Communications Minister Senator Richard Alston, officially opened ABC Radio’s new station in Ballarat today. The Minister was also invited to join the ABC Board for part of its regular meeting.
Radioinfo sources said the debate at the board meeting was “cordial and frank.” Given the recent friction between Alston and the ABC that might have been an understatement.
Matters raised at the meeting included an important item for ABC Radio – the renewal of National Interest Initiatives funding.
The ABC received an additional $17.8 million per annum in the 2001/02 Federal Budget for a number of initiatives which included the establishment of the Ballarat station; 50 new positions for regional radio and for business programming. That funding will end in 2005, but the ABC is trying to convince the Government to commit to renewing this “invaluable funding initiative.” Without on-going funding the 50 staff will face redundancy when the money runs out.
At the opening Senator Alston said:
The ABC local radio network is a key source of information to those living outside of metropolitan Australia…
ABC Ballarat is funded through the Australian Government’s package of special National Interest Initiatives-worth $71.2 million over four years.
Now in its third year, the package has already funded:
ABC radio station 558AM in Wagin, south-west Western Australia;
46 new program-maker positions at local stations in regional areas;
new program shifts in 11 regional areas, and
an increase in regional ABC TV programming.
ABC local radio is an integral part of life in regional Australia providing reliable and immediate local news and information-especially in times of crisis such as the devastating bushfires that affected so much of south-eastern Australia. It also provides a local voice for regional issues-encouraging and stimulating debate.
Also on the discussion agenda were:
* $32.6 million owed to the ABC for digital conversion.
* Digital television
* The Minister’s views on the Government’s overall commitment to the creation and broadcast of Australian content
* A Long-term capital strategy for the ABC.
Complaints handling, the subject of the recent dust ups between Alston and the Board, were also discussed behind closed doors.