Have Your Say !
THE ABC SHAREHOLDERS' CHARTER
During the past few years concern increased about the ABC's future. The following document was the result: ABC Shareholders’ Charter We, the audience and owners of the ABC hereby declare our ...
ABC FUNDING
Friends of the ABC ask that ABC funding be restored to its 1995-86 level in real terms, plus additional funds to permit the ABC to participate fully in the digital environment, including the further ...
Many Views – One ABC
The Importance Of The ABC To Australia
Even for Australians who do not often view or listen to the ABC, the corporation still represents a very valuable resource for our country and all its citizens.
It is this country’s independent and comprehensive public broadcaster, free from influence of both government and commercial interests. It is able to report without fear or favour, and in a country which has a high concentration of media ownership it is an essential part of our democracy.
The ABC’s Charter obliges it to contribute to our sense of cultural identity and promote Australia and its views to the nation and, through its overseas radio and television arms, to the rest of the world. It must promote the performing arts within Australia; provide programs of an educational nature, and news and current affairs programs.
When an ABC program has a strong audience share and sets the pace for innovation, it has set a benchmark for the commercial media to follow.
People in rural and regional Australia are also very dependent upon the ABC.
Commercial Media Costs More
The cost of the ABC is cheaper than the commercial media, in which the cost of advertising is incorporated into everything we buy – even if you do not watch or listen to the commercial media.
In 2005-6 figures published by the Australian Communications Media Authority indicate that the combined income of the three commercial channels was $3738 million. (Commercial Television Industry Financial Trends 1978 -2006/6 viewed 28 July 2008.) Therefore the average income of a commercial channel was $1246 million, compared to the ABC’s $850 million from government. Moreover this money covered the cost of ABC TV, as well as the ABC’s five domestic radio networks and radio Australia.
The money received by the ABC from government amounts to approximately $41.50 per head per year from everyone in Australia. Given the large range of services – radio, television, comprehensive web site an extensive overseas bureaus and general quality of programs, this is value for money. (Background Briefing Sept.2008 p 5)
The ABC is also poorly funded when compared to most European countries, which spend much more per head of population than the ABC. (See www.friendsoftheabc.org/issues costs compared to overseas public broadcasters). For example in 2005-6 government funding for the BBC was $107 per head of population, while at the same time government funding for the ABC was $41.50 per head.
The ABC is rightly regarded as a National Treasure and is an essential part of our democracy and guardian of our cultural values and the performing arts.
Criticisms of Bias
No other media outlet is under such scrutiny regarding bias and inaccuracy as the ABC.
Both major political parties have accused the ABC of bias, which probably indicatives that the organization gets it about right. The ABC has the responsibility to undertake investigative journalism and ask the hard questions of both government and opposition, with the result that both Liberal and Labor perceive that there is some bias against them.
The previous (Howard) government’s own appointee enquiring into this question, Bob Mansfield found bias not to be an issue. The Australian National Audit Office review found that the ABC practices and procedures to be effective in delivering news and current affairs programs which are fair, accurate and impartial.
Cuts to ABC Services and Funding
While the ABC is independent of government, the government can exercise some control by the power of the purse. The government of the day appoints the members of the ABC Board, which can also be a means of influence. The Rudd government has indicated that they
Since 1976 the ABC has been under threat from both major parties when in government, either through inadequate funding, failure to incorporate rising costs into budgetary allocations, reduction of staffing levels and controversial staff and board appointments.
Whichever party is in government, Australians need to remain vigilant to ensure that the ABC is adequately funded and free from the influence of partisan appointments to the Board and senior management.Who uses the ABC?
An estimated nearly 90 percent of Australians use the ABC radio, television or online, every day. (FABC website – Publications Facts. Figures and Fantasies
ABC Website and ABC Act. The ABC Charter is contained in Part 11/6
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/abca1983361/
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP THE ABC?
Write a letter to Federal Politicians
It has been said that politicians are most influenced by letters, followed by emails then telephone calls. So for the greatest impact, a letter has the most influence.
Writing letters to politicians can be a ‘numbers game’, with the arguments you may make being less important than the number of letters that a politician receives on a particular subject. So a short letter will suffice, advising him/her that you are a regular consumer of the ABC and that you care what the government of the day does with the national broadcaster. State that you are concerned about funding levels, appointments to the Board or management, programming, and that the ABC remains independent and free of advertising - and this will influence your vote.
Opposition members should be advised of the same, with regard to their policy concerning the ABC.
If you wish to be more specific you can advise the member in detail about any of the above issues, or ones that are important to you.
You can address the letter to the Minister for Communications
Senator Stephen Conroy
Suite MG 70
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Send a copy to your Federal MP and or any Senator for Western Australia.
You can also write or send copies of letters to
Maurice Newman – Chairperson of the ABC, or Mark Scott – Managing Director of the ABC.
Both are contacted through the ABC GPO Box 9994 Sydney 2001.
You can make one letter do the rounds of a number of people of influence.
Contact Media Outlets
You can ring talk back radio both ABC and commercial outlets and put your views concerning the ABC. You can write to the letters to the Editor of any newspaper, local/community, state or national. With letters to the paper, again keep them brief and to the point. Generally use only two sentences per paragraph. Do not get personal- stick to the issue –in football parlance’ play the ball, not the man’.
Newspapers generally edit material for space, from the bottom up. Place the most important point at the top, and the other/s in a descending order according to importance. The newspaper can then edit out the least important material, if they need to do so.
Personal
Invite a FABC speaker to address an organization to which you belong (e.g. Rotary, Probus0 etc)
You can discuss the issues with your friends, family, neigbours and associates.
Join and encourage other people to join the Friends of the ABC.
ABOUT THE FRIENDS OF THE ABC
The Friends of the ABC started in the mid seventies in response to a perceived threat to the ABC from the newly elected Fraser government.
Since then, state bodies have evolved from the original national body, with the FABC (WA) being established in 1993. Although sharing similar views, each state body is an autonomous and independent body.
The objectives of the Friends are
To support the maintenance and advancement of the ABC. to enable it to –
- Meet the highest standards as an independent and comprehensive national public broadcaster;
- Be adequately funded by the Commonwealth Government to fulfill its role;
- Remain independent of government influence, commercial sponsorship and advertising;
- Promote Australian culture in all its diversity.
We work to keep the Australian public informed about what is happening with the ABC and to lobby decision makers to maintain the above objectives.
Please print and send.
