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Quarterly Newsletter: Spring 1999 Vol 1 No 3

New members of the ABC Board

Three new members of the Board of the ABC were announced on the 9 August. They are Professor Judith Sloan from South Australia, Ross McLean from West Australia, and John Gallagher, a barrister from Queensland who will take his place on the Board at the end of the year.

Judith Sloan is an industrial relations economist. She has been a regular commentator on radio and television. Ross McLean, also an economist, is a former federal Liberal MP, president of the Fremantle Dockers and deputy head of the WA Chamber of Commerce.

The Federal Government is continuing to appoint conservative allies to the ABC Board. In the end, however, the well-being of the ABC will depend on the personal integrity of those who are appointed. Each member will decide if their allegiance is to external political considerations, or if they will accept their responsibility as a member of the ABC Board - to work for the ABC's future as a thriving, independent and comprehensive public broadcaster.

FABC will watch the performance of the ABC Board, anxiously but hopefully.

Alison Clifford, FABC National Spokesperson

Friends of the ABC welcomes its new national spokesperson, Alison Clifford. Alison, president of the FABC in West Australia since 1997, has been elected to replace Penny Wright who has had to resign because of the pressures of work and the needs of her young family. We thank Penny wholeheartedly for her energy in this role over the past six months.

Alison has been a full time parent for the past few years, during which time she completed post-graduate studies and participated in voluntary work in her local community. She has worked as an academic librarian and a public servant, recently returning to the public service in a full-time temporary capacity.

'There is so much enjoyment and information that I, my friends and family, get from the ABC,' she says, 'but more than that I believe that an ABC that does not compromise on quality and integrity is absolutely vital to Australia. It is this belief, underscored by a personal passion for Radio National, that motivates my involvement with the Friends. As national spokesperson, following the contributions made by June Factor and Penny Wright, I will continue to promote co-operation between state FABCs in finding the best ways of achieving our objectives, believing that a national approach to the 'big' issues is the most effective path to take.'

A good deed in a naughty world

The past month or so has been a bad time for commercial radio and, conversely, a good time for the ABC.

There has been high praise for the Media Watch team and the ABC for their revelation of the deal between John Laws and the banks. The concern over this particular case has led on to questions of much wider significance: whether deregulation of commercial radio should be reviewed; about ethics in the marketplace and the communications industry; and about the relationship between talkback presenters and politicians. It has been a fascinating debate, which we cover in detail in this issue.

Editor: Joan Laing GPO Box 203 Adelaide 5001
Phone & fax: 08 8271 0751 jlaing@senet.com.au

Unattributed text is by the editor
Next deadline is 11 November 1999