MASS MEDIA – AUSTRALIA

‘Grey-BC’: most viewers of 7pm news are over 55

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Original article by Mark Di Stefano
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 17-Jul-23

The ABC’s internal data shows that audiences for its news and current affairs programs are heavily skewed toward older people. More than 80 per cent of people who watch its evening news bulletin are aged 55+, and two-thirds are over the age of 65; in contrast, less than eight per cent of viewers are below the age of 40. Likewise, 75 per cent of the average audience for Q&A is aged 55+ and 70 per cent of Insiders’ viewers are over the age of 55. A spokesman for the ABC contends that the audience shift to older viewers for TV news content is an industry-wide trend; he adds that the ABC’s digital news service is popular among younger audiences.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

ABC hires cultural guidance advisers

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Original article by Sophie Elsworth
The Australian – Page: 3 : 5-Jul-23

The ABC has released a 30-page Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Plan. Amongst other things, the public broadcaster will appoint three ‘cultural guidance advisers’ by June 2024; their role will include ensuring that culturally informed decisions are made when producing content. The inclusion plan, which is published every three years, also includes an anti-racism and discrimination statement, with the ABC set to launch a targeted anti-racism and discrimination campaign by the end of 2023. The ABC recently retrenched 120 employees as part of a restructuring program.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

ABC board lays down law on radio fix

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Original article by James Madden
The Australian – Page: 18 : 3-Jul-23

The ABC’s senior management has been urged to take action to address the decline in the audience share of its radio stations. The ratings of both ABC Radio and Radio National have fallen sharply in the last 18 months or so, and an internal advisory group has made a number of proposals aimed at addressing this, including changes to its on-air presenters and an overhaul of internal reporting structures within the public broadcaster. The advisory group’s report was tabled at the ABC’s recent board meeting in Perth.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, ABC RADIO, RADIO NATIONAL

Backlash to ABC cuts grows as artists, authors and performers urge rethink

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Original article by Linda Morris
The Age – Page: Online : 28-Jun-23

Live Performance Australia has written to ABC chair Ita Buttrose urging the public broadcaster to reconsider its decision to disband its stand-alone arts team as part of a restructuring program. The peak body for the live entertainment industry contends that scrapping the two specialist editorial roles will have a "damaging impact" on the coverage of Australian arts and culture. The National Association for the Visual Arts’ executive director Penelope Benton says the move does make sense given that interest in the arts in Australia has never been higher.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, LIVE PERFORMANCE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE VISUAL ARTS LIMITED

B is for broadcast: Rowland’s ABC dig

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Original article by James Madden, Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 3 : 21-Jun-23

The ABC continues to attract scrutiny over a restructuring that includes shifting its focus to a ‘digital-first’ model. The issue was raised in the federal government’s caucus meeting on Tuesday, with Communications Minister Michelle Rowland noting that the ‘B’ in ABC stands for broadcasting. A spokesman for Rowland later clarified her comments, stating that she had told caucus that the ABC has made it clear that broadcasting remains important as it prepares for a future time when most audiences with engage with it via digital channels. The ABC’s restructuring will include the loss of about 120 jobs.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

ABC job cuts: corporation to make as many as 100 roles redundant amid major restructure

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Original article by Amanda Meade
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 15-Jun-23

The ABC has declined to comment on reports that it is set to announce job cuts ahead of the public broadcaster’s restructuring that takes effect on 1 July. ABC MD David Anderson recently flagged the likelihood of job losses when the three existing divisions are scrapped in favour of two divisions focused on news and content. There is speculation that up to 100 jobs will be cut in the ABC’s biggest restructuring since 2017. The restructuring is part of the ABC’s transition to a digital-first model.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

ABC Radio listeners in key city tune out

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Original article by James Madden
The Australian – Page: 3 : 7-Jun-23

GfK’s latest radio ratings survey shows that the ABC’s audience share across all timeslots in Melbourne has fallen by 0.2 percentage points to 6.0 per cent. This compares with an audience share of 10.1 per cent in December 2021. ABC Radio Melbourne has shed an average of 26,000 listeners in the latest survey period, with the broadcaster’s flagship morning, afternoon and drive timeslots recording a loss of audience share. In contrast, ABC Radio Sydney’s audience share rose across the key timeslots; the ABC’s audience share in Adelaide and Perth also rose, but its audience fell across all timeslots in Brisbane. The GfK ratings include streaming data for the first time.

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GFK PTY LTD, ABC RADIO, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Gloves off: ABC goes to war with News Corp

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Original article by Sam Buckingham-Jones
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 25-May-23

ABC MD David Anderson has defended the public broadcaster’s coverage of King Charles III’s coronation. He has told a Senate estimates hearing that the coverage was "justified, relevant and appropriate", and criticised Rupert Murdoch’s media outlets for their sustained attack on the ABC’s coverage. Anderson and the ABC’s head of news Justin Stevens highlighted the negative reporting from News Corp Australia mastheads and Sky News, noting that Indigenous presenter Stan Grant in particular was targeted. Anderson indicated that he will seek a meeting with News Corp Australia’s executive chairman Michael Miller; he added that they have a "respectful" working relationship.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SKY NEWS

An exceptional 15 magazine categories grew their readership over the last year led by Food & Entertainment, General Interest, Home & Garden, Mass Women’s, Health & Family, Women’s Fashion and Women’s Lifestyle – all with readership up on 2022

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 25-May-23

The Roy Morgan Australian Readership report for the 12 months to March 2023 shows that 11.5 million Australians aged 14+ (53.4%) now read print magazines, up 5.1 per cent on a year ago. This market broadens to 15 million Australians aged 14+ (69.9%) who read magazines in print or online either via the web or an app, a small drop of 2.5 per cent from a year ago. Print readership increased for 15 of 17 magazine categories compared to a year ago. The readership increases occurred as Australians enjoyed a considerable easing of restrictions following the extensive lockdowns of 2021; most COVID-19 restrictions were lifted by October 2022. Better Homes & Gardens is still Australia’s most widely read paid magazine with print readership of 1,792,000, up 17.2 per cent on a year ago (the largest increase of any of the top 15 magazines), ahead of the Australian Women’s Weekly on 1,309,000, up 8.8 per cent. These are the latest findings from the Roy Morgan Single Source survey of 65,863 Australians aged 14+ in the 12 months to March 2023.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

ABC staff lead bogus claims against News

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Original article by James Madden
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 24-May-23

The ABC’s somewhat controversial coverage of King Charles III’s coronation continues to attract scrutiny. Critics of News Corp Australia in turn have made false claims about the extent of the Rupert Murdoch-controlled media group’s reporting of the ABC’s coronation coverage. The Guardian Australia recently claimed that The Australian and Sky News had mentioned the public broadcaster’s coronation coverage and presenter Stan Grant more than 150 times in the last two weeks. This unverified claim has since been repeated by other left-leaning media outlets, but independent research has shown that shown that the Guardian’s figures are incorrect. Despite this, the ABC continues to contend that it is "under attack" from News Corp.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SKY NEWS, THE GUARDIAN AUSTRALIA