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ABC refutes claims it rejected PM’s Literary Awards broadcast

ABC could not agree with organisers demands for the PM's Literary Awards, offering to package it with Jennifer Byrne's Book Club.

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The ABC has rejected claims published in The Australian that it used its editorial independence as a reason for refusing to broadcast live a literary speech by Tony Abbott at the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards.

Event organiser Louise Adler, claimed negotiations with the ABC broke down irreconcilably last year because the broadcaster was unwilling to show Abbott’s speech.

But in a statement Richard Finlayson, Director of ABC Television, said ABC was approached just four weeks prior to the Awards with a list of “binding demands.” Negotiations broke down due to a compromise to package the show as a Jennifer Byrne Presents special could not be reached.

“On November 14, we presented a more creative proposal involving a one-hour special of the ABC’s popular Book Club, hosted by Jennifer Byrne. Our pitch was that this option would use an existing prime-time brand, much loved by ABC audiences, to showcase the Awards and significantly increase their profile. The program would include coverage of all speeches, including that of the Prime Minister and the Minister for the Arts. We expected such a program would attract a national, consolidated audience of more than 500,000 viewers,” he said.

“To our surprise, Ms Adler presented us with a remarkably comprehensive list of binding demands which would make the broadcast unworkable for the ABC and compromised its editorial standards.

“These included an insistence that Jennifer’s Byrne’s name not be used in the title, despite it being a Book Club special.. The speeches of both the Prime Minister (10 minutes) and the Minister for the Arts (4 minutes) were to be included “unedited and uncut”, swallowing up 25% of a packed Awards and post-award interview schedule. Further, Ms Adler insisted we travel around the country and shoot and edit interviews with all 30 nominees – impossible within the timeframe and limited budget.

“As an independent public broadcaster, the ABC must insist on its rights and obligations to exercise editorial control over the content the ABC broadcasts or publishes.”

You can read more of his statement here.

Detailed response from ABC.

8 Responses

    1. If you read the article here…..”Event organiser Louise Adler, claimed negotiations with the ABC broke down irreconcilably last year because the broadcaster was unwilling to show Abbott’s speech.”

      1. The article was headlined “ABC bans Tony Abbott” which clearly isn’t true. If you don’t think the article was motivated by Murdoch rags hating the ABC, I have a bridge you might like to buy …

  2. An easy-out for ABC. “We have tougher budget restraints due to recent funding cuts, and cannot do any more new programs this month, aside from Q&A. Due to the needs of previous House of Reps. Speaker our previous helicopter budget has also been cut, reducing our “travel around the country” to film items of interest to at least 3% of our viewers has also been cut until next year. Sorry, an audience of 2% doesn’t quite get over the line anyway, and you realise that giving the PM 10 mins means we also have to give the ALP leader 10 mins too – in the interests of non-bias, etc.?”.

    1. Jason”Due to the needs of previous House of Reps. Speaker our previous helicopter budget has also been cut, reducing our “travel around the country” ..”

      You forgot the cost of Tony Burke and his $2.2million in travel including charter planes and flying on VIP jets and his “study tours” with his assistant, now partner…..

      1. There’s only 900 characters allowed so don’t get me started on the so-called “study tours” by all of them, the ComCars, 5-star limousines, paid business-class air fares for kids’ holidays, “overnight allowance” paying mortgages on houses in wives’ names, meanwhile, cuts to ABC, SBS, medical, gold passes, 15.5% superannuation…..said…only 900 characters.
        Oh, ABC “was unwilling to show Abbott’s speech”… in full, unedited. Just 3 little words missing there.

        1. Jason”There’s only 900 characters allowed so don’t get me started…”

          Nice to see you recognise it is an all party issue when you are reminded that an ALP member did it!

          1. Tony Bourke, 2012. Previous government. Like all of them with their snouts in the trough being fed by the taxpayers…wrong. As News Ltd reports “more than 90 federal MPs lodged overseas travel expense claims last year, pushing the overall total of expenses paid above $6.2 million, a 21 per cent ­increase on the previous year”. I don’t need to be ” reminded that an ALP member did it”. They are all the same. No wonder there had to be cuts to ABC and SBS, and termination of Australia Network.

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