Speaking on ABC Radio Perth after launching the national broadcaster’s next 5 year plan, ABC Managing Director David Anderson told morning presenter Nadia Mitsopolous that the ABC’s audio offerings will focus on digital growth in coming years.
Growth will come through podcasts, digital platforms such as ABC Listen and other digital audio offerings, but Anderson flagged that broadcast radio will not be switched off any time soon.
“Across all of our networks and what we do, but particularly local radio, we live in local intimate connection with people, people who trust us people who want to spend time with you, Nadia.
“People who trust you to tell you their stories, they’re there with you on their best days and their worst. We are there for people in times of trouble and to give valuable context information analysis, that will not change, we’ll keep going on broadcast. But increasingly, I can see people using a service that is not broadcast. Either an app like ABC Listen and we’ve just launched a web presence for that and to be able to stream it as well.
“With the 5 million people that we reach via all of our radio services, every week, there’s 1 million that we reach via a digital service and we can see that growing.
“Then of course, there’s what we do for podcasting, some of the best podcasts that people enjoy in this country have come from the ABC. So for both live as well as on-demand audio, we can see that growing over time. I can see both. It’s not a quick cut over from broadcast to digital, we can see the trend happening.”
The Five-Year Plan aims to ensure the ABC remains relevant, delivers value for Australians, and continues to be the most trusted media organisation in the country. It sets out the priorities for the ABC over the next five years, which will include adapting to new digital technology and following audiences as they move to new platforms.
The ABC will “enhance its primary digital products, ABC News, ABC iview and ABC listen, to provide a seamless, personalised service that enables audiences to more easily discover content that is relevant to them.”
Will this mean turning off its free to air AM broadcast transmitters?
“There is some point that is inevitable based on the trends that we see… the audience on some of our AM services will be so small, that we will look at rationalizing that over time.
“We’re not going to rush to turn anything off. We’re going to follow the audience as as they move… There will be a rationalization of what we have for AM broadcast services over time, but I don’t think it’s now, I don’t think it’s next year, but I do see it happening at some point.”
Asked specifically about stations like ABC Radio Perth, part of the local radio network in regional areas and capital cities, Anderson said:
“It’s who we are as the spine of the ABC, since we launched in 1932… we’re now all over the country, and we’ll stay all over the country.
“It will take a long time to transition to digital. In our cap cities, I can see that happening a lot faster [than in regional areas]… we’ll still be there, we’ll still be live and local, we’ll still be doing it.”
He revealed that the national broadcaster is examining ways to improve the poor AM reception in some areas of Perth by possibly moving ABC Radio Perth from the AM to the FM band. “We are advanced at exploring being able to do that so you can improve the reception for local radio here.”
Putting a question from a listener to David Anderson, Mitsopoulos asked: “Roz wants to know if this restructure is an excuse to centralize content to the eastern states.”
Anderson replied: “No, quite the opposite, actually. One of the reasons we’re here in WA… is to reiterate the commitment that we have to the West. Our job is to reflect contemporary Australia, our job is to tell stories from around the country… I’m looking to invest more in WA actually.”
Competing priorities for digital, audio, screen and news content will all have to be managed within the budget that national broadcaster has been given, which is now granted over a five year time frame.
The full plan can be found here.
Photo: ABC News: Taryn Southcombe
I stand corrected on this, I don't agree that content that is offered exclusively on its streaming service is not available on the FTA networks.
Specifically I refer to TV content offered exclusively on the ABC's streaming service but not on the FTA channels as I have been seeing promotions for streaming content recently on ABC TV.
It is not fair that consuming streaming video content is bandwidth-intensive. It requires an expensive internet data plan.
It is especially so when the ABC is for all Australians and not all can afford expensive data plans.
Content that is exclusively available online should also be available on the ABC's FTA networks.
Unless online TV content is available on FTA ABC management are indifferent to those who cannot afford an expensive internet data plan.
Thank you,
Anthony, of Strathfield South, on the same block that used to be known as Belfield, in the land of the Wangal and Darug Peoples of the Eora Nation
It was announced in the news 15-06-2023 that 120 jobs of which 40 will come from news will be cut. Amongst the is political editor Andrew Probyn.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/abc-sacks-its-political-editor-andrew-probyn/news-story/4e35c6b63ac9a5fa5012c40f31090cd9
Sure there will be a reorganisation of news programs including the reintroduction of Stateline.
However, if I see new faces on ABC news programs after the 40 staff from the news department have gone, I would be very angry that management don't look after their staff and transfer them to new areas of the organisation.
So the move is to digital.
Haven't the ABC recognisrd the skills of their own staff are transferable?
Methinks not.
Over time we will see viewers and listeners source news and opinion elsewhere where main stream media is not staffed to feed enquiring minds.
Thank you,
Anthony, of indignant Strathfield South, formerly of Belfield after a Geographic Names Board gazetted renaming of Belfield in the Strathfield LGA, in the land of the Wangal and Darug Peoples of the Eora Nation