★★★★★ 0/5

ABC considered “valuable” but complaints increase

ABC gets a tick for its place in the community but complaints are also up by a third.

8
Leave a comment

The ABC has seen an increase in the number of complaints it has received in the last year, but 87% of respondents to a Newspoll believe it performs a ”valuable” service to the community.

The proportion who think the quality of ABC TV is ”good” fell a little, from 81 to 79 per cent.

But the number of complaints has reached 41,000 in the past financial year, up a third from 31,400 the previous year.

In TV Tonight’s recent Audience Inventory, ABC was voted the most reliable and trustworthy at programming.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports the bulk of general gripes were about program standards and scheduling.

The next most-frequent complaint was about ABC HD being abandoned for ABC News 24, followed by sound problems during a live broadcast of Tim Minchin v The Sydney Symphony Orchestra and a reduction in the font size on the weather maps during the 7pm ABC News.

Claims of political bias increased 80 per cent but ABC director of corporate affairs, Michael Millett, said this was due to the year covering three elections, federal, NSW and Victorian.

Revenue, mostly from ABC Shops, is down 42 per cent to $8 million.

8 Responses

  1. I just want to say I love the current affairs programmes on the ABC i.e. Four Corners, Lateline, & The 7.30 Report (even with the new and ridiculous name ) . Plus love Media Watch, the science shows, the old version of New Inventors, Foreign Correspondent (although I missed it most of this year due to not being home on Tuesday at 8pm ) , Q&A, music shows and so much more. I also love your imports like Doctor Who, Poirot, QI; and Marple is pretty enjoyable. I also love seeing documentaries and docu-dramas. I look forward to Phryne Fisher next year. Lastly Wednesday night after 8.30pm is great. I’ll admit I’m not into cooking shows. But there is the news on ABC News 24 at 8pm if I’ve missed it .

  2. I have perfected the art of not reading the “what’s on next” pop-ups, but I still get a flash of annoyance every time they appear.
    And sorry, but I’ve given up watching most current affairs shows on the ABC as they are definitely not impartial, sad to say.

  3. “Claims of political bias increased 80 per cent but ABC director of corporate affairs, Michael Millett, said this was due to the year covering three elections, federal, NSW and Victorian.”

    Its also because they are biased.

  4. Complaints as in – ‘stupid lefty broadcaster’ because they don’t count IMO.

    Valid complaints like the Tim Minchin issue, yes. Complaints initiated by shock jocks, no.

  5. I dont have a huge problem with the ABC. I just would like better graphics for their branding which is ordinary. As for political “bias” well News Ltd, is also “bias” in favour of the liberals which are backed up by ultra capitalists ie big businesses. So if we have one side or journalism backing one side and the other backing the oposition well thats just equal. I dont belive that the labor govt in canberra get off scott free they are critqued by the public broadcaster at least in a respectful and intelectual way instead people like Andrew Bolt who just attack for the sake of attacking because they are the other side.

  6. I don’t think it a surprise I agree with Secret Squirrel i.e. MediaHub, electronic graffiti or watermarks (mainly improved but still annoying ) and especially pop-ups. But I want to add weird programming choices. Like an hour or more programmes at 8.20pm or 8pm (for an hour) or the like during primetime i.e. 7.30-10.30pm. Plus putting QI on ABC2 at short notice (although at least there was a voice-over announcing the silly decision ) . I don’t get why they want to reduce people being able to watch them live. Why?????

    I love the ABC and I want to watch the ABC. But sometimes it’s difficult or I miss half the episode or what they want to show. I do want to add one thing I like and that’s announcing after the end credits what’s next. Because that’s when I want the information if I don’t know it. But not during the progammes as there’s EPGs or TV Guides if I want to look it up. Sorry everyone again but I just want to have hassle free TV. Or at least less problems. Too hard?

  7. And that faux “groovy” announcer on ABC2 get on my goat 2. As well as the “Next show” pop-ups on ABC1 and 2. Don’t they think the old dears can use their EPG buttons on the remote?

  8. ABC24 and MediaHub issues would be at the top of my list too, followed by the amount of fuchsia and lime graffiti during programs on ABC2, and how much louder the program announcements on ABC2 are relative to anything else. Shouldn’t need to have to reduce the volume to avoid waking people elsewhere in the house.

    It would be interesting to compare these figures with the same data for the commercial networks.

Leave a Reply