Uncategorized

Before Social Media There Was Tim Bowden’s ‘Backchat’

Posted on by Janet Clayton
He’s been called ‘a cuddly koala’, ‘a supercilious clot’, and lots else besides. In this latest story in our series celebrating ABC’s 90th Anniversary, veteran broadcaster Tim Bowden looks back on his years presenting ‘Backchat’, the popular twice-weekly program (1986-1994) where viewers sent their bouquets and brickbats to the national broadcaster. And in two new and timely ‘Chatback’ videos for ABC Alumni – Scotty and Lachlan – Tim shows he hasn’t lost his trademark wit – or that wry smile! B...
Read More

Kerry O’Brien: Democracy and the ABC

Posted on by Janet Clayton
“Never, in my lifetime, has the ABC been more important than it is today…yet it is constantly under attack.” – Kerry O’Brien The former presenter of Lateline, The 7.30 Report and Four Corners, Kerry O’Brien presents the latest in a series of short campaign videos produced by ABC Alumni for social media platforms. In the video released today (Wednesday 11 May), Kerry points out that the USA spends less per capita than any other wealthy country on public broadcasters – and that only 29% of Amer...
Read More

Where in the world is the ABC?

Posted on by Janet Clayton
As chief foreign correspondent, Phil Williams was the ABC’s international fireman, able to swing into virtually any country in the world and produce intelligent reports from a standing start.   In this video, from his farm outside Canberra, Phil worries out loud about the ABC’s continued capacity to report the world to Australia – and project Australia to our region.  The slashing of the Australia Network by the Abbott government, and the whittling away of the ABC’s once-unrivalled network of o...
Read More

Election Campaign Video: The Bush

Posted on by Janet Clayton
Pete Lewis is a bit of a legend in rural Australia.  He joined the ABC in 1980, and was for years the ABC’s Brisbane-based rural reporter.  He was EP of Landline for five years, and New Zealand correspondent for two.   Brisbane-based Pete left the ABC a few years back, and is now the director of media consultancy ‘Way with Words’, and President of the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists   Appropriately, his Twitter handle is @endofthebitumen.  Pete’s election campaign message for ABC...
Read More

ABC and its Charter

Posted on by Janet Clayton
The ABC has invited both major party leaders to a nationally televised election debate. But regrettably this invitation has been declined by the Prime Minister in favour of two commercial free-to-air networks, and one subscriber-only channel. And yet it is the ABC that is required by law to cover parliamentary sittings, question time and inquiries by parliamentary committees as part of its Charter obligations to the Australian people.  ABC Alumni believes Mr Morrison’s avoidance of the ABC is b...
Read More

ABC Support of the Arts

Posted on by Janet Clayton
Australian viewers love Australian stories. The ABC has a proud record of broadcasting the finest Australian drama. But with shrinking funding, the number of hours of new Australian drama on the ABC has reduced by more than 60% since the 1980s. Anne Maria Nicholson shows why you should Vote 1 ABC.
Read More

Keeping State and Local Governments Accountable

Posted on by Janet Clayton
Since 2014, when the ABC stopped broadcasting state-based weekly current affairs, there’s been no consistent platform on ABC TV for holding state governments to account – even during the pandemic, when they wielded almost unprecedented power over our lives. As for local government, traditionally that was the job of local newspapers.  But too many of them have closed, and the few local journalists who survive are starved of time and resources. For the ABC to restore its coverage of state affairs...
Read More

No-one is talking about ABC funding in this election campaign. Here’s why they should be.

Posted on by Janet Clayton
Communication Minister Paul Fletcher’s claim that the Morrison government “has provided strong and consistent support to the ABC” has been labelled “a breathtakingly misleading statement” by four academics who have studied the ABC’s funding in detail. In an article first published in The Conversation (28 April 2022), they say the government’s own figures show that ABC’s real funding has declined and will continue to do so over the next three years, if the Coalition is returned to power. Michael...
Read More