Farewell Janie Lalor

Posted on March 11, 2020 by Janet Clayton

Janie Lalor was an ABC legend; a highly skilled director and producer who made thousands of television shows for the ABC during a 40-year career. As importantly, she made thousands of friends along the way.Facebook tributes are studded with words like “irrepressible”, “spectacular”, “huge personality”. All true. Janie was an Adelaide girl who kicked off her career with ABC News and Current Affairs in the mid 1970s. From temp typist to PA to director on News and This Day Tonight. Later Janie too...

ABC loses AFP raid challenge

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Janet Clayton

In February 2020 the ABC suffered a crushing defeat in the Federal Court, in its challenge to the validity of an AFP search warrant on its Ultimo headquarters relating to a series of stories known as The Afghan Files. Jonathan Holmes has been following the case closely and offers these observations of the judgment.By Jonathan Holmes, 17 February 2020 Over eight months ago, on June 5th last year, Federal Police officers executed a search warrant on the ABC headquarters in Ultimo, Sydney, and t...

Making radio waves – Robyn Ravlich

Posted on June 13, 2019 by Janet Clayton

The strange art of making radio. Acclaimed radio poet Robyn Ravlich launches memoirRobyn spent 35 years making features and documentaries for the national broadcaster. Skywriting – making radio wavesis her entertaining, insightful memoir of an award-winning radio career. Robyn was a poet and performance artist before she joined the ABC in the 1970s. Her memoir is a captivating story of contemporary Australian cultural life and a personal biography of an acclaimed ‘radio poet’, giving insight in...

ABC appoints news veteran to replace retiring Alan Sunderland

Posted on March 20, 2019 by Janet Clayton

Craig McMurtrie, one of the ABC’s most experienced journalists and senior news executives, has been appointed as editorial director of the ABC.

Ita Buttrose to be named new ABC chair, ending months of leadership uncertainty at the public broadcaster

Posted on February 27, 2019 by Janet Clayton

Australian media doyenne Ita Buttrose will be announced as just the second woman to chair the ABC — ending a five-month search for a new leader for the public broadcaster — after Federal Cabinet met in Sydney on Tuesday and approved her appointment for the next five years.

Threats to the national broadcaster abound. ABC funding must be at the heart of the election debate.

Posted on February 9, 2019 by Janet Clayton

In trying to defend the ABC as an institutional pillar of a fearless free media in Australia’s robust democracy, first, we have to confront paranoia.It comes in the form of constant Murdoch Press complaints that the ABC is biased and a force for “left wing” ideology. “All the ABC’s presenters are left wing!” columnists and ABC critics have written. I found myself on a recent Monday night (4 February 2019) on Sky News “after dark” being interviewed on the Chris Kenny on Media program. And again ...

A Short history of the ABC

Posted on November 1, 2018 by Janet Clayton

In this abridged extract from A Companion to Australian Media (2014) edited by Bridget Foley, Quentin Dempster scans the ABC's history since 1 July 1932 including its struggle for independence and adequate public funding, successful exploitation of mass communication technology and contributions to Australia's creative life and international standing.The ABC began radio (wireless) broadcasting via then available Postmaster-General’s Department transmitters at 8 pm eastern standard time on 1 Jul...