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ABC Arts News Cuts
On 2 August 2011 the ABC announced its decision to cut the number and amount of ABC produced programs. With respect to the arts this included the broadcaster's 'Art Nation' on TV and Radio National's 'Artworks' programs.
When seen in addition to the paucity of the channel's current contemporary arts news coverage, NAVA is concerned that the axing of the above programs will create a complete arts news vaccuum in the ABC's coverage of news and current affairs.
In addition the national broadcaster plans to outsource a few arts documentaries and one-off series to commercial producers, rather than investing resources into arts programming as it is required to do under its Charter.
The following are the main issues concerning NAVA:
- loss of arts news with the axing of Art Nation, the ABC's flagship TV Arts news program;
- loss of editorial control with the serious contraction of the ABC Arts Unit and the outsourcing of programs;
- loss of regional voices in the national broadcaster as production is concentrated in private sector Sydney based production houses;
- emphasis on prime time ratings at the expense of committed specialist audiences;
- a drift towards light entertainment programming in the search for ratings;
- abandonment of ABC Charter responsibilities.
Advocacy
NAVA writes to ABC
On 10 August 2011 NAVA wrote to ABC's Managing Director Mark Scott and the ABC Board Chair Maurice Newman to express our concerns and to seek a meeting to discuss how the arts sector can work with the ABC to increase and improve its arts related programming and coverage.
Click here to read NAVA's letter to the ABC.
Senate Inquiry
On 17 August 2011 the Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications launched an Inquiry into the ABC's programming decisions, following which a report was published on 13 October 2011.
One of the recommendations the Senate Committee makes in the report is to advise the ABC to "urgently publish" a strategy outlining how it can meet its Charter obligations to 'encourage and promote arts', given, as the Committee states, "the planned disbanding of the ABC arts unit".
Click here to read the rest of the recommendations and the Senate Committee's report in full.
NAVA submission on behalf of ArtsPeak
In response to the Inquiry, NAVA, on behalf of ArtsPeak (the confederation of peak national arts organisations) made a submission to the Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications, with regards to their investigation of the ABC's decision to, "significantly cut the number and amount of ABC produced programs, jobs (including through forced redundancies) and the potential affect on resources, as announced on 2 August 2011”.
The submission expresses ArtsPeak's concern over the almost absent arts coverage in ABC's news programs and the arts news vacuum that will be created with the upcoming axing of 'Art Nation' and Radio National's 'Artworks'.
Artspeak sees this to be a failure by the ABC to properly and effectively recognise that the arts are part of the everyday life experience and interest of the majority of Australians.
The submission makes several recommendations to the ABC including that there be a strong commitment by the national broadcaster to provide high quality arts news programming, which although may not attract competitive ratings, is of great interest to particular interest groups; and to produce programs that educate people about Australia’s diverse cultural expression and identity.
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