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While I cannot speculate on whether there will be further reductions either directly or in real terms in the forthcoming 2020/2021 budget, The Hon. Emeritus Senator Reynolds reminds us that our ABC has contributed to our well being by covering the 2019/2020 conflagration, the pandemic and supplementing educational programs.
While this story was published, "The Australian" published an article, 4-09-2020 that the new BBC Director-General Tim Davie is prepared to cut the BBC by 20% and is prepared to reduce the number of channels. https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/the-times/bbc-should-be-cut-down-to-size-says-new-chief/news-story/e75e883a27a0435c917f265e812077d2. The usual readers' comments was to bag the ABC.
The Director-General may well be right if there are people pushing a personal agenda when they should be "free from political bias" and is prepared to cut the number of channels.
A few months ago, there were calls to move the BBC from a licence model to a subscription service. The 'idea' gets parroted in Australia with commentators and the usual comments in response that mentions 'ABC' or 'BBC' in the stories' headline.
Having a subscription service means to encrypt and decrypt the signal in order for the subscribers only access to a service. For the analogue AM and FM services, encryption and decryption would not be practical. There aren't any analogue AM/FM radio transmission and reception systems with encryption/decryption in the market. So goodbye to analogue AM and FM services under a subscription service. Yes I have addressed the idea of the ABC becoming a subscription service elsewhere on this site.
A subscription service would turn a public good to only those who can afford to subscribe. A public good is not the same as Foxtel, Kayo, Stan and Sky. We cannot rely on the commercial networks to inform us when they are reducing their news services. We don't know whether the news services provided by the commercial networks will expand post pandemic. Furthermore we cannot rely on unverified news on social media.
Nearly 90 years ago, the agenda against the ABC was set by Sir Keith Murdoch, who did not want competition with his 11 radio stations who were providing news services.
However, the BBC Director-General may well have a valid claim to reducing the number of channels. Before the introduction of DVB in 2001 and DAB+ in 2009, the ABC was one TV channel, a metropolian (2BL, 3LO etc), RN, classic fm (instutued by Mr Fraser in 1976) , NewsRadio (instituted in 1994). There were no web sites, no ABC2, ABCME, ABCNews, and various digital channels.
The way the ABC services are consumed may be different with podcasts, VOD (iView) and live streaming.
At the same time, with all these channels and web presence, the ABC seems to be doing more with less since 2001. The Nine Network has fewer services and receives $1.136 billion in revenue from broadcast TV and radio, source, page 19, https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20200827/pdf/44lyznr5rq7xkd.pdf.
The other topic is the SBS. Its origins were in 1975 when a multi-lingual service was required to explain the new 'Medibank' service in several languages. The SBS radio service continues to do so with the current information regarding the pandemic.
The TV service expanded in 1980 (under The Hon. Mr Fraser (RIP) ). Pre DVB+, it was one TV channel and two radio services, AM and FM. It has expanded to four television services.
It is also valid to ask if SBS has gone too far with additional services, VICE, World Movies, Food and NITV? Many of the programs on SBS don't appear to be multicultural such as Michael Portillo's train documentaries, "8 of 10 Cats Do Countdown". That also includes shows like Insight and Dateline. Those shows are germaine to the ABC. Those shows aren't multicultural.
However, NITV has to be kept whether on SBS or the ABC. Australians need to be informed about our indigenous brothers and sisters. Let's not forget the coverage on RN and metropolitan radio (2BL, 3LO).
We hear very little on the commercial media about indigenous issues and stories. We don't hear the stories of the aunties and uncles contributing to their communities and Australia on commercial media.
In conclusion, The Hon. Emeritus Senator Reynolds sends a reminder about the future of the ABC. The ABC and SBS are very important public services. However, there may well be a valid claim to consolidate the number of channels. They have expanded several fold since DVB+ 2001 and DAB+ 2009. But a blind cut based since the 1930s Sir Keith Murdoch's agenda against the ABC should not be implemented.
Thank you,'
Anthony of Belfield