Radio National Programming 2009 - Reaction

Below are a number of letters written in response to the ABC's proposal to significantly change Radio National Programming in 2009

Mal Hewitt - Pres FABC (NSW) Inc

Letter to Sydney Morning Herald
16 Oct 2008

Aunty Gets it Wrong Again

There are times when the countless advocates for the ABC across the country are forced to shake their heads in bewilderment at the decisions of ABC Management regarding popular programs of outstanding quality. It happened at Classic FM when "for the God Who Sings", essential listening for all involved in presenting church music, was moved from its early Sunday morning timeslot, convenient for choristers and conductors before they headed off to services, to late Sunday night, long after they have all gone to bed. It happened when "Australia Talks Back" , essential listening at 6.05pm for anybody interested in intelligent discussion of national issues, was replaced by the bland "Australia Talks", and the brilliant broadcaster Sandy McCutcheon was shown the door.
It has happened again with the axing of "The Religion Report" , essential listening for both the faithful and the faithless at a time when, across the world, leaders of nations justify their decisions on religious grounds. Radio National management seems hell-bent on removing anything smacking of intellectual rigour or challenge from the network, taking it inexorably down the path of local ABC Radio - commercial broadcasting without the ads!

Mal Hewitt
President,
NSW Friends of the ABC

Jill Greenwell - Pres FABC ACT & Region

Letter to Sydney Morning Herald
15 Oct 2008

Dear Editor,

Not only is the ABC vacating the field of religion, media, and a host of other specialist offerings on Radio National, but it's deserting its audience aged over 50.

It's thanks to Stephen Crittenden's commitment to his cause that the axing of 'The Religion Report' got into the public domain. Had he not revealed to the listeners what ABC Management told him we probably still wouldn't know what's in store for us next year.

But we do now. The ABC has revealed not only that it's vacating the field of informed public discussion but that it's doing so to "respond to its hugely successful digital growth". If that explanation is not entirely clear, the
ABC's statement that "ABC Radio National radio programs attract an audience aged 50+ years or older, while online audiences for ABC Radio National are
under 50" is.

It's not that everyone over 50 is fascinated by religion. But we are interested in being well informed - about religion, the media, the environment, sport, politics - and what's more there are an awful lot of us!

Come on Aunty, you're over 70 yourself. You should be in touch.

Jill Greenwell
President
Friends of the ABC (ACT & Region)

Reg Wilding - Wollongong

Letter to Illawarra Mercury
24 Oct 2008

Axing just a dumb move

Mark Scott, managing director of the ABC, has decided to axe some important Radio National programs, amongst them The Religion Report.

This is presented by Stephen Crittenden, who is recognised by his peers as a leading authority in this field.

Although a Christian, he presents all religions in an interesting, informative and objective way.

This has won him a wide audience among believers and non-believers alike. The program holds a unique place in the specialist-type programs that Radio National presents. These are programs that are an important resource for gaining a knowledge of various subjects and contemporary issues - an essential component for a healthy functioning democracy.

This is a role that is attacked by religious bigots and by the enemies of free thought.

Mark Scott was appointed by then Prime Minister John Howard. He followed the hapless Jonathan Shire who was employed to destroy the ABC. He failed.

Scott's approach has been more subtle. His extensive experience in the media - he was a past editor of the SMH qualified him for the ABC's top job.

But the Howards of this world do not appoint people to strengthen public broadcasting.

When Mark Scott was appointed in July 2006 he was interviewed on Radio National, where he revealed his strong links with the Liberal Party. He also told of his "strong religious beliefs". He has been described as one of "God's secret agents ... trying to bring the life of Jesus into one of the most hostile parts of society - the media".

Coincidentally, The Media Report is another program he is axing.

This is a serious attack on the independence of the ABC and its core program, Radio National. Loss of The Religious Report will lead to a further dumbing down of the ABC, which Howard did when in office. It must be resisted.

Mr Scott's contract still has three years left, which means we will see more of Mr Howard's dumbing-down agenda implemented.

We must act to ensure that it does not happen by making our voices heard in any way we can - by petitions to members of Parliament and letters from organisations, religious and secular.

Let's remind the Labor Government that we voted against the warped policies of the Howard years and that we expect them to carry out the mandate we gave them.

Reg Wilding, Wollongong

Margaret O'Connor - Canberra

Letter to FABC List
15 Oct 2008

Specialization one of RN's strengths - hate to see it eroded.

Paul Collins has raised some very pertinent issues about the reported changes to Radio National broadcasting in this Crikey article.
   
If as reported, The Religion Report, The Media Report and Radio Eye go in 2009, it would be a great loss, and it would be treating Stephen Crittenden, Rachael Kohn and the rest with colossal disrespect. As Collins says:
 
"Nowadays religion is a mainstream political, cultural and socio-economic issue with enormous impact on world affairs. To cover it adequately you need specialists. Nowadays religion is a mainstream political, cultural and socio-economic issue with enormous impact on world affairs".
 
I would welcome responses and comment from other FABC people about this issue, and maybe I'll dust off a few placards which are languishing in the back cupboard....
 
Margaret O'Connor

Barry Smythe - Lithgow

15 Oct 2008

Mr Mark Scott
Managing Director
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
700 Harris Street
Ultimo NSW

Sir,

I hereby strongly protest at the ending of the ABC Radio National Religion Report and the other programs so listed. This axing of programs which challenged people’s thinking, which inform and not simply as other media outlets do tell us what we should think, is simply appalling. It amounts in my view to a form of censorship, to folding to external pressures applied to the ABC and to a denial of a civil right to be informed not only of “feel good” information, but also of other facts which present the full picture needed for informed decisions to be made.

There has been a dumbing down of ABC presentations both on radio and television, which is not only an abrogation of the ABC’s obligation to provide an unbiased presentation of information, but is also downright irritating. ABC Radio National is it seems, the last bastion of unbiased, wide ranging supplier of information and now it is under attack, in danger of being reduced to irrelevancy.

What is the reason for cutting the Radio National programs, what justification is there for such cuts, such censorship of ideas and information?

I look forward to receiving your reply.

Thanking you in anticipation,

Barry Smythe

Jon Cook - Alexandria

16 Oct 2008

Nicola Fern
Marketing Manager
ABC Radio National

G'day Nicola

It is not entirely clear to me what RN programs are to be cut for 2009. From your media release of the 15th at http://www.abc.net.au/corp/pubs/media/s2392190.htm I can identify that planned closures include the Religion and Media Reports, Sports Factor, Radio Eye and Street Stories. Are there others? All of the planned closures I consider to represent a significant loss, and will be missed by many of your listeners. I suggest you run a survey to check attitudes.

I think the loss of the Media Report would be extremely unfortunate, given Australia's obscene concentration of media ownership, but perhaps that is why management has taken the axe to it. Given that it costs the ABC almost nothing, and is valued by so many readers, I can think of no other reason for the Corporation's short-sighted decision.

And while you're rethinking your programming, what about bringing the environment back into the mainstream. It is absurd not to have an environmental program in these days when the environment is emerging as the dominant issue of the 21st century.

We had hoped that the ABC would do better under Labor - I am sorry to see that this hope appears to have been misplaced.

Kind regards
Jon Cook

Emma Brooks Maher - Haberfield

Australian Broadcasting Corporation;
700 Harris Street
Ultimo NSW 2007
GPO Box 9994 Sydney NSW 2001
Phone (02) 8333 1500
Fax (02) 8333 5344

21 October 2008

Attention: Managing Director: Mark Scott

re: Radio National – the 8.30am “REPORTS”

Dear Mr Scott,

On the ABC website you summarise Radio National as “a world of ideas”. One of the most direct ways I tap into these each weekday is through the 8.30am Reports. I am appalled at recent mention that the ABC might be even remotely planning to drop them. In my opinion they are key programs within the whole RN galaxy – and a pivotal part of fulfilling the ABC charter to inform the Australian community.

For me, they are a daily conduit that lets me stay up to date on in topics almost impossible to keep track of in any other way. Each half hour is a concentrated info-stream of current affairs --focussed, intelligent, world-ranging, mind-opening, timely information.

How many specialist medical journals would I have to subscribe to (let alone try to understand) to equal a Monday session with Norman Swan and the Health Report? How many issues of Catholic Weekly or Jewish News would I have wade through to keep track of events and debate that equate to 30 minutes of the Religion Report?

It’s the same with the Law Report - full of insights available no other way for getting at the legal issues involved, especially in cases where the headlines are all shock/horror/spin. It also touches on legislation and human rights – vital need-to-know’s you don’t get in a news story or 10-sec sound bite.

I find the Media Report a powerful window into a world that has huge influence – but where it’s almost impossible to get a glimpse behind the scenes. Other than ABC-TV’s Media Watch, where else can an “outsider” get some understanding of what trends and pressures are operating out there?

As for Friday - I’m no sports fan, but I find the Sports Report fascinating as a way to keep up to date with what friends and family are talking about. It’s good listening. And the same applies to Bush Telegraph, one of my favourite programs, notwithstanding I live in Sydney’s Inner West. They ALL enrich me in that “world of ideas”.

While an 8.30am timeslot suits me fine, if that has to change --I’ll follow. But losing them altogether is unthinkable. I’ve lived in both UK and NZ and been a keen listener in both – so I know just how rare, and good, these Reports are. The series is a huge asset for Radio National, for the ABC overall – and for Australia.

A few moments ago I was watching the Andrew Olle lecture, seeing you congratulate Ray Martin for his comments about the need (including as sound business strategy) for more journalistic depth in a multi-media world. That’s what the RN Reports are all about. I urge you to keep these programs not only for their huge contribution to everyday life, like mine, but also as a matter of media savvy for now and future development.

Think RN as the ABC’s goldmine for ideas – and these Reports as core sourcing. Retain them, use them, build on them as a new dimension of audience-aligned information in an ever-expanding podcast world. I’ll be including this aspect in my response to the current call for public comment on Towards a Digital Future for the ABC.

If nothing else, consider the marketing potential. RN Reports would surely be an easy way to assist ABC Enterprises in fulfilling its charter to provide “high quality work which would stimulate debate on contemporary issues particularly in Australia”.

Trusting this letter is one of many, and looking forward to a positive reply,
Yours sincerely

Emma Brooks Maher

cc Office of the Prime Minister, Minister for Communications, Shadow Minister/ Communications &
Friends of the ABC

 

Ariel Marguin & Steve Johnson - Woollahra

21 October 2008

Mark Scott
Managing Director ABC
By fax: 02 8333 5172l

Dear Mr Scott

I have been wanting to write to you for some days about the proposed changes to Radio National programming. Apologies that my points are not arranged more incisively but I am so enraged at the bullying tactics you seem to be using to silence staff within the ABC, that I have to write immediately. I am copying this letter to various people because I haven't time to write to them all individually. This is an attempt to get you to listen to us!

It was already outrageous and absolutely not in the public interest that you censored Stephen Crittenden's remarks so that people could no longer listen to them on the ABC website. Now you have suspended Stephen, pending investigation. Of what? Suspected free speech?

What is the point of asking people if they want to go (from the website) to Access ABC - your pass inside the ABC? Are you going to tell us what's happening to the programs we lost and are you going to explain why we're losing them? Are you going to justify what's happening to Critto? What will happen to Media Watch?

RN is currently spruiking the survey which is on the ABC website (copy attached for those who may not have seen it). Until I read the survey, my first thought was: why are the programming changes happening before the results of the survey are out? Now it's obvious! What exactly does this survey have to do with what we may like or dislike about the RN programs? It seems to take for granted that the medium is the message because it only wants to know how we listen to RN and not why.

Radio National has a wide and I believe representative range of programs. Among the best, in my view are the weekday reports - Health, Religion, Media, Law, and the Sports Factor and programs like In Conversation and Street stories, The Science Show, All in the Mind, The Planet etc etc. In case you are interested in how and when some of us listen to RN, here's a snapshot:

There are two of us in this household. We work from home and have RN on all the time. We appreciate the variety and the universality of RN programs. Most of the day there is something interesting, informative, entertaining - often all three - available to us while we fix computers, do household chores, cook, eat, have a shower, dig holes in the garden and (if we wore ipods) walk the dogs. It's also there in the car. We are sprinkled with information all day, without having to make choices and push buttons. We get to know about odd things and other people. For example, I don't have any interest in sport but I find the Sports Factor a good earful and my husband might not choose to listen to the Media Report but finds it very interesting when it's on. It's not the same to have - as you suggest - a Religion website or a Sports website. It doesn't have the same purpose or effect. We like the specialisations coming to us via RN, and broadening our minds willy nilly! If we have to go and look for these topics, will we go?

Your push (not that you're the only organisation trying to do this) to get us all hitched up to the internet for everything just doesn't consider our way of listening. If people have to stop everything else and sit down at a computer to get a program - they just won't be able to form part of the RN audience. It's great that we can listen online and or download programs and the ABC has to be congratulated that they were leading edgers in providing this capacity. But we still want and need the excellent programs on air without being attached bodily to some kind of technology.

Another issue is demographics. How do you know the age of the RN audience? Just one example: I wrote an email of appreciation to an RN program last year. In reply, some ABC exec person commented to the presenter (who then forwarded the email with his thanks to me) something about 'isn't it great to see the younger generation appreciating etc'. I am 65. Still, on the internet (as they say) nobody knows you're a dog!!

There seems to be a feeling that many listeners are elderly but if they are, what the hell? Aren't people over 50/60 + entitled to listen to things they like and that suit them? More and more of us will be over 50 so may as well get used to it!

RN is wonderfully Australian and a huge amount of its content is Australian made. This is perhaps not true of many other media outlets. Street Stories was a great way for us to meet each other , to meet people we might never have known otherwise.

The great talent that many RN presenters/journos seem to have is a way of looking at the world :
original, analytical, questioning, sometimes quirky. This makes their interviews and observations a lot more interesting and, to me, valuable, than anodyne pap.

We feel bad that we haven't written often enough or enthusiastically enough to express our appreciation of all the good things RN has done for us. But please reconsider axing these programs and let our journos and presenters off the leash and take off their muzzles.

Hoping we don't have to attend the stoning of St Stephen any time soon.

Yours sincerely

Ariel Marguin
Steve Johnson

CC; ABC Board, Senator Bob Brown, Malcolm Turnbull MP (Wentworth), Jane Connors RN, Stephen Conroy Minister for Communications, Sue Howard ABC

 

Barry Smythe - Lithgow

17 Oct 2008

Letter to the Editor (To 15 regional and city newspapers and to ABC Orange)

Sir,

Without consultation of any kind and apparently in the case of at least one program, as a result of external pressure being applied, the Board of the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) is cutting nine popular programs from Radio National.
 
They are; The Ark. In Conversation. Media Report. Perspective. Radio Eye. Religion Report. Sports Factor and Street Stories. Also to be axed but to remain on the air until produced programs run out, is Short Story.
 
Our public broadcaster is the only source for many Australians especially for those engaged in primary production, of up to date news and background information tailored to their specific needs as producers. It seems to have fallen into the hands of bean counters and ideologues who lack the intestinal fortitude to stand up to external pressures and influences by which the ABC is seen as subversive because it does not tug the forelock to the powers that be.
 
The programming cuts are a form of censorship, a denial of our right not to be supplied simply with feel good entertainment, but to be supplied also with information which makes us think, and sometimes even dare to demand answers from the decision makers both in private enterprise and government.
 
If as I am, you are appalled by what is being done to Radio National and believe it is the thin edge of the wedge for the ABC generally, make your feelings known.
 
Engage with the Friends Of The ABC in their opposition to what is being done. write to or phone the ABC and or  voice your concerns to your local MP.
 
The Managing Director's contact details are;
Mr Mark Scott, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 700 Harris Street, Ultimo 2007 NSW.
Phone  02 8333 1500
 
Barry Smythe