On 2nd August 2011 ABC made the announcement that Art Nation will not continue into 2012.
Not only is this an axing of an influential and important arts program it is the final cut to Australian Arts on ABC TV. ABC has a responsibility to provide the Australian public with programming that contributes to a sense of national identity, informs, entertains, and reflects the cultural diversity of, the Australian community. Without programming like Art Nation, the ABC will not be able to effectively meet its obligations under the Charter.
Your Support is Needed:
If you support Australian Arts and do not want to see this forum removed completely from ABC TV, then let our Government know. Your letters should begin with:
Dear {Minister/Name of Local Member/Mark Scott},
With the recent deicison to cut Arts Nation, I am writing to request a full Public Inquiry of the ABC.
I would also like you to address the following concerns I have.
(To ensure a personalised response it is recommended that you don’t cut and paste the below dot points, rather discuss one or two of these concerns in detail.)
- ABC is outsourcing is production to a handful of private companies (eg: Bananas in Pyjamas, Artscape documentaries), even where the production is termed a 'co-production' because usually the expertise and ideas of ABC staff are not utilised.
- Arts programming on ABC TV and online content (Arts gateway) will be severely cut due to the decisions to not just cut the weekly review program Art Nation but the entire TV arts unit. Only a few commissioning executives will seek outsourced material.
- The axing of the New Inventors, the long running program that showcased Australian innovation and design. This decision has left no current forum on the ABC that best represents the Australian science, research and design community.
- ABC has already confirmed it will no longer broadcast lawnbowls and there has been no denial from the ABC that they will not be cutting local sports in SA and WA as well
- Regional content and voices will be silenced by the ABC closing down its TV production unit in WA in favour of private sector production, and in SA the TV unit will be severly cut so that its only remaining production wil be Poh's Kitchen, despite having a long history of making factual programs such as The Cook and the Chef, George Negus Tonight, Talking Heads and a series of cricket documentaries.
- The ABC is taxpayer funded (through both State and Federal funding) and outsourcing to private companies allows the ABC to access tax rebates, which increases the amount of taxpayers money is being spent. (outsourcing is not cheaper on your pocket)
- These decisions mean a loss to the ABC (and public ownership) of the rights to the programs it has paid for. This includes a loss of editorial control over outsourced prgramming.
- The ABC has obligations under its Charter that require it to provide programming that represents the Australian identity through arts, science, sports etc. These cuts mean it is not meeting its Charter obligations
- The ABC is a public broadcaster, which means that it should not be managed for profit or ratings. Yet, many decisions have been based on both of these. The decisions show a drift on 'light entertainment' in the search of ratings t the expense of comitted specialist audiences.
- What do you want to say happen to your ABC? What are your thoughts and opinions on its role and purpose in Australia society?
Yours Sincerely,
{Name}
(Please send an individual letter to The Minister, Shadow Minister, Your Local Member and Managing Director of ABC.)
Do Not Give the Members of Parliament or Mark Scott the option of a generic response.
