ABC wins TV election campaign
Why ABC's diversity of content and sheer audience numbers pips SKY News for best campaign coverage.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
Now that the race is almost run, as we look back over the 5 weeks of campaigning I’m declaring ABC the winner by a nose.
It pips SKY News by virtue of having the most eyeballs and most diversity of political content.
With programmes like 7:30, Lateline, Q & A, Insiders, Kitchen Cabinet, Four Corners, Gruen Nation, The Hamster Decides, World Report, The Drum, ABC News Breakfast, rage and Wednesday Night Fever, ABC shows have looked at every conceivable angle of the election: serious interviews, comedy, marketing, forums, cooking and forums.
It reached a premium on Wednesday with Annabel Crabb, the Gruen team and the Chaser boys all scoring above 900,000 each. The audience voted with their remotes for ABC’s coverage. The thing about the ABC’s coverage is it’s not just about the excellent Leigh Sales -there are so many others stepping up to offer another perspective, albeit in a different genre.
SKY News scored some serious wins, notably by owning the debates for this campaign.
David Speers moderated every one of the Leaders Debates, including the only one produced for Free to Air. The People’s Forums rose above the conversation behind confined to Subscription TV. SKY had a dedicated channel throughout the campaign and plenty of discussion and news in PM Agenda, Contrarians, Paul Murray Live, Richo and Jones, The Nation and Election 2013. But as a news channel, they couldn’t match the diversity of ABC content.
Other notable mentions must go to The Project on TEN, Insight‘s same-sex marriage debate on SBS, NITV’s first ever forum on Indigenous issues, Seven News leading to a One Nation candidate standing down, TEN News reporter John Hill’s disastrous interview with Liberal candidate Jaymes Diaz, Tom Gleeson’s “I Hate You Now Change my Mind” on This Week Live and Karl Stefanovic’s bizarre interview with Clive Palmer on Today.
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- Tagged with 7:30, ABC News Breakfast, Contrarians, Election 2013, Four Corners, Gruen Nation, Insiders, Kitchen Cabinet, Lateline, Paul Murray Live, PM Agenda., Q&A, rage, Richo and Jones, Seven News, TEN News, The Drum, The Hamster Decides, The Nation, The People's Forums, This Week Live, Today, Wednesday Night Fever, World Report
13 Responses
If I may, I just want to thank the ABC for their internet information on the election. Including the preference deals they’ve listed. Extremely informative and helpful.
From what I saw I’ve thought the ABC coverage has been excellent. I couldn’t see all of it. And I guess soon I’ll see less of it due to my personal issues with “helpful” computer graphics as well as other IMO disastrous advertising ideas.
The only request I have is could the next Federal Election on the News be known as “Federal Election” rather than “Australia Votes”. I liked the latter a lot as title of a show about the Federal Election. But again I guess I prefer facts. Even if they are considered boring facts.
Despite the anti-ABC rants of The Australian, the variety and quality of the ABC’s election coverage has put its commercial rivals to shame. The public broadcaster saves us from being a nation of dimwits and I sincerely hope that it is not starved of funds and politically neutered by Abbott’s mob. Going on past form though, we should be very afraid.
ABC will always lead the way in terms of election coverage from serious to informal.
Annabel Crabb has been absolutely everywhere, from hosting The Drum just about all the way through, to the Kitchen Cabinets and many other appearances, not to mention a weekly column for the Sunday Age.
I’m such a fan of Annabel’s – she used to write hilarious political stories for the SMH some time back, disappeared for a bit, then has burst back onto the stage in recent times.
She and Leigh Sales are a formidable pair indeed. They leave most of the blokes for dead.
Over at The Roast, we’ve been providing 10 minutes a day of satirical election coverage for the past five weeks. Where’s the love?
Fair point! I actually haven’t mentioned all the ABC shows…
Leigh definitely deserves the praise she is getting. And Tony Jones too. His interviews on Lateline have been excellent.
Yes, DK, as my mother used to say “When you assume you make an Ass (out of) U (and) Me”.
The last two episodes of Gruen have been brilliant.
Yes Sales is good. She was reportedly annoyed that Kerry got the electron hosting job when she is the host of 7:30 and the network’s lead political journalist she he retired from the post.
Be very careful about assuming….
For me, Gruen, Hamster, The Project and This Week Live. They have been the only things I’ve been able to tolerate viewing, to be honest. Not a fan of either (any, do we include Clive Palmer?) Leader, so satire is about all I can stand! But snaps for Karl’s Palmer interview – but I caught that on the ninemsn website rather than watching Today (I’m at my desk by 7am).
Leigh Sales has really impressed me. Last night she interviewed both sides of politics with good questions, and brought them back to the question when they purposely avoided answering it.
Rudd last night said ‘you are a journalist’ in a tone suggesting she was one rung above a used car salesman was priceless, she didn’t flinch.