10 November 2005

Humphries wants ads on the ABC

| colsim
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Gary Humphries has called for advertising to be allowed on the ABC

From the ABC news website Ads touted to fund ABC drama

Ummm – Tool.

[ED – Senator Humphries media release is also up. Personally I don’t mind the way ads work on SBS (good for toilet breaks) and if the ABC produces another quirky bloody game show instead of something of lasting value I think I’m going to scream]

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colsim,
They did run a weekly business show of some sort but it got shafted a year or two ago – quite rightly, it was pretty dire.
I think they do run international business stories on news occasionally…it is “World News” and therefore not much local corporate stuff gets on (unless its ‘big’ enough).

On the question of SBS news/caff – is it just me or do you almost never see stories about big business on SBS news. Not saying that this is due to external pressures, most likely it’s that there’s more than enough depressing world affairs stories to fill a bulletin without needing to look at corporations but for a more nationally focussed broadcaster like the ABC, local corporate stories do get a lot more play.

(And yes, SBS do still have a lot of great doco’s that some advertisers mightn’t like so much – as much as they love the SBS A/B audience)

Hi Mael and Thumper – no offence intended (I have enough trouble with English 🙂 – I was just responding to the comment about the so-called ghetto-effect of language programming (my words, I know)

OK, Spectra, here’s a little challenge for you…
It’s one thing to refer us to John Doyle’s speech (and I’ve got no problem with it whatsoever – the parts I read at the time), and to raise the spectre of what COULD happen to the ABC should it go down the advertising path.
But – what’s your solution? How about an idea or two heh?
I think limited advertising is one option; I can’t think of anyone I know in SBS News/CAff who feels that advertising has impaired the independence or integrity of that department – and they’ve had it for some years now.
Another model perhaps is licence fees, as in the UK. And talking UK, I don’t think anyone claims that ITN or any ITV current affairs shows have been influenced by advertising.
So over to you Spectra: the ABC ain’t gonna get a massive funding boost from govt coffers, the standards of many of the programs are slipping….so how are we going to get more money into the joint to improve production values and attract the best program-making talent?

I’m ever the optimist…

AND the Govt swears to maintain the triennial funding at a respectable level

Ahahahahahaha – thanks best laugh I’ve had in ages. Better remember to ask them if it’s a core or non-core promise. And if they’ll “never ever” cut that funding.

Agreed, the content (apart from some of the News/CAff progs) is pure shite. As mentioned, if advertising were to be introduced, with the revenue going to all divisions except News/CAff, AND the Govt swears to maintain the triennial funding at a respectable level – then we might see improvements.
But that’s only part of it: get rid of the morons overseeing Arts programming, too. ‘Vulture’ is truly the sludge at the bottom of the septic tank.

Aside from buying the best english shows, the content is crap-awful.

There’s no TV news from midnight to midday, that’s 12 of 24 hours.

So aside from nostalgia for a glorious past what are we eulogising here?

Don’t get me wrong, they’re my first choice for news and current affairs. AM on the radio is the best way for anyone to start the day.

On the other hand commercial incomes would only encourage the Government to reduce funding further and how long would news hold out in the long run?

There’s a lot of issues but I still think the SBS model has some merit.

I would highly reccomend John Doyle’s (aka Rampaging Roy Slaven’s) speech at the Andrew Olle Media Lecture this year to anyone who didn’t catch it on ABC2 a few weeks back. You can get a copy in MP3 format (as well as a full transcription) at http://margokingston.typepad.com/harry_version_2/2005/10/the_andrew_olli.html#more
It’s a far better discussion than I could ever hope to give here (or anywhere) about just how important the ABC is to this country. Take a listen.

You know Maelinar – apparently there’s a joke in Asian diplomatic circles

What do you call someone who speaks two languages?
Bilingual
What do you call someone who speaks three languages?
Trilingual
What do you call someone who speaks one language?
Australian

Worse things in the world than speaking more than one language – and I’d say with this country being so heavily English focussed, there wouldn’t be too many people surviving day to day only speaking one.

(In addition to which, SBS has gradually been dropping content in other languages in prime time in the chase for ratings – I do like the programming they have on but given the original sbs charter to serve those parts of the community not represented on mainstream tv, it’s not hard to see what happens when ratings play a part.

Going a bit far, kimba; I’d settle for “Stateline” – initially, anyway.

That’s a very balanced report annie. You should be the new anchor the 7.30 Report!

In fact, it would be possible to introduce advertising to the ABC without damaging the integrity of the News & Current Affairs Division; especially if it was crystal-clear that the revenue was going ONLY to the general TV Division (for more drama etc). That way, News/CAff would be quarantined from the undesirable effects of advertising.
Interesting, BTW, that Kimba feels SBS is more ‘independent’ than the ABC…

There’s been a lot of argument lately about the independence of the ABC.

You’ve got one camp convinced Aunty is full of pinko bloody lefty commos and is therefore biased; while others think the ABC is above reproach and the last bastion of independent media in the country.

Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in between.

As far as their journalistic activity goes, I think they do a very good job of reporting accurately and without too much subjectivity.

But I don’t think you’re ever going to completely get rid of bias in a reporter anywhere, and the accusations it’s a cauldron of left-wing bias may be a little unfair. You can’t accuse someone of being subjective just because you don’t agree with what they have to say.

Yet I wouldn’t agree that introducing advertising is going to weaken their independence principles: it IS possible to turn out a thorough and balanced news service (as well as other content) in a commercial environment.

And the ABC has become more commercial lately: there’s been a definite push for ratings in the last few years, because the ABC needs to justify its existence.

I’ll stop raving now.

If it wosn’t for learning the langwidge from the subtitles, I still wouldn’t be able to spek Englidge. More furrin movies with the subtitle, I say!

What model is that ? Play a whole heap of foreign language movies so that the other half of the population in Australia can live in their shells of English incompetence ?

Really, the ABC is “independent”. I find this notion rather amusing with their blatant left wing bias. I’ll never forget the night Kerry O’Brien was in tears when his beloved ALP had lost another election.

Perhaps if the ABC were a tad more independent they would attract a lot of mainstream viewers and thus funding.

I think the SBS model is very good.

The interruption to programs is not, in spite of what some people think, the real issue. The issue is that the ABC is by far the largest independent media outlet in the country. Once you start taking money from people with vested interests, that independence goes out the window. In addition, suddenly your income is tied to your ratings, and you start to churn out season upon season of cheap, crap, inexplicably high-rating reality shows to draw in the viewers.

In fairness, SBS seem to have managed to do alright so far, but the real question is, how can you be sure it will stay that way once commercial interests are a factor?

Samuel Gordon-Stewart2:07 pm 10 Nov 05

Well, if they were to start having ads between programs I wouldn’t mind, as long as it was limited to half the break, with the other half dedicated to promoting ABC programming and ABC News updates…better yet, how about program sponsoring instead of ads…”This local drama brought to you by A, B, C, D, E & F, The ABC thanks these companies for supporting Australian programming”.

It would also mean that I would no longer have problems with them being in commercial radio ratings surveys, and I wouldn’t mind them advertising on commercial television like they do when radio ratings survey time comes around.

Personally I think commercial radio ratings should be either commercial stations only, or ALL the stations, including community stations which are currently excluded…but that’s another story.

How can a Govt asset advertise private industry without creating havoc with probity issues.

Mr Humphries, please re-read what your job is, and this time try to stick to it.

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