Friends of the ABC (NSW) Inc.quarterly newsletterJune 2004 Vol 14, No. 9incorporatingbackground briefingnational magazine

The FABC’s submission to theJoint Standing Committee onTreaties argued that the proposedFTA Agreement with the US - nowpreliminarily signed - was at oddswith the ABC’s charter to con-tribute to Australia’s sense ofnational identity and cultural self-awareness - Jill Greenwell of ACTFriends and Gary Cook undertookthe draft.

It is crucial for Australians tosee our national character in ourperforming and visual arts. It isthrough locally developed litera-ture, film, television, radio andstage performances, directed atdifferent audiences, in diverseregions, from different back-grounds, that a sense of what it isto be Australian develops.

The ABC has to “encourageand promote the musical, dramat-ic and other performing arts inAustralia” and broadcast programs

“ that contribute to national identityand inform and entertain andreflect the cultural diversity of theAustralian community.”

But this could be severely com-promised if independent film, tele-vision and radio production inAustralia were adversely affectedby the Agreement; and of themany mechanisms used to pre-serve our national identity, localcontent regulation is the oneFriends of the ABC fear would bemost adversely affected.

According to Foreign Affairsand Trade, Australia has retainedits requirement for local contentand ensured it has the freedom toregulate local content in the future

But under Annex I existinglocal content quotas are ‘bound’ ina ‘standstill’ arrangement, whichmeans that under the Agreement

Continued on Page 5

InsideThe President’s Report.......................3What to do to Save the ABC................8Max Uechtritz – death of a thousandcuts....................................................10Flint Must Go.....................................12Fabian Society’s Autumn ABC lecturers

Lindsay Tanner.................................6 ABC Board’s Role - ABC Deputy. Chair Judith Sloan ..............................7ABC at arm’s length - Ken Inglis... .. .13

Page 1

Friends’ grim free trade warning

Dogs of War let slip- Havoc at the ABCOrchestrated attacks disguised as“scrutiny”

Edited FABC Media release, (19thMay) Friends of the ABC todaydescribed as bizarre and troubling thedecision to subject ABC News andCurrent Affairs to monitoring byRehame, at least until the election, andthe commissioning of an additional,expensive Newspoll.

Spokesperson, Margaret O'Connor,asked - "How many times should theABC be subjected to these exercisesbefore habitual and obsessive ABC crit-ics are satisfied? How many Newspollsare enough, how many Audits, SenateEstimates and Complaints bodies? TheABC is already reviewed to death, and iscomparatively far more accountable thancommercial media outlets!

There comes a time when... Enough isenough", she said.

Indeed - Why?

The release pointed out that repeatedNewspolls, in 1998, 1999, 2002 and2003 consistently vindicated the ABC'scoverage of News and Current Affairs.

Continued on Page 5

Page 2

Northern Rivers branch of theFriends’ AGM (at the RailwayFriendly Bar in Byron Bay) re-electedthe 2003 executive committee withNeville Jennings as President, DougMyler Vice President and Ed Bennettas Treasurer. Jill Keogh will continueas Convenor of the Byron Bay sub-branch but with an expanded com-mittee to help her. The theme of theday was “Think of Aunty on Mothers'Day”.

Branch members prioritisedissues for the forthcoming electionand the most significant were:

• Appropriate funding for the ABC• Freedom from political interfer

ence• Independence of the ABC Board• Implications of the Free Trade Agreement with the USA

• Protection against calls for adver-tising on the ABC

Other issues of significance iden-tified were:

• Support for SBS as well as the ABC• Commitment to children’s pro-

grams• Commitment to Australian drama

• Commitment to Radio Australia• Increased funds for digital technol-

ogy• Support for regional stations• Support for all ABC network ser

vicesRallies will be held when the elec-

tion date is announced and theBranch will be surveying local candi-dates in the marginal seats of Pageand Richmond concerning their per-sonal views and their party’s policieson ABC issues.

Next meetng last week of July

The next Branch meeting will bein Lismore in the last week of Julywith a Trivia Quiz night on the ABCon as well. A small committee isworking on a bank of questions forthis event.

It’s planned to offer the quiz tomembers in Grafton, Byron Bay andthe Tweed later in the year and, fol-lowing the success of visits by SeanDorney and Greg Wilesmith, thebranch intends to invite anotherguest speaker for this year.

Branch members were enter-tained on the AGM day by the localgroup ‘Monkey and the Fish’.

Neville Jennings, President

Members discussing tactics

Doug Myler, Vice President, recruiting anew member outside the Rails.

Public FABCCriticism of ABCManagement

A recent nationalphone conference ofState FABC branchesreached this consensus:troublesome ABC issuesshould be assessed ona case-by-case basis,but FABC could/shouldspeak out publicly if itappeared that it involveda Charter issue, and if itappeared that damagewas being done to thepublic reputation of theABC.

The groundswell ofopinion could be usedas a guide.

Thinking of Aunty – on Mothers’ Day

Central Coast booksAndrew Denton

Central Coast Friendshave organised “AnEvening with AndrewDenton” in Gosford,early July, and rightlyexpect a packed house.

Already there’s beenan excellent response to the evening - atthe Central Coast Leagues Club, Gosford,on Friday 2nd July, 6.15 - 9.00 pmTickets will be available from CentralCoast Friends’ Branch until 18th June

It will essentially be an ‘ad lib’ event -Andrew has asked the program be in theform of questions from the audience.

Marginal Seat

Two members of the committeerecently met with Ken Ticehurst, theFederal Member for Dobell, and put tohim a number of matters which are of

concern to Friends of the ABC.

He asked for a written submission topass on to the Minister for Communica-tions, Daryl Williams, (in time for budgetconsideration.)

Branch says it’s obvious the presentgovernment is firmly opposed to theestablishment of an independent com-mittee to make appointments to statutorybodies as has been the case in Britainfor a number of years, and one that wasset-up by a Conservative government.

Next Committee meeting 12 June

The next committee meeting of thisbranch will be 12th June. All members ofour branch are welcome to attend.

Tickets for “An Evening With AndrewDenton” will be available at this meet-ing and until June 18.

Enquiries: John Hale, 4333 8107 or Klaas Woldring, 4341 5170.

John Hale

The musical group Monkey and the Fish inaction

The ABC collectedsome crumbs fromthe Governmenttable on Budget

night. The special funding providedby the Government in 2001, of$17.8 million per annum for fouryears was rolled over for a furtherthree years and, in addition, furtherfunding of $17.4 million was providedover the next four years to assist inpurchasing programs. While wewelcome any funds accruing to theABC, the amounts are insufficientand unsatisfactory.

Tied funding on a short-termbasis is inefficient and does nothingfor staff morale or medium to long-term planning.

The budget clearly demonstrat-ed that the Government was awashwith funds. Here was their opportu-nity to right the wrong inflicted onthe ABC in 1997 when the Govern-ment cut their budget by $66 mil-lion.

Funding has declined by 30%

Since 1985, ABC operationalfunding, in real terms, has declinedby more than 30%. If the 1987“eight cents a day” campaign wasadjusted for inflation, it would nowequate to fourteen cents a day – asmall price to pay for a quality pub-lic broadcaster and well below whatconsumers outlay for products andservices advertised on commercialradio and television, not to mentionthe outrageous sums paid to highprofile “stars” to garner positivecomment.

In preparation for the forthcom-ing Federal Election we will beengaging politicians of all parties,particularly in marginal seats, tofirmly place the ABC forward as anelection issue. The inadequacy offunding is always a core issue, butwe will also be emphasising anindependent method of appointingboard members, editorial indepen-dence, the Free Trade Agreement

and opposition to commercials.To assist our members and

branches to lobby, we have pre-pared an “Election Kit” which can bedownloaded from our web page at

www.fabcnsw.org.au <http://www.fabcnsw.org.au/>

Back page poster

On the back page of this edition,of Update you will find a posterwhich can be detached, copied andused as a tool in the lead up to theelection. Remember, “when castingyour vote – support the candidatewho supports the ABC”.

It was revealed recently byMedia Watch that the media organi-sation, Rehame, had been appointedby the ABC to calculate the amountof coverage each political partyreceives leading up to the FederalElection and Newspoll had beencommissioned to “explore the overallcommunity opinion of balance andbias in the ABC’s coverage…”Although he is out of the Parliament,the hand of former CommunicationsMinister, Richard Alston featuresheavily in this latest bout of politicalinterference.

With the date of the election yetto be announced, this open-endedengagement will not come cheaplyfor a corporation which, in the lasttwelve months, has been forced tocut programs due to lack of funds.How many programs of “Behind theNews” could be produced for thecost of paying these organisations?

No sooner had this been digestedthan the Minister, Darryl Williams,with disturbing echoes of Alston,proposed to the Board, that a “newindependent complaints body thatwould hear serious complaintsagainst the ABC and SBS” beestablished. You will note from thearticle in this edition, “It’s our ABC –What do We do to Save it?” (Page8), the reference to the scrutiny towhich the ABC is subject. The dis-turbing nature of this report is that

“many of the suggestions for thenew body came from the ABCBoard itself”. If this is correct, ourdemands for a Board independentof the government of the day assumegreater urgency.

ABC editorial independence isagain under threat with Board mem-ber, Dr Ron Brunton, questioningsome Media Watch programs,which obviously did not accord withhis conservative viewpoint. Providedthat any ABC program has notbreached its editorial policies,Brunton or any other Board membershould keep their personal preju-dices to themselves. Don’t forgetwhich program exposed the “Cashfor Comment” scandal. Any attemptto stifle a program which is over-whelmingly in the public’s interestwill be countered with strong protestfrom us.

Meeting with Latham sought

The Leader of the Opposition,Mark Latham, made some commentsrecently about the ABC which weremildly positive although unspecific. Ihave written to Mr Latham seekinga meeting to further explore ALPpolicies as they relate to the ABCand will report back to you in duecourse. I would like to be able t osimilarly report to you on a meetingwith Communications Minister, DarrylWilliams, but a request made to himin early 2004 has been ignored.

Planning for our 2004 RegionalConference in Newcastle is wellunder way with attendances likely toexceed those of our inaugural con-ference.

Gary Cook, President

Page 3

The President’s Report

A Lively Meeting in the East The new Eastern Suburbs FABC branch has swung swiftly

into election mode and could have a major news story on itshands: will Peter King and Malcolm Turnbull - the curre n tMember for Wentworth and his pre-selected rivalfor the seat - go head to head at the Branch’s “Meet theCandidates Forum”?

Peter King has a question mark hanging over him – will hechallenge Turnbull by standing as an Independent? The invi-tations have gone out with ample notice. Who will respond?

MEET THE CANDIDATES FORUM

A Public Forum in the seat of Wentworth to hear whatthe Candidates have to say about the ABC.

Each will be given a list of questions beforehand and invitedto respond. At the end of the presentation, there will bequestions from the floor.

To date we have invited:

● Liberal Party Candidate Malcolm Turnbull,

● Labor Party Candidate David Patch,

● Greens Candidate Mithra Cox and

● potential Independent Candidate Peter King

Date: Sunday 11 July 2004

Time: 1pm to 4pm

Place: Auditorium, Bondi Waverley RSL Club, Gray Street, Bondi Junction

Entry: Free (donations welcomed)

RSVP: (Ms) Nizza Siano Secretary ESFABC byFriday 2 July either by e-mail siano@tpg.com.au or ph 9327 3423

Radio National Redefined at Port Macquarie

ABC Local Radio on the mid NorthCoast has a new studio in PortMacquarie and the local Branch waswell in evidence at its opening byRadio National’s Sue Howard.

The new studio has state-of-theart technology lacking in the former Kempsey studio,which was located in an old weatherboard house.

The executive of FABC mid north coast branchwas invited to the official opening and the Branch’snew publicity officer, Harry Creamer, buttonholed MsHoward so convincingly she said she would considerHarry’s remarks for inclusion in an upcoming mar-keting campaign for RN

What was it Harry said? Radio National, he toldher, was “all the books I’ve never read…all the filmsI’ve never seen…”

Friends of the ABC are invited to tour the newStudio on Wednesday 9th June at 10am.

Next AGMA Branch General Meeting was held on Saturday

5th June in Hastings Council Library, Port Macquariewith, on the agenda, donations of ABC relevantmaterial from the Branch to Hastings library.

Mid North Coast Branch Annual General Meeting

Saturday 7th August, 10 am,at Hastings Council Library

Port Macquarie In the meeting room

As usual, the most important business will be theelection of the Executive and Committee. President,Drusi Megget makes the point: “We need a strongcommittee if we are to be active in the district.”

Drusi Megget Mid North Coast Branch

Blue Mountains FABC have printed a postcard tosupport the case for an adequately funded ABC withan independently appointed board of directors.

The slogan ‘The ABC IS the balance’ replies to theaccusations of lack of balance in ABC programs andasserts the place of the ABC as the one major mediaorganisation that provides a balance to the mindless, ill-informed and self-serving bluster that clutters our air-waves.

On the back, fill in your name and address, your federalmember’s name or other members’ and ministers’addresses and add a postage stamp.

We are selling the Postcards in bundles of 10 for $5and recommending that all our members buy severalbundles and give them to their families, friends, col-leagues and visitors to send to their federal members.

The Postcards are available to all FABC branches andFriends throughout Australia at the lower rate of 50 for $15.

Please enclose a cheque to ‘Blue Mountains Friends ofABC’ and return address details. The postcards are avail-able by writing to us at:

P.O. Box 469, Springwood NSW 2777

John Derum, President, Blue Mountains Branch

Malcolm Turnbull

Peter King

Page 4

Blue Mountains Friends Postcard Program

Page 5

Friends’ grim free trade warningContinued from Page 1

they remain as at present. They cannot be increased;and if any future government reduces the quotas theycannot be raised to their former levels.

Not good enough

From a Government which, during the course of thenegotiations, repeatedly assured the public that it wouldallow nothing to detract from its ability to legislate insocial policies, this is not good enough.

This Agreement would make it impossible for futuregovernments to make any change to local content rules,except downwards and thereafter set no higher thanthat new lower level.

DFAT says the Agreement ensures ‘flexibility’ - butthat’s for a future which will look no different from thepresent broadcasting world:

A restricted future

There will be a required (specified) local contentquota in multi-channelled free-to-air commercial TV, butit will not provide a greater percentage of local content,as the government claims. If a multi-channelling broad-caster has 3 channels, then 2 must conform to the local

content quota – the same percentage as now – but ifthe broadcaster has 15 channels only 3 would berequired to conform to local content requirements, withno possibility of increasing it.

This is particularly negatively-framed; the Agreementaims to ensure that Australian content is ‘not unreason-ably denied’ to Australian consumers. To demonstratethis, the Government has to find Australian content isnot readily available, but must do so in a way which is‘no more trade restrictive than necessary’.

Timid future

Public broadcasting is not excluded from the Agree-ment but it is currently protected in the Agreement bythe general exclusion of subsidies and grants, and also,probably, because it is regarded as a public service.

However, the agreement’s definition of public serviceexcludes services provided on a commercial basis or incompetition with other service providers.

It is recommended that: the United States/ Australia FreeTrade Agreement be amended to specify exclusion of local content regulation, and of public broadcasting.

Dogs of War let slip -Havoc at the ABCContnued from Page 1

”Why is another required?” Itwent on to express concerns atreports that the decision was madewithout a formal debate or Boardmotion but on the basis of a singleletter to the Chairman.

What a pertinent question - whyis another survey necessary, exceptto correspond with ex-ministerAlston’s embittered accusations andto renew and conform with theCoalition’s agenda to inhibit the ABC

from relevant, fair andbalanced reporting, par-ticularly heading for aFederal election.

With the Rehame decision andthe monitoring already begun, itseemed to the Sydney MorningHerald that “the ABC now seems tobe implementing Mr Alston’s propos-als of its own accord.”

Rehame’s skills

Rehame we’re told is going tocost $200,000, although we’re nottold when the election will be held.

That doesn’t compute ... neither doRehame’s talents to make judge-ments about content, bias and bal-ance. It specializes in ‘block’ moni-toring - references to brands, issues,subjects in which subscribers have aninterest; much of it done by casualswhose only qualifications may beaccess to radio, newspapers or tele-vision.

The monitored material is thensent onto the client - not as to mean-ing or implication, but simply whatwas said. Presumably Rehame hasengaged suitable monitors of specificperceptions. Surely they’re not justcounting time. We could surely trustthe ABC to do that, as it regularlyhas in the past.

New complaints monitor

But in case anything escapes thenet, or lends itself to hyping up,there’s to be a new complaints body(there are already six) to hear “seri-ous” complaints against the ABCand SBS. The most disturbingaspect of this, at this stage, is its ori-gins: Communications Minister DarylWilliams writes to ABC ChairmanDonald McDonald advising of hisintention to set up a new complaints

body, incorporating suggestions fromthe ABC board itself. Is that a whiteflag fluttering from the ABC’s trans-mitter masthead?

Williams apparently said the newbody would handle complaints afterthey had been first heard by theABC or SBS and the new panelwould refer to ABC editorial policieswhen considering the complaints.Another pertinent question: to whatdoes Mr Williams think the existingcomplaints bodies refer whenassessing a complaint? Or is thisreally a tortured psychologicalsearch for confirmation andapproval, until at last a specialist willbe found who will agree with theschizophrenic’s or hypochondriac’sdelusions?

ABC Board member, RonBrunton, might have the first com-plaint for the new body to consider.

He’s finally emerged from the qui-etude of his year on the board to fireoff a salvo at Media Watch, neatlydisguised as an ”essay” - a descrip-tion applied by the ABC Director of

Continued on Page 12

The Future, theALP, Broadcastingand the ABC

Lindsay Tanner says Australia’s worldof broadcasting will look very different inten years time and the ABC’s, changingrole will require greater, not lesser, levelsof public funding. The shadow Ministerexplains:

In the near future, Australians mayenjoy the benefits of many more televi-sion channels, hundreds of pay TV chan-nels, interactive games, information andshopping through television, and Internetvia television. The potential explosionstretches the imagination. No-one canpredict how investment, consumerbehaviour and further technological inno-vation will shape this revolution, but theworld of broadcasting will look very differ-ent in ten years time.

Our challenge is to restructure regula-tory arrangements to enable technologi-cal innovation and consumer choice todrive the changes, while maintainingsociety’s approach to broadcasting.

The following core objectives willguide Labor’s approach:

1. ensuring all Australians continue tohave access to high quality free-to-airtelevision services, including highquality public broadcasting services

2. ensuring the subscription televisionsector can provide high quality prod-ucts on a sustainable basis to asmany customers as possible

3. maximising consumer choice andcompetition in broadcasting

4. guaranteeing diversity of voice inbroadcasting and preventing exces-sive concentration of ownership

5. maximising Australian investmentand employment in the broadcastingsector.

In 1998, with Labor support, theGovernment legislated a framework forthe introduction of digital television intoAustralia, to ensure the transition wasmade with as little change to existing

arrangements and interests as possible.As such, the model has been widely criti-cised as entailing excessive protectionfor free-to-air broadcasters, and inhibitinginnovation and consumer choice.

Rival views

The commercial television networksdefend the Government’s regime,although the Seven Network has calledfor multi-channelling to be permitted. Thismay require the HDTV requirement to beabandoned - the available spectrum fordigital broadcasting cannot easily supportboth. News Ltd. and Fairfax have criti-cised the Government’s regime asrestrictive and News Ltd opposes theSeven Network’s call for multi-chan-nelling, arguing this would unfairly advan-tage the free-to-air broadcasters. Sevenreplies it will be hard for free-to-air televi-sion networks to compete with a futuredigitised Foxtel network delivering hun-dreds of channels.

The other two commercial networksargue that their overall advertising rev-enue has been static and that morechannels would mean a loss of quality asadvertising revenue would need to bedistributed over more channels.However, their advertising revenue grewby 25 per cent in real terms during thesecond half of the 1990s and recentlysurged again.

Media owners

All this impacts on cross media andforeign ownership rules. Labor hassteadfastly opposed the Government’sattempts to abolish them, but we acceptthere is scope for reform. Relaxing for-eign ownership restrictions would likelyfacilitate more competition and diversityin media. The Howard Government hastaken an all or nothing approach onthese issues; that it ultimately rejected abill that abolished foreign ownershiprestrictions and liberalised cross mediaownership shows it is beholden to themajor media proprietors, who would notaccept this outcome.

Australia’s commercial televisionbroadcasters to survive and prosper willneed to rethink their business. Their roleis threatened by the powerfully disaggre-gating effects of the Internet and digitaltechnologies.

ABC’s role

The ABC in particular faces a signifi-cant medium-term threat to its relevanceas a television broadcaster.

One vital role of ABC television is toserve a diverse array of intermediatesized audiences.. Quality current affairs,religious programs and classical musicare examples of content that the ABCcurrently delivers for such audiences.Political satire, indigenous issues, ruralprogramming and some alternate musicgenres are other examples. In effect,the ABC fills a lot of gaps which are leftby the commercial networks.

Technologies will eventually makesuch audiences commercially viable, andmay lead to commercial broadcastersgradually squeezing the ABC out of themarket. This has already occurred inpremium sport. If it becomes economi-cally viable to broadcast classical musicprograms, commercial broadcasters willdo it, and spend money not feasible forthe ABC.

Local content rules will come underenormous pressure. If Internet basedbroadcasting flourishes, it will be verydifficult for quotas to guarantee local con-tent.

Greater funding

If we are to guarantee substantiallocal content and ensure we continue tohave a vibrant local industry, directGovernment funding through the nation-al broadcasters will be vital. Our longerterm goal must be to revitalise the"Australian" in Australian BroadcastingCorporation.

ABC television in ten, twenty yearstime will be very different, but just asimportant. The ABC will be the primarymeans by which we broadcast our ownstories to ourselves, and ensure ourunique Australian identity continues tobe reflected on our television screens. Itwill broadcast on numerous channelsand through several technologies. It’schanging role is likely to require greater,not lesser, levels of public funding.

*Lindsay Tanner was one of thespeakers at the Fabian Society’sAutumn lectures on the ABC.

Page 6

News from Hunter FABC BranchTo prepare for the FABC Regional Conference in Newcastle later this year, Hunter Branch are

planning a Forum to discuss issues members may raise for inclusion in their submission of agen-da items for the conference. To make the conference a success, Hunter President Hank Willemssays it requires input from the membership. “Please think about the issues that concern you andinform your Branch Committee of them and bring them to the Forum,” Hank says.

FABC Hunter Forum - Merewether Surf Club, 8pm, Tues. 22nd June

Page 7

The ABC’s Deputy Chair ProfessorJudith Sloan was also one of thisAutumn’s Fabian Society lecturers.She reviewed the sometime clashbetween responsibility and a right,the ABC’s responsibility to remainindependent and the culture of jour-nalism.

The ABC must remain editoriallyindependent from a Governmentupon which it remains financiallydependent. Arguably, this is a funda-mental paradox.

While independence offers a formof security, it also imposes a destinyon the ABC: to be at odds from timeto time with Government about theextent of that liberty. It is a tension asold as the institution itself.

The original bill to create the ABCactually made it subject to the direc-tions of its responsible Minister. Itwas a power subsequently removedfrom the final legislation.

“Yes, Minister”

Six years later in 1938, ArchieCameron, then Postmaster-Generalsaid to the ABC Chairman “Forgetyour charter. I don’t believe in boardsor commissions – I believe in minis-terial control” - a sentiment almostseventy years old, yet somehow itseems as fresh as a daisy…itamounts to an historical tendency…How often it has been that the per-

son who understood independenceleast has been the person whoshould have understood it most: theresponsible Minister.

There is an authentically bipartisanattitude by Governments towards theABC. And it inevitably goes hand inhand with an impulse to championthe independence of the ABC whenin Opposition, only to then assail itonce in Government.

One of the protective roles of theBoard is to ensure that political influ-ences are never permitted to be felt.It is important that at the ABC, “Yes,Minister” should always be regardedas a comedy, not a code of practice.

Shame and … truth

As the ABC doesn’t belong toGovernment, what is the relationshipbetween the public broadcaster andthe public? The answer, of course, isthat the ABC is accountable toParliament, a point not always under-stood.

In analysing the independence ofthe ABC, it is necessary also to con-sider the culture and practice of jour-nalism. We have come a long way, atleast I hope we have, from SamuelJohnson’s judgement that journalismdid not require knowledge, genius orindustry. “Absolutely necessary how-ever” he said, were “contempt ofshame and indifference to truth.”

ABC journalism has often been asource of grief from politicians. Manypeople see journalism’s greater will-ingness to accuse than to celebrateor acclaim as its major weakness.Journalistic culture appears to havebeen hypnotised by Harold Evans,former editor of the London SundayTimes, famous for advising journaliststo remember one question wheninterviewing politicians: “Why is thisbastard lying to me?”

Yet this is precisely the same jour-nalism that is acclaimed and valuedby our audiences. Does this makejournalism an adversary to democraticculture or an ally?

Promises … promises

Sometimes the greatest interfer-ence from Government is its controlover the Corporation’s budget. In1985, when the then Labor govern-ment cut more than 10% from theABC’s budget, Managing DirectorGeoffrey Whitehead (went) toCanberra to appeal to FinanceMinister Paul Keating. He warnedhim “the ABC might go off the air”.

Keating put his arm around himand said “Now, now Geoffrey. Let’snot go making any rash promises.”

“Independence a Paradox”… ABC Board’s Role

Front row - ?? Bobby Richardson (Sport),Frank Bennett (Features), Dick Healy (Sport)

Middle row -?? (in coat),??, Norm ‘Nugget’May (Sport), Wilf Buckler (Sport), Gary Scully(News)

Back row - Brian Davies (News), GeoffMowatt (Admin.), Keith Madden and LachieShaw (News), Robert Moore (Anncr)

And the referee and ball-boy: who can namethem?

Fill in all the blanks and win an ABC Shop$25.00 gift voucher.

Who can set the 1959 record straight? Ed.

Yes, there was once an ABC Rugby League Football Team, in the Journalists’ Club Cup – what’s more in my recollection we were at least runners up twice and possibly once a winner.

Sydney’s Gaelic Club’s Politicsin the Pub evenings – attract livelycrowds and speakers of consider-able calibre on whatever the currentissue happens to be. On Friday, 2ndApril the topic was the ABC and thetheme - of our choosing - “What doWe do to save it?” The speakerswere the ABC’s Robyn Williams, EvaCox - UTS, and FABC President,Gary Cook. The following is a sum-mary of Gary’s address.

To true devotees of the ABC, thenotion that the ABC is in jeopardywould be a cause for mutiny. But,what would a straw poll ofAustralians reveal?

Australians, to a large degreeare apathetic. Would that questionprovoke a strong response from themajority of the population? Myguess is NO, unless they thoughtthey would be personally affected.They see the ABC as a permanentfixture that has been there through-out their lives and for the future. But,given the opportunity, there aremembers of the present governmentwho would be happy to dismantlethe ABC and flog it to Rupert orKerry.

As recently as last week, JohnHoward said, “I am always realistic,I won’t be only listening to support-ive radio programs. I’ll be tuning intothe ABC every morning at 6.30amand sometimes getting flushed inthe face when I disagree with it.”

Kroger & Shier

Some years ago the governmentappointed Michael Kroger to theABC Board. He did his best to sellABC On Line, one of the ABC’sgreat communication vehicles.Fortunately, the remainder of theBoard stood firm and, he failed.

The government also applaudedthe appointment of Jonathon Shieras Managing Director. I don’t needto remind you of the chaos hecaused… At a previous Politics inthe Pub on the ABC, a spontaneous

march and sit-in at the ABC’s HarrisSt. Headquarters was held to protestagainst Shier. Fortunately, Shierwasn’t afforded much more time tocontinue his destabilisation of theABC and he was dismissed.

So, how are We going to save the ABC?

There are three principles criticalto the ABC.

1. Independence and editorialintegrity must be preserved by totalopposition to government interfer-ence in the running of the ABC andby maintaining a prohibition to theintroduction of advertising.

2. An amendment to the ABCAct is necessary to end once and forall the practice of government stack-ing of the ABC Board. The coalitionhas given no indication of a changeto its policy but Labor announcedlast April that it would legislate tomake the board appointmentprocess independent of politicalinfluence, based on the Nolan Rulesin Britain.

3. And, thirdly, the ABC needs tobe properly funded.

The most important culturalinstitution in this country.

Since 1985-86 the ABC’s opera-tional appropriation has declined inreal terms by $255 million or 30.2%.

The Howard government waselected in 1996 with a commitmentto maintain ABC funds. But, soonafter the election, the ABC’s triennialfunding was cut by $66 million. TheABC has not recovered from thatblow.

When the ABC made itsTriennial Funding Submission lastyear, it sought additional funding of$250 million over 3 years, to providenew programming, extend transmis-sion to regional communities andcreate cross media digital hubs. Italso proposed to extend the reachand relevance of Radio Australia.

Continued on Page 9

“It’s Our ABC – What do We do to save it?

Page 8

ABC Classic FMSunday Live Concertand drinks with FABC

Sunday, 20 June, 3pm

Once again, the FABC will behosting wine and nibblesbefore and after the SundayLive Concert.Join Marian Arnold, the per-formers and the Friends on 20 June for the usual FREEABC Classic FM live concert.

Location: Eugene Goossens Hall,

ABC, Harris St, Sydney

Concert: 3pm (be seatedat 2.45pm) to 4pm

Drinks: from 2pm and afterwards at 4pm

with Marian & performers

Cost: Free but a small chargefor wine and OJ

The program consists of CPEBach, Barsanti, Bach, Handeland Boismortier played byChristine Leonard (sax ) andMarshall McGuire (harp).

For Free preview filmevenings keep your eye

on the FABC NSW website www.fabcnsw.org.au -

Notice is sometimes short;but we’ve had two pleasantevenings his year watchingThe Barbarian Invasionsand, recently, Twin Sisters.

Hopscotch are generoussupporters. We email outand fax members, but it willpay to check the web siteregularly.

Cuts cost programs

The government rejected theABC submission. Shortly afterwardsthe ABC announced cuts of $26 mil-lion including closure of multichanneltelevision services “Fly” and “ABCKids” and the axing of “Behind theNews” and the Cadet JournalistScheme.

The government is quick to claimthat they have funded the ABC to thetune of $3/4 billion in this financialyear, but that figure includes $131million for transmission costs and$20 million for loan funds. The oper-ational appropriation for the year is$591 million.

Digital funding drain

The government directed theABC to convert to digital technology.Phase 1 cost $110 million - the gov-ernment contributed $20.8 million.For Phase 2, the government con-tributed $36.8 million or only half thefunds required.

When the ABC is benchmarkedagainst other public broadcasters forfunding, here’s how it fares:-

● on a per capita revenue basis,it ranks 16th out of 17 developedcountries (only Greece is belowAustralia).

● Compared with the ABC, theBBC is funded at three times therate on a per capita basis,Germany at 3.5 times as muchand Denmark at five times.

When the present governmentcut $66 million from the ABC’s 1996-97 budget it was described as a costcutting measure.

Now the government has themoney. It has a surplus of somethinglike $5 billion and has just agreed tospend $550 million on some clappedout 20-year-old American army tanks

Wasted funds

You might be interested to knowthat the ABC spent $195,000 and1700 hours of staff time investigatingformer Communications Minister,Richard Alston’s allegations of anti-

US bias.

And since then, a further $10,000and 98 hours of valuable staff time torespond to Freedom of Informationrequests made by Queensland LiberalSenator Santo Santoro over ABCcoverage of the war, Tampa and thegovernment’s policy of detaining asy-lum seekers.

Santoro has taken the baton fromAlston as the government’s chiefanti-ABC attack dog in an attempt tomake a name for himself.

Alston of course is like a dog witha bone – he just will not let go.

He’s out of the Senate, but haslodged a formal appeal with theAustralian Broadcasting Authorityagainst the Independent ComplaintsReview Panel which reviewed theABC’s Complaints Review Executive.

The ABA chairman is none otherthan Professor David Flint.

But Professor Flint should playno part in this appeal

� He has publicly criticised the ABC

� He is a paid-up member of the Liberal Party.

� He publicly supported the war in Iraq.

Is there an organisation that issubject to as much scrutiny andreview as the ABC? I doubt it. Itsprogram makers and presenters aresubject to review by:

� The ABC’s Complaints ReviewExecutive, Murray Green

� The ABC Board (all HowardGovernment appointees except 2)

� The Independent ComplaintsReview Panel – an external body,appointed by the ABC Board, con-sisting of industry experts unassoci-ated with the ABC.

� The ABA

� The Australian National AuditOffice, which in its last report foundno evidence of bias.

� The Senate EstimatesCommittee

Nonetheless, Alston and his suc-cessor, Darryl Williams are working

on yet another body to review theABC’s performance – no doubt to beappointed by the government.

FTA fears

Let me briefly touch on the FreeTrade Agreement between Australiaand the United States which wassigned early in February.

The fact that it was agreed towas hardly a surprise given this gov-ernment’s sycophantic, weak-kneedattitude to the Americans.

According to the Howard govern-ment, it’s un-Australian to be un-American.

Remember the chest beatingrhetoric during the negotiations – “Ifsugar is excluded the deal’s off” –“the PBS will be protected” – “Localcontent rules will not be negotiated”.Our negotiators, on the instruction oftheir political masters, caved in onevery issue.

The Foreign Minister let the catout of the bag. As he is affectionatelyreferred to by a well known journalist,Lord Downer of Baghdad, on 2ndMarch, in a rare moment of candour,admitted that the commitment oftroops to Iraq was to preserve thealliance with the US.

There is time to lobby theOpposition and minor parties in theSenate to oppose the agreement.We encourage you to do so.

So back to the topic.It’s Our ABC –

What do We do to save it?

� Never take the existence ofthe ABC for granted. Continuefighting for it, and fight for it tobe given adequate funding.

� Act at the appropriate timeand make the ABC an electionissue. We will again be target-ing marginal seats, conveningpublic meetings of candidatesand asking probing questionsabout their support for the ABC.

� If you are not a member ofthe Friends of the ABC – joinnow!

What do We do to save the ABC?Continued from Page 8

Page 9

Page 10

MaxUechtritzquit hisposition asABC newsand currentaffairs

director in April, to becomethe Nine Networks newsdirector. He will be a sad lossto the ABC.

The humble scribe wouldsuggest the truth is the lastfour years have’t been all thatgreat for the PNG-born MaxRobert Uechtritz. He has, atleast for the time being, hadhis fill of everyone’s ABC.

Uechtritz has had enoughof juggling ever-decreasingfinancial resources and cutsto program budgets. He hashad his fill of ideologicallydriven, often media-naive,carping from certain individu-als in the boardroom. Despitean immense regard for Baldingand an underlying affectionfor some of his fellow direc-tors, Uechtritz is sick andtired of internal politics andturf wars.

He has had enough of ten-sion-charged meetings. Hewas wearied by the publicattacks from the former ministerfor communications, RichardAlston, after Uechtritz's much-discussed suggestion thatmilitary spokespeople can be“lying bastards”. He has longbeen tired of Alston's persist-ent, if mistaken, complaintsthat the ABC's Iraq war cov-erage was biased against theUS.

It isn’t that Uechtritz hasfound the ABC unsupportive.He simply resents the amountof time and mental energy hehas been forced to expend onmatters he privately regardsas misguided, insubstantialnonsense.

Uechtritz found himselfmore of a bureaucrat than he

wanted to be. Having about$125 million and close to 700news-gatherers to play withcould easily metamorphoseinto endless tensions andconflict about productionresources, schedules, money,about the place and prioritynews and current affairsshould be accorded.

Uechtritz sincerely believesin the importance of theABC’s independence and itsvalue to the broadcastingspectrum and community life.

He rebuffed Nine’s firstapproach, late last year, say-ing he was committed to thenational broadcaster. Hemeant it. But the approach,from Nine’s director of newsand current affairs, JimRudder, planted a seed.Uechtritz later met PBL’smedia director, John Alexander,and Nine’s deputy chief exec-utive, David Gyngell. Ninebegan to emerge as A GoodPlace. Lunch with Kerry Packerclinched it.

Whether or not he everreturns to the ABC, Uechtritzseems destined to be recordedas one of its more colourfulidentities. There was, ofcourse, his televised punch-up at Robert Trimbole's 1987funeral. His “lying bastards”utterance has been inculcatedinto Australia’s modern mediahistory. He played a solid partin Shier’s downfall. He mayalso come to be rememberedas the director of news andcurrent affairs who, despitegentle hints from Shier, nevergot around to firing KerryO'Brien.

Erroll Simper The Australian, 29th April 2004

Max Uechtritz – death of athousand cuts Scooped again!

The Prime Minister’s political trip toIraq set some worrying precedents.

It was the two-up game that did it.When John Howard tossed the coins infront of the diggers, the moment lookedas camera-friendly as the famousGeorge Bush entrance with the Thanks-giving turkey. Howard's secret dash toBaghdad was his most blatant exploita-tion yet of the Anzac tradition. Ofcourse he should visit troops, but themanner and timing of this trip were aspolitical as he could get.

Secrecy might have been necessaryon security grounds until the PM landed,but it was also useful on other grounds.It gave the Government the excuse tolimit and hand-pick the journalists andmedia organisations it took. Reporterswere approached directly; editors werebypassed. The Nine Network, theGovernment's favourite, was invited toprovide both camera crew and produc-er. The ABC might be the nationalbroadcaster but it didn’t get a look in.

Michelle Grattan, The Age

An Editor for Update Wanted

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Page 11

This issue’sGuest Columnist,

the FABC National ResourceCentre’s, Darce Cassidy, iscertainly not a sports tragic,but the ABC’s recent in-house sporting punch-up‚between Sydney andMelbourne set him thinkingand reminiscing

I'm a foundation member ofthe anti-football league. KeithDunstan himself gave me thebadge (in the shape of asquare football that would notbounce) in 1966.

I didn't keep it for long - mywife destroyed it when I com-mitted the sacrilegious act ofdrying the dishes with herCarlton tea towel.

At a personal level I could-n't care less about football,but there’s a broader issuehere. Its charter requires theABC to reflect Australia’s cul-tural diversity. Sport is animportant part of that diversity.

I've just been reading TimPat Coogan’s history ofIreland in the 20th centuryreminding me of the signifi-cance of the Gaelic AthleticAssociation, founded in 1894,in the revival of Irish national-ism. Gaelic football, which isclosely related to the AFLgame, was an important cul-tural and political activity. Inretaliation for the IRA's brutalassassination of nineteenBritish intelligence officers(1920) the Black and Tansfired into the crowd at theGaelic football matchbetween Dublin and Tipperaryin Croke Park, Dublin, killingfourteen and injuring hun-dreds. For good measurethey tortured and killed threeIrish prisoners, but the majorrevenge was taken out on thefootball crowd.

I grew up in Sydney, joinedthe ABC there, and spentmuch of my ABC career inSydney. But I've also workedin Canberra, Melbourne andAdelaide; and throughout theABC's history there’s been atension between Sydney andthe rest of Australia. As fundshave got tighter, networkinghas become more attractive,but it’s difficult to get muchnetworked out of Perth orHobart. Sydney's rolebecomes more and moredominant.

State organisations howev-er should not be a cheersquad for their own state;they should take a nationalview to recognise and cele-brate diversity, not just on aState basis (colonial relics),not just on a language or eth-nic basis, but on the range ofreal life, cultural differences.

It’s significant that the beerborder between NSW andVictoria is different to theState border, as is the footballborder. In NSW, at leastwhen I was growing up, asuitcase became a “port”north of Newcastle, andstayed a “port” all the way toNorth Queensland.

I spent a short time asTriple Jay Network Managerwhen from being a Sydney-only station it became head-quarters of a national net-work. The staff made genuineefforts to think national ratherthan Sydney.. They went intolanguage - cossies, bathers,trunks or swimmers; pronun-ciations - Albury (awl berry)or Albany (al-bany) and soon. By and large it worked -Triple J was accepted every-where, except in Melbourne!Perhaps Melburnians do havean inferiority complex.

On sport, borders & cheer squads

Moguls get their media law while

ABC gets a muzzle(A local Federal member, John Murphy,Lowe, got this off his chest in a letter tothe Financial Review, 24th, May, 2004)

Lesley Cowie (AFR Letters, May21) nails it when she concludes thatthe Australian BroadcastingCorporation’s managing director,Russell Balding, “needs a betterreason…than the one he has given”for the expensive monitoring of thepublic broadcaster by Rehame.

Balding didn’t get one extra centfor the ABC when he took his well-argued triennial $250 million fund-ing submission to the Howard gov-ernment last year. As a conse-quence, Balding had no choice butto take the sword to popular ABCprograms.

What galls me, first, is that thedecent and respected Balding hasbeen made to buckle to a govern-ment obsessed about the allegedbias of the ABC and to hire a snoopto intimidate ABC broadcasters and,in so doing, compromise the inde-pendence of our public broadcaster.

Second, and even more galling,while this is going on, the Howardgovernment will pull out all stopsnext month to curry the ultimatefavour for Australia’s two most pow-erful media proprietors and ram theBroadcasting Amendment (MediaOwnership) Bill through the Senate.

I ask voters, whatever your politi-cal persuasion, how can it be in thepublic interest or good for Australia’sdemocracy to allow the Howardgovernment to put Balding in astraitjacket while further concen-trating media ownership in thiscountry?

Page 12

Like TheAustralian’s heading(above), Mark Daydidn’t mince wordseither.

Professor DavidFlint has long been

an accident waiting to happen.

His position is totally, hopelesslycompromised – a regulator whoplays partisan politics, whoexchanges letters of admiration withthose on whom he sits in judgment,and who openly parades as a classwarrior. Together they make a con-clusive case that he has fatallyundermined the ABA’s integrity.

It is traditional that peopleappointed to independent statutoryboards go out of their way to be seento be independent and free of parti-

sanship. Not Flint. He is head of theAustralians for a ConstitutionalMonarchy and an activist on theirbehalf.

That is unwise. He is the author ofTwilight of the Elites, in which hesneers at members of the media andacademia he brands as elites. Thatis also unwise.

Now it is revealed he hasengaged in a “stream”- of lettersbetween himself and broadcasterAlan Jones, expressing his admira-tion for Jones, before sitting in judg-ment on him. That is unforgivable.

Flint argues that he stood asidefrom the cash-for-comment inquiry in1999 after claims of conflict of inter-est, and therefore did not judgeJones. But he presided over two fur-

ther inquiries, which gave the greenlight to Jones’ ownership of 20 percent of Macquarie Radio – owners of2GB Sydney – and 2GB’s $1.2 mil-lion-a-year deal with Telstra to spon-sor Jones's breakfast program.

And the plot thickens with JohnLaws’s allegations that Jones wentinto bat for Flint with the PrimeMinister, allegedly threatening towithdraw his support for the PM ifFlint were not reappointed. Thatsounds far-fetched to me. Jones notsupporting Howard? Come on! But itshows what a convoluted can ofworms we’re dealing with.

The great irony here – the para-dox – is that Flint, by parading him-self so conspicuously as a spear-car-rier and cuirassier for the HowardGovernment’s brand of conservatism,has made himself useless to them.

Mark Day The Australian 29th April 2004

Why Flint the Tory foot-soldier must go

Dogs of War let slip - Havoc at the ABCContinued from Page 5

TV, Sandra Levy, who was given the task of respond-ing to Dr Brunton ‘critique’ of Media Watch. They weren’tcomplaints, Ms Levy said. Hmmm

In place

So now the Government has three of the stockyard’sfour slip rails in place. The right-wing’s galloping vigi-lantes will complete the enclosure. Janet Albrechtsen ledoff with a column in the Australian (26th May) of astonish-ing vituperation, slashing and hacking her way - truth was

the first casualty – screeching and ranting ‘blatant bias’,‘public tantrums’, ‘anti-Bush agenda’, ‘un-critical’, ‘fawn-ing approaches’, ‘Soviet-style workers’ collective’, ‘staff-captured’, with Ramona Koval depicted as an agitatorand spy.

Paddy and Piers and Chris and the other stormtroopers will be hard-pressed to match Janet’s vitriol, butbetween now and the election I’m sure they’ll try; it’s justthat Janet absolutely ‘albrechted’ the broadcaster…and Igather she was in a good mood!

But for a really good laugh - see p 14

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Date: Wed 8 Sept.Meet at 9.30 am at Drummoyne Sailing Club wharf,corner St Georges Crescent & Park Ave, Drummoynefor the naval workboat to take us to the island.

Island Tour: 2 hours followed by a picnic lunch.BYO own food and drink! Last boat back to the sailing club is at 2.45 pm.Cost: $20

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Page 13

The Fabian Society’s AutumnLecturers this year includedProfessor Ken Inglis. Regrettingthe switch from Commission toCorporation, Professor Inglischose as his topic – ‘At ArmsLength? The ABC as a StatutoryAuthority.’

I agree with John Howard thatwe should celebrate Australianachievements, (but) I may be moreenthusiastic about it than he is. MrHoward and his colleagues haveshown some scepticism towardsthe statutory authority as a form ofpublic activity, and so have theiropponents. The minister Mr Howardput in charge of this one for sevenyears, Richard Alston, showed lessrespect for the form, in my view,than almost any previous ministerwith that responsibility during theseventy years of the ABC’s life.

A Charter

When public servants were com-posing the Act of 1983 by which theCommission became theCorporation, they attached the labelCharter to that section of the Actsetting out the ABC’s functions. Toprovide `innovative and comprehen-sive broadcasting services’; tobroadcast `programs that contributeto a sense of national identity andinform and entertain, and reflect thecultural diversity of the Australiancommunity’, and so on …words wemight think central to the characterof the ABC (that) appear not in the‘charter’ but in another section ofthe Act … It was nevertheless ahappy inspiration.

The Charter quickly acquired apatina, a rhetorical power. Championsof the ABC would invoke it as ifmeddling or mean politicians wereKing Johns aspiring to violate abroadcasting Magna Carta…thosewho invoke (it) don’t always knowthat its history goes back only to 1983.

Idiom of the 80’s

So does the word Corporation.That was put there (by) a commit-tee of review of the ABC chaired bythe business man Alex Dix (as) aword they thought better fitted forthe corporate 1980s. For a similar

reason the governing body would becalled a board of directors and thegeneral manager would become themanaging director.

This was the idiom of the 1980s…when for the first time Australiahad a Labor government committedto reducing the cost and scope of thepublic sector. If a statutory authoritywas a net money maker then it mightbe turned into a GovernmentBusiness Enterprise, a GBE, possi-bly as a prelude to its being sold off:Qantas, the Common-wealth Bank,Telecom, Australia Post. If it madesome money while being largelydependent on public revenue itshould be encouraged, even required,to make more. For the public broad-casters that raised a question whichthe ABC’s governing body had facedon and off since 1932: should it selltime and space for advertising? Orwould they have to live more frugally.

Crises

A few years ago I wrote an articleentitled ABC SHOCK CRISISTHREAT, an imaginary headlinewhich give or take some changes injournalistic style might haveappeared any time since 1932. Iexamined ten crises, from 1938 to1994, and concluded that the char-acter of the ABC as an institutionguaranteed that such eruptionswould go on. There are disputesabout where the boundaries of itsautonomy as a statutory authorityare to be drawn, many provoked bythe fact the ABC is bound to broad-cast information and opinion usefuland harmful to people in public life.

More particularly, the ABC accom-modates criticisms, sometimessevere, of the government on whichit depends for revenue, and that isbound to be a source of conflict.What does the statute prescribeabout the relationship between min-ister, chair, governing body, chiefexecutive and staff; and how dothose relationships actually work?

It’s through the minister that theABC is responsible to parliament.In practice he is normally a friendof the ABC at budget time, andfrom time to time its protectoragainst colleagues who need

reminding that the Act makes it theduty of the board to maintain theindependence and integrity of theCorporation.

In plainer Australian English, asMichael Duffy once shouted at BobHawke and Bill Hayden, `Read the****’ Act!’

In the Corporation years, MichaelDuffy, who held the portfolio of com-munications from 1983 to 1987, is sofar the minister who has enjoyed thehighest and widest respect. Onlyonce, says the first managing direc-tor Geoffrey Whitehead, did he try toinfluence what the ABC put to air.Why not more jazz, he asked.

The next minister, Gareth Evans,was more sympathetic to the ABCthan his temper allowed him to show.Mr Duffy has I think been a rolemodel for the rest of his six succes-sors in the Hawke and Keating min-istries, of whom only one, MichaelLee, was minister for as long asthree years. All between Mr Duffyand Mr Lee were saddled withTransport as well as Communica-

Then in 1996 came RichardAlston, and with him the most severecuts, possibly the only truly punitivecuts, the ABC has ever had toendure.tions, and all gave moreattention to the supplications andseductions of media moguls than tothe ABC.

He was not quite the most hos-tile minister in the history of theCommission and the Corporation.That distinction goes to ArchieCameron, the Postmaster Generalwho said in 1938: `If I had my way Iwould stop all broadcasting.’ Nor did Senator Alston commit the most fla-grant breach of ABC autonomy. Thatwas done by Alan Hulme in 1970,when as PMG he reduced the ABC’sbudget, which he was entitled to do,and ordered that half the cut beapplied to the newly troublesomearea of television current affairs,which he was not entitled to do. TheCommissioners rose up, and heclimbed down.This episode went into

Continued on Page 14

The ABC at arm’s length - a retrospective.

Page 14

The ABC at arm’slength - a retrospective.

Continued from Page 13 ABC folk memory as a hearteningstory.

But Senator Alston was moreinclined than any other, I think, tobreach persistently the conventionsand understandings of a statutoryauthority. He communicated directlywith the managing director, BrianJohns, rather than through theChairman and the Board, raisingquestions about particular programs.He addressed to Mr Johns menacingand public accusations about bias.Rather than go on listing examples ofthe minister trying to treat the ABCas if it were a government depart-

ment, let me quote Frank Devine, nochardonnay-sipping member of thechattering classes, commenting on aletter Senator Alston wrote to MrJohns demanding a detailed expla-nation of alleged bias in reporting oftroubles on the waterfront in 1998.The letter ‘cast doubt’, Mr Devinethought, ‘on the Government’smotive for reducing ABC funding. Isthis really prudence with publicmoney, or an attempt to starve thebroadcaster into subservience.’

Professor Inglis is this year com-pleting a book covering the ABCsince 1983; to be published by BlackInc, who are also republishing hisearlier work, “This is the ABC 1932-1983”

Flint to chair inquiry into his own conflict of interest

ABA Chair Professor David Flint has begun a lengthy, secretive and ultimatelyfutile inquiry into whether he had a conflict of interest when investigating Alan Jones.

“These are very serious charges levelled against me,” Flint announced. “So it iscrucial for a transparent and exhaustive inquiry to be conducted by someone witha proven record of probing and independent investigation. Someone like me.”

Flint denied he was the wrong person to conduct such an inquiry. “You have torealise that in Australia the broadcasting regulation industry is not very large, soI’m bound to have run into myself from time to time. But that doesn’t mean I’ll bepulling any punches against myself now.”

Questions concerning his impartiality have sprung from a letter Flint wrote tohimself, revealed by Media Watch, in which he expressed admiration for his own“extraordinary ability to ignore the most basic elements of proper procedure.”

“Keep doing the things you do,” the letter concluded.

But Flint defended his communiqué saying, “Yes, it is on the record that I havea great deal of affection for myself. But any suggestion that I have control overthis inquiry is fanciful.

“Like every other inquiry, this will be controlled by Alan Jones.”

Thanks to ‘The Chaser’ for these insights

ABA in crisis!!Jones unable to decide who he’ll replace

Flint with as ABA Chair

Sydney broadcaster Alan Jones is still unsureabout whom to replace David Flint with asChair of the ABA when the Professor is inevitablyousted.

“It’s a really tough decision,” lamented Jones.“I need to find someone so in love with me thatthey’ll ignore my obvious breaches of ABAguidelines, yet compromised enough to have noregard for the responsibilities of their position.They’re hard to find and I’m having dinner withthe Prime Minister tomorrow.

“I wonder if Danna Vale would give up herVeterans Affairs portfolio for the position.” ThePrime Minister has assured Jones that Vale willindeed soon be giving up her portfolio.

The decision caps off a busy week for Jones,during which he instructed the Prime Ministerhow to respond to the Flint crisis, NSW PremierBob Carr who to appoint I.C.A.C. chief andGeorge W. Bush when to leave Iraq.

update Print Post Approved PP 245059/00002

Update is published four times a year by Friends of the ABC NSW, P.O. Box 1391, North Sydney 2059. Phone 9810 3358 Fax 9144 1351 To become a member phone 9990 0600 or visit our web site at: www.fabcnsw.org.au/Extracts from newspapers and other publications appearing in Update do not necessarily reflect members' views. Update goes to all members of FABC (NSW) Inc., as part of the membership fee. Update is also supplied to journalists, politiciansand libraries across Australia. It is produced and edited in Sydney but contributions are welcome from NSW country and inter-state branches. Material may be freely quoted or reproduced from the newsletter provided the source is acknowledged andreproduction is sent to FABC’s President Gary Cook, Editor Brian Davies, Layout, format and assembly Irwin Kurtz. Unattributedtext is by the editor. email: fabcnsw@fabcnsw.org.auFABC UpdatePost The Editor

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Our ABC - that’s who!OUR ABC brings us information EVERY DAY

OUR ABC helps us understand the world better EVERY DAY

NOW - IMAGINE YOUR WORLD WITHOUTour ABC!

When casting your vote support the candidate who supports the ABC.Authorised by Gary Cook, 2 Tilba Ave, Balmain 2041

Printed by BEE Print Mail 1/5 Waltham Street, Artarmon 2064

IN THIS ELECTION YEARRING YOUR LOCAL CANDIDATES AND ASK THEM

• will you call for restoration of untied core funding to the ABC?• will you call for an independent ABC Board?• will you call for an end to government and editorial

interference in our ABC?

friendsof the abc