<
https://theconversation.com/the-abcs-budget-hasnt-been-restored-its-still-facing-1-2-billion-in-accumulated-losses-over-a-decade-176532>
"ABC Chair Ita Buttrose is “delighted” and Managing Director David Anderson
says he now has “certainty” for planning. However, the Morrison government’s
pre-election announcement it would restore the ABC’s budget to 2018 levels
doesn’t come close to making up for what has been lost in cuts to funding and
staff.
Seven weeks ahead of the budget, Communications Minister Paul Fletcher has
announced the ABC will receive $3.284 billion over three years from July 2022,
while SBS will receive $953.7 million over the same period.
Significantly, the government says it is scrapping its controversial indexation
freeze on the ABC’s budget. This was imposed by then-Prime Minister Malcolm
Turnbull in 2018 and meant the broadcaster’s funding did not keep pace with
inflation. It led to drastic cuts in programming and staffing in June 2020.
Fletcher also announced the ABC funding would include $45.8 million for another
three years for the broadcaster’s “enhanced news gathering” program, which is
earmarked for local public interest journalism in regional communities.
However, the funding comes with strings attached.
The Morrison government has published what it calls a statement of
expectations, a requirement for the ABC and SBS to provide a report each year
detailing staff numbers in regional and remote Australia, as well as hours of
programming tailored to those audiences.
Fletcher also said the ABC and SBS weren’t currently required to report on the
number of hours of Australian drama and documentaries they show each year.
Although these hours are published in the ABC annual report, the government
will now require the ABC and SBS to provide further reporting on this through a
national framework."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
