Sunday Arts set for cuts?
ABC's Kim Dalton will make an announcement tonight on the future of key arts programmes.
- Published by David Knox
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UPDATE: Sunday Arts to become Art Nation.
As per recent rumours, the ABC is expected to announce tonight its changes to its Arts programming.
The Australian notes that Director of ABC Television, Kim Dalton, will make an announcement tonight at a two-day Sydney conference, aptly titled Revealing the Arts, jointly presented by the ABC and the Australia Council for the Arts.
Many anticipate significant changes to Sunday Arts will see it slashed from its one-hour programme, with content moving online. Sunday Arts last week rated a slight 75,000 viewers.
That could be a challenge to many older viewers who may not be so internet-savvy.
Artscape is another of the titles as are Australia’s Heritage: National Treasures, Hidden Treasures with Betty Churcher, At the Movies and First Tuesday Book Club.
Other shows, including music theatre broadcasts, air on ABC2.
ABC’s Charter requires it to “encourage and promote the musical, dramatic and other performing arts in Australia.”
No doubt Sunday Arts presenter Viriginia Trioli would think any cuts to the show as a bit loopy…
Source: The Australian
7 Responses
Its socoio econimoc too. What if you simply cant afford broadband? You just end up with half the show.
Yes but I don’t get Ovation and the charter says it should cover the arts and I think that’s appropriate. More people went to the recent Dali exhibition than the Grand Final. A slightly dumb comparison as the Grand Final was not on for several weeks but there is a significant interest in the arts perhaps just not in Arts programming as it’s currently done. I think once a month like the Book Club would be a great idea. I don’t know why they put it on a Sunday.
I’m all for Arts programming but “Sunday Arts” needs an overhaul. It’s self indulgent and way too Melbourne-centric for a national programme.
Sunday Arts is a good program – it’s just in the wrong time slot. Sunday at 5.00pm isn’t helpful at all. Perhaps Tuesdays at 9.30pm, where once a month it would be a good match with First Tuesday Book Club.
Surely with three TV channels we might have expected that the ABC could have found room for a bit more arts programming, but it seems not. Instead, for significant parts of each day, we will have three channels broadcasting children’s programmes. The ABC is supposed to provide for a wide range of interests and present programmes that would not make it on commercial TV – arts programming fits this category. In France and Germany there is a full time arts channel, Arte, and the arts receive coverage in news bulletins, whereas here we’re cutting the little coverage that exists.
Well we all now the respect this country has for the arts, i.e. none. It is sadly true that we have less culture in Australia than a tub of yoghurt.
Of course if it was sport or some other bogan/redneck show we would be throwing millions at it. Cause that’s we all are in Australia: sports loving, meat pie eaten, arts are for poofs aussies. Oi Oi Oi.
With 75,000 viewers in the top 5 markets or about 110,00 viewers nationally, it’s no great loss to axe this show. That’s 0.4% of Australians.
There is an entire channel on cable called Ovation for those that want the Arts.