It was with great sadness that we learned last week that legendary archival powerhouse, Wendy Borchers has died at the age of 78 years. Wendy spent four decades at the ABC and has left a legacy of some of the ABC’s most important and memorable archive-rich programs. In retirement, she was a strong and active member of ABC Alumni, contributing articles on 4 Corners’ 60th Anniversary and her memories of growing up as an Argonaut. She was also a passionate campaigner for an independent and properl...

During the referendum campaign, and since the overwhelming No vote, a chorus of respected journalists and media academics have declared that the Australian mass media, very much including the ABC, failed in their duty to the Australian public by slavishly adhering to the concept of ‘balance’, and by not calling out misinformation as and when they reported it. This is not the usual claim of bias by the Murdoch media or the No campaign: most of these critics clearly supported Yes. Among them, Mar...

The Sydney Opera House is celebrating its 50th anniversary this October. It has become an international cultural and architectural icon visited by millions. Yet its Danish creator, Jorn Utzon, never set foot in his completed masterpiece. The construction of the opera house was mired in controversy and bad blood forcing Utzon to leave the project and Australia in 1966. Reporter Anne-Maria Nicholson recalls the world exclusive interview with the banished architect that she obtained for the ABC in...

by Jonathan Holmes Nine Entertainment, Chris Masters, Nick McKenzie and David Wroe won a famous victory [appeal pending, see below] in the ‘defamation trial of the century’ against Ben Roberts-Smith, VC. Now Masters and McKenzie have each written books about the Flawed Hero who Crossed the Line between lawful and unlawful killing in war.    ABC ALUMNI chair Jonathan Holmes reviews the books, and reflects on the lessons they have to teach us about investigative journalism, truth-telling, and the...

In the 1960s and 1970s, ABC TV was a creative powerhouse led by an exceptional executive, Ken Watts. The most significant and controversial innovation of the era was ‘This Day Tonight’ (TDT). A mixture of current affairs and satirical humour, it broke away from the sedate format of traditional news programs and not only set a benchmark for future current affairs programs but launched the careers of some of Australia’s most legendary presenters and reporters. Alumnus Eric Hunter continues our tr...

As the ABC restructures and creates a new vision to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex media landscape, alumnus Eric Hunter says there’s much that can be learned from earlier – albeit simpler – times. Here he tells the story of an extraordinary executive whose vision turned ABC TV into a creative powerhouse in the 1960s and 1970s. His name was Ken Watts, and his emphasis was on attracting greater audiences through quality, innovation and experimentation. Photo: Ken Watts in 1959In 2...