MEDIA RELEASE
November 6, 1997

"Senator Alston's latest public comments on the ABC would be comic if the situation was not so serious", says Dr Factor, National Spokesperson, Friends of the ABC.

"First he oversees a massive 12% cut of the ABC's budget. Now, he wants the public to believe that starvation is good for the ABC. At the Australian Broadcasting Summit in Sydney, Senator Alston has claimed his government's cuts to the ABC had a positive impact.

Senator Alston is reported as saying 'the $55million cut to the ABC's annual budget has had a positive effect ... the impact on services has been marginal'.

"What nonsense. There has been a serious loss of ABC services and programs to the public: The only national news service produced outside Sydney - gone; Saturday National, coverage of golfing tournaments - cancelled; The Week in Film, Food Program, Click On, The Box Seat - gone; Arts National, Music Deli, Australian documentaries, local drama, environment, religious affairs and science programs - all reduced.

"Radio Australia (RA), Australia's respected national broadcaster, promoting Australia to our neighbours in Asia and the Pacific has ceased broadcasting in Cantonese, Thai and French. RA's Darwin transmitter, now denied to the ABC, is to be sold off to an overseas broadcaster - possibly the US Government's Voice of Free Asia.

"And there is worse to come. The full impact of this government's cuts to the ABC will not be felt until 1998. By February, ABC staff will have been reduced by 20% and production will diminish.

"On behalf of the ABC viewing and listening public of Australia, Friends of the ABC calls on Senator Alston to explain how the reduction of ABC staff, with its consequent loss of services, is a positive result for the community. Would he be prepared to apply the same 'less is best' principle to his own salary?

Dr June Factor
President, Friends of the ABC (Vic) Inc.