PUBLIC BROADCASTING – AUSTRALIA

Scott says ABC must tackle ‘too narrow’ editorial focus

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Original article by Gina Rushton
The Australian – Page: 2 : 29-Mar-16

ABC MD Mark Scott says any cut in funding for the public broadcaster in the Australian Government’s May 2016 Budget could result in job losses and a reduction in content. He adds that a funding cut would result in a 10 per cent reduction in the ABC’s news budget. Scott, who will shortly step down after a decade in the role, also says the ABC has "strong editorial standards" but must ensure that it provides sufficiently broad editorial coverage.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Scott drops a farewell bombshell on SBS

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Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 3 : 10-Feb-16

ABC MD Mark Scott has told a Senate estimates hearing that the focus of SBS has shifted from its original role of a multicultural broadcaster to one offering more general interest content. He argued that there is now less distinction between the ABC and SBS, and said the Federal Government could eventually consider merging them. Meanwhile, Scott has indicated that the ABC will seek an extra $A25m to $A30m per year in its triennial funding package to increase its investment in regional and rural content.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS)

ABC boss warns of cheap imports

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Original article by Sid Maher
The Australian – Page: 6 : 4-Feb-16

The ABC’s outgoing MD Mark Scott has questioned whether profit-driven Australian media companies will continue to produce local content. Speaking at the ABC’s annual parliamentary showcase in Canberra, he argued that the public broadcaster is best-placed to deliver such content, and urged all political parties to support it. Scott also noted that low-cost international content presents a threat to local content.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, APPLE INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, RADIO NATIONAL

Scott’s media skills ‘crucial’

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Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 3 : 23-Dec-15

Media and journalism experience was given a relatively low priority in the selection criteria for the successor to ABC MD Mark Scott. However, former members of the public broadcaster’s board have said that Scott’s editorial experience at Fairfax Media had been a key factor in the decision to appoint him to the role in 2006. Scott will step down in May 2016.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NEW SOUTH WALES. STATE RAIL AUTHORITY

ABC boss looks at options for ‘monetisation’

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 22-Dec-15

Google executive Michelle Guthrie will succeed ABC MD Mark Scott in May 2016. She has indicated that budgetary limitations may require the public broadcaster to consider new ways to make money from its content, and she has not ruled out options such as paywalling online content or introducing advertising to its TV channels. Guthrie will hold the dual roles of MD and editor-in-chief.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS INTERNATIONAL PLC, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, STAR TV, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SKY PLC, ALLENS, HONG KONG TELECOMMUNICATIONS LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

ABC ups pay to lure Google exec as managing director

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 16-Dec-15

The ABC has declined to comment on reports that Michelle Guthrie will succeed MD Mark Scott. Guthrie is currently Google’s MD of agency relationships for the Asia-Pacific region, and is based in Singapore. She has extensive experience in the Australian and international media industry, including roles at Foxtel, BSkyB and Hong Kong-based Star TV. It is believed that Guthrie will be paid an annual salary of about $A1m, compared with Scott’s remuneration of $A823,613 in 2013-14.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, BSKYB, STAR TV, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIA. REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL, PROVIDENCE EQUITY PARTNERS INCORPORATED, ALLENS

UK executive tipped to lead ABC

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 10-Dec-15

The former controller of BBC One, Jay Hunt, has downplayed reports that she is a leading candidate to succeed Mark Scott as MD of the ABC. Hunt has been the chief creative officer at the UK’s Channel 4 since 2010, and says she has no immediate plans to leave the public broadcaster. ABC chairman Jim Spigelman is believed to favour Kim Williams as the new MD, although some ABC directors have reservations about appointing Williams to the role.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION, CHANNEL 4 TELEVISION, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SCREEN AUSTRALIA, EGON ZEHNDER INTERNATIONAL, BRIGHTSPARK TV, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY

ABC sets new prime-time target of 60pc Australian content

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 22-Sep-15

Local productions will comprise just 43 per cent of the content broadcast in prime time on the ABC’s main channel in 2015. The public broadcaster’s director of television, Richard Finlayson, says ABC budget cuts have significantly affected local content, but he aims to lift this to 60 per cent within five years. The ABC is pushing for an increase in its funding and a requirement for global video-on-demand providers to help finance local TV productions.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, SCREEN PRODUCERS AUSTRALIA, BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION, CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

ABC, SBS making ‘noise’ to compete

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Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 23 : 24-Aug-15

Australia’s public broadcasters, the SBS and ABC, are ratings-driven despite reassurances to the contrary. They recently tried to use terrorist sympathiser Zaky Mallah to increase their ratings which was an exercise in cynicism. ABC MD Mark Scott keeps saying that the public broadcaster does not need to seek higher ratings but this is just rhetoric.

CORPORATES
SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Little Christmas cheer for almost 100 ABC journalists who face redundancy

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Original article by Anna Patty
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 8 : 18-Dec-14

ABC employees have been given a deadline of 5pm on 19 December 2014 to accept voluntary redundancies. Some journalists were informed of their retrenchment on 17 December, and the ABC has been criticised for its handling of the job cuts. The ABC is expected to retrench about 100 staff, and a spokeswoman has indicated that they will not be leaving the public broadcaster immediately unless they choose to do so

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION