For the current government “the enemy” appears to be anyone trying to hold that government to account – and right now, that’s the ABC. Here ABC Alumni director Quentin Dempster backgrounds the issues leading to Ita Buttrose – the Prime Minister’s “captain’s pick” as ABC Chair – becoming a prime target for politicians and others with grievances about the public broadcaster.By Quentin Dempster / Nov 18, 2021
Ita Buttrose’s statement was explicit.
“The fact that these powers [legal responsibility ...
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Author: Janet Clayton
ABC Chair Ita Buttrose AC OBE Condemns Latest Senate Inquiry
In a strongly worded statement, ABC Chair Ita Buttrose AC OBE says a new Senate Inquiry into the ABC’s complaint handling process “appears to be a blatant attempt to usurp the role of the ABC Board and undermine the operational independence of the ABC”.Helen Grasswill, Deputy Chair, ABC Alumni (Acting Chair) 14 November 2021
The new inquiry announced last Thursday (11 November) by Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg, on behalf of the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, has all...
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ABC International today
ABC International today operates on a budget of $11 million per year, estimated to be less than a third of pre-2014 levels. It has a staff of 38 who work mainly in media development programs for the Pacific region, and sometimes parts of Asia, and a small number who manage and administer its various international broadcast channels (radio and TV) as well as wide-ranging digital content activity. ABC International management and staff have been committed to keeping the ABC and Australia relevant...
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Your ABC vs Their IPA
For almost 90 years the ABC has been at the centre of Australian cultural life, providing a range of much-loved programming and services. It’s our country’s most trusted news source (across all platforms – radio, television and online) and where we turn in times of crisis like bushfires, floods and the current pandemic.
But the ABC is under threat. Budget cuts and massive staff redundancies over the last eight years are well known.That’s why ABC Alumni was formed – we’re a group of former ABC s...
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ABC’s 2020=2021 Annual Report Released
The ABC has just released its 2020-2021 annual report. The public broadcaster’s achievements during this period have been many, from outstanding emergency reporting on bushfires, floods and the COVID-19 pandemic to innovative programming that has been lauded both nationally and internationally. But, as Quentin Dempster reports, funding uncertainty continues to stymie the ABC’s future. ABC faces uncertain funding future
By Quentin Dempster / 21 October 2021
The ABC’s 2020-21 annual report just ...
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My ABC, Your ABC
Like any organisation, the ABC is not perfect. But, says academic and former ABC radio documentary producer Bill Bunbury, the national broadcaster doesn’t deserve the level of criticism emanating from hostile government and other media who seem to wilfully ignore the many quality services it provides to the Australian community.
Featured image: Bill Bunbury recording with Noongar Elder Jack Cox, at Kojonup WA.By Bill Bunbury / Tuesday 12 October 2021
In what most of us would agree are troubled...
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Here We Go Again
There are rumours that the ABC is about to hold another review into its complaints system. The last one, in 2009, recommended the abolition of the Independent Complaints Review Panel, the ICRP, because it was an expensive and time-consuming duplication of the role of the regulator, the ACMA.
One of that review’s authors was then ABC Chairman Maurice Newman – now a columnist at The Australian and one of the ABC’s most trenchant critics.
Eleven years later, here we go again. News Corp Australia ...
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When Politics Fail
The ABC’s international service has earned an enviable reputation as a regional media influencer, especially in the Pacific. But in the last seven years, it has been under-supported by the federal government, while money has been allocated to commercial interests for questionable benefit. With growing geopolitical tensions, the national broadcaster’s role as the ‘voice of Australia’ has never been more important. In this three-part series we examine ABC International’s ‘soft power’ contribution...
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Facing a world in disarray
The ABC has historically played a key role in shaping Australia’s international engagement, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. But today – despite the best efforts of ABC International staff – its impact is significantly diminished, partly due to government budget cuts but also, argues Geoff Heriot, because of a lack of strategic direction in the national interest from government and insufficient prioritisation of the International Service by successive ABC Boards. FACING A WORLD IN DIS...
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Vale Alan Clark – “The Bom-Thrower”
It’s with great sadness that ABC Alumni reports the death of Allen Clark at the age of 75.
Allen originally worked in the Organisation and Methods department in the old Broadcast House in Elizabeth Street in Sydney. He then became an accomplished broadcaster, finishing his ABC career in Wollongong.
Allen played an important part in the industrial struggles of the ABC Staff Union as Vice President of the NSW Branch. He also played a significant role in assisting numerous union members with their...
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