0/5

The real news is not ABC -it’s SBS.

Where is the outrage for SBS staff whose jobs and shows are now on the line?

2015-06-25_0159

Today newspaper editors are devoting yet more column inches on the incidents of Monday’s Q & A.

Various articles have appeared for the third day running on the apparent silence of managing director Mark Scott; on which producers and crew did or didn’t speak to Zaky Mallah; on whether ABC should have repeated its episode yesterday morning (for the record The Weekly also re-screened the exchange last night); and whether ABC transport should have been provided for audience members from Sydney’s West.

ABC staff are also understandably outraged by newspaper covers that depict the ABC logo on Islamic State flags.

Much of these are carried by newspapers that regularly recap Q & A episodes online in order to generate discussion.

I attended an industry function last night in Melbourne and everyone had an opinion on how things could have been done differently, and where to from here.

But there was also considerable disdain for the way it has been covered in media.

My own feeling is that where TV airtime is given to an individual there must be a level of Trust. That’s difficult to achieve in a Live and public forum such as Q & A, but experience suggests: when in doubt, leave it out.

However, I’m not convinced the kind of media hysteria and language that has followed matches the crime, whatever that is.

Last week in Parliament Tony Abbott declared his admiration for The Killing Season. “I want to say publicly thank you to the ABC. Thank you to the ABC. I don’t normally say thank you to the ABC, but I have to say Australia is indebted to you on this instance.” His Communications Minister, also critical of Q & A, would do well to remind him that a good public broadcaster is not the mouthpiece of any government. There will be days when you love it. Others when you don’t. But you fight for its right to remain fiercely independent. Throughout history artists, writers, painters, performers challenge us on our views and perceptions.

Q & A and Insight on SBS are arguably the only shows on television where there is an exchange of ideas between audience and decision makers. These qualities should be valued in a democracy that distinguishes us from those without. Isn’t it what we are protecting?

All these ABC headlines overlook a much bigger story that unfolded yesterday: that SBS is now facing a $28.5 million hole over the next four years, after the Senate voted against increasing primetime ads.

Where are the headlines about SBS staff now facing job cuts?

Where are the flags flying for favourite shows that could be axed? 

It was commercial networks that lobbied the government against increasing primetime advertising and yesterday described it as a “good win for public policy” rather a good win for commercial networks. Opponents to the legislation -Labor, Greens and Independents- voted against it, reminding the government that they promised no cuts to public broadcasters prior to the last election.

In the middle of this tug of war leaves SBS now seemingly without any recourse but to begin cutting shows and jobs.

This story lacks the same white-hot inflammation that Struggle Street generated, when SBS underwent the same outrage ABC is experiencing this week.

At least it does until it is translated into real terms, where recognisable titles may go: FIFA World Cup? Tour de France? Eurovision? Insight? Who Do You Think You Are? or RocKwiz (already cut from 14 episodes to 6 this season)?

Wherever the cuts fall, they will also impact on the independent production sector, notably smaller companies who are increasingly shut out by the commercials.

By the time newspapers devote the same column space to SBS as they have for ABC this week you can be assured of one thing: it will be to bring you the bad news.

Whose side are you on, indeed…..?

19 Responses

  1. SBS’s future should be called into question because they have deviated understandably from the ethnic content that they used to air so much off. I think 2 things need to happen to SBS: 1. Sell it off ie Privatise it and thus change its name or 2. Put it all online and change the business model where most of their revenue would come from subscription and ad revenue. The only profitable arm of SBS at the moment is SBSOnDemand website if they can monetise that better they will survive. Major restructuring has to go on at SBS.

    1. The definition of multicultural in the 1980s has broadened to encompass cultural diversity including gay, senior, youth, disabled as well as ethnic. Language evolves and so does programming. Granted there are some shows here and there that feel off Charter, which SBS has maintained is to bring in ad revenue for local production.

  2. I think given that the ABC set this up as a “gotcha” by providing Mallah a taxi and easy access to ask a question, then the ethics have to be questioned.

    In saying that, people lose their jobs every day and no one bats an eyelid, so i’m not going to fawn sympathy for people who earn 6 figure salaries and work in television, especially where some of my taxes are directed in their direction…. lets keep things in perspective, there are people with real struggles out there with bills/jobs/etc

  3. Excellent article, David. It’s like the ABC is a bag of chips and all of the seagulls are ripping into it to see what they can snatch before it’s gone.

    As for democracy, our Duke-knighting Prime Minister only likes it when it supports his rather extreme views. Same goes for that American-owned right-wing rag and all of its clones.

  4. I’m in favour of merging the ABC and SBS. SBS is an idea whose time has passed. In the digital, multi-channel age it makes no sense to have two under-funded national broadcasters fighting for their existence on a daily basis in this hostile environment. The 0.1% NITV ratings could actually be a statical anomaly. ABC3 has an audience of 0.5%. These numbers need to be seriously examined and reviewed. Whatever SBS does that is so vital for the community can be programmed within the ABC’s infrastructure online or on a channel called SBS, and the significant amount of money saved can be re-allocated to desperately needed local content.

    Upon reflection I an very disappointed the ABC was intimated by the sound and fury of the Abbott government and apologised for Q&A on Monday night, and I am very disappointed Mark Scott is essentially MIA when they needed him the most.

  5. Most the noise about Q&A is coming for an American owned and controlled newspaper group; who has had major issues with the ABC for either being brought into account via Media Watch or losing out on the Australia Network tender; so everything they “report” has a bias slant.

    With public funding becoming more and more limited for TV, Radio and Digital space, the discussion about merging both the ABC and SBS has been raised. There is a significant duplication of resources and expenses along with bandwidth.

    Heres are radical idea – how about merging ABC and SBS and freeing up one or two channels for new FTA competition; and not just shopping channels or Foxtel FTA but something like BBC Australia (aka the BBC America model). The money the government would make from the spectrum sale could be used to fund new programming and initiatives on the new ABC/SBS channels.

    At the end…

      1. The stations, operated by United Telecasters and Austrama Television, may be on their last legs financially and partial or full sale to Fox won’t stem the monetary bleed from the jugular vein, when they do go under, give the vacated spectrum space to the community TV groups.

    1. I disagree strongly with your statement about “an American owned and controlled newspaper group” making all the noise – get your head out of the sand and look around. Criticism of the incident is coming from many directions!

  6. The final comment on the killing season ep 3 by Alan Milburn – UK Labour Party.
    “The hard question that the Australian Labour Party has to ask itself is this – how is it possible that you win an election in November 2007 on the scale that you do, with the good will that you have, with the permission that you’re gifted by the public? …….. And you manage to lose all that goodwill, to trash the permission and to find yourself out of office within just six years? I’ve never seen anything quite like it in any country – anywhere, anytime, in any part of the world. ”
    This is why we now have Tony Abbot as prime minister.

  7. Sympathy for SBS workers is the same as for the other 350,000+ people who lose their job every year most of whom don’t make Page One. You wish them luck in finding another one. The 400,000+ who get new jobs usually make the news either.

    Q&A could be put on a small delay so that if anyone goes serious off book it can be skipped. Commercial TV and radio have been forced to operate under such rules for decades. The ABC has assumed that because Q&A is based in the inner west of Sydney you will only get polite left wing radicals who follow the rules (apart from the odd flying shoe).

  8. Re: Q&A – what’s the point of having a ‘discussion’ programme if it’s just going to fold every time someone deviates from the cardboard questions?

    Re: SBS – As much as it pains me to say this … let it go. It became ill in 1992 when it first started ignoring its charter & moved non-English programming out of prime time to boost advertising income, and died on October 9 2006 when they inserted the first ads into ‘Mythbusters’. SInce then it no longer supports the purposes & ideals behind its establishment & charter, & is effectively a 4th commercial channel. My own viewing has dropped from ~20% to near-zero in that time. The horse is dead; it’s time to stop flogging it & let nature take its course…

    1. They should merge sbs with abc. Or sell sbs off,
      having orphan new black, Vikings, lost girl, dig, brookyln nine nine would be costing them big time. There all great shows but should be on foxtel and FTA late at night

      1. Discovered orphan black on sbs from this site. Prior to that thought sbs was full of foreign language content and didn’t watch. Since discovering orphan black have now become more aware of sbs content and have watched other sbs shows not just English speaking. When greys anatomy gets scheduled very late at night on free to air then there’s no hope for orphan black to air on narrow minded reality focused commercial free to air. People shouldn’t have to pay to get a variety of different content. That’s what sbs is for to provide alternatives and there isn’t anything wrong with having some English shows to draw viewers and create brand awareness. SBS needs to find a happy medium between English and non English content.

  9. Sadly ABC will always fall under the “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t” category by the most of the commercial interests and the Government.

Leave a Reply