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Anyone who follows the media would know that it’s a great time to be working at the ABC. While the wolf is at the door for many commercial and community outfits, our government funded ABC can sleep relatively soundly at night. Nothing highlights this better than Managing Director Mark Scott, who proudly tells the rest of the media they need to focus on quality journalism, stay ahead of the pack and other heart warming motherhood statements.
This is all very well coming from the public broadcaster with $800 mil coming in from Treasury. I have no problem with the ABC fulfilling its charter. What bugs me is the ABC running around doing things (with public money) where there is no imperative to do it.
I hate to say it but as Kim Williams repeated in Crikey; “… in the digital age we need to be careful to ensure that public broadcasters like the ABC don’t merely replicate what the private sector is now doing or inadvertently crowd out market-driven creativity and innovation.”
And what is this replication that shits me? The inane, pop-culture of the malnourished, sub-70 IQ celebrity kind. Essentially why is the ABC wasting time and resources on infantile dross like this: http://blogs.abc.net.au/articulate/.
Or (and this is far worse) this: http://blogs.abc.net.au/theshallowend/.
I read the ABC Charter all the time and still can’t locate the section where it says it is required to fill the gap not taken up by commercial interests to inform and report every hot celebs current crisis or full colour documentation of the current fashion disaster unfolding at some drug-infested awards night or event opening.
Surely the funds being sent in the direction of the Vacuous Celebrities Awareness Department of the ABC would be far better administered by employing a few more journalists or funding some of the core services that are the reason for the ABCs existence?
#1 by Viveka Weiley on 1 December 2009 - 1:33 pm
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That celebrity blog in particular seems like a waste of time to me, but then so does The Bill. Aren’t they supposed to “inform and entertain”? Where does it say the ABC is exclusively there to do what the commercials won’t? Fortunately at least these blogs are likely to be very cheap to run, less than one full-time gossip writer in total I’d have thought.
#2 by stace on 1 December 2009 - 1:49 pm
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I don’t have a problem with the articulate blog. It’s kinda arts lite for young people, and not something other mainstream media are likely to offer.
The ShallowEnd celebrity blog, however, is total crapola.
By the way, I hope you’re reading the ABC charter ‘all the time’ for work purposes, and not as a hobby. That would most sad, Mr Dumpling.
#3 by Don on 1 December 2009 - 1:54 pm
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What about their iView, it’s pretty bloody good and I haven’t noticed anything as good from the commercial stations yet?
And don’t they need viewers and clickers to maintain their funding and ideally increase it. People lap up the gossip crap, so perhaps it’s one way to help fund their good stuff?
#4 by Bob Dumpling on 1 December 2009 - 8:16 pm
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Everything that these two blogs are doing are done (for better or for worse) by commercial, co-op or self-abusive purposes. There’s no justification for the ABC to be going in this direction.
Yes, The Bill is like Coronation Street in uniform. Yes, the Inventors is for people with aspergers. Yes, Tony Delroy has nothing to add. But you can’t go through the entire ABC and get finicky because you have an opnion. However, there are some aspects (such as these two blogs) which contribute zilch and are a waste of tax payers money.
I’d love to know what the figures are for people visiting these sites. Articulate blog looks like a glorified coffee table book in some pretentious eastern suburbs hair salon.
It’s about time Mark Scott pulled his head in and realised surrounding yourself with pretty people doesn’t make you attractive. David Hill taught us that a long time ago.
#5 by Duncan on 2 December 2009 - 9:41 am
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“Yes, the Inventors is for people with aspergers.”
As is The Collectors.
#6 by Molesworth on 2 December 2009 - 1:06 pm
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I, for one, am glad the ABC caters for those with Asperger’s. Now we just need the Train Hour and they’ll be a captured market.