PUBLIC BROADCASTING – AUSTRALIA

ABC boss seeks peace deal as strike looms

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Original article by James Madden, Sophie Elsworth
The Australian – Page: 19 : 6-Mar-23

ABC MD David Anderson will meet with representatives of the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance on Monday, in a bid to avert industrial action over a new pay deal. The MEAA and the public broadcaster’s journalists have rejected an offer of a pay rise of 10.5 per cent over three years and are pushing for an annual increase of six per cent for three years. The proposed 40-minute strike on Tuesday has been timed to coincide with the Reserve Bank’s interest rate announcement. Longer strikes have been flagged in coming weeks if the ABC does not return to the bargaining table.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

‘Journalistic cluelessness’: Ex-Media Watch host roasts regulator

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Original article by Zoe Samios
The Age – Page: Online : 4-Jan-23

ABC Alumni chair Jonathan Holmes has criticised the Australian Communications & Media Authority’s investigation into the ABC’s two-part ‘Four Corners’ program on US-based Fox News. ACMA ruled in late 2022 that the program had breached the public broadcaster’s code of practice and misled viewers. Holmes subsequently wrote to ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin, contending that the investigation had "needlessly damaged" the reputation of ‘Four Corners’. ABC Alumni is not affiliated with the public broadcaster.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION,ABC ALUMNI,FOX NEWS,AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY

ABC attack on regulator reeks of arrogance

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Original article by Stephen Rice
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 23-Dec-22

The ABC is under renewed scrutiny after the Australian Communications & Media Authority found that a controversial two-part Four Corners program about Fox News breached its code of practice. Shadow communications minister Sarah Henderson says the ABC has shown an "untenable disregard" for the need to comply with its own code of practice by improperly attacking the independent regulator. Henderson says ACMA’s findings with regard to ‘Fox and the Big Lie’ show that the ABC needs to undertake a comprehensive review of how journalistic standards at Four Corners and across the public broadcaster can be improved.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY, FOX NEWS

Review into ABC and SBS financial stability

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Original article by Sophie Elsworth
The Australian – Page: Online : 16-Nov-22

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has advised that her department has commenced a review of the ABC and SBS that will examine measures to support the stability and independence of the public broadcasters. Rowland disclosed details of review while attending a function organised by ABC Friends, which is not affiliated with the ABC. She emphasised that the review will not consider issues such as funding of the ABC and SBS or proposals to merge them. The review will include public consultation in 2023.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS)

ABC calls for mandate to ensure it hosts federal election debate

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Original article by Amanda Meade
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 18-Oct-22

A parliamentary committee is examining the conduct of the 2022 federal election, and is looking at issues such as voting rules and political donation laws. In its submission to the committee’s inquiry, the ABC has called for legislation that would see it host and broadcast at least one leaders’ debate during a federal election campaign. Then Prime Minister Scott Morrison accepted invitations to take part in debates with Anthony Albanese on the Seven and Nine networks and Sky News Australia during the 2022 election campaign, but refused to appear on the ABC. In arguing its case for at least one debate, the ABC noted in its submission that research has revealed it is the most trusted media brand, while it also pointed out it has Australia’s biggest "broadcast footprint".

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SKY NEWS

ABC criticised for massive coverage of Queen’s death

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Original article by George Hyde
The New Daily – Page: Online : 16-Sep-22

The ABC has defended its broadcast and online coverage of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, amid claims that it has been excessive. Former ABC broadcaster Quentin Dempster says that while there is strong residual regard for the Queen as Australia’s head of state, her death is not the top story at the moment; he argues that climate change is the biggest story, followed by the war in Ukraine and the potential threat of nuclear war. The ABC will have 29 employees in Britain for its coverage of the Queen’s funeral, although this includes two Europe-based correspondents who are also reporting on other stories.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

ABC’s login plan to stem exodus fuels privacy fears

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Original article by Tom Burton
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 23-Feb-22

The ABC has defended its decision to require mandatory logins for users of its iview platform from 15 March. Amongst other things, the public broadcaster argues that personalised iview services will allow users to receive program recommendations and resume watching a show at any time and on any device. The ABC also claims that a more personalised iview experience could prevent the loss of younger audiences, which it says appear to favour the enhanced platform offerings of international video-on-demand services. However, privacy advocates have expressed concern about the ABC’s push for iview logins.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, IVIEW

The ABC’s budget hasn’t been restored – it’s still facing $1.2 billion in losses over a decade

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Original article by Alexandra Wake, Michael Ward
The New Daily – Page: Online : 10-Feb-22

The ABC’s management has welcomed the federal government’s new three-year funding package and the abolition of the budget indexation freeze that was imposed in 2018. The ABC will receive $3.284bn over the three years from 2022-23, including $45.8m to continue its enhanced news gathering program for local public interest journalism in regional areas. However, analysis shows that the ABC’s funding has been cut by $783m in total since 2014, and it faces accumulated funding cuts of $1.201bn over the period from 2014-15 to 2024-25.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Senate shoots down Bragg’s ABC complaints inquiry

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Original article by James Madden
The Australian – Page: 4 : 24-Nov-21

A motion to suspend a Senate committee’s inquiry into the complaints handling processes of the ABC and SBS has been passed by one vote in the upper house. Three independent senators backed the motion that had been put forward by Labor and the Greens. The inquiry had been launched by Liberal senator Andrew Bragg, who says the ABC’s own independent inquiry into its complaints system is not as strong as the proposed Senate probe. The inquiry will be put on hold until after the federal election.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

ABC dismisses Fox News’ Four Corners complaint

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Original article by Zoe Samios
The Age – Page: Online : 8-Nov-21

The ABC’s internal complaints department has found that "Fox and the Big Lie" did not breach the national broadcaster’s code of practice. The two-part Four Corners documentary examined how US cable network Fox News covered the 2020 presidential election. Fox News called for an external inquiry into the Four Corners story shortly after it had been broadcast, and the ABC is said to have provided Fox with a detailed response as to why its complaints had been dismissed. The ABC recently commissioned a review of its procedures for handling complaints, its first such review in 12 years.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, FOX NEWS