Radio Australia asks for HELP !

Via ARDXC List ........

-----Original Message-----

From: Friends of the ABC NSW & ACT

On Behalf Of Friends of the ABC NSW & ACT
Sent: Saturday, 24 May 2014 6:14 PM
To: Craig Seager
Subject: Radio Australia asks for HELP!

To Craig Seager,

Please take a few moments to write to the Managing Director of the ABC in support of the staff of Radio Australia, who are facing a 60% cut in funding, not by the  government directly, but by ABC management!   Mal Hewitt - President, Friends of the ABC NSW.

Message from Jemima Garrett, Pacific Economic and Business reporter, ABC Radio Australia
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As a long term member of ABC staff I am writing to you now because of a new and urgent threat to Radio Australia.
As I am sure you know Radio Australia is a vital service in the Pacific Islands reporting on and covering issues that no other media outlet covers. It has huge audience ratings but is often forgotten in Australia because it is not heard here.
The cuts to Australia Network are now set to affect Radio Australia as well.
In tough time radio is an inexpensive and effective way of maintaining our expertise so that we are ready to rise like a phoenix when the political environment improves.
It is also able to report on more issues, in more depth and more quickly than TV and therefore is an important source for and method of keeping ouor online offering as rich and varied as possible.

Please send you views to
Managing Director scott.mark@abc.net.au,
Director of News torney.kate@abc.net.au,
Director of International marshall.lynley@abc.net.au,
Head of ABC News Content morris.gaven@abc.net.au,
Editor ABC Asia Pacific News Centre steele.deborah@abc.net.au
and staff elected Director Matt Peacock peacock.matt@abc.net.au.

Background
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ABC management is looking at how to cope with the budget cuts resulting from the cancellation of the Australia Network contract.

This doesn't just affect Australia Network but may result in substantial cuts to Radio Australia as the ABC tries to use some of the money it still has for radio to keep some TV programs, contracts in Asia, the mobile and online services connected with Australia Network going too.

The scale of the cut is huge - 60 per cent of our budget has been lost ($21 of $35 million a year). This is for broadcasts to a geographic area ranging French Polynesia in the east to India in the west and FSM and China in the north.

_______________________________________________
ARDXC mailing list

Radio Australia next on the chopping block ?

Text of Press Release by ABC on budget cuts .....

The ABC's budget will be cut by $120m over the next four years as a result of decisions made by the Federal Government in tonight's budget. Operational funding cuts of close to $40m over four years will come on top of the termination of the $220 million contract to deliver the international broadcasting service, Australia Network. The 2014-15 budget also foreshadows further significant funding cuts in the wake of the Lewis review into the operations of the ABC and SBS.

"The funding cuts will be disappointing for audiences. The government gave repeated commitments before and after the election that funding for the Corporation would be maintained," the ABC's Managing Director, Mark Scott said.

Mr Scott said while the ABC would look to make its operations more efficient, the funding cuts would regrettably and inevitably result in redundancies and a reduction in services. The ABC Board and Executive would need time to work out the full impact and to review strategies and internal budgets.

Mr Scott said the decision to cut the funding for Australia Network was very disappointing, given the ABC was only one year into a 10-year contract with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

"Countries around the world are expanding their international broadcasting services as key instruments of public diplomacy. The ABC had negotiated a detailed strategy with DFAT to develop relationships with major broadcasters in the region and to target locals likely to trade, study in or travel to Australia. This partnership had resulted in expanded audiences in key markets and was on track to deliver all agreed targets.

"This decision runs counter to the approach adopted by the vast majority of G-20 countries who are putting media at the centre of public diplomacy strategies to engage citizens in other countries.

"It sends a strange message to the region that the government does not want to use the most powerful communication tools available to it to talk to our regional neighbours about Australia.

"The agreed strategy with DFAT based on broadcasting, online partnerships and social media was proving successful. This decision cannot be justified in terms of performance against agreed priorities."

Mr Scott said the ABC Board would now have to examine how the ABC delivers its international Charter obligation, which requires it to broadcast programs that, among other things, "encourage awareness of Australia and an international understanding of Australian attitudes on world affairs".

In addition to the funding cuts, the ABC will also have to manage the cessation of funding for the online disability website,ABC Ramp Up at the end of this financial year.

Mr Scott said the ABC was aware of the tight fiscal environment and constantly reviewed its strategy and performance to find better work practices and greater efficiencies.

"The ABC is very tightly geared. We have been diligent in reducing backroom costs over recent years to ensure the ABC can deliver better and more varied content to our audiences. That strategy has enabled the ABC to self-fund important new initiatives like iview, ABC News24, triple j Unearthed online and a range of other new digital services."

Mr Scott said the budget made it clear the Lewis efficiency exercise would impose additional demands on ABC budgets over the next few years. The Department of Communications has been conducting a study into ABC and SBS efficiency with the assistance of ex-Channel 7 CFO and recently appointed CFO of Southern Cross Austereo, Peter Lewis.

"The task ahead will be extremely challenging for ABC management and staff," Mr Scott said.

"We will need to make funding cuts, while trying to also save money to invest in new priorities to ensure the ABC remains a compelling feature of the Australian media landscape – a public broadcaster in the digital era."

(Press Release)

And here are few tweets on the budget cuts :

Retweeted by Radio Australia News

Karen Barlow ‏@KJBar  2h

The ABC contract to run Australia Network is to be terminated. The measure is expected to save almost $197m over nine years #budget2014

Retweeted by Radio Australia News

Simon Cullen ‏@Simon_Cullen  1h

ABC & SBS will have their budgets cut by 1%. ABC also loses the contract for the Australia Network TV channel.

Retweeted by Radio Australia News

DEBORAH STEELE ‏@debsteele123  1h

The Australian government to pay the ABC $10.6m in 2014-15 to wind down Australia Network @ausnetwork

Retweeted by Radio Australia News

Simon Cullen ‏@Simon_Cullen  1h

ABC boss Mark Scott says the #budget cut will result in redundancies and a reduction in services. Full statement: http://about.abc.net.au/press-releases/abc-budget-response/ …

ABC may pull plug on China broadcast

The ABC could soon abandon international shortwave radio broadcasts to China and Indonesia, ending more than 70 years of beaming news and current affairs on high frequency into Asia.

But the public broadcaster's management insist it will not flick the switch on shortwave services of Radio Australia to Papua New Guinea and tiny Pacific nations for now.

More at :

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/abc-may-pull-plug-on-china-broadcast-20130508-2j7yu.html

Radio Australia facing cuts ?

Television, radio divisions tipped to face the funding pain at the ABC

THE ABC'S television and radio divisions are facing cuts under funding projections published up to 2016-17, budget papers show.

ABC TV would suffer a $10 million cut to $664m in 2016-17 and ABC Radio a $5m cut to $358m in the same period, the budget says. If this were to evolve, it could lead to significant cuts at the public broadcaster in the medium term.

More at : http://tinyurl.com/ac64r7t