The ABC has been quietly conducting a year-long secret review of the way it staffs and positions its network of more than a dozen foreign correspondents, with at least two bureaus expected to close.
ABC TV
Tips and rumours: Easter bunnyload of hot tips
A bucketload of anonymous tips sent to Crikey. Has KPMG sacked 50 people in Perth? And is The Gruen Transfer offending its audience?
New ABC doco has a bad smell
The ABC plans to screen a controversial doco called Jihad Sheilas at 8.30pm tonight. It’s powerful and evocative. But it could be a program prepared and sold to the two participants under false pretenses, writes Glenn Dyer.
TV ratings winners (ABC) and losers (Nine)
The Nine Network’s last remaining claims to be “the one Australia turns to” were killed off on Saturday night when the network comprehensively lost the election night coverage battle with the ABC and Seven, writes Glenn Dyer.
Lazy ABC dropping the ball with early holidays
Tonight Australian Story, Four Corners and Media Watch finish up for the year. Tomorrow night it’s Foreign Correspondent. That’s disgraceful, writes Glenn Dyer.
Media briefs and TV ratings
Seven cranks up the campaign coverage … Chasers set for a long break … No more Differences of Opinion … Gyngell looks to an old hand to resurrect NRL Footy Show … Nine gets closer but Seven’s still too strong … Last night’s TV ratings.
Aunty tells AFI to take its award and …
Any way you look at it the decision by the Australian Film Institute to downgrade the role TV plays in its annual awards represents a form of cultural apartheid or cultural suicide, writes Glenn Dyer.
Crikey’s Spring Carnival form guide: Oaks Day
The Oaks is an even race with five main chances, but Try This seems to be the one most likely to enjoy the combination of Flemington’s long straight, and the 2500 distance, writes our Professor Punt, Lawrie Zion.
Media briefs and TV ratings
Aunty continues to struggle with local drama as docos boom … Fitzsimmons to form husband/wife team at Today? … Last night’s TV ratings.
Is the Chaser team beginning to fray at the edges?
Is the end of The Chaser’s War On Everything drawing nigh, or is a very long holiday well away from TV on the cards? asks Glenn Dyer.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Comments, corrections, clarifications, and c*ckups
Worms, Witchetty grubs and WormChoices … Howard’s debating skills … the ultimate test of leadership is war … Kyoto’s Pandora’s Box … manipulation of the betting markets … Ben Cousins …
The poll that matters: rating the great debate
Just under 3 million people watched the leaders’ debate last night, with 60 Minutes and the worm scoring the biggest audience, writes Glenn Dyer.
Howard debates himself: exclusive preview
Howard vows to debate himself if Kevin Rudd won’t. How does this play out? Guy Rundle ponders the possibilities.
Flint: Coalition must remember the “forgotten people”
The Coalition will have to persuade the undecided that they have the better team, the better policies, and they are the safest hands. And above all, it should remember their natural constituency, the “forgotten people,” writes David Flint.
The ABC’s Natural History unit becomes history
Courtney Gibson, ABC’s new Executive Head Content Creation, starts with one hand firmly tied behind her back since Kim Dalton quietly snuffed the life out of the highly respected Natural History unit in Melbourne. Glenn Dyer reports.
Your guilty political crushes (we won’t tell)
On Monday, Crikey explored the crushworthiness of Joe Hockey. And we asked readers their political crushes. Today, some of their responses:
Aunty would sell its grandmother to appease the Right
It’s just as well we humans have nothing to do with global warming because the amount of carbon the ABC is emitting to promote this apologia to right-wing conspiracy-thinking would thaw the Arctic tundra.
ABC main electronic news source, newspapers decline
The ABC is the stand-out source for Australian news and current affairs, Roy Morgan research has found.
