Comments on: ABC News gets $10m extra funding to boost regional coverage

By: Cuppa

Cuppa — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 12:48:55 +0000

I referred in my previous comment to right-wing favouritism in the ABC’s coverage of politics. This headline from today, February 08, 2013, illustrates my point:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BCkUScdCcAAdhlY.png:large

By: Mike Andrews

Mike Andrews — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 10:40:55 +0000

..and yet again under this current Managing Director, radio seems to miss out. Since Scott became M/D, radio has been decimated. Local programs are slowly disappearing. More cameras and fact checkers are not going to help the bush

By: Cuppa

Cuppa — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 13:59:22 +0000

The ABC should have its overall funding cut by dozens of per cent as a consequence for the right wing favouritism of its presentation of politics.

If it’s to get millions more for news the money should be quarantined. None of it to go to political coverage, The Drum or QandA. It should all go to regional stations to meet the demands of emergency coverage - floods and fires etc - which is the just about the only thing the ABC does excellently these days.

By: paddy

paddy — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 10:59:14 +0000

From Karen Barlow on Twitter.
Seven new cadet journalists are starting at the ABC this year. 1,100 people applied. They must be talented.

That’s a couple of scary numbers. Who amongst those 7 cadets is going to stand up to management if they’re told to “toe the company line”?

By: floorer

floorer — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 06:19:15 +0000

Yeah I’d like the ABC to be like Peter Costello, all tip and no (ice) Berg boom boom

By: gavin robertson

gavin robertson — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 03:56:52 +0000

What exactly is this $10 million? $10 million a year, that amount spread over a number of years, or a one-off payment? If the latter, it’s not going to make any long term difference.

By: fredex

fredex — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 03:29:24 +0000

$10 million?

WOW!!

Make that wow instead, a very small wow, in fact on the wow factor scale its miniscule.
Let’s see now, what is the total budget of the ABC?
Just so we can put the $10 million wow into context and perspective.

Never mind, I found this from Mr D’s Failed Estate:

“The Australian Broadcasting Corporation received a net $840 million in revenue from the federal government last year. Its real funding has been cut 23% since the mid-1980s.”
I presume that net revenue excludes any profitable undertakings the corporate ABC makes and so the real figure for revenus would be somewhat higher.

$10 million aint a lot is it?
Minus staff lost time cos they were listening and watching
management rather than news gathering etc..

The powers that be at the ABC need to lobby a little bit harder, or maybe produce something of greater value with what they already receive.

Colour me underwhelmed.

By: Mike Flanagan

Mike Flanagan — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 00:50:32 +0000

I do hope they address the cloning of the Murdoch scribblers and the IPA etc.
Recent subtle changes, that seem to be subsequent to the appointmentof Jim Spigelman as Chair of the board, are a miniscule step in the right direction but the whole gene pool need to be sent for reappraisal.
The habit of journalists interviewing journalists and redundant hacks, that now eke a living in the PR industry, can ony be described a misappropriation of public funds.

By: fredex

fredex — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 00:09:00 +0000

Let me know if the announcement is promising a fair dinkum return [?] to ‘fair and balanced’ reporting.
That the IPA is going to be banished to the wilderness they want to destroy, that Murdoch and Fairfax hacks will be told to stay at home cos they are being replaced by experts, you know people who actually know what they are talking about and not just pushing the standard vested ineterest COALition partis line of the MSM.
That policy will replace personality as the focus of reporting.
That the ABC will actually start to do what it has been supposed to be doing for yonks but hasn’t.
Otherwise I suppose it will just be another bit of window dressing or maybe more jobs lost or a further foray into free market corporatism.

Sorry about the cynical realism but I’m a bit fed up with the ABC.