Australian TV News
One of the things you get used to in Australia is the ritual of kicking the ABC. Indeed, the AFR argues that private providers will do everything that the ABC can do.
OK, let’s look at what the commercial channels serve up in the way of news. Channel 7 for example last night had its main magazine programme, Today Tonight, lead with a story about a radio presenter dating a stripper. Neither party was interviewed, most of the images were of a magazine that had printed the story, and after 15 minutes a brief mealy-mouthed statement was read out, effectively denying it. And this passes for news? If you consider the main evening news summary, again you’ll end up with a few shots of say an overseas story, such as the Bangkok riots while the reporter from Channel 9 stands in the station’s car park to introduce them.
So, if we accept that commercial television in Australian aren’t capable of delivering an acceptable news service, one suggestion is the ABC should just stick to news, and not deliver entertainment? But again, the commercial channels have proved to be woefully lacking. The programmers appear to have attention span of a five day old puppy: the weekly TV guide rarely bears any resemblance to what programmes will be shown – they are frequently moved back by an hour, swapped to a different day, a series run abandoned half way though, and on occasions a new series has been heavily promoted on air, and then never shown.
And that’s before we get onto the ridiculous habit of the commercial channels delaying the start of their programmes while they wait for the other channels to finish showing their adverts. Consequently you end up with a strange moveable feast where programmes can regularly be expected to start 15 to 20 minutes late.
It need not be this way: in the UK programmes start on time, where the entire series is run in a slot that doesn’t move, and where even the adverts are entertaining.
Channel 7, 9 and 10 argue that they shift programmes because as a commercial entity their advertisers want ratings, and if viewers aren’t watching, the programme gets canned. Therefore, they can’t afford to respect the viewer. Curiously however, they make little mention of the fact that they are profitable, have in effect been given a licence to print money, and just recently were handed a $250 million rebate from the government. And just what did we, the Australian Tax Payer, get for the extra cash we shovelled towards the ungrateful commercial stations. Not a jot. Nothing. There is no guarantee that any of the rebate will go towards creating Australian content. And yet imagine if the ABC got a $250 million budget increase, there would be howls of opposition.
And the other main criticism is that the ABC, like the BBC, has been innovative in using the internet to reach their listeners: quite right too: we’d roundly chastise them if they didn’t.
And just look at what the commercial stations have been doing with digital, which they got in a handouts like a bowls of sweets: for example, as part of the move to digital, they received three extra channels apiece, which are mainly used to simulcast their existing channel. Just giving the existing three companies that dominate the marketplace more of the same doesn’t increase viewing choice, all it achieves is that these firms have the power to gouge consumers and the resources to insulate themselves from competition and external scrutiny. For true innovation we have to look to the ABC, which is putting in the resources and effort into children’s channels, and a 24 hour news channel. By and large this delivers something new for the terrestrial audience which they can’t get elsewhere. I want good professional news, when I want it, and I don’t want to subscribe or buy a dish: now I can get that from Auntie’s new News 24.
You’d have thought that the commercial channels would be very grateful for the present they’ve got from digital, and create some of the innovative channels we see elsewhere in the world: in most countries Digital Terrestrial has seen specialist channels spring up, free to air, with no subscription. If you want 24 hour property programmes, oldies, or even free 24 hour mainstream films it’s there: the UK, Germany and France have all used their digital allocation well. In the UK there are 43 main Freeview channels, and 4 HD channels, all with different content. Not so for the Australian commercial channels, who frequently simulcast what they already provide. To compound their lack of respect for the viewer, they then impose one of the most restrictive digital setups in the world. For example Australian Freeview branded PVRs now won’t skip ads – no wonder then that there is such a rush to buy DTV PVRs from overseas that don’t have this limitation.
Now I’m not saying the ABC is perfect, but considering the alternative, and what the ABC achieves on a small budget, most Australian’s should be very grateful that it is there. It offers truly innovative programming that entertains and informs, and in many regional areas, it is the only option for quality news in Australia.
