Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has announced at an ABC Friends dinner that the federal government has launched a review into funding and governance arrangements of the ABC and SBS, open to public submissions.
The department is reviewing options including strengthening the independence of the national broadcasters to safeguard against funding cuts and political interference and examining the appointment of ABC and SBS board members. Issues outside the scope of this review have also been published.
Submissions close 5pm AEST on August 31.
The ambit of submissions is restricted to funding and appointment of members of board of directors.
https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/have-your-say/review-options-support-national-broadcasters-independence
Two issues that are out of the scope of the ambit are financial management and racism within the organisation.
It seems since the 1976 budget reductions of Prime Minister Fraser's administration, the have always been concerns with the program content and operations of the National Broadcaster.
Up till the introduction of DVB in 2001 and DAB+ in 2009, the ABC was one TV channel and five radio stations: metropolitan, RN, JJJ, Classic FM and News Radio.
Even in the time between 1976 and 1999, there has been an increase in program content with ABC TV, RN, Metropolitan operating 24 hours a day. In 1994, News Radio started.
Despite the concerns of budget cuts, the ABC is producing more content with less.
Post DVB and DAB+ there many more channels.
The ABC is doing more with less.
Yet in the 1970s and 1980s, morning and afternoon programs consisted of hours of test card and music.
There were budget cuts in that era.
Today there's more content than ever.
Furthermore there is a web presence for diverse content in the areas of news, science and education.
Though I am concerned that when there are budget cuts, the wrong people are being made redundant.
I recall a large industrial dispute in the early 1990s. At that time, I spoke to a person inside the ABC who pointed the irony of budget cuts at the same time that there was an increase in the numbers of appointed managers.
Sure there are technological changes and reliability of equipment where journalists can do their own editing, and the replacement of electro-mechanical VT machines with memory cards and equipment more being more durable and disposable.
This started in 1986 with the Aussat (Optus) satellite: programs could be distributed from a central source doing away with replication of program dissemination in each capital city except for local news and sporting events.
In retrospect those union blackbans of ENG cameras replacing film and colour correcting Fernseh equipment, to name a few in the 1970s were futile.
Similarly the once invincible "no one can touch" master control and presentation having been replaced by an outsourced joint venture with WIN at Ingleburn in 2013.
Thus demarcation of roles cannot block the inevitable role of technological progress.
Consequently such savings would be reallocated into other operational areas.
Despite that, even with the reallocation of resources through technology, there may be too many managers as described earlier and possibly swapping the proceeds of real estate for leases in Parramatta as happened in 2022 with the sale of the remaining property in Gore Hill.
I would be concerned to swap an asset for a lease especially when the time frame is long.
In summary, financial management is not part of the ambit of the Federal Government enquiry but should be.
Another aspect that is not part of the ambit of the federal enquiry but should be is racism in the ABC.
Despite the organisation being equal opportunity, there have been allegations of racism against non-white people within the ABC.
https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/how-the-abc-s-betrayal-of-stan-grant-exposed-its-racism-problem-20230523-p5dalw.html
In the article it said there was "...a deep cultural problem at the organisation where journalists from culturally diverse backgrounds overwhelmingly feel they are treated differently to their white colleagues because of the colour of their skin...."
May I add from my experience, it it is not just journalism and not only the colour of the skin but your surname and racial background even if you are caucasian.
It brings me unpleasant memories which I don't want to discuss further.
Nevertheless, the issues of financial management and racism which are not part of the ambit of the Federal Enquiry should be.
Thank you
Anthony, Strathfield South, in the land of the Wangal and Darug Peoples of the Eora Nation.