Comments on: Public broadcasting about to get a shake-up

By: Peter

Peter — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Scary co-incidence? The BBC have just announced that they will have five channels on Foxtel - including an ad-free children’s program. Bye-bye ABC?

By: David Sanderson

David Sanderson — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

The eagerness to impose cuts expressed above is odd. We are wealthier than ever and need an alternative to the dreadful sh-t pumped out on commercial TV and radio.

By: Cathy Morris

Cathy Morris — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

If only the shake-up extended to the other stuff bouncing off our transmitters – commercial radio broadcasting. The flimsy media laws and guidelines offering carte blanche license ownership are short-changing millions of regional listeners via a generic pitiful communication product. Up here in the Tweed/Richmond area the ABC singularly delivers relevant and quality content with the only other choice beamed out of Sydney. Cobbled extraneous programming that detailed this week the chaos on the M5 and the draw-bridge malfunction on The Spit bridge but no mention of our two-hour delay on the Pacific Highway after a three car pile-up at Ocean Shores. Earlier this year as the Richmond River peaked with mass evacuations (covered by the local ABC), the other station waffled on about the havoc caused by heavy rain across Sydney!! And no, we don’t get talk-back - local that is, we get two Sydney stations talking to Sydney listeners about Sydney issues. Capital city radio audiences don’t realise how blessed they are by the vibrant, relevant and diverse radio product they have. If Rudd’s giving stick to public broadcasting he should take a hatchet to the deplorable commercial upshot of privatised and de-regulated media that’s essentially shut down radio broadcasting for and communication in, regional Australia.

By: Virginia

Virginia — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Well the BBC presence demonstrates that what we need is an STV channel for Australian programming - alongside UK TV we need TV AUS… maybe even a few STV channels that specialise in Australian television product and market it to the world. There are lots of interesting scenarios that could be taken up by the ABC or SBS in a post-FTA era, and that would stimulate local production. Otherwise there will be no Australian TV production before long! And the example set by the BBC demonstrates that there has been too much neglect of TV production in Australia in the past - by both the commercial and public sectors. So much easier to buy in other people’s work than invest in production here. If the STV opportunity the BBC has understood so well is not grasped here and exploited for our own ends, then we will lose both Public and commercial production locally.

By: SJM

SJM — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

About time!!!! SBS TV is definitely not needed in modern day Australia and will result in $50m in savings. SBS Radio can also be downsized as most of the early migrants are well settled in Australia. The new migrants are mostly refugees or skilled migrants who know English well. My two bobs worth!!