Days of ACTION!

On 10 February 1997, the Friends of the ABC sent a letter to all Victorians offices of each of our Victorian Cabinet Members in the Federal Government. A copy of the letter appears below.

Starting from MONDAY 17 FEBRUARY 1997 we are asking supporters to make a telephone call or send a fax to the office of the Cabinet Members to support this letter.

WHO TO CALL?

.	MAIN OFFICE IN VICTORIA	LOCAL OFFICE IN VICTORIA
(Senator The Hon) Richard Alston	Ph: (03) 9650 0233 Fax: (03) 9650 0220	.
(The Hon) Peter Costello	Ph: (03) 9650 0244 Fax: (03) 9650 0242	Ph: (03) 9822 4422 Fax: (03)9822 0319
(The Hon) Peter Reith	.	Ph: (03) 5979 3188 Fax: (03) 5979 3034
(The Hon) Michael Wooldridge	.	Ph: (03) 9898 0675 Fax: (03) 9899 6237

WHAT TO SAY OR WRITE?

You need only say that you:

• support the letter the Minister received from the Friends of the ABC dated 10 February 1997, and
• want the Minister to oppose ABC funding cuts in Cabinet and any changes which diminish the ABC Charter, and so honour the Coalition pre-election promise.

Coming from so many of us, this action alone will be effective. Say more if you wish, ask a question or request a written reply. Urge your family, friends and workmates to telephone or fax too.

If you find the number is continuously engaged it may be because so many of us are telephoning or faxing at once. If this happens it will let the Ministers know how determined we are. Try telephoning in the morning if your surname starts with A to K and in the afternoon for L to Z. Some offices are open in the evenings. Please persevere until you have got through to everyone on this list - even if you have to keep trying over several weeks.

Show the government we will not allow the ABC to be destroyed. The ABC has always been vital to our national identity. It binds us together as Australians.

The ABC MUST be maintained as a well-resourced, independent and comprehensive national public broadcaster. It MUST NOT be compromised by advertising or sponsorship. It MUST NOT be diminished by funding cuts or changes to its charter.

Friends of the ABC (Vic) Inc
GPO Box 4065
Ph (03) 9525 0655
Fax (03) 9525 0801

10 February, 1997

Dear Minister,

In the next few weeks members of the public will be contacting you as a Victorian member of the Federal Cabinet to register support for the ABC and opposition to your Government's cuts to the ABC.

• Before the election your Government specifically promised to maintain the ABC's funding. The people of Australia feel betrayed by your failure to honour this commitment. Full funding must be restored.

• The ABC is one of the highest quality public broadcasters in the world and is vital to our culture and democracy. It must remain a comprehensive, independent and innovative national public broadcaster.

• Your Government's cuts threaten the ABC's viability at a time when the concentration of media ownership is increasing. The need for independence and integrity in our media is higher than ever.

• There is no place for sponsorship or advertising on the ABC or for Government control or influence over any part of ABC programming.

• Rural ABC viewers and listeners cannot be quarantined from the effect of cuts. Regional broadcasting relies heavily on the support and back-up of other parts of the ABC.

• ABC in-house production must be maintained at a high level.

• Radio Australia, the independent voice of Australia to Asia and the Pacific must be maintained.

You can influence Cabinet to stop funding cuts to the ABC and prevent the ABC Charter being diminished. We want you to do just that and keep your Government faithful to its ABC mandate.

Yours sincerely,

[signed]

(Dr) June Factor
President
FABC (Vic.) Inc.