Yesterday (17/08/2011) the Senate agreed to an Inquiry, by the Environment and Communication References Committee, into the production cuts made by the ABC.
Senator Xenophon said the inquiry meant the ABC now needed to suspend plans to cut jobs or outsource TV programs. "It would be unconscionable of ABC management to push ahead with its planned job cuts and outsourcing of production while an inquiry is under way,"
IMPORTANT: Inquiry Submissions are due by the 9 September
How You can Assist in the Inquiry
We are urging the Australian Public to provide their submissions to this inquiry. Provide your thoughts comments and feedback on the implications the recent ABC decisions will have on local sports, the arts, science and research and Australian film and television.
Your submission can be a sentence eg "I am disappointed with the ABC's decision to cut programming." or a 10 page submission.
Your submission can be a sentence eg "I am disappointed with the ABC's decision to cut programming." or a 10 page submission.
Your submissions should be sent by 9 September 2011. You can send your submission to:
Committee Secretary
Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia
Committee Secretary
Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia
If you want information about how to prepare a submission for the inquiry you can visit the APH website: How to Write a Submission
What are the issues?
- 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?
