A response to the government inquiry into the ABC

The government is inviting public submissions to its inquiry into the future of the ABC and the SBS. Significantly, this inquiry coincides with the government’s consideration of the ABC’s triennial budget submission. It also comes at a time when digital television and digital radio channels are expanding, and when the ABC is expanding its Internet presence, and further developing the Internet as a means of program delivery.

This is a critical time for the ABC, and an opportunity for all of us to express our views directly to the government.

The government has published a lengthy discussion paper (it runs to 57 pages) which is available at http://www.dbcde.gov.au/abcsbsreview

However public submissions don’t have to be confined to the issues raised in the discussion paper. You can comment on any aspect of the ABC that you wish.

The preferred length of submissions is less than 1,000 words. To be accepted submissions must be accompanied by a cover sheet. Details at http://www.dbcde.gov.au/abcsbsreview

The discussion paper raises 24 specific questions. However you don’t have to confine yourself to those questions – you can make any comment you like.

What follows is a list of what I consider to be the critical issues, and my own views about those questions. I urge you to express your own opinions  in your own submission.


1.    How should the ABC be a comprehensive broadcaster in a multi-channel, multi-platform environment?  Should the ABC be charging for programs downloaded from its web site?

Response: Public broadcasting must not only be available to everyone (including remote areas) but it should strive to be used by everyone.  It is not there simply to make the programs the commercials can’t be bothered with. It is there for everyone, not just the elite. As former Director of BBC TV, Sir Huw Wheldon said it should aim “to make the good popular, and the popular good”. The proliferation of channels and delivery platforms makes this easier, but there are equity issues with some delivery platforms, especially if there is a charge for access.  The ABC would not be a public broadcaster if some people were priced out of access to it.

2.    Should the ABC Charter be amended to be more contemporary?

Response.   The Charter is meant to be a statement of broad principle, rather than about nuts and bolts. In a rapidly changing environment it is up to the Board to develop appropriate policies. The new board appointment process adopted by the government suggests that we will have a more appropriate board in future.  However there is one important change required to the Charter. When the ABC was established the Act forbad the ABC to broadcast advertisements. The Internet did not exist at this time.  Technically, transmission over the Internet is not broadcasting. The Act therefore needs to be amended to prohibit the ABC running advertisements on its Internet sites, on material transmitted via the Internet.

3.     What role should the ABC have in promoting Australia’s cultural identity and presenting Australian images on TV, radio and other media?

Response: The ABC used to have an excellent reputation for the production of high quality Australian drama on television. In recent years this has declined, largely for budget reasons. The ABC should be funded to produce at least 100 hours of local drama a year.

4.    What role should the ABC play in children’s programming?

Response: The ABC has plans to start a dedicated TV children’s channel, with an emphasis on locally produced material. This is sorely needed, especially since childrens programs on commercial channels are loaded with advertisements for junk food. This will be a costly undertaking, and the ABC needs a substantial increase in funds to achieve this.

5.    Should additional funding options for national broadcasting program be considered such as user-pays systems for programs distributed online, or open contracting for public interest content?

Response: The introduction to the government’s discussion paper states that public broadcasting should enable “ all Australians to access broadcasting services, regardless of geography or capacity to pay, to allow them to participate in society and its institutions.” A user pays system for online content, especially given the extraordinary high cost of Internet access in Australia is not consistent with universal access.

The phrase “open contracting” appears to refer to the system by which the contract to run the Australia Network is open for renewal every five years. This fundamentally alters the relationship between this ABC operation and the government. It does not have the same “arms length” relationship with the government , nor is it subject to the ABC Charter or the provisions of the ABC Act which forbid advertising on the ABC proper. The extension of this system to other ABC operations would not be consistent with the independence of the ABC.

6.    What is the proper role of Radio National? Is there a problem if it has a small audience?

Radio National is the ABC’s ideas network. While it has extended its reach in recent years through podcasts, it has a smaller audience than ABC Local Radio and Triple J.  This is not a problem. The ABC as a whole has an obligation to provide something for everyone, but this does not apply to each individual network.  To criticise RN for having a relatively small audience is like criticizing the ABC’s youth network, Triple J, for the fact that not many people over fifty listen to it.  Some politicians like to criticise RN for its low ratings.  Perhaps they should be reminded that it is their network, the parliamentary and news network (which broadcasts news when parliament is not sitting) that has the smallest audience. Radio National is an essential part of the ABC’s output and its specialist programs need to be retained.

7.    Is the ABC adequately funded?

Response. By any reasonable measure the ABC is under funded.

 In 2005-6 government funding for the BBC was $107 per head .  In the same year government funding for the ABC was $41.40 per head.

In 2005-6 figures published by the Australian Communications and Media Authority indicate that the combined income of the three commercial TV channels was $3738 million . The average income of a commercial channel was therefore $1246 million compared to the ABC’s $827 million from the government. Moreover this money covered not only ABC TV, but also the ABC’s five domestic radio networks and its overseas service Radio Australia.

Darce Cassidy