🚀 go-pugleaf

In <31f35e97.8186520@news.mel.aone.net.au> douglas.buckser@acslink.aone.net.au (doug buckser) writes:
>>Yes, but are they not being replaced by other shows ?
>I'm not sure whether they'll be replaced by Australian productions or
>imports.

That, in large part, depends on the budget.

It is, of course, cheaper to buy shows 'off-the-shelf' from OS .. but the
ABC has always prided itself on its local production.

Currently, between 43 and 46% of all air-time is locally produced .. the 
aim is (or was, before the cuts) to bosst that above 50%, AFAIK.

>I will continue to support my statement, however, that Four Corners
>has been performing at a low level.  Most of the locally-produced
>episodes (and there have been quite a few imports) haven't really done
>a lot.  I'm struggling to think of a really memorable one.

The problem is that you can't have a 'big league' every week. In the past
year, there have been some interesting shows (Kennett's Casino comes to mind)
but none that have the far-reaching impact of the expose of corruption in
Queensland, under Joh, or New South Wales, under Wran.

Blue Murder, on the other hand, was an excellent docudrama (sorry, NSW 
people, I can't give details :-)

>It is a -news- broadcast.  I would assume that you believe that news
>programs should attempt to be involved in investigative journalism,
>etc.  (If not, that may be the source of our disagreement on this
>issue.)  Yet I can't think of many times when the ABC has led the
>pack, instead of chasing news which was broken by other networks.

And slicing 12% off the budget will help investigative journalism? 

Doug, you know as well as I that the net result will be more media releases
masquerading as news, not less.

>Perhaps the ABC should concentrate on producing children's shows,
>which is one of the strengths of its American counterpart.

The ABC is _not_ analagous to PBS .. and should never be marginalised into
that role.

The US, with its huge population base, can afford niche broadcasting of that 
nature. Australia cannot (IMHO).

>Why?  The ABC is just another government department and presumably
>should not be immune to the government's budget problems.  Do you
>support a carte blanche policy for the ABC?

But there is little doubt (to me, at least) that the ABC is not being 
subjected merely to black-hole inspired budget cuts. It is being 'taught a
lesson' by the Howard government. 

Consider: the figures being talked of are roughly equivalent to the entire 
operating budget (TV/Radio/SOs) for Queensland, South Australia and Western
Australia COMBINED.
(Source: ABC Manager: Radio - Qld,  Bob Wurth, in note to staff 20/7/96)

The figures being spoken of are almost a carbon-copy of those pledged under 
Fightback.

The appointment of a man who slavers over John Howard as Chairman, and of a
corporate hatchet-man with no media experience as an overseer .. these are
not merely 'budget cuts', these are an attempt to remodel the ABC into
something akin to the old SABC, or most government broadcasters.

(Usual disclaimers x 2)


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