Friends of the ABC* (Vic) Inc.
*AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

CUTS TO ABC SERVICES AND PROGRAMS

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Cuts to ABC programs in 1996/97 (to meet $10.8 million reduction)

  • One prime-time radio shift in each capital city
    (Jenny Brockie 2BL, Doug Aiton 3LO, Peter Dick 4QR, etc.)
    		• LOST
  • ABC local radio after 7:00 pm weeknights
    (now networked from Sydney)
    		• LOST
  • Radio arts programs
    		• REDUCED
  • Radio drama
    		• REDUCED
  • 7:00 am national TV news First Edition
    (Produced in Melbourne; only national news service produced outside Sydney)
    		• LOST
  • Review
    		• LOST
  • Independently made Australian TV documentaries
    		• REDUCED
  • Television drama
    		• REDUCED
  • Budgets of News, Four Corners, Lateline, Foreign Correspondent, Landline, Australian Story, Defining Moments
    		• REDUCED
    330 staff positionsLOST

    Cuts to ABC programs in 1997/98 (to meet $55 million reduction)

    Radio:
  • Artist fees and performances payments for Triple J, Radio National and Classic FM
    		• REDUCED
    by $1 million)
  • Saturday National
    		• CANCELLED
  • The Week in Film
    		• LOST
  • Food Program
    		• LOST
  • Click On
    		• LOST
  • The Box Seat
    		• LOST
  • Arts National
    		• REDUCED
  • Music Deli
    		• REDUCED
  • Earthbeat environmental program
    		• REDUCED
  • Religious affairs programs
    		• REDUCED
  • Science programs
    		• REDUCED
    The result is 'thinning' of programs - more repeats on radio, more BBC material, more music programs and recordings, and greater reliance on talkback segments as 'filler'.
    News & Current Affairs:
  • Satellite use for Lateline and other programs
    		• REDUCED
    by $1 million)
  • Hanoi overseas correspondent
    (The only Australian reporter in Hanoi)
    		• RECALLED
    Television:
  • Sunday Afternoon studio presentations and interviews
    		• CANCELLED
  • Talking Heads with Jenny Brockie
    		• CANCELLED
  • Golfing Tournaments coverage
    		• CANCELLED
  • Defining Moments
    		• REDUCED
  • Acquisition of Australian Documentaries
    		• CUT BACK
    (second year in row)
  • Local drama production
    		• REDUCED
    (by a further $800,000)
    Planned TV Shows:
  • Late Night comedy co-production series
    		• SCRAPPED
  • One-off comedy Changi
    		• SCRAPPED
  • Sit-com series (un-named)
    		• SCRAPPED
    Overseas broadcasting:
  • Australia Television
    		• SOLD
    (to Channel 7)
    Radio Australia:
  • Cantonese, Thai and French services
    		• STOPPED
  • Indonesian and Mandarin services
    		• REDUCED
  • Darwin Transmitter
    		• CLOSED
    A further 700 staff staff positions
    (to be lost during 1997)    		LOST

    Additional Federal Government Actions

  • Planned government funding for special Triple J Net website
    (elements of it incorporated into existing ABC site)
    		• WITHDRAWN
  • Planned government transmitter expansion of Triple J to further regional areas
    		• CANCELLED
  • Government ABC and SBS transmitter expansion
    		• STOPPED
  • Government promise to hand over transmitters to ABC (and SBS)
    		• BROKEN
  • National Television Agency prepared for privatisation
    		•
  • ABC Orchestras
    		• CORPORATISED
    In two years, ABC staffing (excluding orchestras) will have been reduced by around one in five, from approximately 5,000 to 4,000.
    The real impact of the second round of cuts will not be felt until 1998, as many TV programs are already 'in the can' or in production. By February next year most staff cuts will have occurred and new production will diminish.

    FABC (Vic) Inc. 3 November 1997
    PO Box 4065, Melbourne Vic 3001

     

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    Ph (03) 9682 0073, Fax (03) 9682 0074, Email: fabcvic@vicnet.net.au