PUBLIC BROADCASTING – AUSTRALIA

Union blasts ABC on management, underpay

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Original article by Miranda Ward
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 1-Oct-21

A review by the ABC has found that current and former staff employed under certain pay categories between 14 July 2014 and 20 July 2021 had been underpaid. The public broadcaster’s announcement that some staff had been underpaid has prompted an attack by the Community & Public Sector Union, which has accused the ABC of having "serious cultural problems", while urging it to rein in the poor management practices that caused the underpayment problems.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION

ABC was duped by Nielsen sting tale

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Original article by Sophie Elsworth
The Australian – Page: 3 : 28-Sep-21

The ABC has recently withdrawn a mini-series examining the 1975 disappearance of Sydney activist Juanita Nielsen from its streaming platform. It said it had done so because new information had been received that cast doubt on claims made in the program that an undercover ‘sting’ had unearthed her murderer. Author Peter Rees, who has followed the Nielsen case for decades, contends that the ABC had been "duped" by the claims, which he says were "preposterous". Rees says it shows the ABC needs to improve its fact checking.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

ABC says sorry for Bernardi episode

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Original article by Sophie Elsworth
The Australian – Page: 6 : 7-Sep-21

The ABC has apologised to Sky News host and former senator Cory Bernardi for the airing of allegations against him in an episode of the four-part series ‘Ms Represented’. The allegations against Bernadi were made by Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, with Bernardi having strongly denied them. In acknowledging Bernardi’s letter of complaint, the ABC conceded that it failed to give him the opportunity to respond to the allegations, and that the program breached its editorial standards

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Minister pans ABC complaint procedure

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Original article by Troy Bramston
The Australian – Page: 3 : 2-Sep-21

The ABC has attracted further scrutiny in the wake of a controversial documentary on the 1979 Luna Park ghost train fire in Sydney. Communications Minister Paul Fletcher says the fallout from the documentary should prompt the public broadcaster’s management and board to review its policy for handling audience complaints, in order to determine whether it is functioning effectively. The ABC’s audience and consumer affairs division has rejected all complaints received with regard to the documentary.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS

Board must act on ABC editorial failures

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Original article by Troy Bramston
The Australian – Page: 2 : 1-Sep-21

The ABC continues to attract scrutiny over a controversial documentary on the 1979 ghost train fire at Sydney’s Luna Park. An independent review found that allegations raised in the documentary with regard to former NSW premier Neville Wran were unsubstantiated. The ABC’s former MD David Hill has criticised the public broadcaster’s management for defending the documentary and failing to acknowledge its shortcomings. Hill contends that the documentary breached the ABC’s editorial policies with regard to accuracy and fairness.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

The ABC’s big lie and the madness of Four Corners

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Original article by James Madden, Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 1 & 9 : 24-Aug-21

Fox News has attacked the ABC over a two-part ‘Four Corners’ program called "The Big Lie". The program has been accused of being "error-ridden" and "conspiracy-laden", implying that the Rupert Murdoch-owned broadcaster played a part in Donald Trump’s refusal to accept defeat in the 2020 US presidential election, ignoring the fact that Trump attacked Fox’s coverage of the election campaign in more than 400 tweets. It is believed that the second part of the program will try to link Fox News to the attack on the US Capitol by Trump supporters on 6 January.

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FOX NEWS, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

‘Taxpayers should know’: Senator calls for audit of ABC payment for upskirting tweet

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Original article by Zoe Samios, Lisa Visentin
The Age – Page: Online : 20-Aug-21

Liberal MP Andrew Laming sued ABC reporter Louise Milligan for defamation over tweets she made which alleged that he had taken an "upskirting" picture of a woman. Milligan had agreed to pay Laming $79,000 in damages and cover his legal costs, but the ABC decided to pay her defamation costs, even though it had not been party to the action. Liberal Senator Eric Abetz has asked the Auditor-General to examine the appropriateness of the ABC’s actions, stating that taxpayers have a right to know why it paid Milligan’s bill.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR-GENERAL, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

ABC admits staff numbers are on the rise

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Original article by Sophie Elsworth, James Madden
The Australian – Page: 3 : 23-Jul-21

The ABC has come under scrutiny after new figures showed that its headcount rose by 2.8 per cent in 2020-21, with the addition of 120 additional employees. This includes 95 temporary positions. ABC MD David Anderson recently told a Senate committee that he did not think the public broadcaster’s headcount had increased in the last financial year. Liberal senator Ben Small says the ABC has been exposed as deceiving the public on resourcing, and notes that it is taking on additional staff at a time when its commercial rivals are cutting jobs.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

ABC lashed over call to fund Milligan case

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Original article by Sophie Elsworth
The Australian – Page: 18 : 5-Jul-21

The ABC’s policy on employees’ usage of social media is under renewed scrutiny after the public broadcaster advised that it will pay the legal costs of investigative reporter Louise Milligan in a defamation case. Federal MP Andrew Laming alleges that his personal and professional reputation were "irrevocably" damaged after Milligan posted a series of tweets regarding claims that Laming had taken a photo of a woman while she was bending over. Liberal senator Sarah Henderson has questioned the ABC’s decision to fund Milligan’s legal defence, adding that taxpayers have the right to know whether it would also pay up if damages are awarded against her.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

ABC pockets $30m in studio sale

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Original article by Sophie Elsworth
The Australian – Page: 3 : 2-Jul-21

The ABC has sold its Gordon Street television studios in the Melbourne suburb of Elsternwick for an undisclosed price, which is believed to be about $30m. The public broadcaster had previously sold its Selwyn St properties in Elsternwick, which included studios and warehouse facilities. The ABC relocated its Melbourne headquarters and production facilities to inner-city Southbank after closing its historic Elsternwick studios, which were built when television was introduced in Australia in 1956.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION