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Report: Cabinet approves axe for Australia Network

Cabinet has approved plans to scrap Australia Network, which has operated in various forms since 1993.

australian netCabinet has approved plans to scrap the Australia Network international broadcasting service in next Tuesday’s budget, according to reports.

The ABC has a 10-year, $223 million contract to run the network, which broadcasts to 44 countries in the Asia Pacific region.

The service, which broadcasts programs to encourage awareness of Australia as under the Dept. of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has operated under various forms since 1993.

The move follows a recommendation to scrap by The Commission of Audit and concerns expressed by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.

But Foreign Minister Bishop is in favour of more cost-effective ways, including social media, to promote Australia abroad.

The ABC’s contract, which was the subject of a tug-of-war  tender with SKY News under the previous Labor government, has another 7 years to run.

The ABC recently announced broadcasting deals with Shanghai Media Group and Indonesia’s largest media company, the MNC Group.

Source: Fairfax, Guardian Australia

18 Responses

  1. It should be remembered that much of Australia Network’s propaganda efforts are of the glossy Australian drama variety to get people to visit here. An Australian news channel would not have the same effect.

  2. If the tender process was as poorly managed as some claim, especially the fair-minded Ms Bishop, then do it again – don’t just scrap AN. This is definitely the first of many attacks on the ABC (the pre-emptive strike, the beginning of the war).

  3. i went on a south pacific cruise about 1.5 years ago. whilst on that cruise australia network was my lifeline to home. it is a vital service – just as vital as radio australia.

  4. The ABC announced a deal with SMG and then suspended it because SMG didn’t have approval for the deal. They are planning to re-announce it in June.

    Meanwhile the Chinese government is banning media companies from streaming Western content by Chinese companies to stop the drift away from state media and to play politics.

    The tendering process was corrupt and the service is achieving nothing. The idea that you can run a second rate Government propaganda channel in this day and age while people can find what other viewpoints they want of Australia on the internet is just crazy.

    And instead of paying to broadcast Home and Way into Asia it is now possible to sell it to cable and streaming companies serving the wealthy English speaking sections of the population.

  5. So, viewers of local FTA TV in the Pacific, PNG, Asia, Europe & Africa, now you have to watch anything re Aust. via your PC & cable Internet service – well, if only you had either. But, fear not. As a replacement you will see CCTV9, “Chinese Premier concludes landmark visit to Ethiopia” and “China Insight” on a loop – until Elliot Carver comes to the rescue, straight from the pages of “Tomorrow Never Dies”. (“Carver is based largely on real-life media mogul, Rupert Murdoch”, say analysts.)
    @The Other Adam – Example? Just did a scroll thru today’s sched and can’t see one “that don’t even make it on our screens here”. I see Redfern Now, City Homicide, AFL, key news shows from ABC & ABC24, even Nine’s Sunday Financial show.

  6. There are going to be a few stations out there, notably in the South Pacific who will now have nothing to screen during their downtime as Australia Network was supplied free of charge.

  7. So what is the venture Rupert has ready to swoop in and take AN’s place? Is it streaming Sky News through the region? God help us all.

    But good on Abbott for keeping at least one promise before the election – to do this for Rupert.

    A disgrace.

  8. Dr Rudi – you very well know that the tender process to award the ABC the Australia Network was corrupted and mismanaged by the previous federal govenment, you don’t have to take my word for it either, as there was a pretty clear report from the Auditor General about the many problems and political in the tender process. Are you saying that spending and programs from corrupt or incompetent tenders should continue?

  9. The Federal government has made some atrocious decisions, but the Australian Network is an embarrassment in its current form. Many of the programs are cringe-worthy (watching as an Australian in Asia). Perhaps the locals view it differently.

  10. @ DR__Rudi
    I’m taking the lazy mans option and only noting things their getting right, and I’m waiting till tuesday to see if that short list becomes even shorter.

    Regarding the ‘ reports??’ about the axing of the Australian Network broadcasting service, if anybody thinks that if this broadcasting service is axed in next weeks budget,that this government will allow the ABC’s contract to drag out for the 7 remaining years, could be as delusional( as in ‘Of Grandeur’) as those planning its handover to vested interests.

    Because just going on current performances, possibly the only thing delaying more immediate action, is the roadblock our AG. is having getting old mate Andrew off the hook, how easy would it be to simply ‘not’ fund/defend another challenge to that original 10 year contract, and again by SKY NEWS???

  11. Yeah, I’m sure a few tweets or FB posts will work as well as broadcasting programs that people can unconsciously engage with. And that excludes China where FB and Twitter are blocked.

    Perhaps they can use Google+ instead… oh, that’s blocked, too. Ah, well there’s good old Youtube… oops, that’s blocked. They can always fall back on blogspot… nope, blocked, wordpress… nope.

    Hmm, it’s starting to look like the Federal Govt’s international relations social media policy is going to be about as effective as using Grouply.

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