ABC managing director David Anderson wrote a note to staff yesterday outlining the proposed changes. The full note was reposted on TV Tonight this morning.
ABC elected to the Administrative Council of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union
The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) has elected the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to its Administrative Council, the Union’s peak decision-making body.
The ABU is the world’s biggest broadcasting union with members reaching three billion people across Asia and the Pacific.
The ABC will serve a three-year term on the Council following an election at the annual general assembly of the ABU in New Delhi.
Head of ABC International Services Claire M. Gorman said, “We welcome this acknowledgement of the ABC’s leadership in public service media and the opportunity to work together in this multilateral forum with like-minded broadcasters.”.
“Digital transformation and the rapid advancement of information technology has resulted in new challenges for citizen access to unbiased news and information.”
“Public service broadcasters remain among the most trusted sources in an age of mis and dis-information, and censorship in parts of the internet.”.
Ms Gorman said the ABC will draw on expertise in linear and digital transmission across all genres, and in media development through ABC International Development, to work on issues of common concern and support media in developing countries.
The ABC has a long association with the ABU as a founding member in 1964 with Japan’s national broadcaster NHK. Membership of the ABU is diverse and includes public service broadcasters and private and state media in developed and developing regional markets.
Correcting James Morrow in The Daily Telegraph
The article by James Morrow published today in The Daily Telegraph is wrong in its suggestion that the ABC’s proposed restructure will diminish the importance of our regional news operations.
When the Managing Director, David Anderson, announced plans for the restructure of the ABC’s content teams, he expressly stated that the ABC’s deep commitment to serving audiences in regional Australia remains strong.
The ABC has just completed a significant expansion of its regional network, putting 60 more journalists into locations in regional Australia. These are in addition to 80 content roles added as part of our Connecting Communities Project between 2017-18. We now have around 600 content makers working and living in regional towns and cities, including the largest team of specialist rural reporters in the world.
The Regional bureaux of the ABC provide vital services to the nation and the ABC remains committed to servicing audiences outside the major capital cities and in regional Australia.
Coverage of local, state and national issues, significant conversations for communities everywhere and the broadcast of crucial information during emergency events remain at the heart of what the ABC does.
The Wang Gungwu Lecture, celebrating Chinese Australians’ contribution to Australian life, returns in 2023.
Chinese Australians have contributed to Australia’s business, political, scientific and cultural sectors for more than a century. The Wang Gungwu Lecture, named after the eminent Chinese historian Professor Wang Gungwu, shines a light on Chinese Australian achievements and provides a platform for discussion on what it means to be a Chinese Australian today.
Ms Wang discusses her experiences of social exclusion growing up in suburban Australia and the importance of art and literature in her own search for identity and sense of belonging.
Ms Wang explains, “I hope by sharing stories that are a celebration of all our differences, children may find a feeling of self-acceptance from a young age. I encourage those from diverse backgrounds to share your stories too. The more diverse stories there are out in the open, the more tolerant our society will be.”
The Wang Gungwu Lecture is a partnership between ABC International, the National Foundation for Australia China Relations and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
In 2022, renowned paediatrician and former Australian of the Year, Dr. John Yu AC, delivered the inaugural Wang Gungwu Lecture to a live audience at ABC Sydney’s studios, with a supporting address from chef, writer and television presenter Adam Liaw.
ABC Head of International Services Claire Gorman said: “After such a successful event last year, we are delighted to partner once again with DFAT and the National Foundation to celebrate the lives, achievements and contributions of Chinese Australians in our country. The ABC has a proud history of sharing the stories of Australians from diverse backgrounds both domestically and to our international audiences and we hope the Wang Gungwu Lecture will continue to provide an important platform for these stories to be heard and shared.”
National Foundation CEO Peter Cai commented: “We are privileged to have the Australian Children’s Laureate Gabrielle Wang as our keynote speaker for the second Wang Gungwu Lecture. Gabrielle’s work in bringing diversity and representation to children’s literature is vitally important to shaping young minds and creating a more inclusive and tolerant future”.
The 2023 Wang Gungwu Lecture will premiere on ABC Australia, on Saturday 4 February at 6:30pm AEDT, 5:30pm in Papua New Guinea, 3:30pm in Hong Kong and Singapore, 2:30pm in Jakarta, and 1pm in India. It will also be available on ABC iview and ABC Australia iview from 4 February as part of the ABC’s Favourites with Chinese Subtitles collection. The lecture will be broadcast on ABC TV in Australia on Thursday 9 February, at 11am AEDT.
About ABC International
ABC International, through owned and operated platforms ABC Australia, ABC Radio Australia, and ABC websites and apps, reaches a unique overseas audiences of at least 14,800,000 each month.
ABC AUSTRALIA is available in 38 countries and has a monthly viewership of at least 3,615,000 across Asia and the Pacific and ABC RADIO AUSTRALIA has a monthly listenership of at least 287,000 and reaches 18% of urban adult Pacific populations.
About the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations
The National Foundation for Australia-China Relations is an Australian government initiative, established in 2020, to strengthen constructive engagement between Australia and China and to engage Australia’s diverse Chinese Australian communities. As a national platform, the Foundation works across business, governments, and communities to provide practical support and expertise, facilitate connections, and coordinate capacity building and exchange programs.
This will trigger the Sky News rabble 
Diversity & Inclusion Annual Report 2021-2022
The ABC published its Diversity & Inclusion Annual Report 2021-2022 on Thursday, 9 February 2023. The Report sets out the steps the ABC has taken to monitor and evaluate progress against the objectives set in the Diversity & Inclusion Plan 2019-22 and Elevate Reconciliation Action Plan 2019-22 (RAP). The report also outlines the ABC’s current workforce diversity representation and diversity in content initiatives.
ABC has a total of 4537 employees across its organisation but while the number of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) employees has increased, the representation of Indigenous staff is still below its target.
ABC’s Diversity & Inclusion Plan covers a three-year period from 1 September 2019 to 31 December 2022. The Plan was extended from 31 August 2022 to 31 December.
The current Plan focuses on five key diversity areas – gender, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, cultural and linguistic diversity (CALD), disability and LGBTQIA+ with the following workforce targets:
15% culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) content makers
15% CALD executives
8% employees with disability
20% women technologists
3.6% Indigenous employees
Women make up 55% of the ABC’s workforce as at 31 August 2022. This has remained unchanged since August 2021. 44.5% of the ABC’s workforce are men and 0.5% identify as gender diverse.
5.6% of employees at the ABC identify as having a disability (August 2022) against a target of 8%. This is an increase from 4.6% (August 2021). This data is based on employees who have provided Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) data and disclosed whether they have a disability.
ABC did not outline any targets or employee numbers who identify as LGBTQIA+ but referenced achievements spanning ABC Pride, Australian LGBTQ Inclusion Awards, Mardi Gras 2022, Sydney WorldPride 2023, Wear It Purple Day and more.
Discover everything broadcasting on the ABC across Sydney WorldPride
Updated
The world’s biggest LGBTQIA+ event, Sydney WorldPride is almost here and the ABC is set to bring audiences all the loudest, proudest, most important moments and more.
As the proud broadcast partner, expect a huge month of celebration, important conversations, party and protest across the ABC.
Key broadcast and coverage highlights include :
- From Tuesday, 7 February at 5am - Out To Party
Across four one-hour programs, triple j’s queer music program will celebrate artists across Australia with a focus on regional artists.
Listen on triple j.
- Monday, 13 & 20 February at 8am - Innies and Outies episodes: Ask an elder and Ask a young’un
Two cross-generational episodes for Sydney WorldPride hosted by Mon Schafter. A panel of queer pioneers respond to questions from rainbow youth about what it was like to be young and queer back in their day, and queer seniors ask LGBTQIA+ young folk to demystify the lifestyles and language of queer Gen Z.
Tune in on ABC listen.
- Friday, 27 February at 8am – Innies and Outies episode: Kitchen Table Radio Hour
A one-hour hour program from NSW Regional Radio , talking about LGBTQIA+ regional issues, experiences, and topics. Hosted and produced by LGBTQIA+ staff and staff allies.
Tune in on ABC listen.
- Sunday, 19 February - Mardi Gras Fair Day
ABC Radio Sydney will be broadcasting live on ground from 10am – 12pm at the biggest and best-loved free community event of the season. Radio National’s podcast hosted by Patricia Karvelas and Frank Kelly, The Party Room will be doing a live record on ground at 1.45pm with the bonus episode available from Monday, 20 Feb on ABC listen.
- From Tuesday, 21 February – D&M social video chat series
On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, triple j hosts Abby Butler and Tyrone Pynor have some in-depth chats with the leading lights of the LGBTQIA+ community in this series of six 20-minute episodes.
Listen on triple j.
- Saturday 4,11, 18 & 25 February – Indigenous LGBTQIA+ oral history
Focusing on the political and personal of Indigenous activists who led the way. The oral history subjects are drawn from a defining period in the rights struggles of the 80s and 90s, at the nexus of Indigenous culture and sexuality.
Listen across Radio National’s AWAYE! series, Pride Is… and Speaking Out.
- Thursday, 23 February - Immersive 3D journey along the path of the first Mardi Gras
An immersive retelling of the first Mardi Gras in 1978, using a 3D model of the route, archival footage and new interviews with people who were there. Produced by Innovation lab, Digital Story Innovations (DSI) team; ABC’s Sydney WorldPride team; and ABCQueer.
Explore on abc.net.au/sydneyworldpride
- Friday, 24 February at 7.30pm - Live and Proud: Sydney WorldPride Opening Concert
Broadcasting live from the Domain, join us for the official Opening Concert of WorldPride 2023 as we welcome the world to Sydney.
The star-studded event will be hosted by songwriter, actress, author, presenter Casey Donovan and international drag icon Courtney Act, joined by the ABCs’ Jeremy Fernandez, award-winning comedian, Rhys Nicholson and entertainer Brihony Dawson.
The night will be an epic celebration as we welcome the world to Sydney in a concert featuring headline performances from Kylie Minogue, Charli XCX, Jessica Mauboy, plus a huge array of Australia’s iconic queer performers.
Tune in on ABC TV , ABC iview and live crosses on triple j.
- Friday, 24 February at 10am - Stop Everything!
Podcasters Benjamin Law and Beverley Wang will broadcast from Riverside Theatre, Parramatta interviewing the Co -Director of Choir Boy, Zindzi Okenyo and Music Director, Allen Rene Louis .
Listen on Radio National
- Friday, 24 February at 6pm - Marri Madung Butbut: The First Nations Gathering Space.
Dan Bourchier will present a special episode of The Drum from Sydney WorldPride’s First Nations Gathering Space. Dan and an all-queer panel will be looking at the history of WorldPride and its importance today, along with human rights issues facing LGBTQIA+ citizens around the globe, and what belonging means under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella.
Tune in on ABC TV and ABC iview.
- Saturday, 25 February at 7.30pm – 45th Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade
Tune into the live broadcast of the 45th annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade as it returns to Oxford Street, bigger and better than ever.
Anchoring the parade will be ABC News Breakfast’s Nate Byrne, Behind The News presenter Jack Evans and ABCQueer’s Mon Schafter. They will be supported by exceptional on-the-ground hosts including ABC NEWS’ Jeremy Fernandez, actor, musician, director, Zindzi Okenyo and comedian Mel Buttle.
Fan favourite presenters Tyrone Pynor, Abby Butler and Latifa Tee , will all be at the helm of triple j’s broadcast covering the floats, the fanfare and all the fun.
Broadcasting live across ABC TV, ABC iviewand triple j.
- Tuesday, 28 February at 8.30pm – Queerstralia
Join award-winning comedian and professional lesbian Zoë Coombs Marr as she uncovers hidden LGBTQIA+ histories in a landmark documentary series, Queerstralia. Across three episodes, the series will wipe away the straightwashing and peer into the untold and frankly fascinating Queer history of Australia.
Tune in on ABC TV and ABC iview.
- Wednesday, 1 March – Friday 3 March – Sydney WorldPride Human Rights Conference
LGBTQIA+ Activists, community members, political leaders and change agents from across the world will come to Sydney in March 2023 to take part in the largest LGBTQIA+ human rights conference ever hosted in the southern hemisphere.
Highlights from the conference will be available to stream on ABC iview and covered daily on triple j Hack, with a special broadcast on 2 March and a studio panel on 3 March.
Radio National’s Big Ideas, Life Matters and The Law Report will all feature content from the conference.
- Thursday, 2 March – Blak & Deadly: The First Nations Gala Concert
Made by and for First Nations people, everyone is welcome at this glittering event. This is your chance to experience a rainbow explosion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait LGBTQIA+SB artistry, across a two-hour concert starring Jessica Mauboy, Electric Fields and Casey Donovan and hosted by Steven Oliver.
ABC Radio will be broadcasting the concert on Sunday, 5 March and ABC Indigenous and triple j will cover all the Blak Carpet and behind-the-scenes moments.
- Sunday, 5 March – Pride March
50,000 people in their brightest colours will walk across the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge to the Domain, in a powerful international statement of visibility.
ABC NEWS and ABC Radio Sydney will be covering this historic moment.
UPDATE: ABC staff will stop work and protest for 40 minutes at 2pm next Tuesday, March 7.
UPDATE 2 7/3: Tuesday’s strike action has been halted by MEAA.
New ABC SAFC Content Pipeline Fund to drive screen production in South Australia
Arts Minister Andrea Michaels, Premier Peter Malinauskas, Kaye Weeks of Windmill Pictures, SAFC Interim Board Chair Miriam Silva AM, Rosemary Myers of Windmill Pictures, SAFC CEO Kate Croser and ABC Managing Director David Anderson on set of Beep and Mort S2 today at Adelaide Studios.
The South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) and the ABC have today announced a new screen production partnership which will provide South Australia with an ongoing pipeline of quality television production.
With South Australian State Government investment of $5.2 million over three years, the ABC SAFC Content Pipeline Fund is designed to strengthen the South Australian screen industry by enabling a consistent pipeline of production to deliver high-quality content to ABC TV and ABC iview.
This partnership will be a significant driver of South Australian employment, with up to 460 production jobs (91 FTE) expected to be created across numerous screen productions. It will also drive engagement of local service companies and South Australian suppliers, create pathways for training and skills development, and create highly skilled work for the sector, as well as generate employment in other sectors – for every four South Australian jobs within the screen sector, another three jobs are supported elsewhere in the economy.
The partnership will also ensure South Australian stories are put front and centre, with the Government’s support including a Matched Development Fund specifically for South Australian producers to support the development of new, homegrown South Australian programs for the ABC, creating opportunities for South Australian writers and directors.
The production pipeline is set to start immediately, with season two of SA made children’s series Beep and Mort from Adelaide’s Windmill Pictures the first to get underway.
A hit with both audiences and critics when it premiered in 2022, the South Australian made and owned original series was created, produced and post-produced entirely in South Australia. Season two is now in pre-production at the SAFC’s Adelaide Studios in Glenside.
Beep and Mort is the first studio program for children made in the state in more than a decade. It is expected to inject more than $9.2 million into the South Australian economy and create 125 South Australian jobs across cast, crew and creatives combined over its two seasons.
This State Government investment in skilled jobs in South Australia’s screen industry is expected to deliver significant economic return, with every four South Australian jobs within the screen sector supporting another three jobs elsewhere in the economy.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said: “For more than 50 years, the South Australian Film Corporation has been telling our stories – putting South Australians in the spotlight, and ensuring our lives, culture and experiences are reflected to us at home, around the nation and overseas.
“I’m proud that the Government I lead will continue that important tradition.
“Beyond the cultural benefits, this $5.2 million investment in our screen sector will deliver more than 400 production jobs and even more flow-on jobs right here in South Australia.”
Arts Minister Andrea Michaels MP said: “As our national broadcaster, who better to show Australia’s stories than the ABC in partnership with our extraordinary South Australian Film Corporation.
“South Australia has been recognised globally as a powerhouse of film in recent years and we are seizing this opportunity to continue this proud legacy. Our investment will see a pipeline of fantastic Australian television being produced here in South Australia to tell our stories to the world.”
ABC Managing Director David Anderson said: “We’re delighted that the South Australian Film Corporation is partnering with the ABC in this joint-initiative to generate exciting new South Australian-based projects for the ABC. The collaboration will provide South Australia with a pipeline of quality television production and deliver finance certainty over the three years.”
SAFC CEO Kate Croser said: “The SAFC is thrilled to partner with the ABC in making South Australia a ‘home’ for ABC scripted production over the next three years.
“South Australia’s screen industry is poised to deliver the highest quality productions for ABC viewers, from our production companies, creatives and Heads of Department, to actors and crews, our world-class facilities, phenomenal locations and businesses and screen service suppliers across the state.
“The recent success of original ABC series from South Australia, Closer Productions’ Aftertaste, Epic Films and KOJO Studios’ First Day and now Windmill Theatre’s Beep and Mort, as well as SA filmed children’s series MaveriX, have paved the way for this consistent stream of production, and demonstrate the capacity of creativity to drive cultural and economic outcomes.”
The ABC SAFC Content Pipeline Fund is an ABC-specific fund that will operate alongside the SAFC’s existing Screen Production Fund, which supports the production of outstanding scripted and unscripted content for any screen that generates significant economic outcomes for the South Australian screen industry. Applications for the Screen Production Fund are open all year round and are considered by the SAFC Board. Find out more at safilm.com.au/production#spf
The ABC SAFC Matched Market Development Fund will open for applications soon, with more information to be provided to the sector at a special ABC SAFC South Australian Roadshow event to be held in the coming months.
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The ABC has sold its former Gore Hill TV studios to Goodman Group for $95 million.