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ABC boss defends outsourcing to independent sector

ABC Managing Director Mark Scott yesterday addressed the National Press Club in Canberra defending ABC cuts ABC, outsourcing, Arts and ABC News 24.

ABC Managing Director Mark Scott yesterday addressed the National Press Club in Canberra.

Amongst the topics he covered were recent cuts to the ABC, outsourcing, Arts and ABC News 24.

He said the broadcaster would steer clear of reality and live sport in the future, leaving them to commercial TV broadcasters pursuing a mass audience.

“Neither of these will be spaces for the ABC,” he said. “For the ABC, the delivery of an outstanding quality news and current affairs service on free-to-air television is a key to our enduring offering.

“In addition to news and children’s [shows], in the decade ahead I see a commitment to quality Australian content, including drama, and programming of a specialist nature as particular places where the ABC needs to deliver.

“At the ABC, we want to reflect the nation to the nation,” he said. “But it does not automatically follow that in order to do this, the ABC has to be the creator of that television everywhere. Increasingly, we have found that working with the independent sector allows us to make a range of programs, using outstanding local talent, in a way that helps show the richness of the Australian story.”

Responding to questions about delivering Arts programming he said, “When we announced the end of Art Nation there were some claims that this showed us that we were withdrawing form the arts.

“Far from it. Not only do we show – and will continue to show – a wide range of arts programs on ABC television, but we do the same on radio of course, and our rich and layered online arts portal as well.”

He also defended efficiencies within ABC News 24 citing reductions in the number of people it took to put programs to air, and introducing studio automation, desk-top edit and file-based technology.

“The demands of the audience are increasing. They want the latest news now,” he said.

“They want last night’s program today, and they want to ask a question from their living room of the prime minister on Q & A and then to tweet a comment as to whether they like the answer or not.”

You can read the full speech here.

Source: The Australian, ABC

8 Responses

  1. I’m still waiting for all that additional new Australian drama sourced from the independent sector. 22 hours of Crownies is a major disappointment right now.

  2. “They want the latest news now”

    Very true, but traditional bulletins aren’t the answer. Fixing the perception News 24 is slow to react is to have less repetitive bulletins and bring in more pundits, experts, and talking heads who are ready to talk about the breaking news.

    FOX News has a stable of commentators who are brilliant at interviewing people about nothing and slapping “Live” on it. Sky News caught on a few years ago, hence Hadley, Richo, The Contrarians, Australian Agenda, Paul Murray etc. And when news breaks they all interview each other.

    With ABC’s stable of journos, comedians, and radio hosts, they could trash Sky News, but they don’t seem to have the desire.

  3. David of Melbourne is right. Mark Scott has been trapped like many before him by the power of the news executives there. His interest in quality content is a belated one as the general standard at the ABC across all its genres has steadily declined and the public has started asking why. But this is what generally happens when a CEO is appointed with no background in broadcasting and with no vision for content. ABC viewers want quality and not quantity. The best performer (and quiet achiever) in terms of quality is ABC Radio led by great people such as Mark Colvin. The ABC needs a new chairman and an active Board to ask a few hard questions of the performance of its senior and very well paid managers.

  4. Yes, in reference to Mark Scott and the reduction of the number of people who put progrms to air and studio automation, doesn’t it show! Via the outsource to Media Hub, wipe away decades of dedicated professional experience to be replaced by underpaid in-experienced juniors off the street, say no more! They may as well have built Media Hub in India. And as for Ignite studio automation, to this day after 4 years, is doubtful a fault free bulletin has gone to air since. Just one change to the running order/timeline and it all goes to sh*t. As Rub_a_dub_dub says, Mark Scott, time to go! Mark Scott, how about outsourcing yourself and the whole ABC executive brass too!

  5. It’s sad that the ABC will be the only broadcaster not to broadcast live sport on TV in the future (thank goodness for Grandstand on ABC Radio). That means no more state football leagues and Paralympic Games to say the least.

  6. So what’s new? Since Clem Semmler’s days News has always been the powerful driving force in the ABC. Now it is more so with an MD who only understands how to deliver News, at a cost mind you. And of course all those politically correct Kid’s shows.

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