AG TO INVESTIGATE AUSNET TENDER
The Australian Network bungle (including Mark Scotts quiet on the side call to ministers about the ternder process) will be investigated now by the Auditor-General. Perhaps while they are at it they can have a look around the ABC's finances....
Sydney Morning Herald - 23 November 2011
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has asked the auditor general to investigate the aborted tender for the government's Australia Network.
Sky News and the ABC both bid for the 10-year $223 million contract to broadcast the Australia Network to 44 nations in Asia and the Pacific.
But the federal government announced on November 7 it had cancelled the tender and called in the Australian Federal Police to investigate media leaks which had suggested the evaluation board had recommended the contract be awarded to Sky.
The ABC will continue to provide the service until August 2012.
"Any scrutiny of this procurement process is best conducted by an independent expert, such as the auditor general," Senator Conroy said in a statement to the Senate on Wednesday.
Opposition Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop said the coalition welcomed the decision by the auditor general to investigate the government's "mishandling" of the $223 million network tender.
It was unacceptable for the government to intervene in the tender process and then allow it to collapse, Ms Bishop said.
"The prime minister and minister for communications are complicit in this bungling and must explain their actions at every step of the process," she said in a statement.
Ms Bishop said she written to the auditor general on September 14 and November 8 asking for a full investigation into the "deeply questionable process" used by the government.
Australian Greens communications spokesman Scott Ludlum said the auditor general was the appropriate body to investigate the tender.
"For this reason we won't be supporting an opposition proposal for a select committee inquiry into the tender process, which has probably been politicised enough already," Senator Ludlum said.
The ongoing success of the network required swift attention to the resolution of a stable contract, so a future broadcaster could plan and invest in the service, Senator Conroy said.
"This vital service, which makes such an important contribution to our national interest across our region, needs a clear direction for the future, not a Senate inquiry into the past," he said.
A senate inquiry into the recent tender was not "necessary or appropriate", Senator Conroy said.
He said the government was assessing all options for completing the long-term arrangements for the Australia Network.
"The government will be giving priority to resolving the future arrangements of this important broadcasting service," he said.
An announcement on the tender process would be made by the end of March 2012, Senator Conroy said.
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ABC DEMANDS MORE MONEY FOR LOCAL SPORTS
What more does this story say? The ABC comes in after advising it is not going to boradcast local sports past 2012 season and then advises local sports organisations that it will for a further $50,000 - $60,000 and then while negotiation after media press, starts advising that they will need closer or more than $100,000 to continue sports broadcasts?
And this is just local football.... lets not forget they axed the local lawn bowls after how many years of broadcast????
The Mecury - 22 November 2011
THE good news is the TSL will test itself on the big stage against the might of the VFL next season.
The bad news is the state league and its broadcaster have parted company, meaning there will be no live coverage of the TSL from 2012 or beyond.
The SANFL, VFL, WAFL, NEAFL Eastern Conference, NEAFL Northern Conference and the TSL will play a series of interstate games between 2012 and 2017, with Tasmania hosting Victoria next season, on either May 26 or 27.
Although the venue has not been determined yet, there are thoughts of holding the game at Burnie's West Park on the edge of Bass Strait.
"We will certainly look at a number of factors when determining where we take the game and, most likely, the first factor that will come to our mind is where is the most difficult place to play for the VFL?" TSL general manager Shaun Young said yesterday.
"We want to provide our players with the best opportunity to win the game."
Young admitted the task of beating the VFL would be a huge ask for a competition just three years old.
"It is a great opportunity and the players will be very excited by it," Young said.
"Commonsense would tend to tell you it is going to be a little bit difficult to be competitive, but there will be rules and regulations implemented that when the bigger states play Tasmania, it is highly likely there will be no AFL-listed players."
Tasmania has not played the VFL since 1998, when the then TFL defeated the Vics at North Hobart Oval by 35 points under coach Andy Bennett.
Coincidentally, Bennett will be one of the local commentators out of work next season after negotiations broke down between AFL Tasmania and the ABC.
It is understood the ABC asked for almost double the funding, a shorter roster, and for all broadcast games to be at one venue from next season.
It is believed AFL Tasmania paid a little more than $50,000 for the 2011 coverage, but the ABC wanted about $100,000 a season to proceed with the broadcast.
Young said the demands were not possible.
"There was certainly an increase, to what amount I'm not prepared to divulge, and AFL Tasmania wasn't in a position to enter into that commercial arrangement," he said.
"One of the things we liked about the ABC was promoting the competition. However, we couldn't get the product covering the whole of state."
ABC head of TV and sports events Justin Holdforth said negotiations were continuing.
"From our side, we are still in discussions," Holdforth said.
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SPICKS AND SPECKS FINALE
A Farewell to Spicks and Specks on the ABC tonight with its final episode going to air, finishing 7 years of great internally-produced entertainment. Leaving us to question whether ABC's co-production 2012 line-up will be worth the massive cuts to experienced and creative ABC staff.
Herald Sun - 21 November 2011
Host Adam Hills and team captains Myf Warhurst and Alan Brough will be joined by a star-studded guest list for the final show.
Spicks and Specks has drawn a loyal following with its mix of trivia, star guests and comedy. It averaged about one million viewers a week this year.
"It feels very weird," Hills said at the taping of the final episode earlier this year.
"We were always conscious of not staying on too long and getting to the point where the audience is sick of us or we're sick of the show."
Spicks and Specks has been one of the ABC's top-rating shows since its premiere on February 9, 2005.
"At the beginning of every year, Alan and Myf and I got together and said, 'What do you reckon (about continuing)?'," Hills said.
"The past few years it was, 'I don't know how much longer we've got in us' and, 'I don't know how long we can keep this fresh'.
"This year, we decided we had one more season in us and at the end it would be time to say goodbye."
Hills will concentrate on a second series of his In Gordon Street Tonight chat show as well as overseas comedy and TV work.
Comedian Dave O'Neil holds the record for most Spicks appearances (48), with Denise Scott second on 39.
Other guests have included Meat Loaf, members of Status Quo, Jimmy Barnes, Molly Meldrum, Dame Edna Everage, Guy Pearce and Magda Szubanski.
Geoffrey Rush, Rhonda Burchmore, Peter Hellier, Shane Bourne and Brian Mannix were among those who helped celebrate the show's run.
