PUBLIC BROADCASTING – AUSTRALIA

Call to rewrite ABC, SBS charters

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Original article by Darren Davidson, Stephen Brook
The Australian – Page: 3 : 25-Jul-18

News Corp Australia has used its submission to an inquiry into the competitive neutrality of the ABC and SBS to argue that taxpayer funding gives them an advantage in the distribution of news content online. The media giant has also called for the public broadcasters’ charters to be overhauled to ensure a "level-playing field" with regard to online news content. In addition, News Corp argues that the ABC should not compete with commercial rivals for contracts to supply news content to third parties.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, SKY NEWS, GOOGLE INCORPORATED

ABC pitches for massive digital grant

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Original article by Stephen Brook
The Australian – Page: 28 : 23-Jul-18

The ABC is seeking a one-off funding boost to prepare it for the eventual termination of traditional broadcasting services and its shift to a pure-play online media company. As part of the public broadcaster’s online-only future, it proposes to establish a database containing its entire archive of audio-visual content. ABC chairman Justin Milne notes that it spends about $200m a year on broadcast infrastructure and spectrum, but it will no longer incur these costs when it ultimately shifts to an online-only platform.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE, AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL, OZEMAIL LIMITED, TELSTRA BIG POND

Staff in shock as SBS boss resigns

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Original article by Stephen Brook
The Australian – Page: 3 : 18-Jul-18

Michael Ebeid will step down as the managing director of SBS in October, after more than seven years in the role. The public broadcaster launched its Food Network channel and the SBS On Demand streaming service during his tenure, while it was accused of breaching its charter by targeting commercial TV audiences with the launch of the SBS Viceland channel. Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has praised Ebeid’s contribution to SBS.

CORPORATES
SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, VICELAND, IBM AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, TWO WAY LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Fifield reassures Aunty: we’re not out to destroy you

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Original article by Stephen Brook
The Australian – Page: 3 : 12-Jul-18

ABC chairman Justin Milne has rejected calls by the commercial media sector for the ABC to exit the digital sphere, arguing that doing so would jeopardise the ABC’s future. He also noted that diversity of media voices in Australia has declined in recent years, and this trend would increase without a viable and competitive ABC. Milne added that Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has assured him that privatising the ABC is not on the Federal Government’s agenda.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN AUSTRALIA, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, APPLE INCORPORATED, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

ABC, SBS distort market: Fairfax

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Australian – Page: 24 : 9-Jul-18

Fairfax Media has used its submission to the competitive neutrality inquiry to criticise the ABC for aggressively promoting and expanding its online digital news service at the expense of commercial rivals. Fairfax has also warned that the sustainability of commercial news journalism is being threatened by the ABC’s growing push to secure content supply deals with third parties. Free TV Australia has noted that the ABC and SBS have an advantage over commercial networks as they are not subject to local content quotas.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, COMMERCIAL RADIO AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED

Hold your tongue, staff told by ABC news boss

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Original article by Stephen Brook
The Australian – Page: 4 : 6-Jul-18

ABC presenters Jon Faine and Phillip Adams are among the public broadcaster’s employees who will address rallies organised by lobby group ABC Friends. The rallies are being held in response to the funding cuts that were announced in the Federal Government’s May 2018 Budget. The ABC’s director of news, Gaven Morris, has issued a memo to staff advising them not to engage in the political debate concerning the broadcaster.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, ABC FRIENDS

Battered ABC chief throws counter-punches

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Original article by Stephen Brook, Richard Ferguson
The Australian – Page: 5 : 20-Jun-18

ABC MD Michelle Guthrie has defended the public broadcaster in a Melbourne Press Club speech. She argued that the ABC contributes at least $A1bn to the broader economy each year, and it directly or indirectly supports about 6,500 jobs. Guthrie added that the ABC is still highly valued by the general public, and any move to privatise it would be opposed by both the public and the commercial media sector.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, MELBOURNE PRESS CLUB, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Fifield attacks ABC on independence

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 24 : 4-Jun-18

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has made his sixth complaint to the ABC in just five months with regard to the public broadcaster’s news coverage. The latest complaint concerns the ABC’s reports on the selection of the date for five upcoming by-elections. Meanwhile, Fifield has stressed the need for the ABC to be impartial and independent, and argues that all media organisations in Australia should be open to feedback from politicians and the general public.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

ABC to spend up big on digital ads

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Australian – Page: 3 : 25-May-18

The ABC’s CFO Louise Higgins has revealed that the public broadcaster will allocate around $1.4m to advertising on Facebook during 2018, while its budget for Google’s AdWords will be about $A500,000. However, Higgins has rejected suggestions that the ABC is using taxpayers’ funds to compete with commercial TV networks. She also told a Senate estimates committee hearing that the ABC has an obligation to make consumers aware of the content it produces.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ECONOMICS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Aunty coy about how budget affects news

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Australian – Page: 2 : 24-May-18

The ABC’s CFO Louise Higgins has warned that the Federal Government’s looming funding freeze will force the public broadcaster to decide which services it continues to provide. The three-year funding freeze announced in the May 2018 Budgets takes effect in mid-2019, and Higgins says the ABC will negotiate with the government in the interim. Meanwhile, SBS CEO Michael Ebeid says there is no scope for further joint cost-saving initiatives by the public broadcasters.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIA. SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ECONOMICS