BY ADAM MACLEAN
With an eye on countering a rural backlash, the federal Liberal-National
government has announced significant telecommunication policy backflips
in the May 22 budget.
As well as committing itself to not sell off the remaining 51% of Telstra,
the government has granted the ABC an extra $17.8 million per year (for
four years) — exclusively tied to rural and regional “initiatives”. It
is expected that the 48 regional ABC centres will take up “new media” projects
by appointing multimedia producers for more local news content on the internet.
Added to the ABC's triennial funding arrangements, the cash injection
means the national broadcaster will receive a total of $745.2 million in
federal government funding and loans in 2001-02.
While designed specifically to head off criticism that this government
has gutted the ABC, the “extra” funding is merely a tiny giving back of
what Treasurer Peter Costello slashed in 1996. Then, $66 million was stripped
from the ABC, forcing the semi-privatisation of the national symphony orchestras
and the axing of most of the local editions of the 7.30 Report,
for example.
ABC funding has been cut by 34% in real terms over 15 years; in the
last 10 years 2000 broadcasters have been axed. Under new managing director
Jonathan Shier — that is, in the last 15 months — 30% of TV producers in
New South Wales have been made redundant.
In this context, this budget allocation still represents a cut to the
ABC of $48.2 million.
The “extraordinary” funding allocation is far from the “major breakthrough”
that Shier claims. Not only has Shier failed to win the extra $38 million
requested in his budget submission, he has also left the ABC open to further
political interference by governments of the day.
To use a much-loved Shier-ism, the only “corner that has been turned”
is the one that leads towards the blind alley of political favouritism.
Now armed with specific, targeted funding of the ABC, the government
is more able to exert political control. In this particular case, the government
has directed the ABC to use the funds to produce programs for one of the
National Party's perceived constituencies: people living outside the cities.
No extra monies will be spent on the production of national programs
or networks, like News Radio, Triple J or Radio National.
Federal Liberal communications minister Richard Alston has made no secret
that he believes the ABC should drop some of its “esoteric” programs and
increase its audiences, instead of asking for more money.
This clearly represents intervention by the government in the program-making
decisions of the ABC and undermines its editorial independence. It puts
into question sections of the ABC's charter — a document spelling out the
broadcaster's roles and commitments to the Australian community, which
is recognised in law — obliging it to be free of political bias.
Governments' policy of routinely appointing people to the ABC board
whose views are in line with their own is an even greater threat to the
national broadcaster's independence.
In theory, the current board is independent of the government — even
though Donald McDonald, a “good friend” of the prime minister, is its chairperson,
and ex-Victorian Liberal Party president, Michael Kroger, and even the
CEO of the Australian Stock Exchange are also members.
It is not the place of government to grant, nor that of the ABC management
to seek, funding that comes with strings attached. The programming proposals
given to the government were ones ABC management believed this government
would want.
For example, there were no calls for the reversal of the 3.2% cut to
the news and current affairs department — a national, not regional, department
— or the reinstatement of the 100 journalists and sound and lighting technicians
sacked from it.
Friends of the ABC rallies around the country in April and May demonstrated
widespread public anger at the ongoing cuts to the ABC. No doubt they were
also part of the reason for the extra funds the ABC received in this budget.
However, for the full restoration of funding, with no strings attached,
an ongoing public campaign led by the unions at the ABC and their supporters
needs to be reignited. More pressure needs to be brought to bear to sack
not only managing director Jonathan Shier, but the entire ABC board, and
its replacement by a body selected by a system requiring public scrutiny
of board candidates.
As broadcasting beams headlong into the high-tech, interactive future,
the Australian people deserve nothing less than a genuinely independent,
properly resourced and nationally organised non-commercial network of television,
radio and online media.
