Friends of the ABC (NSW) Inc.q u a rt e rly new s l e t t e rD e c. 2003 Vol 14, N o. 7

i n c o rp o rat i n gb a ck ground briefingnational magazine

friends of the abc

Walter Hamilton, ABC Head ofNational Coverage - News and CurrentA ffairs, was guest speaker at the NSWFABC annual general meeting. He drewon overviews of the contest betweenjournalism and ’patriotism’.

He first compared the ‘MinowOverview’ with that of RupertMurdoch, described in “The Age ofMurdoch” by James Fallows.*

Newton Minow was the chairmanof the US Federal Communication’sCommission in 1961 who declared“I am here to uphold and protect thepublic interest. Some say the publicinterest is merely what interests thepublic. I disagree.”

Walter contrasted the Minow viewthat the business of news is differ-ent from other businesses with “aunique responsibility to serve thepublic interest” with RupertMurdoch’s assertion that “the news

business is basically the same asother business.”

One Congressman responded:“Then how do you explain theimbalance between 300-plus hoursof nationally syndicated conservativetalk, against 5 hours of liberal talk?”

Murdoch: “Apparently conserva-tive talk is more popular.”

Unbiased?In a Congressional hearing,

Murdoch had argued: “My newsorganisation always strives to be‘fair and balanced’.”

James Fallows, Walter Hamiltonpointed out, notes that the idea thatpress responsibility begins andends with attracting a market hashistorical precedents.

Continued on Page 14

Inside:Friends Domain Speakers...............6-7National Conference Decisions ....8-10Friends Watch on FTA........................9Farewell to Alston ............................15

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u p d at eThe Vanished 68

Senator Alston’s ‘68 bias charges’evaporated. Several came from aLiberal party official, half-a-dozenfrom telephone calls to Alston’soffice, which doesn’t keep phone callrecords and ‘frivolous’ applied tomany of the rest. Only 17 survived,fairly marginal calls. (see page 10).

The episode is a lesson. A readerremarked recently that Updateseemed rather negative

‘Negative’ isn’t the right word;perhaps testy or critical fits. Thattone is pretty well inescapable. We concentrate on what’s at stake,what’s potentially wrong, implicationsthat are ominous, decisions that arethreatening and policies that areplain wrong; the sum of which consti-tute attacks on the ABC and on us,its audiences.

Justice Kirby in England lastmonth, speaking about the Law, saidthis: “politicians or polemicists of dif-ferent stripe...these bully boys (andgirls) are contemptuous of funda-mental human rights and jealous ofany source of power apart from theirown.” Similar interest groups prey onthe ABC.

From that perspective the ABCneeds the support of Friends andUpdate, modest as they may be,helping guard the gates against thebarbarians - even when some mightthink threats and pressure have sub-sided. They haven’t.

News a Political Prisoner - the missing “Middle Ground’’

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Northern RiversBranch End of Year Report

In March we had a visit byGreg Wilesmith talking about “TheRole of the Foreign Correspondent inan Age of Uncertainty”.

Fiona Martin outlined the pro-duction of the “Reimagining Utopia"program broadcast on Radio Nationaland supported by a fascinating website.

In partnership with Screenworkswe held a Film Screening at ByronBay and a panel session looking atthe potential impact of Free TradeAgreements on the Australian audiovisual industries.

At the Lismore car Boot Market,we raised some funds and collectedhundreds of signa-tures for a petition.

Aunty's (total-ly unbiased) ArtyParty at Byron Baywas another greatsuccess.

The final event for the year isA

Jazz Luncheon at the

Palms Restaurant,Hastings Point

Sunday, 14 December at 12.30

Our branch web site providesfurther details on these activities at:http://home.iprimus.com.au/webfor-mation/friendsabcnr

We sent a petition to the Senateand House of Representatives call-ing on the Federal Government to:

i. ensure the independence ofthe ABC Board;

ii. provide an immediateincrease in funding to the ABC tohelp make the transition to digitaltechnology without underminingexisting programs,

iii. support ABC journalists whenthey are charged with unsubstantiat-ed claims of political bias;

iv. provide the ABC with suffi-cient funds to produce high qualityAustralian drama;

v. ensure that the AustralianFilm and Television industry is fullyprotected during negotiations overFree Trade Agreement.

Neville Jennings

Port Macquarie Friends Branchis currently planning and promotinganother Friends street stallon Th u rs d ay 11th December(in Hort o n Street, outsidethe National Bank.)

Drusi Megget says branchmembers are always energetic inrallying around its street stalls.

“The public’s always support-ive.” Drusi said, “and a greatsource of comment - how wonder-ful ABC programs are, how goodkids TV is, how only ABC news isworth watching, and so on.”

There’ll be aBranch Christmas Party onSunday 30th December and

Port’snext General Meeting

on Saturday 7th February,10 am - Noon,

at the Meeting Room,

Port Macquarie Library

Good News of FriendsStalwart Nancy Short

“Last time I talked to Nancyshe sounded much better andmuch like her old self. She isstaying with her daughter Penin Brisbane at the moment.Nancy may be back in Portaround Xmas but it is doubtfulwhether she will be here tostay ever again. Her olderdaughter Jen, who used tolive with her in PortMacquarie, has health prob-lems herself and is in Sydneyfor medical treatment.”

Drusi Megget

Port Macquarie’sStreet Successes

Join Illawarra Friends At Kiama

Seaside MarketsSunday, 21 December

This is one of the best locatedmarkets in NSW - right besideKiama Harbour.

The Friends have a stall arrangedand we are seeking volunteers toassist us.

If you can spare a couple ofhours on the day, please call Chrison (02) 4226 2323 or email:chris@telledge.com.au

In any event, come along - wehave some great Friends merchan-

dise for Christmas gifts.

A Bonus for Friends from Phil SomervilleUpdate’s regular pro-bono cartoonist, Phil Somerville, has self-published a

calendar of cartoons. His 2004 Bicycle Cartoon Calendar tackles a varie t yof themes, but all linked by the humble bicycle - from ecology and wo rld con-s p i racy to urban development, traffic and post-Iraq…witty and humane.

No Friends household should be without one!

The calendar is printed on A3 quality art stock, in black and white withplentyof room for ‘jotting space’.

Contact Phil at (02) 4759 2078. or: pipsomervill@hermes.net.au or c/- 3 Fairview Rd, Lawson NSW 2783.

Cost - $16.50 (incl gst) per calendar plus $3.50 post/packaging, cheque orpostal order in his name only.

No FABC branch should be without one!

I recently wroteto the new ministerfor Communications,I n f o r m a t i o n

Technology and The Arts, DarylWilliams, congratulating him on hisappointment. We can anticipate aless confrontational relationshipbetween the minister and the A B C .This does not necessarily translateinto additional, much needed fundsfor the ABC. We intend to meet withthe new minister at the earliest oppor-tunity to put forward our position onfunding and other important princi-ples, including Board appointmentsand editorial independence, and alsoto hear from him his approach to therole and his attitude to the A B C .

The outgoing minister, SenatorRichard Alston, made “ABC bashing”into an art form. He had occupied theportfolio since this government cameto power and was the shadow minis-ter for a period prior to that. By anymeasurement, Senator A l s t o n ’s termas minister of almost seven yearsshould be regarded as a completef a i l u r e .

At the outset, $66 million wascarved out of the ABC budget – ablow from which the A B Chas not recovered.Senator Alston has notsupported the many A B Csubmissions for a restora-tion of lost funding. He has presidedover the digital television debacleand, but for the senate, would haverelaxed A u s t r a l i a ’s media ownershiplaws even further to the benefit of thebig media moguls.

Although he is no longer the min-i s t e r, Senator Alston is still pursuingthe establishment of an additionalbody to review complaints against theABC. The ABC is subject to morescrutiny than any otherpublic instrumentality, andyet, because the formerminister did not receivesupport for his allegationsof anti-US bias, he wants to createanother tribunal to sit in judgement ofthe A B C .

U n w i t t i n g l y, Senator A l s t o nproved to be of great value to theFriends of the ABC. No sooner hadhe launched his mid year attacks onthe ABC than our membership wasboosted by several hundred newm e m b e r s .

Senator A l s t o n ’s baton has beentaken up by Senator Santo Santoro,a little known Liberal Senator fromQueensland who is attempting tocurry favour with his political mastersby “out-Alstoning” the former minister.In one outrageous comment hedescribed himself as a “true friend ofthe ABC”, an insult to our manymembers throughout A u s t r a l i a .

Our Annual General Meeting washeld on 25 October. It is appropriateto thank retiring committee members,Jenny Forster, George Wardell andEric Hitchen for their efforts on yourbehalf and to welcome new commit-tee members, Janet Simpson, LenoreKulakauskas and Mal Hewitt. T h emeeting unanimously passed a num-ber of special resolutions amendingour constitution, the most notableamongst them being the inclusion ofdefinitions of “branch”, “sub-branch”and “associate member”, and theamendment which will overcome diff i-culties branches have experienced inaccessing members’ contact details.

Eastern Suburbs Branch Re-launched

It is pleasing to report that theEastern Suburbs branch was re-launched to an overflow audience atBondi Junction on 28 September. A nenthusiastic and active committee isin place. Contact details are on theback page of U p d a t e.

Last month we participated in theNewtown Festival for the fifth succes-sive year and enjoyed by far our mostsuccessful year, with almost $1500 inmerchandise sales, selling out somelines and gaining new membersThanks are due to the many volun-teers who helped on the day. "

“Our identity is not for sale”

The next, and possibly final roundof negotiations for the Free Tr a d eAgreement between Australia and theUnited States takes place early inDecember in Washington. The gov-ernment recently revealed that it isprepared to negotiate Australian filmand television local content laws inexchange for “a good deal on agricul-ture”. It appears that the governmentwill offer the Americans concessionson “new media” (digital television,video-on-demand, mobile telephonyand other on-line entertainment ser-vices). In five, ten or twenty yearstime, “new media” might be dominantin our audio-visual industry andAustralian identity and culture will besubsumed by American junk culture.It now seems unlikely that negotia-tions will conclude this year with con-tingency plans being prepared for fur-ther talks in January. Let us notaccept Trade Minister Mark Va i l e ’sassurance that “he local industryshould wait for the outcome of thenegotiations” - by then it will be toolate. Write to the Prime Minister andMinister Vaile and protest at the gov-e r n m e n t ’s plans. Remember - “ouridentity is not for sale”.

On behalf of the committee, Iextend our best wishes to you andyour families for the festive seasonand a fervent new year wish forimproved funding for the A B C .

Gary Cook, P r e s i d e n t

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The President’s Report

A few weeks ago theFrankston East branch of theLiberal Party voted to take amotion to the Victorian State

Conference proposing that thefederal government sell the A B C

and apply the funds to fight salina-tion. Their rationale? – “the A B Cduplicates the output of commer-cial broadcasters”. From under

which rock did these cretinsc r a w l ?

ABC

Branch involvement this yearextended also to Sydney andC a n b e r r a

With ABC Local Radio about to openon the Central Coast at Gosford, inthe space of three months from Julythe local Friends’ branch signed upmore than 20 new members

They also attended the September14 rally in the domain and were suit-ably impressed by the compere, JulieMcCrossin, and the‘speakers gallery’.

They also attended ameeting in the Studio atthe Opera House tohear some compellingarguments fromactors and writersconcerned that Australian culture wasbeing traded away in the current FreeTrade Agreement discussions. T h e r ewas standing room only in the Studiowhich holds in excess of 300.

Two members also travelled toCanberra to take part in a rally atParliament House expressing similarconcerns that the A u s t r a l i a nGovernment may trade off some ofour long-held legacies to rush into aFree Trade agreement with the USA,changing so much that we value inthis country.

At stake are the PharmaceuticalBenefits scheme, our strict quarantineregulations, the Australian contentrequirements in broadcasting and film,media ownership rules, and the pow-ers of the Investment Review Board.

The Central Coast end of year func-tion was held at the Central CoastLeagues Club on Sunday November30 and one of the performers at thefunction was Clay Shearan, one of thesingers at the Friends’ rally in thed o m a i n .

Our A n nual General meetingwill be at the Central CoastL e agues Club, G o s fo rd , o nS at u rd ay Feb ru a ry 14.

Central Coast suggests that meet-ing venues and dates for all Friends’branches be published in Update somembers may attend other branchmeetings when visiting other districts.

John Hale, Convenor

M e m b e r s h i pExpands on BusyCentral Coast

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Julie McCrossin

Bathurst Friends Delivered a Warm Welcome

A year which included a very successful evening of poetry and songduring "An Irish Night in the Pub" in Bathurst on Bloomsday eve wiound upwith an end-of-year meeting and Christmas Party in the Regional A r tG a l l e r y. The warmest of welcomes was for the guest speaker, the 7.30R e p o r t ’s Kerry O’Brien.

The Irish night which played to a full house was followed by a well-patronised FABC stall in one of Bathurst's major shopping malls at the endof October which raised several hundred dollars from the sale of merchan-dise and a raff l e .

And there was no shortage of Friends and supporters stopping by tosign letters to the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and the newMinister for Communications stressing the ABC's vital role across the nationand expressing the writers’ concerns about Government policy towards thenational broadcaster.

Norah Ta y l o r

Eastern Suburbs Friends Re-Activate

At inauguration of new Eastern Suburbs Branch.L to R.Nizza Siano, Secretary, Quentin Dempster,Tina Bursill,Max Siano

A new Eastern SuburbsBranch emerged in Septemberfrom an audience of 120 peopleat an ABC in Crises forum,chaired by Tina Burfill.

Quentin Dempster discussedthe ABC’s loss of funding.Louise Southalan of AFTINETwarned the forum of the poten-

tial dangers the USFTA presents toAustralia’s culture andlocal content.

Cameron Murphystressed the ABC’srole in protecting civilliberties by presentinga plurality of viewsand the forum com-

mitted itself whole-heartedly to setting upa new Friends branch.

Members of the new Eastern Suburbs Branch celebrate inauguration with Quentin Dempster and Gary Cook.

Great Lakes Friendsorganised a public meetingfor Sunday, 30 November,where Robyn Williams ofRadio National’sScience Show was guestspeaker.

Details - next issue.

A C T and regional FA B CPresident, Margaret O’Connor,contributes a guest column forUpdate making a connectionbetween Richard A l s t o n ’s 68complaints and a violent anti-ABC editorial in the A u s t r a l i a nthat preceded it.

With serendipity too con-venient for coincidence, theeditorial heralded a tryingtime for the broadcaster.Attacks came from every-where, including the SenateEstimates hearings whereMax Uechtritz was underfire, culminating in Alston’s68-claim.

Politicians frequentlythrow these things out tosee if they grab hold of thepublic consciousness.Sometimes they do, some-times they don’t. Thankfullythis time the mud didn’tstick. The public ralliedaround. Letters to the Editorand public opinion piecesdripped disdain. Public sup-port for the ABC was con-firmed yet again. But it’sfrankly daunting that theBroadcaster has such pow-erful political and commer-cial critics.

Friends Bat t l e

Most people who work inFriends of the ABC holddown day jobs and havefamily responsibilities. Wecan’t afford teams of blandand terrifying public rela-tions consultants. We lickthe stamps and fold ournewsletters ourselves.Nonetheless we haveproved ourselves by nomeans ineffectual.

But let’s give the NewsLimited attacks perspective.

Another fine publicbroadcaster, the BBC - itselfin the news a lot recently -has also come in for a shareof bullying by a certainmedia mogul.

The BBC’s supposedsins include waste, misman-agement and dull program-ming (sound familiar?) andthe worst sin of all - anexpansion into multi-channelTV in direct competition withMurdoch’s sky channel.

R u p e rt ’s “Empire ”

BBC journalists wrote toThe Observer: “It is wrongfor the Murdoch group to tryto talk the government intogetting rid of Sky’s onlycompetitor in the UK. Webelieve many people wouldbe appalled if the BBC werepenalised simply because itwas competing too well withRupert Murdoch’s mediaempire.”

So that’s what it was allabout - simple commercialgreed. When factual-ly inaccurate, mis-leading and vitriolicattacks on the ABCappear in NewsLimited publicationsin Australia, we shouldremember Murdoch’s cam-paign against the BBC inthe UK.

Despite the harshest fis -cal, commercial, politicaland ideological attacks on itin the broadcaster’s history,the ABC has been sustainedby its credibility with thepublic, its deserved popular-ity and heroic ABC staff.

But no doubt suchattacks will continue onmany different fronts andwe’ll keep speaking outagainst them when andwhere we can. Public broad-casting is about a little bitmore than commercial orpolitical imperatives.

(An edited version of anarticle Margaret contributed tothe A C T Te a c h e r. )

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AnotherVictory Forthe ABC’sTrophyCupboard

ABC Online's HealthMatters website - winsthe Online category inthe Public HealthAssociation of Australia(PHAA) Awards.

The awards recogniseexcellence in mediareporting of public issues.

The Health Matterswebsite was launchedlast year and is designedto provide up-to-date,accessible and accuratehealth information. Thesite features a range ofhealth information, includ-ing health news and fea-tures, fact files, healthethics and policy, regionalhealth information and anevents diary, as well asmedical research andpersonal stories.

ABC New Media andDigital ServicesExecutive Producer, IanAllen, accepted theaward in Brisbane at thePHAA’s 35th annual con-ference.

“We created the Health

Matters site because webelieved the ABC was ina unique position to offeraccessible, credible andindependent informationabout health,” Mr Allensaid.

“So we're thrilled tohave our work recognisedby the Public HealthAssociation. I’d also liketo thank the ABC’sDevelopment divisionbecause without theirsupport this new healthinitiative would not havebeen possible.”

The ABC Online teamresponsible for the HealthMatters website are IanAllen, Producers Rae Fryand Danny Kingsley,Journalist Dr PeterLavelle, InformationArchitect Moira Hogan,Graphic Designer KimHamilton and WebDeveloper Tristan Gross

The site is at:www.abc.net.au/health

Democracy - It’s As Simple As ABC

If the FABC rally in the Domain on14th September could have done with afew more in the crowd, it lacked forabsolutely nothing in passion andcelebrities! Brian Davies reports:

We were there to hit back atAlston, rebuff people like GerardHenderson and Piers Ackerman andhighlight the Government’s budget-ing parsimony and the ABC’s crisisof cuts.

We teamed up with the TeachersFederation and the P & CAssociation, booked the Domain,audio and staging and ran off sever-al thousand flyers we distributed atrailway stations.

So who spoke? Richard Glover,Julie McCrossin (chairing), JohnDerum, Margaret Pomeranz, JohnHewson, David Barr (Ind. MLA forManly) did - among others. What didthey say?

Richard Glover:“A recent News Pollshowed that 89 % ofpeople think the ABCdoes a good job.

“We’re notobsessed with ratings, but of coursewe watch them and what they showis that the community’s hungry forthe sort of product the ABC pro-duces at the moment, in the worldwe live in.

“We don’t need Alan Jones mak-ing mountains out of mole hills;we’ve got real mountains to dealwith - that’s what the ABC stands forat the moment and that’s what audi-ences want.

“So I ask you a question: whywould the Government - and Alston -attack the ABC as he is doing; whydoes Labor attack the ABC whenthey’re in government - why attackan organization with 89% support ofthe community. It doesn’t makesense. There’re no votes in attackingthe ABC. Why do they do it? Tointimidate us - to un-nerve us fromasking the right questions

But - the staff at ABC will not beintimidated and we can’t be intimi-dated if you stand by us and standbehind us like you are today.”

John Hewson:“The most disturbingthing to me is theway media policyover the last 25 yearshas simply been theoutcome of trying towin favours from the country’s two orthree media moguls.

“Under governments of both per-suasions, for 25 years the ABCboard has been a political football,without long-term strategies or direc-tion.

“When I think ABC I think ofthree key words:

“mainstream - the ABC mustmaintain a mainstream position. It isthe balance to privately ownedmedia moguls.

“Independence - the judiciaryand reserve bank enjoy indepen-dence - why not the ABC? Let it geton with what it does and does well.

“And the third word is ‘PBS’ - thepoor thing public broadcasting sys-tem in the US - the last thing to bewished on the ABC.”

Ramona Koval:(The staff-electedmember of the ABCboard:) “There’s lessand less money forresearch, for the ref-erence library, fortraining of staff, for the chance to dogood investigative work

“Body blows to the infrastructureof the ABC are not only body blowsto us but also body blows to the verybody of our democracy.

“Aunty isn’t perfect - but we canonly keep going with the support ofviewers and listeners and those whounderstand what a great loss thedemise of such an organisationwould be.”

Margaret Pomeranz:“I’m in despair thatpublic broadcasting isin danger, worldwide.

“Its heading fordomination of information servicesby very few players; it strikes methat acknowledging the indepen-dence of public broadcasting freefrom any form of commercialignominy is absolutely basic todemocracy.

“Sensationalism makes usscared, but we don’t have to be ascared nation. We can deal withthings...if we’re given decent, ratio-nal, well-researched information. Ithink news and public affairs deliv-ered by public broadcasters is theonly thing standing between us andthe barbarians at the gate.

(Referring to economic rational-ism and globalisation) - “we have tofight hard to maintain what little bul-wark we have against the commer-cialisation of everything.

“Public broadcasters are underpressure - but there has to be aplace in broadcasting that allows forintelligent programming - program-ming that perhaps dares to makedemands on audiences.

“Just look at the significant sto-ries covered by Four Corners overthe years - stories the commercialswould never have touched.

“All this proves you can’t takeanything precious for granted.Maybe it’s good to be reminded thatyou have to fight for things you value- and if we do have to fight we haveto fight hard.”

The People Rally to Protect and Preserve the ABC

Page 6

Page 7

B l u eMountains FA B CC h a i r, actor andwriter John Derum,speaking at theFABC DomainRally in September,redressed the bal-ance – passionate-l y.This is what hes a i d :

“What I haveto say today is asan ABC con-sumer…and aftertoday I maynever be askedto work thereagain!

But - a lot of my work has beenin regional and remote areas andeverything we say today to supportour ABC can be multiplied manytimes to understand the importanceof the service the ABC provides tocountry people. For News andCurrent Affairs, Education and infor-mation, the ABC is every bit asessential to their lives as what theydo is essential to ours and our bigcity standard of living.

I recommend you join Friends ofthe ABC - it's a very efficient way toadd your voice where it matters.Apart from keeping in touch withwhat's going on, meeting other smartand considerate people just like you,it costs almost nothing and you addto the number of people the Friendscan speak for.

And we need to have a strongFriends voice in order to support theprogram makers. The makers ofABC programs are under constantpressure from inside and outside theABC to compromise standards, toimitate the cheap and nasties, topopularise. To play the ratings gameand abandon any notion of excel-lence and leadership.

Countering the Enemy

We have to support them active-ly, so they make the best possibleprograms without the distraction of

getting waylaid into political argu-ments: arguments about survival ofprograms, networks and even theABC itself, with the enemies of thevery idea of a national broadcaster.

And they are enemies - theseattacks on ABC have been going onfor thirty years.

Every Australian Government inthat time has failed us, each hasfailed to ensure independent financeand to ensure Board and Manage-ment appointments are free fromgovernment influence and favour.

Governments of both politicalpersuasion have chosen to defydemocratic principles and keep con-trol - for them and their mates. Theyhate the ABC because they fear it,because they know that is wheretheir policies and actions will be sub-jected to meaningful scrutiny.

The interference can be major -such as funding reductions andmanipulation of key appointments, orapparently minor - such as vexatiouscomplaints against AM recently fromthe Government and their mates.

Stay Alert

There are controversial issues ofideology and politics on our plate atthe moment but none more importantthan this: we’re here today becausewe’re already alarmed. We must bevery alert to these 21st Century bookburners!

And the “dumbing down” pres-sure seems constant. I feel for theproducers and presenters who haveto deal with this stuff and yet theycontinue to make programs of highstandard and uncompromising quality.

Let the staff make the programsfor us and let us demand the protec-tion and independence of the organi-sation.

Finally, a word about balance.The bleating about “balance” comesfrom people who don't listen to ABC.They hear occasional bits and theywant their own narrow views rein-forced.

Tell ‘emWe listen to the ABC because

we know we will hear a great rangeof views, a great range of debate,the full spectrum of challenging opin-ions on every conceivable issue.

We listen to ABC because theABC IS the balance.

It IS the balance tothe self-serving, the mind-less, the bigoted and theignorant that clutter ourairwaves - electronic andconversational. The ABC IS the balance!

And we must assure the programmakers and presenters that we wantthem to keep providing that balance.And we must remind the interferingpoliticians that we won't tolerate thatbalance being compromised.

Let's tell ‘em: The ABC IS thebalance!”

Bias? The ABC IS the Balance

Become a Friendof the ABC -

Join NowHave you asked yourfriends, neighbours, relatives and busi-ness contacts to

join the Friends of the ABC?

The A B C ’s MD addressedthe FA B C ’s NationalConference in Perth -lamenting past budgets andfearing the future.

Prinicipal guest speakerat the Perth conference,Russell Balding namedindependence, funding,program comprehensive-ness and digital broadcast-ing as the main areas ofconcern the ABC stillfaced.

On independence, MrBalding seized on GerardHenderson’s suggestionthat an ABC more sympa-thetic to government mightfind funding a lot easier:this would be a threat tothe ABC's editorial inde-pendence. “That has to beprotected at all cost.”Independence was moreimportant than funding.

Since ’85-86 there hadbeen a 30% reduction infunding. Regardless ofwhat method used, the fig-ure was no less than 25%.

“No private sector cor-poration could survive thatsort of injury.”

Asked if there was achance that the $17.8 mil-lion a year might continuepast its four year life, Mr

Balding said he thoughtnot, and that the NationalInitiative program wouldhave to be wound down.

The Price Paid

“A problem with drop-ping services is that thingsare sacrificed: the digitalmulti-channels were serv-ing the future audience.Fly TV was growing inpopularity and would haveproduced the next genera-tion of adult ABC fans.”

“It's not a case of whichshow should be cut, butthat none should be cut.The ABC needs to be asbroad as possible.”

Digital Minority

On he digital revolutionMr Balding said the nation-al broadcaster needed tobe in the lead, but to doanything, the funds had tobe there.

He pointed out that thegovernment was payingthe transmission cost ofdigital - some $60 millionper annum at its peak, anda total $700 million all up,but this was only for trans-mission and nothing to dowith content; yet only100,000 people had takenup digital.

Balding: ABC Funding - .A loss too steep for the private sector. And is A u s t r a l i a ’s media - indeed A u s t r a l i a n ’s culture

in all its manifestations - a bargaining chip?

The FABC has set up a FreeTrade Watch to be run by the ACTbranch to monitor Australia’s negotia-tions with the United States for a FreeTrade Agreement.

The decision was taken at the national confer-ence in Perth where Gary Cook presented a precisof his 25-page paper on the issue to launch discus-sion on the likely impacts of GATS and a Free Tr a d eAgreement on public broadcasting.

The FABC’s position is one of serious concerndue to the broad scope of issues, a general lack ofinformation about the negotiations, a lack of trans-parency; the absence of Australian parliamentaryinvolvement; and the binding nature of the finalagreement.

At issue as well was Trade Minister Mark Vaile’srefusal to remove local content media provisionsfrom the bargaining table and the anonymity sur-rounding discussions - who, for example, knew wehad even discussed free trade treaties withSingapore and Thailand, let alone signed them.

Conference resolved that it endorsed ”the cre-ation of an FABC Free Trade Watch group composedof interested FABC members, in order to monitor andreport to FABC members on progress in free tradenegotiations, with particular reference to their impacton media, culture, entertainment and related matters."

Melbourne-based author, consultant and educa-tor, John M Legge, is quite blunt about the dangers.

Not Surrendered - Just Frozen

Legge writes* that if they can’t have the localcontent rules abolished, “the Hollywood moguls atleast want them frozen to prevent them from coveringsubscription TV, the Internet and other new media.

To Lift Media Ownership Restrictions

“They also want media ownership restrictions liftedso that Australian TV and radio stations can be inte-

grated into the US networks. Howardwould probably welcome the chance toagree; after all, in his view the local con-tent rules support a swag of c h a r d o n n a y -swilling, latte-sipping small-L l i b e r a l s .

Dissent Spring 2003. “An Australian-Free Trade Agreement - Myth and Reality”

Friends Set Up A WatchOn the Free Trade Talks

Page 8

Have a wonderful Christmas and

a great 2004 from the

Friends of the ABCCommittee.

F A B C N A T I O N A L C O N F E R E N C E

F.T.A.

The vexed question of private media ownership alsoimpacts on the ABC. The National Conference declaredthat domination by a few could marginalise the nationalb r o a d c a s t e r.

National Conference carried the following reso-lution: “that as increased domination of theAustralian media by a few powerful players couldreadily lead to the ABC being marginalised, FABCoppose changes to media ownership laws whichcould lead to increased concentration of mediaownership across Australia in its regions or cities orloss of Australian culture and localism.”

The Senate in June rejected legislation to easeAustralia’s cross media ownership laws but theconference noted the bill could return to the Senatefrom October onward - and return as double disso-lution legislation.

Conference was unanimous that media owner-ship had a critical impact on the ABC. It couldresult in what was happening to the ABC not beingreported, with the FABC unable to conduct aneffective public campaign. There was a risk too ofmore restricted content access for the ABC.

Conference agreed it was important to lobbypoliticians in each state, especially independents,urging them to stand firm against any weakening ofthe cross media ownership laws

Facts and Figures

Sensible people however are nervous of everexpanding media empires controlling the informa-tion they get.

Before the Senate defeat, Senator Alstonclaimed Australians were now getting their informa-tion and news “from a wider range of sources thanever” with one in two households connected to theInternet and nearly a third connected to Pay TV.“With Digital TV, there are more community broad-casters than ever,” he said.

But ABA statistics suggest otherwise: only 10percent of people use pay TV and only 11 percentthe Internet.

But the proposed new cross ownership lawsobviously appeal to the current owners wantingmore. How would it work?

Packer-Murdoch Would Dominate News

It would allow Packer, for instance, to add theFairfax group to his existing 9 Network and publish-ing kingdom and allow Murdoch to bid for theSeven and Ten networks to join his worldwide con-glomerate which, as News Limited, already ownsjust on 70% of Australia’s newspaper market.

Page 9

Media Ownership Laws Only Temporarily Shelved

F A B C N A T I O N A L C O N F E R E N C E

Petty in ‘Dissent’- Spring 2003

Looking to Next Year - Going to the Polls

A draft “Proposed Paperfor Political Parties” circulat-ed for discussion at the Perthconference for further strate-gy inputs from branches.

The writer of the draft,Glenys Stradijot (Victoria)made the point that with 33days the minimum noticerequired, 11th August,2004, would be the lastdate for a double dissolu-tion election and a generalelection could be any datebefore 4th November.

She said that theG o v e r nment seemed to behedging its bets and a dou-ble dissolution electionseemed unlikely.

In fact, due to the quotasystem that favours smallparties in a dissolutionelection, the Coalitioncould pick up more Senateseats in a normal election.

Govt. Could Change ABC Charter

The draft paper canvasesas obvious the dangers ofa government hostile to theABC controlling theSenate, with the capacityto change the ABC Charter

It emphasises the needto think carefully about the

most effective way to workthe ABC’s interests into thecampaign, while ensuringthe FABC maintains i t sintegrity to continue to bee ffective after the election.

Discussion of the draftpaper included thesepoints:

(Darce Cassidy) -We have to realise that

even in good years, theABC isn't usually an elec-tion issue.

(Terry Laidler) -Some Liberal support-

ers may not be able tobring themselves to voteLabor in protest againstCoalition policies, but goinstead with a minor party.These candidates shouldbe identified and targeted,and their position regardingthe ABC determined earlyon.

The government is poll-driven and very sensitive topublic opinion, and playsdirectly to people's con-cerns.

FABC decides to seek financial answers to somequestions of bias.

Resolved in Perth: "That this NationalConference of the FABC endorses the current sys-tem of complaints handling and considers it com-prehensive and exhaustive."

Terry Laidler (FABC Victoria) felt that the pro-cess of dealing with A l s t o n ’s extraordinary’ A m e r i c a n - b i a s ’ allegations against the ABC wasprofessionally done and that it would stand up inany similar forum.

He estimated however that the exercise proba-bly cost the ABC about $200,000 - productionmoney wasted, not to mention Murray Green'svaluable time.

” We should be asking for an investigation ofthis waste of money. We should also be asking fora refund of the wasted money,” he said.

As well, there was no way of knowing what thepreparation of A l s t o n ’s original litany of complaintshad cost.

Darce Cassidy reminded the conference thathe had gone to the Broadcasting A u t h o r i t y ’s site atthe time and checked on complaints against theABC; there had been none this year and the oneslast year were mostly trivial matters about thingslike the timing of program starts.

The conference decided to organise for aquestion in Parliament to be asked to ascertain thetime involved and the cost to the public of SenatorA l s t o n ’s monitoring of the ABC and the preparationand lodgement of his allegations.

A l s t o n ’s Bias RumbleCost the ABC Dearly Darce Cassidy was warmly

thanked for his previous’national’ role and agreed tocontinue running the FABCwebsite resource centre.Darce said the centre wasintended as a repository ofinformation, such as GaryCook’s paper on the free tradeissues and Glenys Stradijot’spaper on elections.

Past FABC submissionswere there, also fact sheetsfor use by branches andmembers and the site includ-ed a discussion forum, witheach state forming a refer-ence group to provide adviceand information as appropri -ate. Darce agreed to moder-ate the FABC ResourceCentre.

Links with other groupsRoger Raven (WA) said

that for the FABC to be moreeffective there were times threFABC needed to join with oth-ers in common action; forexample, to tie into otherissues of social concern, suchas health.

“But one must be aware ofthe politics of other groups,and keep the focus on ourown aims as well,” he said.

Gary Cook moved andDarce Cassidy seconded -"collaboration with othergroups be encouraged whereit is related to the ABC, butthat it be for a specific pur-pose, such as the defence ofthe ABC charter, and be non-party-political, and of a tempo-rary nature." Carried unani-mously.

Resource Centre Stays

Just how short of money is the A B C ?

Tired of chasing sometimes phantom figures - dependingwhose they are - the FABC decides to do its own sums. Justhow under-funded is our national broadcaster?

FABC is considering employing a person toundertake a comprehensive overview of A B C .finances to produce a document to go with therecent McKinsey study and the current Macquariereport, so that the Friends can be reassured as toa c c u r a c y.

Darce Cassidy said there was sufficient informa-tion around for Friends to prepare our own paperon ABC finances; but a final version of the

Macquarie report was needed, which was beingsought from Russell Balding. A l t e r n a t i v e l y, Te r r yLaidler suggested, the Macquarie report might beobtainable under Freedom Of Information.

Darce said Friends should produce a formula forABC funding, rather than just asking for morefunds without precise back-up information, withdollars labelled for outcomes. What exactly does“grossly” under-funded mean?

Conference decided Darce Cassidy should put adraft together and circulate it for comment.

Page 10

F A B C N A T I O N A L C O N F E R E N C E

Friends at the Perth National Conference

As expressed in theSpring issue of theAustralian journal ‘Dissent’by one of its editors, eco-nomics writer KennethDavidson.

By the time of the Iraq invasion inMarch 2003, a New York Times/CBSNews survey estimated that 42 percent of Americans believed SaddamHussein was directly responsible forthe September 11 attacks and anABC (America) News poll found that55% of Americans believed Husseinwas directly linked to Al Qaeda.

Arundhati Roy commented onthese ill informed beliefs: “All of itbased on insinuation, auto-sugges-tion and outright lies circulated bythe US corporate media, otherwiseknown as the ‘Free Press’, that hol-low pill on which American democra-cy rests. Public support in the US forthe war against Iraq was founded ona multi-tiered edifice of falsehoodand deceit, coordinated by the USgovernment and faithfully amplifiedby the corporate media.” The mediadid the Bush Administration’s dirtywork. Why?

According to BBC director, JohnWillis, who worked for a year as vicepresident in charge of national pro-grams at WGBH in Boston, the‘swamp of political cravenness’,which characterised the Americancoverage of the war, was intrinsic tothe media’s commercial structure,without the discipline imposed by astrong national public broadcaster.In a speech to the Royal TelevisionSociety in June 2003 Willis said:“The lesson from America is that, ifnews and public affairs are left pure-ly to the market, it is most likely togive the government what it wants.”

Willis reported: “Media consultingfirm Frank Magid Associates warnedthat covering war protests might beharmful to a station’s bottom line.Another consultant urged radio sta-tions to make listeners “cry, salute,get cold chills!” Go for the emotions,and air the national anthem eachday. Fox led the way as the military

cheerleader, apparently giving bothviewers and politicians what theywanted. The success of Fox haspushed other stations to the right.There was little or no debate,America’s leaders remained unchal-lenged and any lack of patriotismwas punished with McCarthyitevigour,” Willis said.

Bias or Ratings

As Willis implies, the problem ofthe American broadcasting media’sfailure to cover the issues leading upto the invasion of Iraq is far deeperthan the bias of the corporate propri-etors. It is unlikely they would haverun such a one sided coverage ofthe Administration’s position in therun up to the invasion if the biasedcoverage had led to falling ratingsand advertising revenue.

The commercial broadcastingmedia’s prime function is not even toentertain. It is to deliverconsumers to advertisers inthe right frame of mind tospend on the products andservices advertised.

Responsibility

This function sits uncomfortablywith broadcasting’s social responsi-bility to inform and educate. But asthe media consultants quoted by

Willis make clear, the commercialand social responsibilities of thebroadcast media are never so farapart as during the build up tow a r, especially when the govern-ment case is built onlies and half truthswhich should beexposed by responsiblereporting.

Unfortunately, the displacementof journalistic values by commercialvalues in the broadcast media islikely to get worse, not better,because of the push to relax mediaownership laws in Australia, Canada

and the UK as well as in the US.*

*The Bush administration’s plans todo so however have met a grass-rootsopposition that has led the US Congressto put them on hold; see the Septemberissue of ‘Update’.

(Dissent is edited by KennethDavidson and Lesley Vick and publishedthree times a year at Yarralumla, A C T.)

Page 11

One View of the Media…a Frightening One

Petty in ‘Dissent’- Spring 2003

A Window on the Wo r l dwithout anyC o m p r o m i s e s .

“The broadcaster opens up awindow on the world and formany, especially for the young,it is a window opened for thefirst time. If those who look out,with the eyes we have giventhem, see only the familiar, thecomfortable, the reassuring,then surely we have failed, forthe world is not like that.”

“Maintain your standards,aim at the highest professional-ism and technical expertise,keep your range of programmingwide and try to provide every-thing for somebody and some-thing for everybody, be adven-turous and experimental, bebold, try always to keep onejump ahead, don’t compromisewith politicians or advertisersor vested interests, get the bestpeople and give them thechance and don't be afraid tomake mistakes because if youdon't make mistakes you will bedull and that is the worst sin ofall.”

Hugh Greene, Director General of the BBC - 1960

Thanks to John Hale (Central Coast),recalling a quote from Sir HughG r e e n e ’s biography.

Page 12

update Print Post Approved PP 245059/00002

U p d a t e 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: w w w. f a b c n s w. o r g . a u /Extracts from newspapers and other publications appearing in Update do not necessarily reflect members' views. U p d a t e goes to all members of FABC (NSW) Inc., as part of the membership fee. U p d a t e 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 and repro-duction is sent to FA B C ’s President Gary Cook, Editor Brian Davies, Layout, format and assembly Irwin Kurtz. Unattributed text isby the editor. email: f a b c n s w @ f a b c n s w. o r g . a uFABC UpdatePost The Editor

C/–FABC UpdatePO Box 1391North Sydney NSW 2059

Imagination ABC by C & G Shearan

Imaginations running freeShe's watching playschool on TVNow she's standing like a tree

That's how I learned my ABC

Imaginations running freePretending things you want to beThats how I see my ABCBecause my sisters turning threeThat's how she learnt her ABC

Explain the World Behind the NewsRage till Dawn then Doctor WhoDown to Earth No Pay TVThat's what it means to me

When all the signals are weak and confusedYou know the one to tune intoAn Australian Story true as blue

You know the one to tune into

Friends can purchase a copy at the Shearans (02) 4388 2316.

One of the performers at theFABC rally in the Domain lastSeptember was a 12 year oldCentral Coast schoolboy, ClayShearan. Inspired by the day hewent home and wrote a little

song about the ABC. Clay andhis professional entertainer Dadrecorded it and the song went toair on the first day of ABC LocalRadio from Gosford.. Below is anexcerpt.

Page 13

ABC Enjoys AFIHonours

The ABC usually claims a lion’sshare of credit at the annual AFIAwards. This year, the 45th, was noexception.

The ABC walked away with eightawards. MDA won the HoldingRedlich award for best drama series.

Shane Bourne of M D A won theBest Actor in a leading role in televi-sion comedy or drama, as did AngieMilliken of M D A as Best Actress in aleading role in drama or comedy

Enough Rope won for host AndrewDenton and Anita Jacoby the ComoMelbourne AFI best light entertain-ment series.

Grass Roots claimed two awards:best screen play in television for theepisode ‘By-Election’ written by Geoffrey Atherden, while the late

John Clayton was awarded bestactor for his performance in a sup-porting or guest role in the sameepisode.

Best children’s television dramawent to Out T h e r e by MichaelBourchier.

The Film Australia AFI award forbest documentary went to Wi l d n e s sby Michael McMahon.

The Longford LifetimeAchievement award this year reflect-ed much that has been seen on ABCTV over the years.

The deserving winner was TedRobinson - producer of The GlassHouse, Good News We e k and The Wa yWe Were among many programs - inrecognition of his contribution to cre-ating comedy programs on Australiantelevision.

An Old-fashioned Telephone Call is still an Asset

Branch PhoneTree Co-Ordinator

FABC MemberNo. 2FABC Member

No. 1

FABC MemberNo. 3

FABC MemberNo. 7

FABC MemberNo. 11

FABC MemberNo. 12

FABC MemberNo. 13

FABC MemberNo. 14

FABC MemberNo. 8

FABC MemberNo. 9

FABC MemberNo. 10

FABC MemberNo. 4

FABC MemberNo. 5

FABC MemberNo. 6

A well planned phone tree cannot be denied. Our phone tree expert Nan Manefield explains:

There are 10 phone trees in Sydney and sevenin regional NSW. Size varies. Each Sydneybranch comprises a co-ordinator and 30Friends. The President sends me a message tobe relayed and I activate the trees through their

coordinators. Each member in turn then passesit onto two designated phone tree Friends. The message is also passed to the startingpoint of each regional tree. Currently statewidethere are 433 ‘phoning’ Friends.

Enough Rope hostAndrew Denton

Shane BourneBest Actor in a lead-ing role in televisioncomedy or drama.

Angie MillikenBest Actress in aleading role indrama or comedy.

“Our journalistic culture may soonenough resemble that of early 19thcentury America, in which partyowned newspapers presented selec-tive versions of the truth. Newsaddressed to a particular niche - notsimply in its content but also in itspolitics - may be the natural match toan era with hundreds of satellite andcable channels and limitless num-bers of Internet sites.

“An age of more...commercial,more openly partisan media lawsleaves out some of the functions thatnews was until recentlyexpected to perform: giv-ing a broad public...infor -mation for making politi-cal decisions, and tellingpeople about trends andevents they didn’t alreadyknow they were interested in.”+

The Middle Ground

Walter noted that the Second IraqWar was a conflict framed by Pres-ident Bush’s dictum, enunciated after11th September, that nations wereeither with the United States or againstthe U.S. - there was no in between -in the so-called war on terror.

“In between, of course, is the tradi-tional home turf of journalism, anddespite the very live issues of legiti-

macy and diplomatic process sur-rounding the Iraq conflict, there werepowerful forces at work that madeholding the middle ground difficult,”Walter said.

“It went so far, in this country, thatjournalistic objectivity itself wasbranded as unpatriotic. Journalistsand programs were singled out forattack for presuming to offer analy-sis, context or individual correspon-dents’ perspectives onthe relentless stream ofsanctioned and sani-tised information flowingfrom political and mili-tary sources.”

He referred to Geoffrey Barker inthe Australian Financial Review (Oct18th, 2003), “The demands ofAustralian patriotism are becomingtoo onerous,” Barker writes.

“Team Australia”

“Once it was enough to love a sun-burned country, to enjoy and toappreciate the uncomplicated, ifprovincial, Australian lifestyle.

“Political, intellectual, artistic andeven religious life was rich, diverse,vigorous and not averse to risk-tak-ing. Australians could argue politics,economics, religion and sport,remember their honoured dead with

reverence and get on with life with allits pleasures, pains, loves and hates.

“Not any more. In a potentially sin-ister evolution, bloated and seeminglyinterminable spectacles of grief andglory have been authoritarian politicscontinued by other means. The primeminister is assigned a starring role,with the opposition leader in a subor-dinate role. And the unspoken sub-text is always the same: here in ourgrief, here in our athletic (or military)triumph, we stand united. One nation.One people. Opposition or evenscepticism is unseemly and unpatri-otic, an affront to ‘Team Australia’.”

Barker concluded: “In these cir-cumstances, the true patriot is not heor she who joins in the wails andwhoopee. The true patriotis the dissenter who daresto question the creationand manipulation of masspolitically correct opinion.

“The true patriot punches the airwhen educators are honoured andwhen students achieve indemanding intellectual dis-ciplines. That way lies truenational glory.”

*The Atlantic MonthlySeptember 2003.+ ibid

News as a 21st Century Political Prisoner - the missing “Middle Ground”

Continued from Page 1

FABC (NSW) Inc. Executive CommitteePresident - Gary Cook

Phone: 9810 3358 Fax 9144 1351

VP & Secretary- Liliane Leroy Phone 9969 5159

Treasurer - Peter BurkePhone 9144 2668

email peter@triode.net.au

Membership Secretary - Carolyn GreenPhone 9144 1351 or 0417 650 443

greenaa@ozemail.com.au

Update Editor: Brian DaviesPhone 9977 7130

bfdavies@optusnet.com.au

Page 14

Plea from our Hon. TreasurerAbout once each week I receive a notice from the bank

telling me of an error in a member’s credit card number,resulting in a debit to our account of the membership feein question.

This means I have to look up the renewal form, call them e m b e r, often leave a message, and hope the call is re t u rn e d .

The error is very often the result of member’s not usingtheir reading glasses, so I get a lot of 8s mistaken for 3s and3s mistaken for 8s! Other errors are caused by numberswritten in such a way that I have to guess at what is an ‘0’and what is a ‘6’ or a ‘9’. ‘7’ can also look like a ‘1’.

My plea: Please give a thought to your poor Hon.Treasurer, who has to copy down 22 digits for every creditcard entry! Thank you!

P.S. I know of a good job going on our committee - any volunteers?

?

No tears were shed. T h e r ewere no regrets - just a sense ofrelief. The ABC had survived itsfoe. His departure blurred the tur-moil of his extraordinary attack onthe ABC for its alleged biasagainst the United States in itscoverage of the Iraqi war. It wasas though the PM had reachedinto the yard and dragged a foam-ing attack dog back inside thehouse. Presumably the matter iso v e r, with A l s t o n ’s demands for yetanother complaints tribunal tactfullyabandoned in favour of the exist-ing ones he once endorsed ands u p p o r t e d .

A l s t o n ’s warrant, it was clear,was to curb the A B C ’s indepen-dence, keep the broadcaster onshort rations fund-ing and constantlyon the back footunder contrived public pressure

Alas, it was too difficult acourse to keep, in the storm of the

M i n i s t e r’s 68 complaints. Herewas a ministerial presentation thepublic had rarely seen fromSenator Alston - a performance ofred-faced fury, as though deter-mined to administer a final flayingof the A B C .

The public response he got wasevident in that reliable barometer -Letters to the Editor - like those inthe Sydney Morning Herald after theIndependent Review Panel rejectedall but 17 of Alston’s 68 complaintsand most of those it accepted, itregarded as minor.

“In anyone’s language 51 to 17is a flogging. In league terms itwould qualify Alston for the woodenspoon for his performance.”

Joe Byrne (Ballina).

“I hope the ‘independent’ p a n e lthat found the ABC guilty of 17counts of bias will find Senator “Alston - guilty of 51 counts of

serious bias against the ABC.” Michael Strautmans (Rostrevor SA).

“ With a mere quarter of hiscomplaints vindicated - RichardAlston is hardly in a position tomaintain that ‘this was a devastat-ing indictment of the A B C ’ “If any-one has demonstrated bias it isAlston in his emotional, erratic andat times irrational outburstsagainst the ABC.”

F red Jansohn (Rose Bay).

“The A B C ’s score is now on theboard (not perfect but pretty good).When can we see the outcome ofsimilarly rigorous assessment ofthe coverage of channels Seven,Nine and Ten?”

Julie Monton (Bellingen)

“So, the ABC showed bias inreporting the Iraq war. Now, whenare we having the enquiry into thepro-war bias reported by justabout everyone but the ABC?”

G reg Buck (Fitzroy, Vi c . )

Goodbye Senator A l s t o n

Page 15

A Glimpse of the New MinisterThe SMH’s Cosima Marriner

was one of the first journalists tointerview the newCommunications Minister. Try asshe may have, she gained noth-ing encouraging. The govern-m e n t ’s media policies are set inconcrete, including its hostileview of the ABC. Here’s an extract.

Howard has made it clear that Williams’ aspirationswithin communications would be constrained by cabinetdecisions and Government policy. Williams has signalledhe is unlikely to undertake any radical policy shifts, reiter-ating that all major decisions have already been made bycabinet.

But Williams has already changed the Government’scourse in one significant area… Williams says he intendsto communicate “freely and effectively” with theABC.”...almost everyone has personal biases I think theimportant thing is that the ABC should have processes inplace to ensure that the personal views of presenters,and reporters don’t result in a breach of their obligations.

“I tend to try to and think of…what’s in the interest ofthe average member of the public."

Here’s an insiders view: the appointment of Williams indicates the Government wants to ‘mogadon’ the ABCin the run up to an election, making it harder for theFABC to combat the Government’s media agendas.Williams is described as cautious, stubborn, diligent andthoughtful, but a poor communicator; a capable techno-crat, but not a policy person. Alston-like attacks on theABC are unlikely from Williams. The nasty work will beleft to backbenchers like Senator Santo Santoro, who hasreinvented himself as a “true friend” of the ABC, not onelike us or so he claimed in an angry letter to Gary Cook.

Ed.

Next in Update in the New Year -

The issues as Australia heads for aFederal election - perhaps even an unlikelydouble dissolution - we’ll sum up the issueswe should all be blitzing Prime Minister,Minister, and local members with in a letter-writing campaign. Let’s see what the newyear ushers in, what fates befall and, at themoment, perhaps, most urgent of all - a freetrade agreeement with the United States.

Daryl Williams

New South Wa l e sGary CookPO Box 1391North Sydney 2059Ph: 9810 3358Fax: 9144 1351f a b c n s w @ f a b c n s w. o r g . a u

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