PUBLIC BROADCASTING – AUSTRALIA

Morrison puts Ita in ABC’s hot seat

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Original article by Rosie Lewis, Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 3 : 27-Feb-19

Senior federal government sources have confirmed that media industry veteran Ita Buttrose will succeed Justin Milne as the ABC’s chair. Cabinet is said to have approved her appointment and a formal announcement is likely within days. However, Labor leader Bill Shorten has accused the government of bungling the succession process, arguing that Buttrose was not on a shortlist of candidates for the role.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED, GILBERT AND TOBIN LAWYERS, HOLDING REDLICH, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Buttrose wins backing for top ABC job

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich, Greg Bright
The Australian – Page: 3 : 26-Feb-19

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says cabinet has yet to discuss the appointment of a successor to former ABC chairman Justin Milne. Amid growing speculation that media industry veteran Ita Buttrose will be given the role, some observers believe that her appointment would be inappropriate as she was not on the short-list compiled by Korn Ferry or considered by the independent nomination panel. However, former ABC chairman Donald McDonald is among those who believe that Buttrose would be a good choice for the role.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED, GILBERT AND TOBIN LAWYERS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, HOLDING REDLICH

Buttrose poised to head the ABC

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Original article by Kylar Loussikian, Bevan Shields, Jennifer Duke
The Age – Page: 1 : 25-Feb-19

Media industry veteran Ita Buttrose is tipped to succeed Justin Milne as the ABC’s chair. Communications Minister Mitch Fifield is expected to seek cabinet approval for her appointment in coming days, although a government spokesman has indicated that a decision has not yet been made. Buttrose has extensive experience in print and broadcast media, and she has held several directorships in the sector. She did not feature on an independent panel’s shortlist of candidates for the ABC role.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, GILBERT AND TOBIN LAWYERS, FILM VICTORIA, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN CONSOLIDATED PRESS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE WOMEN, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE

Call for ABC to go back to basics

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Original article by Nick Tabakoff, Andrew White
The Australian – Page: 24 & 26 : 18-Feb-19

The process for recruiting a successor to the ABC’s former MD Michelle Guthrie has begun, with newspaper advertisements stating that the successful candidate will need to be a ‘strong collaborative leader’. Contenders for the role are said to include acting MD David Anderson, the ABC’s head of news Gaven Morris, former Foxtel CEO Kim Williams and former SBS MD Michael Ebeid. A former ABC executive says Anderson would be regarded as a safe choice as he has been at the public broadcaster for a long time and is highly respected within the ABC.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), NEWS LIMITED

Labor demands say on picking Aunty’s chair

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 3 : 6-Feb-19

Shadow communications minister Michelle Rowland says Labor should be consulted about the appointment of a successor to Justin Milne as chairman of the ABC. She has criticised the federal government’s poor record with regard to ensuring the ABC’s independence, noting in particular its failure to respect the independent nomination panel process for appointments to the board. The ABC’s ‘Media Watch’ program has reported that Communications Minister Mitch Fifield was given a shortlist of three candidates in mid-January.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, GILBERT AND TOBIN LAWYERS, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE

ABC underpaid 2500 casual staff

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 11-Jan-19

The ABC will undertake a review into how it came to underpay around 2,500 casual employees over the last six years. The public broadcaster’s chief people officer Rebekah Donaldson says it has notified the Fair Work Commission about the issue, and that it is getting in contact with current and former casual employees who might have been affected. The underpayment error was brought to the ABC’s attention by the Community & Public Sector Union; the CPSU’s ABC section secretary Sinddy Ealy says it had been concerned for some time about the ABC’s over-reliance on and payment of casual staff.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, ACTU

Please explain … call for ABC, SBS transparency

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 13-Dec-18

The federal government’s competitive neutrality inquiry into public broadcasting has concluded that the ABC and SBS are competing fairly with their commercial rivals. However, the inquiry has recommended greater transparency with regard to the public broadcasters’ business activities, their use of taxpayer funding and compliance with their charters. Amongst other things, the inquiry also recommended a shift toward longer-term funding arrangements for the ABC and SBS.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, ERNST AND YOUNG, BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, ONE NATION PARTY

Guthrie’s $800k go-away payment

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 3 : 27-Nov-18

The ABC has confirmed that former MD Michelle Guthrie received a termination payment when she was sacked in September. Although the ABC would not state the amount Guthrie received, a newspaper has confirmed that she was paid $800,000. Guthrie, who has filed an "adverse action" claim against the ABC in the Fair Work Commission, said at the time of her dismissal that there was no justification for it, and that she had been "devastated" by the ABC’s actions.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, JOHNSON WINTER AND SLATTERY

Give us financial freedom: ABC chief

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Original article by Stephen Brook
The Australian – Page: 5 : 22-Nov-18

The ABC’s acting MD David Anderson says the public broadcaster’s independence has not been compromised. However, he has called for the ABC to have financial independence in addition to editorial independence, and he has called for an alternative to its current three-year funding cycle. The federal government’s May 2018 Budget effectively reduced the ABC’s funding by about $84m due to a three-year funding freeze. The ABC posted a loss of $71.2m in 2017-18.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

ABC news chief backs staff amid Guthrie-Milne fallout

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich, John Ferguson
The Australian – Page: 5 : 14-Nov-18

The fallout from a "Four Corners" story on the ABC’s recent leadership crisis is continuing, with Liberal senator Eric Abetz saying it demonstrated that the public broadcaster is in "disarray". Amongst other things, former MD Michelle Guthrie alleged that ex-chairman Justin Milne had touched her inappropriately, while allegations were raised about political interference at the ABC. Meanwhile, director of news Gavin Morris has praised the ABC’s staff, noting their ­integrity and professionalism.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY