ABC boss: one Arts show axed isn’t the end of Arts

ABC Managing Director  Mark Scott has responded to a letter by prominent artists following the announcement of recent cuts.

Nick Cave, Geoffrey Rush, Peter Carey, Helen Garner, Tim Winton and Adam Elliot were signatories to an open letter to the ABC, concerned at a diminishing of arts coverage by the public broadcaster.

“I am glad to see the passionate interest in ABC programming, and feel obliged to respond to the charge. The loss of a 30-minute Sunday afternoon arts magazine program whose audience was in significant decline should not be conflated with the end of arts programming on the ABC,” Scott writes in the Fairfax press.

Scott defends that the ABC will see to it that the “heavy lifting” for the arts is done right across the ABC – not just on television.

“We want the ABC to live up to its charter role ”to encourage and promote the musical, dramatic and other performing arts in Australia” in the most relevant way possible. Audience tastes and viewing habits are evolving constantly. The ABC will continue to serve niche audiences – we’re comfortable with the fact that cultural pursuits won’t often draw MasterChef-type figures.

“In fulfilling its charter, the ABC must reflect the range and complexity of contemporary artistic expression. We must constantly review our programs and the way we deliver them to present, to interrogate, to discuss and to generate interest and engagement with the arts.”

ABC is axing Art Nation but retaining Artscape on ABC1. However it will also rely on the independent sector to supply most of the content.

ABC’s Charter does not instruct how much arts coverage must be played on television, nor who produces the programmes.