintained
The ABC’s Managing Director, Mark Scott, has now said that advertising on ABC websites is ruled out—as long as funding is maintained. See, for instance, this article. Or read the full speech by Mark Scott at which this statement was made. For comments by Quentin Dempster, see this article.
Ridicule for David Barnett’s Remarks on Howard and the ABC
Readers of the Canberra Times (6 August) may have noticed David Barnett’s extraordinary article listing as one of John Howard’s shortcomings his ‘failure to get the ABC under any sort of control’, leaving it (in Barnett’s view) an organ of the ‘far left, the Greenies and the loonies’. His remarks provoked ridicule in a number of letters to the editor, including this one from John Ley, committee member of the FABC (ACT & Region).
Article by Piers Akerman
Yes the ABC is under-funded and Yes, Friends of the ABC are right to be worried about the ABC under the Howard Government.
Contrary to assertions from Piers Akerman in the Sydney Daily Telegraph on 24 July, the Howard government did cut the ABC’s budget—by $66m—immediately after its election 11 years ago. Unmentioned by Akerman—and generally hidden from public awareness—is the Howard Government’s control over any extra funds it’s since given the ABC: that $88.2 million in new funding for 2006–09 is restricted to that period. It is not, as the ABC wanted, going into the ABC’s ongoing ‘base’ funding. It cuts out after three years. Just the same as with the ‘National Interest Initiative Programme’ funding of the Jonathan Shier days—tied, so that the ABC has to regularly go back and ask for more—to retain projects like our ACT weekend TV news bulletin.
Contrary to Akerman’s assertions, Friends of the ABC are not party-politically motivated. We are genuinely unaligned with any party, and genuinely critical of any party which threatens the independence and the capacity of the ABC.
The Daily Telegraph published this letter from FABC National Spokesperson Professor Alan Knight responding to Akerman’s artilce.
For further rebuttals of the assertions made by Akerman, see this article by Darce Cassidy on our National Resources website.
ABC’s 75th birthday
The ABC has celebrated its 75th birthday! Congratulations from all your Friends!
Prime Minister Joseph Lyons launched the national broadcaster’s first radio station on 1 July 1932. The Canberra Times published this editorial on 3 July, reflecting on where the ABC has come and where it is heading. This excerpt describes the present Government’s attitude towards the ABC:
The Howard Government (along with conservative commentators in the media, and elsewhere) has been a particularly trenchant critic of the ABC. Shortly after coming to power in 1996, the Government cut the ABC’s funding by 10 per cent, and although these cuts have since been restored, the Coalition remains suspicious of the ABC. Prime Minister Howard has also been assiduous in stacking the ABC’s board with his own appointees, many of whom are not just social and political conservatives but outspoken critics of the ABC as well.
Additions to photo gallery
This site has had a photo gallery for some time, but it hasn’t had any updates for a very long time.
Until now, that is. Have a look at the new contents—photos of last year’s dinner, featuring Chris Masters.
Rudd vows ALP will end political Board appointments
Kevin Rudd has vowed that the ALP would end political appointments to the ABC Board, according to this report in The Sydney Morning Herald. See also this report in The Australian and this article by Lindsay Tanner in The Age.
The FABC National Spokesperson Professor Alan Knight has issued a media release calling for the Government to do so too (follow the link for the full text):
Friends of the ABC is calling on the Howard Government to match Labor’s promise to de-politicise the ABC Board … For too long there have been appointments to the ABC Board that fulfil neither the criteria of merit nor independence, let alone both. Full text
Did the Board ‘push’ the ABC to air global warming sceptics’ film?
There have been claims that the ABC Board may have applied pressure to have the film The Great Global Warming Scandal scheduled for showing on the ABC later this year—see reports in The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian. The film has been widely reported as containing several factual errors and misrepresenting well-known scientists. The Sydney Morning Herald published an article by George Monbiot, which gives a good review of some of the reaction to the film when it was originally presented in Britain.
The FABC’s new National Spokesperson, Professor Alan Knight, put out a statement about the issue. Here’s an extract (follow the link for the full text):
An unbalanced Board should not intervene in the selection of ABC programs … Balance should not negate fairness, accuracy or intellectual rigour. Nor should it be used as an excuse by a politically motivated Board to to try to impose its wacko world view on the Australian public. Full text
Professor Knight also has a letter on this topic published in The Age on 26 May.
If you are concerned about the showing of the film and wish to write to the ABC Board, you may like to follow this link and use the form provided by the Nature Conservation Council, either using the suggested text or modifying it as you wish.
ABC axes Talking Books service
The ABC is to axe its department ABC Audio, which produces audio books used by the print handicapped. See this article in the Sydney Morning Herald. This is an excerpt from a letter to the Editor of the SMH from Jill Greenwell, President of the Firends of the ABC (ACT & Region):
So the ABC has axed the production of talking books because it is unprofitable (“Talking books axed by Aunty”, May 18). Wasn’t that why the ABC didn’t go ahead with the publication of Jonestown? This latest decision is a heartless illustration of the ABC’s increasing commercialism. Full text
More About Advertising on ABC Websites
The issue of advertising on ABC websites was raised again recently in an article by Margaret Simons in Crikey:
The reality is that at present the ABC has no clear policy on taking advertising online. Until there is one, ABC watchers are going to be anxious and with good reason. Full text
Renewed Interest in Advertising for ABC Websites
The issue of advertising on ABC websites is getting media attention again. The impetus was the publication of a media release by ABC Managing Director Mark Scott, in which he refers specifically to ‘pursuing the potential for new revenue streams afforded by digital technology’. The following is an extract from a letter to the editor in the Sydney Morning Herald by Judith Rodriguez, President of the FABC (Victoria).
The future of the ABC as a commercial-free media service that is accessible to all in the community is under serious threat … The national public broadcaster is not meant to be a business. It was conceived as a service to the public—an independent educational and cultural institution that enriches the country and the lives of its citizens. One which has already been paid for through our taxes. Full text
Please visit our page Advertising and Commercialism for the ABC? for more links to information on this whole topic.
Another Article on Advertising and the ABC
For more on the topic of advertising and the ABC, you can now read the full text of an address titled Your ABC: Sold on Ads? by Jill Greenwell, President of the FABC (ACT & Region), to the Independent Scholars Association of Australia.
Launch of ‘What the FABC Are Fighting For’ At FABC Dinner
Our Annual Dinner this year not only featured Chris Masters as speaker, drawing our highest numbers yet, but also provided the occasion to launch the document What the FABC Are Fighting For. This document sets out the key ideas that underlie the activities of the FABC and of others striving for a commitment to public broadcasting. Its intention is to get back to the basics of why a public broadcaster in so important to our democracy, our culture, and indeed our national identity. At a time when the ABC has been coming under strident criticism, and when the ABC itself is increasingly defensive, it is crucial that the public is aware of the significance of a public broadcaster, and that it is aware of the threats to our public broadcaster—the ABC’s—independence and courage.
A number of prominent Canberra people have publicly endorsed the document, including Bishop Pat Power, novelist Marion Halligan and former National Gallery Director Betty Churcher—the full list appears at the end of the document.
Annual General Meeting 2006
The AGM of the Friends of the ABC (ACT & Region) was held on 28 October 2006 and was followed by a talk by Virginia Haussegger. The meeting was very well attended, and members had to vie for seats in the Griffin Centre meeting room.
Jill Greenwell presented her President’s Report. Highlights of the meeting included a motion expressing concern at the changes to the ABC’s editorial policies and the appointment of a Director of Editorial Policies and asking the President to convey this concern to the Board of the ABC. This motion was carried unanimously and the President has since sent this letter to the ABC’s Managing Director, Mark Scott. The meeting also agreed on a small increase in our annual membership fee—though concession rates will remain unchanged.
The ABC’s New Editorial Policies
The ABC Managing Director’s new moves, announced in his speech to the Australia Institute, to achieve ‘balance’ in ABC programs has brought a flood of commentary. These are a few links you may like to check, just to start with:
- Crikey
- Matthew Ricketson in The Age
- Changes to Media Watch?
- Sharon Beder in The Age
- Leading article in the Canberra Times
Also check out this letter from Jill Greenwell, President FABC (ACT & Region), published in the Canberra Times. This and other letters to the editor on this topic are collected on our Media Releases and Letters page.
NOTE The cartoon opposite was very generously donated by freelance cartoonist Fiona Katauskas, whose cartoons have appeared in a range of publications, including the Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, the Australian Financial Review, The Bulletin and The Chaser. Please visit her website.
New Website Section: Advertising on the ABC?
Our website now has a new section, Advertising on the ABC?, where we’ll be putting links to a number of articles on proposals to introduce advertising for the ABC, the inclusion of ABC content on sites containing advertising, and other matters broadly relating to creeping commercialism on the ABC. You’ll find a few links there already, and we expect to add to them shortly. Click on the link and see what you think!
ABC’s Triennial Funding 2006-09: an Analysis
The recent ABC Budget was delivered with so much spin from the Government that it’s hard for the average citizen to gauge what its true effect on the ABC’s activities is likely to be. To cloud the picture further, the Government has still refused to release publicly the results of the ABC Funding Adequacy and Efficiency Review undertaken by KPMG (at great cost to the taxpayer)—though this refusal in itself should make most half-awake citizens suspicious of some of the Government’s claims.
To help you to get a more accurate picture, our President, Jill Greenwell, has now put out this article, which includes, among other things, a comparison of the ABC’s own assessments of its future needs with what it actually received.
Mark Scott Interviewed for the ABC’s Sunday Profile
On 16 July, the ABC broadcast, as part of its series Sunday Profile, an interview with Mark Scott, the new Managing Director of the ABC, who had then been in the job only ten days. (The link takes you to a page on the ABC website on which you can read a transcript, or listen to a replay, of the interview.)
ABC Drops Biography of Alan Jones: Media Release
The following is an extract from a media release put out by Margaret O’Connor, the FABC National Spokesperson in response to the news that the ABC has decided to drop its biography of Alan Jones. Follow the link for the full text.
‘The Friends of the ABC are “appalled” at reports that the ABC Board has effectively censored Chris Masters’ biography on prominent media figure Alan Jones’, Friends Spokesperson Ms Margaret O’Connor said today … If what was said in the reports is correct, the ABC Board has not only done enormous damage to the ABC’s reputation, but more serious damage to their own.’ Full text
(This media release was published as a letter in the Canberra Times on 6 July.)
New Address for This Website
This website is now hosted on a new server, giving us much more room and providing many other advantages. The address is now
www.fabcact.org
Up to now this has been an alternative address; now it is our only address—however, if you go to our old address (http://members.vicnet.net.au/~fabact), you will be redirected here.
If you have added this site to your list of favourites, or created a link from another site, please make sure you’re now using the new address.
Photo Gallery
Some time ago we introduced our photo gallery, intended to provide a pictorial record of some of our activities, but had to discontinue it through lack of space on the old server. Our new hosting arrangements give us plenty of space, so the photo gallery has been restored, even though it currently contains only material from some years ago. We therefore have the opportunity to add further pictures and bring our collection up to date. Please contact a member of the Committee if you would like to submit photos (preferably, but not necessarily, in digital format) that you think would be suitable for the site.
Media Release: Appointment of Keith Windschuttle to ABC Board
The following is an extract from a media release put out by Margaret O’Connor, the FABC National Spokesperson in response to the recent news that Keith Windschuttle has been appointed to fill one of the vacant positions on the ABC Board. Follow the link for the complete text of the media release. (Note: Board appointments are currently made unilaterally by the Government, who generally use them to further their own agendas and who have repeatedly rejected all attempts to put in place a more transparent and accountable process like that now used in Britain.)
Given the fact that the Board now has three Directors who have been associated with the conservative magazine Quadrant, what on earth is the Australian public supposed to make of this? How are we supposed to believe that the Government has any commitment to a fair and balanced Board? … For the Minister to argue that the Board represents an appropriate balance is quite astonishing in the circumstances. Full text
Other interesting comments about this appointment, and about Keith Windschuttle, have been made by Mike Carlton in the Sydney Morning Herald, Robert Manne in The Age and Stephen Mayne in Crikey. You may also be interested to read this interview about the appointment with the Minister, Helen Coonan, on the ABC’s program PM, if only to see her struggling to evade questions about the political composition of the Board.
‘No ABC No Way’ Article
This article, by President of Friends of the ABC (ACT & Region) Jill Greenwell, appeared in the May issue of Dissent and is reproduced here for anyone who may have missed it on the news stands. (You will need Adobe Reader to read it—for details on how to obtain it free visit our Canberra archive page.)
Leave Aunty ad free: another letter in the Canberra Times
Below is an excerpt from a letter to the editor in the Canberra Times by Jill Greenwell, President of the Friends of the ABC (Canberra & Region), following the announcement of the appointment of Mark Scott as the ABC’s new managing director. Follow the link for the full text.
Mr Scott was non-committal about revenue from advertising, but Helen Coonan’s reported exhortation to keep an open mind on the topic should be alarming, especially as this minister is skilled at not sounding alarms, but breaking and entering anyway. Full text
Media Release: Aunty Poor Relation in Budget Spend-Up
The following paragraph is an excerpt from a media release issued by Margaret O’Connor, the Friends of the ABC’s National Spokesperson, in response to the Budget. Follow the link for the full text.
‘When the Government prides itself on huge Budget surpluses, what motivation does it have in starving the ABC? Given the fact that Australia’s coffers are awash with funds, it is disgraceful that the ABC has been given the fiscal equivalent of a sandwich and a milk shake. Its funding situation is a national tragedy which the Friends predict will become an election issue under the banner “How badly do we want a public broadcaster?”’ Full text
Yet another letter in the Canberra Times
From a letter to the editor in the Canberra Times by Jill Greenwell, President of the Friends of the ABC (Canberra & Region):
The minister says ‘there should be no question about the constituency that ABC directors are accountable to’. That would seem an excellent justification for a merit-based, transparent process of board appointments along British lines, but not for sending Ramona Koval to the sin bin. Full text
Recent Media Articles and Debate on the ABC
The proposal to discontinue the position of Staff Representative on the Board of the ABC, announced by Minister Senator Helen Coonan in a media release on 24 March, has been discussed widely in Parliament, the media and elsewhere. Stephen Conroy, the Shadow Minister for Communications, issued this media release.
Subsequently Stephen Conroy made this speech, covering a number of issues relevant to the ABC, in a Matters of Public Importance (MPI) debate in the Senate.
The future of Donald McDonald’s chairmanship of the Board has also been discussed widely—see this article in The Bulletin and an accompanying interview with Helen Coonan. For a detailed analysis of the situation of Donald McDonald and the ABC’s performance in general, you may also like to see Michelle Grattan’s article in The Age. The interview with Helen Coonan just mentioned also touches on the issue of the possible introduction of advertising on the ABC and other topics.
For a report on the GetUp petition (see the item below), have a look at this article in The Age.
Another Letter to the Editor in Canberra Times
Here’s a brief excerpt from a great letter to the editor of the Canberra Times by Friend of the ABC Jane Timbrell, published 27 March 2006. Follow the link to read the whole letter.
It is a despicable example of political spin by Senator Helen Coonan to abolish the staff-elected director of the ABC board on the grounds of “modern principles of corporate governance”. Full text
Materials from our Letter-Writing Workshop
As reported elsewhere on this page, the Friends of the ABC (ACT and Region) recently held a successful Letter-Writing Workshop (now we are developing plans to hold another). Some members have asked to see copies of the materials that were provided to participants, and it was decided to make them available through this website.
You can now view the materials by following the links given on this page.
Reactions to the Government’s Media Release on Reform of the Media
The Government’s recent media release foreshadowing changes to Australia’s media laws has provoked a good deal of reaction, including comments on the possible introduction of advertising on the ABC. The most recent issue of The Bulletin magazine also contained extensive material on the ABC, including an interview with Helen Coonan, Minister for Communications, IT and the Arts—follow this link for a summary. You can also read the media release itself here.
President of the FABC, Jill Greenwell, had a letter published in the Canberra Times commenting on Senator Humphries’ support for so-called ‘discreet advertising’ on the ABC.
The Australian Democrats put out a media release titled ‘Keep Ads off the ABC’.
FABC Media Release on Commercialisation
The following paragraph is an excerpt from a Media Release issued by Friends of the ABC National Spokesperson Margaret O’Connor, in response to recent public comments raising the issue of advertising on the ABC:
The critical issue at the moment is what the ABC will receive in the forthcoming May Budget, rather than discussions about the supposed benefits of commercialization. Senator Humphries, a self-proclaimed Friend of the ABC, has a misguided belief in discreet advertising, which is an oxymoron, and seems to believe that commercial activities can be consistent with the ABC’s Charter. Full text
One More FABC Member on the Canberra Times Letters Page!
Another letter can be now be added to the list of letters to the editor of the Canberra Times mentioned in the item below. The letter from Judith Iltis published on 13 February brings the total to five so far.
FABC Members on the Canberra Times Letters Page
After the letter-writing workshop that we held recently, the Canberra Times has printed four letters from members of the FABC relating to the ABC Funding Submission. Members have also sent letters to the Estimates Committee and numerous policians.
A media release put out by Margaret O’Connor (FABC National Spokesperson) gives more background on the issue. You may also want to read media releases by Stephen Conroy and Peter Garrett following up the Funding Submission.
FABC Submissions to the ABC Funding Adequacy Review
On 6 September, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, announced in a media release that KPMG Australia will be engaged to undertake the ABC Funding Adequacy and Efficiency Review, requested by the Board of the ABC.
Have a look at submissions made by branches of the Friends of the ABC, and others, at this page on the DCITA website.
ABC Wins Tender for Asia-Pacific TV!
Friends of the ABC can breathe a sigh of relief that the tender to manage Asia-Pacific TV has been awarded to the ABC, and control of this service has therefore not been allowed to fall into the hands of the SkyTV consortium that was also bidding (see this item below).
For more details, have a look at the media release put out by the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
One Good Reason Why the ABC Needs More Funds
A speech on this year’s budget by Bob McMullan, the Federal Member of Parliament for Fraser, included some strong words about underfunding of the ABC:
The ABC had local drama output in 2001 of 102 hours; in 2004, it was 21 hours. That is an 80 per cent fall. I repeat the alarming situation whereby the ABC might 'stop producing Australian drama altogether'.
Full text
The above is just a brief excerpt—follow the link for the full text of the part of the speech relating to the ABC.
New Frequencies for NewsRadio and Radio Australia Programs
The frequency for NewsRadio broadcasting in Canberra will be altered on 1 July from 1440 kHz on the AM band to 103.9 MHz on the FM band, or 99.9 MHz for listeners in Tuggeranong. This will be the new frequency for Radio Australia's Asia Pacific program, available to Australian listeners on NewsRadio. The broadcast times of 9–9:30pm, Mon–Fri (not when Parliament is sitting), will remain the same. NewsRadio programs are also available by streaming audio on the World Wide Web. Further details at http://www.abc.net.au/ra/asiapac/ or (for Radio Australia) on our page Australia‘s Voice Overseas.
ABC Welcomes ABA finding that AM war coverage was balanced
The ABC's Managing Director Russell Balding has issued a statement on the release of the findings of the thirteen-month ABA investigation into complaints about AM's coverage of the war in Iraq.
The ABC welcomes the ABA's finding, after its thirteen-month investigation of AM's coverage of the war in Iraq, that AM was balanced ... The ABC, however, continues to be concerned that the basis upon which the ABA seeks to justify its conclusions is flawed.
Full text
The ABA has issued a news release describing the main points of its findings. You may also like to read the full report (132 pages, PDF format).
Janet Albrechtsen Appointed to ABC Board
The Minister for Communications, Senator Helen Coonan, has announced the appointment of Janet Albrechtsen, a conservative columnist with The Australian and harsh critic of the ABC, to the Board of the ABC. This follows a long tradition of Australian governments stacking the Board with their own supporters. For more on this story see, for example, this article in the Sydney Morning Herald.
In 2002, the ABC’s Media Watch program accused Albrechtsen of plagiarism and misrepresenting her sources in some of her columns about Islamic gang rape problems in Sydney.
Margaret O'Connor, National Spokesperson for the FABC, issued a media release on the appointment. Here are some excerpts:
... Commenting on the appointment Friends spokesperson Ms Margaret O’Connor said: “ I think it is fair to describe Ms Albrechtsen as an ideological zealot, which, in itself, does not disqualify her from the ABC board. Our problem is with the political balance on the ABC board, and with the appointment process ...
It is time that the government followed the example of the Conservative government in the UK and implemented an open, transparent and non-partisan method of finding qualified people to run our national broadcaster. Full text
This issue has also provoked a stream of letters to the editor published in Australian newspapers on 26 February. Jill Greenwell, President of FABC (ACT & Region), made her mark in both this letter to The Canberra Times and this one in the Sydney Morning Herald. Other letters on the issue appeared on the same day in The Age and The Australian. (The Financial Review contained one that day from John Murphy MP - not on this issue, but complaining about a suggestion that the ABC should compete for funding with other commercial media companies.)
Calling Letter Writers!
Would you like to add your letter to those already published on the issue of Board appointments? Or on another topic? For Friends of the ABC who would like to write letters supporting the ABC we have set up an internal website with more background information, letters (unpublished as well as published), and correspondence with ABC Management (with responses where we have them). The new website, most of which is restricted to registered users, allows you to post your own suggestions, letters or drafts, and comment on any topic you like. Have a look at the Home Page, and if you're interested in taking part, contact Vernu Venugoban ().
This new site, by the way, is an example of a 'wiki' website—a website allowing participation by visitors. If this term is new to you, this page, from our wiki website provider, provides a simple explanation.
Will Coalition Senate Control Kill the ABC?
The Coalition is set to take control of the Senate on 1 July. An article in The Canberra Times (23 Feb 2005) by Trish Bolton of Swinburne University asks if it will then be ‘open season’ on the ABC.
How realistic is it to expect that an under-funded and besieged Aunty will be able to perform her watchdog role when the pack is baying for her blood? ... The ABC has already paid dearly for scrutinising government and big business without fear or favour, and for behaving as if she’s a guardian of the Fourth Estate ... Full text
The Canberra Times subsequently published this letter from Jill Greenwell, President of FABC (ACT & Region).
Appointing the ABC Board
The issue of appointing the Board of the ABC has been a recurring theme for the Friends of the ABC, under both the present Government and Labor governments. In the lead-up to the recent election, the Coalition put forward objections to the FABC's proposal to reform the process of Board appointments by adopting the so-called Nolan Rules now used in Britain. This article addresses some of the most commonly raised objections.
George Negus Tonight
Jill Greenwell, President of the FABC (ACT and Region), recently issued a media release responding to an ABC Media Release titled “ABC TV Program Changes”, which referred obliquely to the axing of four out of five of George Negus’s weeknight programs.
... Why is GNT being slashed? Not only George Negus, but his audience, deserve a straightforward explanation.... Full text
You can read more about this in the December issue of On Air.
The Free Trade Agreement—Agreed
The government has agreed to the ALP amendments to the USFTA implementing legislation and it has passed through the Senate. However, Prime Minister Howard has signalled that the US government may yet object to the amendment and the US Trade Representative has said that the US government reserves the right to examine both the amendment and the legislation to ensure that they are consistent with the text of the agreement. If the US decides that the legislation is consistent with the agreement, the final confirmation of the agreement should occur in October, and the agreement will come into force from January 2005.
The Prime Minister’s comments confirm that the USFTA gives the US the right to object to legislation that does not conform to the agreement on medicines policy and on other policy areas that are included in the agreement. This is a reduction in our sovereignty and democratic rights to determine our own policies.
The President of FABC (ACT and Region), Jill Greenwell, has put out a statement describing the implications of the agreement and the ALP’s amendments.
Australia–US Free Trade Agreement
The following are excerpts from media releases put out by FABC National Spokesperson Margaret O’Connor and President of the FABC (ACT and Regions), Jill Greenwell (follow the links for the full text).
Friends of the ABC were dumbfounded to hear Senator Rod Kemp on ABC AM (27 July 2004) baldly state that Australian local content is protected under the terms of the proposed US Free Trade Agreement, Friends of the ABC Spokesperson Margaret O'Connor said today. ‘Senator Kemp should examine its provisions a little more closely,’ said Ms O'Connor. ... Full text
Australia will certainly be trading away its ability to govern local content policy if it agrees to the US Free Trade Agreement, ACT & Region President of Friends of the ABC, Jill Greenwell, said today.... Full text
Media Release on ABC Board Appointments
Another media release from FABC National Spokesperson, Margaret O’Connor:
Friends of the ABC today renewed their call for a bi-partisan, de-politicised system of ABC Board appointments following comments by Michael Kroger and Rod Cameron on Lateline (23/7/04).... Full text
More on the Australia–US Free Trade Agreement
For more material on the USFTA, have a look at the website of the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network (AFTINET). Also you may be interested to read this paper, by Gary Cook, President of the FABC (NSW), on the USFTA, presented at an FABC conference, and the FABC submission on the USFTA to the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties.
What Are the Nolan Rules?
Do you think Australian governments should continue to be allowed to stack the Board of the ABC with appointees favourable to their own policies?
The FABC has been vocal in calling for a more independent appointment
system. One option has been to adopt a model similar to the one now
used in Britain for public appointments, including the Board of the
BBC. Such appointments are now governed by the Nolan Rules—rules established by a Committee on Standards in Public Life chaired by Lord Nolan, a distinguished judge.
This article, on the BBC’s website, explains the system.
The ALP put out a
policy statement
on this issue in April 2003, which represents a step in the right direction. The Greens also issued a media release on this topic recently.
FABC Media Release on Monitoring by Rehame
In response to recent news reports, the FABC issued a Media Release on 19 May:
The Friends of the ABC today described as ‘bizarre and troubling’ the decision to subject ABC News and Current Affairs to monitoring by the media company Rehame, and the commissioning of an additional expensive Newspoll ...
Full text
Friends advise caution on ABC commercial enterprises
From a Media Release by FABC: ‘Friends of the ABC spokesperson, Ms Margaret O’Connor, today raised concerns
about a proposed commercial venture which would utilise popular ABC
children’s programs such as ‘Bananas in Pyjamas’ in a $100 theme park at
the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds …’ Full text
How to Spot a Dodgy Argument
Public debate about the future of the ABC is, of course, encouraged by the FABC—but
have you noticed that some of the ABC’s most vocal critics are better at name-calling
than real debate, better at parading their prejudices than providing evidence? The
new FABC guide How to Spot a Dodgy Argument,
written by the FABC National Spokesperson and Vice-President of the FABC (ACT & Region), Margaret O’Connor, will help
you to identify how these detractors’ so-called arguments actually contribute
little or nothing to real debate on this important issue.
For any technical difficulties with this website, please email .
Some time ago we introduced our photo gallery, intended to provide a pictorial record of some of our activities, but had to discontinue it through lack of space on the old server. Our new hosting arrangements give us plenty of space, so the photo gallery has been restored, even though it currently contains only material from some years ago. We therefore have the opportunity to add further pictures and bring our collection up to date. Please contact a member of the Committee if you would like to submit photos (preferably, but not necessarily, in digital format) that you think would be suitable for the site.
Media Release: Appointment of Keith Windschuttle to ABC Board
The following is an extract from a media release put out by Margaret O’Connor, the FABC National Spokesperson in response to the recent news that Keith Windschuttle has been appointed to fill one of the vacant positions on the ABC Board. Follow the link for the complete text of the media release. (Note: Board appointments are currently made unilaterally by the Government, who generally use them to further their own agendas and who have repeatedly rejected all attempts to put in place a more transparent and accountable process like that now used in Britain.)
Given the fact that the Board now has three Directors who have been associated with the conservative magazine Quadrant, what on earth is the Australian public supposed to make of this? How are we supposed to believe that the Government has any commitment to a fair and balanced Board? … For the Minister to argue that the Board represents an appropriate balance is quite astonishing in the circumstances. Full text
Other interesting comments about this appointment, and about Keith Windschuttle, have been made by Mike Carlton in the Sydney Morning Herald, Robert Manne in The Age and Stephen Mayne in Crikey. You may also be interested to read this interview about the appointment with the Minister, Helen Coonan, on the ABC’s program PM, if only to see her struggling to evade questions about the political composition of the Board.
‘No ABC No Way’ Article
This article, by President of Friends of the ABC (ACT & Region) Jill Greenwell, appeared in the May issue of Dissent and is reproduced here for anyone who may have missed it on the news stands. (You will need Adobe Reader to read it—for details on how to obtain it free visit our Canberra archive page.)
Leave Aunty ad free: another letter in the Canberra Times
Below is an excerpt from a letter to the editor in the Canberra Times by Jill Greenwell, President of the Friends of the ABC (Canberra & Region), following the announcement of the appointment of Mark Scott as the ABC’s new managing director. Follow the link for the full text.
Mr Scott was non-committal about revenue from advertising, but Helen Coonan’s reported exhortation to keep an open mind on the topic should be alarming, especially as this minister is skilled at not sounding alarms, but breaking and entering anyway. Full text
Media Release: Aunty Poor Relation in Budget Spend-Up
The following paragraph is an excerpt from a media release issued by Margaret O’Connor, the Friends of the ABC’s National Spokesperson, in response to the Budget. Follow the link for the full text.
‘When the Government prides itself on huge Budget surpluses, what motivation does it have in starving the ABC? Given the fact that Australia’s coffers are awash with funds, it is disgraceful that the ABC has been given the fiscal equivalent of a sandwich and a milk shake. Its funding situation is a national tragedy which the Friends predict will become an election issue under the banner “How badly do we want a public broadcaster?”’ Full text
Yet another letter in the Canberra Times
From a letter to the editor in the Canberra Times by Jill Greenwell, President of the Friends of the ABC (Canberra & Region):
The minister says ‘there should be no question about the constituency that ABC directors are accountable to’. That would seem an excellent justification for a merit-based, transparent process of board appointments along British lines, but not for sending Ramona Koval to the sin bin. Full text
Recent Media Articles and Debate on the ABC
The proposal to discontinue the position of Staff Representative on the Board of the ABC, announced by Minister Senator Helen Coonan in a media release on 24 March, has been discussed widely in Parliament, the media and elsewhere. Stephen Conroy, the Shadow Minister for Communications, issued this media release.
Subsequently Stephen Conroy made this speech, covering a number of issues relevant to the ABC, in a Matters of Public Importance (MPI) debate in the Senate.
The future of Donald McDonald’s chairmanship of the Board has also been discussed widely—see this article in The Bulletin and an accompanying interview with Helen Coonan. For a detailed analysis of the situation of Donald McDonald and the ABC’s performance in general, you may also like to see Michelle Grattan’s article in The Age. The interview with Helen Coonan just mentioned also touches on the issue of the possible introduction of advertising on the ABC and other topics.
For a report on the GetUp petition (see the item below), have a look at this article in The Age.
Another Letter to the Editor in Canberra Times
Here’s a brief excerpt from a great letter to the editor of the Canberra Times by Friend of the ABC Jane Timbrell, published 27 March 2006. Follow the link to read the whole letter.
It is a despicable example of political spin by Senator Helen Coonan to abolish the staff-elected director of the ABC board on the grounds of “modern principles of corporate governance”. Full text
Materials from our Letter-Writing Workshop
As reported elsewhere on this page, the Friends of the ABC (ACT and Region) recently held a successful Letter-Writing Workshop (now we are developing plans to hold another). Some members have asked to see copies of the materials that were provided to participants, and it was decided to make them available through this website.
You can now view the materials by following the links given on this page.
Reactions to the Government’s Media Release on Reform of the Media
The Government’s recent media release foreshadowing changes to Australia’s media laws has provoked a good deal of reaction, including comments on the possible introduction of advertising on the ABC. The most recent issue of The Bulletin magazine also contained extensive material on the ABC, including an interview with Helen Coonan, Minister for Communications, IT and the Arts—follow this link for a summary. You can also read the media release itself here.
President of the FABC, Jill Greenwell, had a letter published in the Canberra Times commenting on Senator Humphries’ support for so-called ‘discreet advertising’ on the ABC.
The Australian Democrats put out a media release titled ‘Keep Ads off the ABC’.
FABC Media Release on Commercialisation
The following paragraph is an excerpt from a Media Release issued by Friends of the ABC National Spokesperson Margaret O’Connor, in response to recent public comments raising the issue of advertising on the ABC:
The critical issue at the moment is what the ABC will receive in the forthcoming May Budget, rather than discussions about the supposed benefits of commercialization. Senator Humphries, a self-proclaimed Friend of the ABC, has a misguided belief in discreet advertising, which is an oxymoron, and seems to believe that commercial activities can be consistent with the ABC’s Charter. Full text
One More FABC Member on the Canberra Times Letters Page!
Another letter can be now be added to the list of letters to the editor of the Canberra Times mentioned in the item below. The letter from Judith Iltis published on 13 February brings the total to five so far.
FABC Members on the Canberra Times Letters Page
After the letter-writing workshop that we held recently, the Canberra Times has printed four letters from members of the FABC relating to the ABC Funding Submission. Members have also sent letters to the Estimates Committee and numerous policians.
A media release put out by Margaret O’Connor (FABC National Spokesperson) gives more background on the issue. You may also want to read media releases by Stephen Conroy and Peter Garrett following up the Funding Submission.
FABC Submissions to the ABC Funding Adequacy Review
On 6 September, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, announced in a media release that KPMG Australia will be engaged to undertake the ABC Funding Adequacy and Efficiency Review, requested by the Board of the ABC.
Have a look at submissions made by branches of the Friends of the ABC, and others, at this page on the DCITA website.
ABC Wins Tender for Asia-Pacific TV!
Friends of the ABC can breathe a sigh of relief that the tender to manage Asia-Pacific TV has been awarded to the ABC, and control of this service has therefore not been allowed to fall into the hands of the SkyTV consortium that was also bidding (see this item below).
For more details, have a look at the media release put out by the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
One Good Reason Why the ABC Needs More Funds
A speech on this year’s budget by Bob McMullan, the Federal Member of Parliament for Fraser, included some strong words about underfunding of the ABC:
The ABC had local drama output in 2001 of 102 hours; in 2004, it was 21 hours. That is an 80 per cent fall. I repeat the alarming situation whereby the ABC might 'stop producing Australian drama altogether'.
Full text
The above is just a brief excerpt—follow the link for the full text of the part of the speech relating to the ABC.
New Frequencies for NewsRadio and Radio Australia Programs
The frequency for NewsRadio broadcasting in Canberra will be altered on 1 July from 1440 kHz on the AM band to 103.9 MHz on the FM band, or 99.9 MHz for listeners in Tuggeranong. This will be the new frequency for Radio Australia's Asia Pacific program, available to Australian listeners on NewsRadio. The broadcast times of 9–9:30pm, Mon–Fri (not when Parliament is sitting), will remain the same. NewsRadio programs are also available by streaming audio on the World Wide Web. Further details at http://www.abc.net.au/ra/asiapac/ or (for Radio Australia) on our page Australia‘s Voice Overseas.
ABC Welcomes ABA finding that AM war coverage was balanced
The ABC's Managing Director Russell Balding has issued a statement on the release of the findings of the thirteen-month ABA investigation into complaints about AM's coverage of the war in Iraq.
The ABC welcomes the ABA's finding, after its thirteen-month investigation of AM's coverage of the war in Iraq, that AM was balanced ... The ABC, however, continues to be concerned that the basis upon which the ABA seeks to justify its conclusions is flawed. Full text
The ABA has issued a news release describing the main points of its findings. You may also like to read the full report (132 pages, PDF format).
Janet Albrechtsen Appointed to ABC Board
The Minister for Communications, Senator Helen Coonan, has announced the appointment of Janet Albrechtsen, a conservative columnist with The Australian and harsh critic of the ABC, to the Board of the ABC. This follows a long tradition of Australian governments stacking the Board with their own supporters. For more on this story see, for example, this article in the Sydney Morning Herald.
In 2002, the ABC’s Media Watch program accused Albrechtsen of plagiarism and misrepresenting her sources in some of her columns about Islamic gang rape problems in Sydney.
Margaret O'Connor, National Spokesperson for the FABC, issued a media release on the appointment. Here are some excerpts:
... Commenting on the appointment Friends spokesperson Ms Margaret O’Connor said: “ I think it is fair to describe Ms Albrechtsen as an ideological zealot, which, in itself, does not disqualify her from the ABC board. Our problem is with the political balance on the ABC board, and with the appointment process ...
It is time that the government followed the example of the Conservative government in the UK and implemented an open, transparent and non-partisan method of finding qualified people to run our national broadcaster. Full text
This issue has also provoked a stream of letters to the editor published in Australian newspapers on 26 February. Jill Greenwell, President of FABC (ACT & Region), made her mark in both this letter to The Canberra Times and this one in the Sydney Morning Herald. Other letters on the issue appeared on the same day in The Age and The Australian. (The Financial Review contained one that day from John Murphy MP - not on this issue, but complaining about a suggestion that the ABC should compete for funding with other commercial media companies.)
Calling Letter Writers!
Would you like to add your letter to those already published on the issue of Board appointments? Or on another topic? For Friends of the ABC who would like to write letters supporting the ABC we have set up an internal website with more background information, letters (unpublished as well as published), and correspondence with ABC Management (with responses where we have them). The new website, most of which is restricted to registered users, allows you to post your own suggestions, letters or drafts, and comment on any topic you like. Have a look at the Home Page, and if you're interested in taking part, contact Vernu Venugoban ().
This new site, by the way, is an example of a 'wiki' website—a website allowing participation by visitors. If this term is new to you, this page, from our wiki website provider, provides a simple explanation.
Will Coalition Senate Control Kill the ABC?
The Coalition is set to take control of the Senate on 1 July. An article in The Canberra Times (23 Feb 2005) by Trish Bolton of Swinburne University asks if it will then be ‘open season’ on the ABC.
How realistic is it to expect that an under-funded and besieged Aunty will be able to perform her watchdog role when the pack is baying for her blood? ... The ABC has already paid dearly for scrutinising government and big business without fear or favour, and for behaving as if she’s a guardian of the Fourth Estate ... Full text
The Canberra Times subsequently published this letter from Jill Greenwell, President of FABC (ACT & Region).
Appointing the ABC Board
The issue of appointing the Board of the ABC has been a recurring theme for the Friends of the ABC, under both the present Government and Labor governments. In the lead-up to the recent election, the Coalition put forward objections to the FABC's proposal to reform the process of Board appointments by adopting the so-called Nolan Rules now used in Britain. This article addresses some of the most commonly raised objections.
George Negus Tonight
Jill Greenwell, President of the FABC (ACT and Region), recently issued a media release responding to an ABC Media Release titled “ABC TV Program Changes”, which referred obliquely to the axing of four out of five of George Negus’s weeknight programs.
... Why is GNT being slashed? Not only George Negus, but his audience, deserve a straightforward explanation.... Full text
You can read more about this in the December issue of On Air.
The Free Trade Agreement—Agreed
The government has agreed to the ALP amendments to the USFTA implementing legislation and it has passed through the Senate. However, Prime Minister Howard has signalled that the US government may yet object to the amendment and the US Trade Representative has said that the US government reserves the right to examine both the amendment and the legislation to ensure that they are consistent with the text of the agreement. If the US decides that the legislation is consistent with the agreement, the final confirmation of the agreement should occur in October, and the agreement will come into force from January 2005.
The Prime Minister’s comments confirm that the USFTA gives the US the right to object to legislation that does not conform to the agreement on medicines policy and on other policy areas that are included in the agreement. This is a reduction in our sovereignty and democratic rights to determine our own policies.
The President of FABC (ACT and Region), Jill Greenwell, has put out a statement describing the implications of the agreement and the ALP’s amendments.
Australia–US Free Trade Agreement
The following are excerpts from media releases put out by FABC National Spokesperson Margaret O’Connor and President of the FABC (ACT and Regions), Jill Greenwell (follow the links for the full text).
Friends of the ABC were dumbfounded to hear Senator Rod Kemp on ABC AM (27 July 2004) baldly state that Australian local content is protected under the terms of the proposed US Free Trade Agreement, Friends of the ABC Spokesperson Margaret O'Connor said today. ‘Senator Kemp should examine its provisions a little more closely,’ said Ms O'Connor. ... Full text
Australia will certainly be trading away its ability to govern local content policy if it agrees to the US Free Trade Agreement, ACT & Region President of Friends of the ABC, Jill Greenwell, said today.... Full text
Media Release on ABC Board Appointments
Another media release from FABC National Spokesperson, Margaret O’Connor:
Friends of the ABC today renewed their call for a bi-partisan, de-politicised system of ABC Board appointments following comments by Michael Kroger and Rod Cameron on Lateline (23/7/04).... Full text
More on the Australia–US Free Trade Agreement
For more material on the USFTA, have a look at the website of the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network (AFTINET). Also you may be interested to read this paper, by Gary Cook, President of the FABC (NSW), on the USFTA, presented at an FABC conference, and the FABC submission on the USFTA to the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties.
What Are the Nolan Rules?
Do you think Australian governments should continue to be allowed to stack the Board of the ABC with appointees favourable to their own policies? The FABC has been vocal in calling for a more independent appointment system. One option has been to adopt a model similar to the one now used in Britain for public appointments, including the Board of the BBC. Such appointments are now governed by the Nolan Rules—rules established by a Committee on Standards in Public Life chaired by Lord Nolan, a distinguished judge. This article, on the BBC’s website, explains the system.
The ALP put out a policy statement on this issue in April 2003, which represents a step in the right direction. The Greens also issued a media release on this topic recently.
FABC Media Release on Monitoring by Rehame
In response to recent news reports, the FABC issued a Media Release on 19 May:
The Friends of the ABC today described as ‘bizarre and troubling’ the decision to subject ABC News and Current Affairs to monitoring by the media company Rehame, and the commissioning of an additional expensive Newspoll ... Full text
Friends advise caution on ABC commercial enterprises
From a Media Release by FABC: ‘Friends of the ABC spokesperson, Ms Margaret O’Connor, today raised concerns about a proposed commercial venture which would utilise popular ABC children’s programs such as ‘Bananas in Pyjamas’ in a $100 theme park at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds …’ Full text
How to Spot a Dodgy Argument
Public debate about the future of the ABC is, of course, encouraged by the FABC—but have you noticed that some of the ABC’s most vocal critics are better at name-calling than real debate, better at parading their prejudices than providing evidence? The new FABC guide How to Spot a Dodgy Argument, written by the FABC National Spokesperson and Vice-President of the FABC (ACT & Region), Margaret O’Connor, will help you to identify how these detractors’ so-called arguments actually contribute little or nothing to real debate on this important issue.
For any technical difficulties with this website, please email .