update september 2002

Friends of the ABC (NSW) Inc.q u a rterly newsletterSept-Oct 2002 Vol 14, No. 3

i n c o r p o r a t i n gb a c k g round briefingnational magazine

friends of the abc

Is It Time for a New Constitution?

“Why are we here?” was arhetorical question raised at theConference. Penelope Toltz offeredthis answer at the outset.

Why Are We Here? It’s time weformalise our relationship with eachother in our constitution.The firstconstitution I came across when Ijoined the Friends was extremelylong and complicated and required‘translation’ into easily understoodEnglish. Once we were incorporateda new constitution was needed. Thethen secretary, Hugh Sykes, and Iwere determined that it would beeasily understood and as unambigu-ous as possible and it was written in1997 with the help of GrahamWheeler, a lawyer specializing in lawpertaining to non-profit organizations.

Now I happen to believe consti-tutions are living documents, notcast in stone. A constitution which isnever amended would belong to anorganization that fails to change andmove forward with the times. Ourshas already been amended fromtime to time.

But when it was written therewas no mention of regional groups;in fact for many years Friends hadsingle membership all over Australia.It is only in recent times with con-stant attacks on the ABC manygroups began to spring up. In NSWwe made our first amendment toinclude groups at our last AGM.

Now I hope at this conferencesome good amendments - somewonderful brainstorming - will moveus ever further forward.

C o n f e rence Reports Pages 8, 9, 10

u p d a t eHistoric WollongongConference

FABC MEDIA RELEASE FOLLOWING THE CONFERENCE...

ABC Friends Sound Ominous Warning Bell Friends of the ABC (NSW) have sounded warning bells that

Australian broadcasting - radio, television and the net - would have tobe alert and on guard as the next round of international trade talksapproaches.

NSW FABC President, Penelope Toltz, said that in trade termsapplying under GATS, the General Agreement on Trade in Services,the broadcasting service was a "commodity."

"We will also have to be very wary in negotiating a free tradeagreement with the US to see that the ABC's stature and scope is notdiminished in any way, by any degree," Mrs Toltz said.

"Of course trade agreements are vital, particularly to people onthe land, but the danger is that the Australian ‘commodity’ could betraded away - sacrificed for unlimited access for a tidal wave of rela-tively inexpensive American material."

"In that event, with local content threatened, would local commer-cial stations continue to fund local drama productions?”

“For the ABC, its funding for drama and entertainment is basicallyrock bottom."

Continued on 3

Discussing an issue at the Wollongong Conference are Liliane Leroy (NSW), AudreySemon (Great Lakes) and Grahame Burns (Great Lakes)

The Sydney ShowgroundsHomebush Bay

10:00 - 6:00-

Thursday, 26 September

Friday, 27 September

Saturday, 28 September

Sunday, 29 September

Volunteers interested in assisting on the stall please call Gary Cook 0404 829 3 7 2

GRANNYSMITH

FESTIVAL,EASTWOOD

SATURDAY, 19 OCTOBER9.00 AM - 4.30 PM

VISIT THE FRIENDS OF THE ABC STALLMERCHANDISE, INFORMATION,

MEMBERSHIP FORMS

FABClist is like a community notice board. Anyonecan pin-up a notice (e-mail) and everybody in the Friends'community (e-mailers who subscribe) can read the notice(by e-mail).

This is a great forum for late breaking news, informa-tion, opinions and debate amongst like minds ie, lovers ofthe ABC.

To join the List, send an e-mail to: f a b c l i s t @ o p t u s n e t . c o m . a u

with SUBSCRIBE as the only entry in the Subject line andyour full name and phone number in the body of the e-mail.

Every Friday FABC issues a Digest of the daily post-ings on the List. To join the List Digest send an e-mail to:[email protected] with SUBSCRIBE DIGESTas the only entry in the Subject line and your full nameand phone number in the body of the e-mail.

To post a message to FABCList, send an e-mail to:[email protected]

Please enter the topic in the Subject line and your nameat the end of the message. All messages go via theFABCList Moderator so in some cases there may be adelay before your message is broadcast.

Of course, you can leave the List at any time. Sendan e-mail to: [email protected] with UNSUB-SCRIBE as the only entry in the Subject line.

For further information about the FABCList visit theFABC NSW Web site: http://www.fabc.org.au/nsw

What is the FABClist?

The F A B C L i s t---------------List Digest

Your Friends Need YOUto go out and recruit!

Start a new Friends’ branch in yourneighbourhood.Regional NSW has 13 branches! Sydneyhas one - at Parramatta, a lively and activeone - it even has an orchestra!

But what about the northern Peninsula?Shouldn't there be a St. George & Sutherl a n dShire Branch?

What about the North Shore? And surelythere must be ABC friends in the easternsuburbs?

Go Forth & Multiply!Contact FABC (NSW) to find out how.

Phone. 9990 0600 and speak slowly orcheck our website: www.fabc.org.au/nsw

The NSWBranch of theFriends have an e-mail list for u s eby members.

P re s i d e n t ’sR e p o r t R e g i o n a l

Australia is to bethe source of newABC national pro-grams called, atpresent, theRegional Debates.

Wagga Wagga will be the host forthe first of a series of six publicdebates, humorous ones, on issuesrelevant to local audiences.

The programs were announced byABC managing director, RussellBalding, in Wagga Wagga where hewent to mark the ABC’s 70thBirthday in July, to emphasise theABC’s commitment to regional radiobroadcasting.

They will feature live audiences, amoderator and two teams, each fea-turing three local personalities.

Mr Balding said the ABC had donethis sort of thing before, but only in thecoastal capitals.

“This time we’re going aro u n dcountry Australia, and we’re starting ito ff here in the Riverina, in Wa g g aWagga,” Mr Balding told the birthdayaudience there .

“ We hope to uncover fresh Riverinatalent and expose new comedy viaABC Local Radio. The debates will bereplayed as part of the ABC’s newnational Saturday/Sunday evening line-u p . ”

Mr Balding said (July) the new pro-grams would commence “in the nexttwo to three months.”

“The importance of ensuring thatlocal content is in the program mixcannot be overstated.”

“ I t ’s our role to be the place whereviews are exchanged not just betweenneighbours with common interests, butbetween the cities and the re g i o n s . ”

“ To understand the country, youhave to capture the special qualities ofAustralia that lie beyond the capitalcities. Not having and bro a d c a s t i n gtheir voices and stories would be then a t i o n ’s loss.”

“The ABC’s presence in re g i o n a lAustralia has more to do with then a t i o n ’s history and the necessity ofcommunications than about stre n g t hof audience numbers.”

“Let us not forget how vast Australiais. That places a critical demand onthe public bro a d c a s t e r...we muste n s u re that communities isolated bygeography are not also isolated fro mcommunications.”

“ We also have an obligation to thef u t u re. It’s critical that the ABC contin-ues to remain relevant in a fore v e rchanging broadcasting and medialandscape and continues to grow itsaudiences by delivering quality, distinc-tive and comprehensive bro a d c a s t i n gservices to all Australians - no matterw h e re they live.”

U P D ATE: The ABC advised as wewent to press that the next twoRegional Debates would be recordedin Bunbury, WA and Rockhampton,Qld.

As Good As His Word

Friends of the ABC, what agreat change it has been in the lastcouple of months to celebrate the70th anniversary of the AustralianBroadcasting Corporation, insteadof lobbying, fighting and criticising!

I was privileged to be invitedto the launch of the new transmit-ter which brings NewsRadio to theCentral Coast district of New SouthWales which was held on the actualanniversary 1st July 2002. I took asurprise anniversary cake for thestaff, listeners and supporters whoattended and it was a wonderfuloccasion.

On 21st July, Central CoastFriends of the ABC held a 70thanniversary of the ABC which waswell attended. A cake was pro-duced and a wonderful afternoonof music and song celebrated theABC again.

The following week there wasa celebration by the Blue MountainsFriends of the ABC with specialguests Radio National's R a c h e lK o h n and 7.30 Report's KerryO'Brien. They both gave veryinspiring speeches with Rachel'sshowing a flare for comedy previ-ously hidden. The attendance wasso great that afternoon tea had tobe moved to a bigger room.

Parramatta Friends of theABC held a 70th anniversary cele-bration 1st September andIllawarra Friends are holding ananniversary dinner at the end ofSeptember with special guest,Richard Morecroft.

I would like to congratulate allour regional groups for maintainingtheir activities during this time.M o re about our regional confere n c eappears elsewhere in Update.

Penelope ToltzThree generations of ABC fans,and members ofthe Friends’, help celebrate ABC’s 70th birthdayat the Central Coast.The cake is on the right.

HERITAGE TOUR OF "YARALLA"On Sunday, 29 September, The Friends, in conjunction withthe Concord Heritage Society, have arranged a series of guided tours of the historic Yaralla Estate (adjoining Concord Hospital).

Tours of the mansion will be of about 40 minutes duration. Each tour will have a maximum of20 people. We have booked 5 tours, so with a ceiling on numbers of 100, it is importantto book early to ensure a place.Tours will depart at the following intervals:11.30 am / 11.45 am / 12.15 pm /12.30 pm / 1.00 pm

Payment in advance is requested(Adult $15, Concession $10)

by credit card (M/C, Visa, B/C only).Entry will be by ticket only.

The grounds of Yaralla Estate areextensive. For no additional charge you can join a conducted tour of the grounds(starting from the mansion).These toursleave at regular intervals from 10.30 am.Entry to the Estate is via the gates onthe corner of The Drive and NullawarraRd. Limited parking is available withinthe grounds. Alternative parking innearby streets.

Barbecue lunches and soft drinks can be purchased from Concord Rotary Club's Trailer and Devonshire teas are also available.You are also welcome to bring yourown food and refreshments.

For bookingsplease call:

Gary Cook 0404 829 372Jason Lo we 9489 1420

FABC Spokesperson, Darce Cassidy, takes stock of atransition, and finds that the contrast between JonathanShier and Russell Balding could hardly be greater. Butmany problems remain the same.

Shier was impulsive, impatient and interventionist.Balding's style is calm, cautious and collaborative. Shiertook the view that the ABC required a massive shakeup.Balding appears to be taking a steady as she goesapproach. But - while internal threats to the ABC seem tohave diminished, external threats are growing.

As the electronic media move into an era of rapidchange, the ABC has been crippled by twenty years ofcuts to its budget for basic radio and television services.

With a possible merger of Foxtel andOptus, pay television could grow rapidly; theinternet is still growing, and new digital broad-casting channels could dwarf the ABC's output.The ABC could be relegated to the sidelines.

Without additional funds, ABC management faces adifficult choice. There will be pressures, and no doubttemptations, to go down the commercialroad. That might provide funds, but it wouldlead to the loss of the ABC's purpose andidentity. There is no point in taking that road.

Without additional funds, the ABC could support itsnew media (eg Internet and Digital TV) output by strippingresources from its already stretched traditional broadcast-ing services, but robbing Peter to pay Paul will just lead toa reduction in quality.

Over the next six months the ABC's funding for thenext triennium will be decided. Opinion polls clearly showthat taxpayers are willing to pay more for the ABC. We

need to remind the government of that.

After Rambo, A Team Player

bb

Médecins SansFrontières (Doctorswithout Borders) wereso impressed by aRadio National pro-gram they used it fortheir August appeal.A Radio Eye feature,Beyond the CaneFence: Letters fromUganda, focused ona young Australiandoctor, Marnie Fraser,who worked for theorganisation in west-ern Uganda.

Through interviewsand Marnie's emailsthe program exploresthe challenges, fearsand complexities oflife for an expatriatedoctor in a countrywhere disaster liesjust beyond the canefence. Impressed bythe warts and all por-trayal of the work,Médecins SansFrontières sought andreceived ABC permis-

sion to use the fea-ture as part of itsappeal mail out to58,000 doctors.Duplicating so manyCDs was costly, butsuch was theconvincingpower of theprogram.

It was produced bySharon Davis, techni-cal production, StevenTilley.

from abcXchange, July 22, 2002

No Frontiers for Radio National

Even though the ABC is not in thenews every day, as it was during theShier period, it is still under attack.For example: so far unreported else-where (September), proposedchanges to ABC editorial policy now

before the board,with nasty implica-tions for freedom ofjournalists within theABC, are contained

in a report 100 pages long. Evenwading through it will be monumental.

A new beaucracy to answer editorial complaints?

One component recommends set-ting up a whole new bureaucracy,largely independent of program mak-ers, to answer editorial complaints!Who thinks up these proposals? Solengthy is it, it’s the sort of documentthat gets acted on before it is widelyunderstood, particularly outside theABC. Surely there is a distinct lack oftransparency here?

Capacity for in-depth reporting lessened

Another example and anotherproblem: programs like the 7.30Report now have half the number ofjournalists they used to, so the story

turn-around is quicker and the capac-ity for in-depth reporting, is lessened.

Another worrying feature is thei n t e rnational trade agreements Australiais hoping to sign - treaties in whichAustralian broadcasting, including cinema, may be regarded as justanother negotiable commodity.

What might this do to Australiancontent and to public service broad-casting? One of our members, JillKeogh, is researching the detail andwe’re also in touch with the PublicAdvocacy Centre.

We will almost certainly need tomake a submission to government inthe future. Hopefully these events willnot come to pass, but some politi-cians are not as concerned about theABC as we are.

Members must remain vigilant

So, if the price offreedom is eternal vig-ilance, members can-not allow theirs to flagduring non-electionyears and quiet periods, mistakenlythinking the ABC is no longer underthreat.

Penelope Toltz

The more things change, the morethey - you know what...

An occasional programguide to what's on...

Keeping up to date with ABC NewMedia, Online and Interactive program-ming is compulsory only for some, butage-wise it can certainly be 'cool' -here are some tips.

Mixy's New Deal for Junior Viewers

Mixy? Mixy, an ABC media releasesays, is not only everyone's favouritepink rabbit, but now has a new virtualhutch at ABC Online

"http://abc.net.au/children/mixy"

This means children can log on anytime to visit Mixy and play on a highlyinteractive site with the Mixy toy boxfilled with new and old interactivegames and toys, including Carrot Pieto help Grandma bake one, Where'sMixy? and others - like the Dress UpMixy and Colour Me games. Site visi-tors also see Mixy ditties brought to lifewith an animated Mixy singing hermuch-loved poems.

Mixy is the host of ABC Kids VideoLounge which now also features clipsof Bananas in Pyjamas and clips fromPlayschool, Sesame Street and OurAnimals and others.

Mixy's interactive site also incorpo-rates e-cards, a guest book, a picturegallery of paintings from the audienceand print and colour activities. Is Mixysometimes lonely? Mixy now receivesregular access of between 75.000 and80,000 hits per week.

A Radio FirstA new ABC radio station, DiG

It's the ABC's first internet-only radiostation, online since July, offering listen-ers a stream of diverse music and audiofeatures on demand, such as reviews,interviews and interactive content - DiGas in digital, but pronounced as in‘shovel’.

Early days yet, but it's designed toultimately be the richest experience forpeople who love music but are intogetting the kind they want from otherABC radio services or from the com-mercial sector.

Listen to DiG Radio for a mix of greatsounds - blues, soul, roots, 'world',jazz, rock and all that's in between.Listen to DiG for new releases, con-certs and other stuff you may not hearelsewhere. DiG!

A B C

ParramattaWhat a swell party!Parramatta joined in the almost monthly celebrations

by Friends’ branches to celebrate the ABC's 70th, butthey did so with such style and panache they raised thebar and shifted the goal posts. Happy Birthday backedby an 80-piece orchestra!

The afternoon of September1st was due to begin inParramatta Town Hall at 2.30 with an orchestral recitalby The Occasional Performing Sinfonia, conducted bybranch President, Mal Hewitt and highlights from opera,with four soloists from the Australian Opera.The after-noon program included Mozart, Donizetti, The MagicFlute, Samson and Delilah, Romeo and Juliet, Carmen,West Side Story and G&S and a massed rendition ofHappy Birthday!

Slated next: jazz and 'nibbles' for all and a forum forthe audience to discuss the role of the ABC in westernSydney. The wrap-up at 6pm was a folk singing session.

Northern Rivers The Northern Rivers FABC branch has conducted a

poetry competition to celebrate the ABC's 70 years ofbroadcasting. Entries closed on the last day of August,and winners are to perform their works at the ‘LivePoets in Lismore’ on Wednesday 18 September.

For winning entries see the branch web site. www.users.bigpond.com/webformation/freindsabcnr

David Hallett’s poem for the ABC’s birthday is alreadyon the net. The branch website will refer readers on to it.

The Branch meets regularly in Lismore and has sub-branches at Nimbin and Byron Bay. It is looking atadding another one by establishing a Tweed Valley sub-branch.

Around the Branches

Blue MountainsA High Tea - Mountain High Birthday CelebrationsRachael Kohn, Kerry O'Brien, Guests of Honour

More than 120 people joined Blue Mountains‘Friends’ at the Hydro Majestic for a 70th birthday forthe ABC, July 27. After High Tea, guests heard fromPenelope Toltz, outlining a history of the ‘Friends’ andstressing that the FABC did not support any politicalparty. Its diverse membership mirrored Australian soci-ety’s diversity.

The ABC, citizenship and democracy were entwined,she said. Politicians owed us explanations and theremust be transparency and freedom of information.

Responding, Kerry said that after heated politicalinterviews, he often received protests from both sides ofthe political spectrum, each suggesting he had favouredthe other. He said he had no political agenda; his onlyaim was excellence.

He noted that although Jonathan Shier had gone, theboard that appointed him was still there, with the sameexecutive team, and he expressed the hope that RussellBalding turned out to be the kind of manager the ABCneeded. He also stressed the importance of Friends ofthe ABC's support, as having helped head off some ofthe worst possible outcomes of the past.

Kerry said that in a memo leaked last June, SenatorAlston had devoted one page to strategy to be followedbefore the ABC's public support base could be activat-ed. Triennial funding, Kerry added, was as susceptibleto overt and covert forms of political pressure as it everhad been.

Rachael Kohn, of Radio National's 'The Spirit ofThings' capped the party with a witty address, full ofreligious analogies. She said that TV and radio werereligiously separated, with radio representing the puri-tans of the air, the 'people of the books'. She saw pro-grams like hers as a way to help us break out of the'narrow road we construct for ourselves and to make lifemore joyful, wondrous and challenging.'

Kerry O’Brien, Penelope Toltz and Rachael Kohn atBlue Mountains celebrating 70th birthday of the ABC

John Derum,president of the Blue Mountains Branch,Rachael Kohn of Radio National and Kerry O’Brien enjoying theBlue Mountain’s function held to celebrate ABC’s 70th birthday.

Since Jonathan Shier left lastOctober the ABC has settled down toa period of consolidation and stabilityunder the managing directorship ofRussell Balding. Consequently, theABC has dropped off the front pagesof the newspapers.

However, a steady drip of malevo-lence in the opinion pages has not letup. The tired old themes are trotted outad nauseam, with no more justificationthan they ever had.

We need to understand thesepeople and recognise the tricks ofsophistry they use. Here are sometips on how to identify false argumentand how to strengthen your letters tothe editor in rebuttal.

(We are indebted to MargaretO’Connor ACT for the researchbehind this article.)

Many columnists critical of theABC use techniques which are actuallyabuses of argument. They may affectclever, witty and even convincing writ-ing styles, but this covers up their fail-ure to construct valid arguments. Thefollowing are examples of fallaciousarguments which readers should beaware of when analysing commentabout the ABC (or for that matter, anyother issues).

1. PERSUADER WORDS That is words such as: obvious/obviously, plain/plainly,clear/clearly, sure/surely and undoubted/undoubtedly.

‘Balding clearly does not have themedia experience or tough personalityrequired to run the wide con-federationof personalities that make up the ABC.

Clearly McDonald is not up to thejob and should go.’

MIKE NAHAN,Exec Director Institute of Public Affairs,The Australian 30/5/02

The writer is saying that the situa-tion is clear to anybody with anysense.The words clearly and obviouslyare being used to prevent furtherthought, and suggest that only foolscould not agree with the statements.

2. EMOTIVE LANGUAGEAn attempt to influence people by

words which appeal to their feelings,

or which awaken particular associa-tions. It is often abusive.

‘The Inmates Are Still Running TheAsylum.

Media Watch is back trashing itscompetitors in the private media withbile and junk journalism.’

Both: Mike Nahan The Australian 30/5/02

3. AD HOMINEMattacking the person

A personal attack on an individual,organisation or program which endors-e s a viewpoint.

Like the use of emo-tive language, it is aneasy and superficiallypersuasive approach,but not grounded in factand reason.Think care-fully. It’s usually non-sense.

“McDonald has come to resembleSergeant Schultz in the old Americansitcom Hogan’s Heroes, with his regu-lar utterances of “I know nothing. I seenothing, I hear nothing.”

Mike Nahan The Australian 30/5/02

“The ABC has been the Toorakand Mosman BroadcastingCorporation for a while now. It hassacrificed even the pretence at realquality to being a class - basedbroadcaster. It is a broadcaster ofrespectable junk, aimed at a middleclass that only feels comfortablewatching a soap opera if it’s disguisedas costume drama or given the alibi ofa ‘classic’ novel.”

Tony Moore and McKenzie Wark The Age 3/7/00

In this last example, Moore andWark have managed to combine twopersonal attacks in one paragraph!The first against the ABC and the sec-ond against its viewers, implying thatif you are an ABC viewer, you are bydefinition a boring old fuddy duddy.

4. AD POPULUMAppeal to the people, the masses.

It exploits the the need to belong, tobe accepted, to be like everyone else,and hold the views of the majority.

The Ad Populum techniqueexploits the assumption that if most

people hold acertain view-point, then itmust be theright one.

“Tired of being told you‘re a red-neck racist because you don’t believeillegal immigrants should be permittedto break the law and get away with it?Well, take heart, you’re in the majority,your views are those of the widercommunity and you have the sympathyof influential people in Europe and theUS.”

“This is not, of course, what youwill hear when you listen to the ABCor read the broadsheet press, butdon’t let that alarm you. The viewsexpressed by the ABC’s commenta-tors and given prominence in thebroadsheets are those of the minority:a minority here and internationally.”

PIERS AKERMANDaily Telegraph 5 /2/02

5. AD VERECUNDIAMAppeal to Authority

In addition to exploiting the AdPopulum technique, Akerman alsouses an appeal to authority when heasserts that his viewpoint is shared by‘influential people in Europe and theUS’.

By Margaret O’Connor and Joan LaingTo be concluded in the next issue.

References used are to:1. Clear Thinking (Inglis & Lewis,

Collins Educational Ltd.)2. www. a n i o t a . c o m / ~ j w h i t e / w o rd s . h t m l

How to spot a dodgy argument

bb

“Update”includes material from theSouth Australian

‘Friends’ publication“Background Briefing”,

compiled and edited by Joan Laing.

In “ U p d a t e ”this m a t e r i a l is credited as:

bb

NSW President Penelope Toltzsets the scene for delegates inWollongong for the first State confer-ence of NSW and Regional Friends ofthe ABC.

When I joined the Friends (1996)state membership was small withbranches in Port Macquarie, Armidale,Bega and Eurobodalla. The last threewere constituted as separate bodiesand Eurobodalla was also incorporated.

Those branches are still notmembers of the state body; they’renot on our database; we don’t knowtheir members to contact or the sizeof their memberships. That’s not tocomplain about our colleagues – that’sjust the way things are. But at our lastcommittee meeting there was discus-sion about changes to insurance andthe need to belong to NSW to benefitfrom its umbrella cover. So that putsthe matter up for review. (A questionof privacy also arises, but I’ll come tothat.)

From 1977 onward new branch-es started in Bathurst, BlueMountains, Central Coast, Great Lakes,Illawarra, Newcastle, Northern Rivers,Orange and Parramatta - all asregional parts of the state body andat the last AGM they were specificallyincluded in the constitution.

Friends Go bush

As for their motivation, in the lastsix years attacks on the ABC reacheda level not seen since 1976 whenMalcolm Fraser began using fundingcuts to try to keep the ABC in line. Itseems it was the constancy and sav-agery of the attacks of the last sixyears that caused ABC audiences inregional and rural NSW to becomeinvolved as never before.

I realized how important ABC radioand television is to regional, rural andremote Australians. We now havemore members in NSW than theDemocrats.

WIth "courting the bush" hasbecome a favourite FederalG o v e rnment past time, I was delightedto receive phone calls from regionalareas asking how to begin branches.

During the last election campaign,Friends in marginal seats lobbied theirlocal MPs and other candidates andlocal groups also held "Meet theCandidate" evenings for people to askquestions of the candidates - democ-racy at the grass roots.

But we are not partypolitical. Members cannotand must not advocate avote for any particularparty.

You can belong to any party youlike – naturally, but you cannot lobbyfor that party under the Friends of theA B C ’s banner. Political lobbying meansdealing with politicians from all partiesand independents. It does not involveadvocating one side or another. FA B Cmembership is as diverse as theAustralian population.

Tick that Box

Now we come to the privacyissue. We at state level know that youknow your areas better than we do.So, regional groups have only a loosearrangement with the state body, butit makes sense for NSW and NSWgroups to know about each other, toshare information and access for effi-ciency and maximum effectiveness.

But contact is blocked by the pri-vacy laws. We and they can’t discloseanything about members, not even toeach other, without their permission.

So - for the moment sign up peo-ple in your area as Friends of the ABC(NSW) Inc. branch. But please notethe new Membership Form includes asentence that says "Give my detailsto my local FABC."

If you make sure people tick andsign it, (assuming they’re agreeable),then our Membership Secretary willemail or mail the new local members'names back to you as members alsoof your branch, so we all know.

They should understand that theexchange of names is only betweenus and the branch, for mutual benefit- theirs included.

So, new members please tickthat box! And current members, whenyou renew, please tick theappropriate box on your renew-al letter.

Groups should run their own race

But let me also stress that theNSW branch has always felt regionaland rural groups should run their ownrace and activities appropriate to theirown particular areas.

If there are ideas that worked wellfor you, share them with the rest ofus. We can mention them in Updateand if you have your own newsletter,we’d love to receive a copy of thattoo. As well, we’re all connected tothe net; so we can help and encour-age each other if we stay in touch.

Going National

The National Body is a loosegrouping: state presidents or repre-sentatives meet at an annual confer-ence to decide policy on a nationallevel, national lobbying and nationalsubmissions to parliament during tri-ennial funding discussions and the like.

Rural and regional branchescommunicate with the state branchand if the problem is national, thenthe state branches communicate witheach other for a national response ifthat’s what’s needed.

To avoid being at cross purposes,it’s preferable that local branches askfor help if information from anotherState branch is needed. We can go tothat branch. If regional branches con-tact other state branches, none of uswill know what is going on.

So I believe a most importantfeature of this weekends’ regionalconference is the cross fertilization ofinformation and ideas. It is easy tofeel isolated and alone with a smallcommittee and just a few peopledoing most of the work.

But learning from each other, wewill avoid re-inventing the wheel andwe will considerably increase ourknowledge banks.

Historic Meeting: Laying out the Background…Setting the Future

√

The minutes of the two-day conference require more space than Update can give them. Instead, they areon our website: http://www.fabc.org.au/nsw. Here's an extract, including proposed constitutional changes toconvert FABC NSW Inc into a Branch, and the setting up of a state executive, but not to overwhelm localbranch autonomy.

Conference OutcomesIt was agreed to present the conference outcomes as recommendations, under three broad headings:

Constitutional - structure, legal requirements etc.Policies - focus on approach to specific issues eg, fundraising, membership etc.Processes - focus on operations, how things are done, how policies are implemented.

The structure of the Friends of the ABC (NSW) Inc. will be restructured as follows:

The FABC (NSW) Inc. shall consist of: • State Executive • Branches • Sub-branches • Members of NSWBranch (full members) • Associate members.

As far as practicable, all areas of NSW will be covered by a Branch to which all members shall nominally belong.

- All Branches shall be affiliated with FABC (NSW) Inc.- Any non-affiliated Branches shall become affiliated within 12 months of the adoption of these changes.- That geographical boundaries for Branches be determined as far as practicable on federal electoral boundaries.- That all Branches be informed by the NSW Executive of FABC members in their catchment areas.- Branches will adopt the provisions of the FABC (NSW) Inc. Constitution except where it is not practicable to

do so (eg, in the case of distance, meeting frequency etc).

- Branches may adopt special local rules which depart from the NSW Constitution due to special needs. Such rules to be submitted to the FABC (NSW) executive.

- S p e c i f i c a l l y, that Sect. 11(d) & 11 (e) of the NSW Constitution be adopted for the purposes of Branch financ i a laccountability, substituting 'branch' for 'association' where applicable..

- Funds specifically nominated for the FABC (NSW) Inc. will be forwarded to the NSW Executive.- Branches shall have office bearers elected in accordance with Sect. 11 of the NSW Constitution, whilst sub-

branches will have a 'convenor' elected at the Branch AGM.

- Branches shall keep minutes of meetings, records of membership (full & associate) and financial records in a c c o rdance with Sect. 11 of the NSW Constitution.

Conference: Delegates’ consensus sets tone for AGM

ATTENTION: New MembersIt is important that you tick the box in the Membership Form which says: ”Give my details tomy local FABC”. This is so that we can have your closest Friends’ Branch contact you.This is necessary due to privacy regulations.

The Regional Conference was aforum for points of view - perceptiveand passionate.

Twenty-seven delegates from ACTbranch, Armidale, Bega, Bathurst,

Central Coast, Great Lakes. Hunter, Illawarra, NorthernRivers and NSW Friends (Inc) attended the two-day con-ference, beginning with a quick round robin of what dele-gates' expectations were of the ABC in, say 2010.

Responses ranged from 'a powerhouse of quality localproduction - drama, light entertainment, opera and ballet'to retaining its role as 'a beacon of excellence and arepository of our cultural history' - Beth Spratt (Illawarra).

What did others have to say, foreshadow or grizzleabout? Hank Willems (Newcastle) expressed an anxiety "toprotect the ABC from governments running it by stealth, orendeavouring to."

Neville Jennings (Northern Rivers) wanted to see theABC rebuild its production facilities and upgrade itsarchival processes - "at present it's not possible to do adecent retrospective from them" he said, "as well, a mea-sure of its strength will be its traditional role as a training'institute' for people in the media."

Jason Lowe (NSW) wanted a return to the peakstrengths displayed in the past of general local program-ming, particularly current affairs. Since the Opera Houserally we are seen and treated as a stronger lobbying group.

Norah Taylor (Bathurst) was concerned that post-Shier,people would sit back relaxed that issues were on the ebb- "which is simply not the case." Similarly, Jennifer Jones(Illawarra): "the independence of the ABC seems okay fornow, but I don't trust 'them'," she said. Jennifer pressedfor more production staff and more funding. (She too wasconcerned that archival material was "in disarray.")

For Grahame Burns (Great Lakes) the issue ten yearshence was for sufficient funding for the ABC to continuedoing the things commercial radio doesn't. He added thatit would be nice if Great Lakes was able to receiveNewsRadio. (He also hoped Juanita Phillips would still bereading ABC News in 2010.)

Audrey Semon (Great Lakes) hoped funding never fal-tered to maintain ABC transcripts online - "an importantservice which even now needs more money to expand."

Peter Burke (NSW): "The ABC should concentrate andstrengthen all the things it does best." Peter Youll (NSW):"Local content to increase - program diversity to expand."

Dev Webber (NSW): an end to the loss over the yearsof talented people who'd had their foundation in the ABC,"suitable funding to ensure greater retention of talent."

Liliane Leroy (NSW) hoped that by 2010 the NolanRules applied to Board appointments with the ABC’s edi-torial independence still a parmount requirement.

Jenny Forster (NSW) between now and 2010 - "morerelevance to youth and 'ethnic' Australia - more funding forrural radio - more funding for more training for more youngpeople."

Valerie Sharman (Central Coast) stressed the need tot u rn around the permanent sense of dread re g a rding theABC always "waiting around for something (bad) to happen."

To her colleague Ann Marshall calendars and 2010were irrelevant - the independence of the ABC was a per-manent issue and "the ABC is absolutely necessary for ahealthy democracy."

For Penelope Toltz the Nolan Rules in choosing newABC boards and more transparency were the issues; sotoo greater youth involvement, sustaining JJ,J bolsteringABC on the net as a youth forum" and adequate or eveno v e r-funding for in-house production to re s t o re local comedyand drama, to its former peaks."

Gary Cook called for an end to "the slash and burnera" at the ABC, “Australia's greatest cultural institute” andseeing "its funding restored to proper levels, with its staffmotivated, career paths before them and sufficiently well-paid to be stay - an ABC full of people acutely aware oftheir capacity and public and administrative support."

The last word on futurology fell to Chris Cartledge andhis Illawarra colleagues, closing the round robin with a

broad-brush summary and a compellingpicture of "the ABC as a beacon of excel-lence and a repository of our cultural his-tory"...particularly at crucial times - contin-ual awareness - vigilance - pressureapplied in marginal electorates - 2010 anda universal coverage and relevance toage, geography and culture - culturaldiversity - youth and Triple J - an incuba-tor of talent - a powerhouse of develop-ment - a training facility - an ABC withproduction funding and facilities for localcontent restored.

And not a voice was raised in dissent.

TheConferenceCoreResolution

That all groupswithin NSW be refo rm-ed as follows: NSWFriends of the ABCInc be restructuredas theSydney branch;all members in NSWwill belong to a bra n choperating under theumbrella of NSW

Friends of theABC, to be managedat State level by anExecutive Committeeelected at the AGM; itwill be the duty of cer-tain executive mem-bers to liaise and actas a contact pointbetween the executiveand particular branch-es to exchange infor-mation and points ofview.

New branches willbe formed (particular-ly in Sydney becauseof the city’s size) andother places to con-form with this struc-ture. Proposal to beput to the next NSWAnnual GeneralMeeting.

Proposed by HankWillems (Newcastle),Agreed unanimouslyby consent.

Things they said - warts, aspirations and all

The Shier era is mercifully behindus. Former ABC drama producer andformidable Staff Association president,John Croyston, however, looks backin anger to a similar time when, herecalls, funding cuts imposed by thefirst Fraser government and ABC cor-porate strategies cost the ABC dearly- an historic loss.

The Fraser cuts coincided with amanagement strategy to bypass in-house production and contract it out -an early manifestation of economicrationalism and globalisation. (The BBCwere setting us an example by prepar-ing to re t rench field production staff andrehire them as free-lancers, as it did.)

The then ABC TV ProgramController, John Cameron, decided tomeet the budget cut targets with thenew corporate strategy, emasculatingin-house drama production, and rentingABC facilities and technical staff to out-side ‘producers’ - or staff and/or pro-grams would have to be cut,’ was theargument. Simultaneously, independentoutside producers were campaigningfor a reduction in ABC in-house pro-duction, to open the ABC up to outsideprogram makers and other providers.

The industrial battle that followed,which the staff lost, played its part instimulating the emergence of Friends ofthe ABC. ( Out of even the worst of cir-cumstances, some thing good oftenarises!); but in-house ABC productionwas dealt a blow from which it hasnever quite recovered.

How different things might have beenhad not ABC strategy and Fraser fund-ing cuts coincided.

John Cameron was so enthusiasticabout the proposed new system andits advantages to management, as heperceived them, he presumed to winstaff over with the extraordinary argu-ment that once permanentproducers were terminatedthe consequent freeing upof studios for hire wouldfund the purchase of programs fromoutside the ABC.

The Staff Association was not p e r-suaded, it recognised the ultimate con-sequence of the proposed scheme andwent on strike. Management claimed thestrike was over money, as manage-ments do, but the battle for productionwas lost.

P roducers were contracted, in-houseproduction virtually ceased. There is nocall any longer for in-house producers,programs are bought or co-produced,with the ABC providing facil ities; pro-ducers are not re q u i red on staff . TheABC exists as a 'venue' for outsideprograms and program makers, achannel for hire. It continues to existbecause of News and Current Affairson television and because of CountryRadio, Radio National and News Radio.If these things were to go the way ofTelevision program production, then theABC will go - to black.

John Croyston was a director, pro-ducer and editor in the Drama Dept ofthe ABC for more than 25 years; wasan official of the NSW Staff Associationfor more than 10 years, and FederalPresident of the Association in 1978.

The Lesson of the Missing Cast or Where Did All the Drama Go?

Friends Saddened by Tim Flynn's Death.

The loss of NewsRadio'sgravel-voiced sports broad-caster, Tim Flynn, aged 54,came as a shock to listenersas surprising and unexpect-ed, but his colleagues atNewsRadio were well awareof Flynn's battle with cancerand the little amount of timeleft to him.

Nonetheless the News-Radio 'community' - a small,close-knit unit - was devas-tated when he died. Tim hadinsisted on working almostup until his death.

Friends of the ABC extendtheir sympathy to his familyand friends, the NewsRadiocrew and the rest of his ABCcolleagues.

That robust voice, full ofconfident and bold asser t i o n sabout all things sport i n g , issorely missed.

Tim Flynn joined News-Radio soon after the stationstarted in 1994.

A Victorian, who began hisbroadcasting career in Hobart ,he was on commercial radioin Adelaide, Melbourne andSydney as well and handledpublicity and special eventsin Melbourne for the Ninenetwork.

His first love, howeve r, wa sWA where he first made h i sm a rk as an AFL caller andhosted Channel Seven's'World of Football' Perth,where he died in hospital inJune.

Cartoon courtesy ofBackground Briefing

Corporate spokesman, ShaneWells, spells out a corporate concern- and wariness. So should we all bewary. A new law is a must.

The ABC believes it is importantthat all of the services provided by thepublicly-funded national broadcasterare - should be - available on all dis-tribution platforms in Australia.

At present SBS TV, ABC Channel2 and the digital channels - ABCKidsand Fly - can be accessed on Optuscable TV, as can the commercial free-to-air networks. But this is notrequired by law. What’s more as newmedia delivery 'platforms' becomemore accessible and popular, themass audience may move towardsthem, leaving services delivered byold technology isolated.

Why? Because the new platformswill be delivered through a compositereceiver apparatus such as a singleset top box serving as a gateway forall kinds of services in addition to tele-vision. People will be able to accessOnline services, banking and othertransactions, email, shopping, gamesand interactive services.

The ABC Marginalised?

Once these activities are well-established and the 'communicationbox' has become just another house-hold appliance, people will havegrown accustomed to using oneremote control, to access a range ofservices, emailing, buying a product,or returning to a television program. Ifthe ABC is not on that platform, peo-ple will need another device to accessits services.

The need to move to a differentpiece of hardware may discouragepeople from turning to the ABC. aswell as the cables and receivers that

supply these services are controlledby others, not the ABC.

The ABC has no means of gainingaccess to them, except by mutualagreement with the carriers - orthrough government regulation. Thehigh demand and consequent highcost for access to the platforms c o u l dmake it impossible for the ABC to bedelivered on these platforms.

The ABC believes 'must carry'provisions should be included in theB roadcasting Services Act for all ABCnational broadcasting and datacastingservices, including the main ABCchannel, multi-channels, radio sta-tions, and associated interactive andenhanced services as well as futurechannels or services.

Shane Wells

'Must Carry' Lessonsfrom Abroad.

Who will control the gateway toand from our homes? The house-holders or the locksmith?

Darce Cassidy takes comfort fromEurope and the United States.

Channel 10 supports the ABC'spush for 'must carry' legislation, TheTen Network's Executive Chairman,Nick Faloon, said of the proposedmerger between Optus and Foxtel -this deal is not about pay TV. It'sabout buying a monopoly to takecontrol of the gateway into people'shomes.

So far, with a relatively low pene-tration of cable TV - 22% in Australia,compared with 55% in the UK and80% in the US. this has not beenmuch of an issue in Australia.

However, it has been bitterlyfought in the US, where cable com-panies have demanded the right tolock out public broadcasters. The USgovernment - and most Europeangovernments - have 'must carry' leg-islation, which compels cable compa-nies to carry all free-to-air channelson their cable systems, alongside thepay channels for which viewers pay apremium.

US cable companies have chal-lenged this legislation in the courts,arguing, paradoxically, that by refus-ing them the right to lock somebroadcasters out of the delivery sys-tem, the government has infringedtheir rights to free speech.

The US Supreme Court hasrefused to buy this argument. In 1996the Court found that the legislationserved three important interests: thepreservation of free local television,the promotion of widespread dissemi-nation of information from a multiplici-ty of sources and the promotion of f a i rcompetition in the television market.

More recently, the Supreme Courtthrew out another attempt to strikeout 'must carry' provisions.Commenting on this decision, theAssociation of Public TV Stations(representing non-profit broadcastersakin to our community broadcasters)said 'today's decision ... providessolid legal precedent for public televi-sion's efforts to gain access to otherdistribution technologies in the future.

While the US and most Europeancountries have 'must carry' legislation,Australia does not.

Without similar legislation inAustralia, the ABC and the SBS couldfind themselves marginalised.

‘'Must carry' is a must or the ABC couldbe disastrously sidetracked

FABC (NSW) Inc. Executive CommitteePresident - Penelope Toltz

Phone: 9960 5542 Fax 9960 5767Treasurer - Peter Burke

Phone 9144 2668 email [email protected] - Lilliane Leroy

Phone 9969 5159Membership Secretary - Dev and Faith Webber

Phone 9990 0600

bb

bb

MEDIA RELEASEContinued from Page 1

The issue emerged at theNSW FABC's first state con-ference in Wollongong earlyAugust to identify futurethreats to the ABC and plan aFriends' response.

Ms Toltz said the ABC wasAustralia's most important culturalorganisation and an essential partin any well-functioning democracy.

"To have it labeled a commod-ity like food or coal is ludicrous, adanger to freedom of expressionand a threat to our ability to seeourselves as we should throughour media," she said.

"Since the end of the unfortu-nate Shier era, 'battle-weary'Friends may not have been aspublicly visible as before.

"But it's bit like a finely-tunedcar fuelled and ready to go, justidling. As well, the rush to joinFriends during the Shier's termwas such we needed to look atour structure and organisationalarrangements.

Stuart Fist asks - whowill pay the piper?

Ever sinceAustralian televisionbegan in 1954 theaudience has been

convinced that more channels wouldautomatically lead to more choice anda better range of program viewing.And in an ideal (or is that idealistic)world that would be so.

However the realities of commercialfree-to-air television stations are oth-erwise. Double channels equal,roughly, double costs with advertisingrevenue remaining relatively static.(And what does that suggest aboutfuture program quality?)

It is not difficult to see why the own-ers of Nine and TEN networks arenot, enamoured by the prospect ofhaving multiple digital channels to fill.

Digital television transmission intro-duced changes to the system whichare beyond the abilities of the presentlicensing structure to absorb withoutsubstantial modification. Australiantelevision needs a complete re-thinkand it is likely that we will see a merg-er between free-to-air and pay-TV

operations.

But that in turn will modify the cosyrelationship between the cable carri-ers Telstra/Optus and the pay-pro-gram providers within Foxtel. Whypay for cable transmission when thebroadcasters are able to provide theirown scrambled channels at a fractionof the price? The problem they stillhave is the cost of programs, sincethe commercial local productionemphasis has been on sports andprograms with only transient interest.

The ABC, of course, does its sumsdifferently. Instead of revenues andprofits, it calculates success in termsof viewer satisfaction. And its film-library must be full of home-made fic-tional series, documentaries, chil-dren's programs and education mate-rial, all of which can be transmitted onsecondary channels without residuals.Many of the early imported BBCmaterial also came with unlimitedrerun rights.

So the ABC should be in a goodposition to handle multi-channel pro-gramming and, in fact, benefit morefrom these changes than the com-mercial networks.

Multi channeling implications

PenelopeToltz puts listen-ers' questionsand complaintsto Radio NationalHead, MarkCollier.

Penelope: Mark, every so often,I get irate calls from members about"the amount of advertising on theABC". Since we have no input onprogramming and our position, Iexplain, is to lobby for the ABC andto campaign against editorial inter-vention by governments of the day,or anyone else, I can only tell themto write to you. Most are RadioNational listeners.

Their complaint seems to be thatall the breaks in the programs meanthat Radio National is catering forshorter attention spans, born ofwatching TV and that the ABC isencouraging the same thing in radio.

Mark Collier: Average timespent listening, or 'TSL', Penelope,is a measure taken eight times ayear by A.C Nielsen on behalf of theABC and commercial stations in allmainland state capital cities. TSL isone of the two factors (the other is'reach' or the number of people lis-tening) which determines the per-centage share of listeners - the fig-ures bandied about by radio stationseach time a survey comes out(resulting in '2GB takes over from2UE' and 'No-one listens to RadioNational' type of newspaper head-line.) Radio National's TSL is waybelow that of most other radio sta-tions! Gasp!

Why is this so? It's the nature ofour programming. People consumeRadio National in the same way theywatch TV, that is, they tune in for aspecific program, tune out again,then tune back in again, and so on.

Most other stations enjoy whatwe call 'flow programming'; that is,listeners who enjoy talk or beautifulmusic or rock or whatever, knowthey can enjoy it on the same stationpretty well all day and night. ButRadio National ranges between cur-rent affairs and drama, music and

performance, features and specialistprograms - a diversity of program-ming and a complementation ofother media: requirements of theABC through its charter. RadioNational is a keystone in meetingthose obligations, even though theprograms are very diverse in genreand many appeal to comparativelysmall audiences.

But back to TSL. At the begin-ning of last year, the average timespent listening per week to RadioNational in the five state capital citieswas 6.3 hours. A year later (firstquarter 2002 ) that had grown to 7.3hours. One hour might not soundlike a lot but that is an increase of16% in the average time each listen-er tunes in to Radio National eachweek. There is a range of reasonsfor this, including, far better forwardpromotion of our programs so thatpeople know what's coming up. Weregard these 'promotional' spots forour programs as information piecesdesigned to better equip our listen-ers to help them make more informeddecisions about their listening. Weare not catering for shorter attentionspans, in fact we are catering for16% longer attention spans than justa year ago.

Penelope: From time to time wehear the plugs on Radio Nationaland on 2BL for ABC shops prod-ucts, unconnected to what we'vejust been listening to. You can seehow my members can think this isthe thin edge of the wedge.

Mark Collier: There is no'wedge. Section 31 of the ABC Actpermits the ABC to broadcastannouncements of its activities com-prising ABC programs and concerts,other public entertainments and ser-vices and ABC Enterprises, pro d u c t sand activities. The Act was changedsome years ago enabling theCorporation to extend the life of itscontent through the production andsale of its merchandise. This led tothe establishment of ABCEnterprises allowing the ABC toraise revenue to flow directly backinto program making, thereby sup-plementing its public funding.Announcements about ABC activi-

ties are subject to the Corporation'seditorial guidelines regarding con-tent, style and tone applying to otherprogram material. ABC EnterprisesProduct Guidelines e n s u re the 'pro d-ucts' are distinctively ABC in styleand quality and that public percep-tions about the ABC are satisfied.

Penelope: Another thing mem-bers complain about from time totime is poor grammar and poor pro-nunciations. There used to be acommittee to handle this at theABC, but members believe it wentthe way of many others in the vari-ous funding cuts.

Mark Collier: Not so, Penelope.SCOSE (the ABC's StandingCommittee on Spoken English) isalive and well. The ABC conductsregular on-air checking and profes-sional development forums toaddress issues of pronunciation andSCOSE, in addition, monitors gram-mar and pronunciation on all ABCoutlets. It meets monthly and regu-larly sends out reports to presentersand broadcasters on correct lan-guage use and pronunciation.

Nevertheless, we welcomeadvice from our listeners (and view-ers) when errors are made and theseare passed on without fail to SCOSEfor consideration and, where war-ranted, with advisory action to pre-vent repetition.

NOTE: This was not a scriptedDorothy Dix Q and A session, but anedited version of an authentic e-mailconversation between Mark andPenelope that developed from oneenquiry.

Complaints Dept. The ABC in the Hot Seat

The ABC’s new staff-electeddirector of the ABC board,Ramona Koval (Books & Writing),currently away, will feature in thenext issue of Update.

The ABC's Quiet Corner - but as productive and busy as a beehive

ABC shops and centers are thisyear celebrating their 21st birthday:one shop opened for business in1981. They are now a corporateempire of many outlets with annualsales increases other retailers proba-bly envy.

ABC Enterprises is a phenomenalsuccess story: a commercial opera-tion with 36 corporately-ownedshops, an Online order and deliveryservice and 80 sales centres acrossthe nation in existing retail outlets inCBDs and shopping malls. Two newshops will open shortly, one inMelbourne the other at East Gardensin Sydney, bringing the total of ABCshops to 38, with more planned.

It’s one corner of the ABC thatdoesn’t attract the wrath of politiciansor board members, and rarely if ever aword of criticism from ABC con-sumers…and for the benefit ofFriends of the ABC at any ABC shopor sales centre you can get a 10%

discount when you show your Friends

membership card. There are two areas within the

Enterprises division, ConsumerProducts and Retail. The Consumer

products area createsand licences more than600 new products eachyear and the marketingof these into the

Australian and international retail mar-ket place. The Retail area managesthe 80 centres and the ABC ShopOnline order and delivery service.

Majority in country areas

Other retail outlets include depart-ment stores, discount departmenthouses, specialist retailers and evendirect marketers. The majority arelocated in country areas that couldn'tsupport a stand alone ABC Shop.

Commercial Know-How

Head of Retail, Grahame Walker,said that during the 2001-2002 finan-cial year ABC the Retail area pro-duced sales in excess of $60,000,000which was an increase of 13% on theprevious year. Mr. Walker said that 10cents of every dollar went to the gov-ernment in the form of the GST, 55cents to the suppliers of the productsthat are sold and the remaining 35cents paid for the operation of the

business and its profitability.

Best selling product during theyear included Walking With BeastsVideo, Kath & Kim Video, Classic 100CD Box Set, Triple Hottest 100 CD,Blue Planet Video, Long Way to theTop Video/DVD & CD, Saddle CubVideos.

Reward yourself with the ABCShops Reward Program. For every$200 you spend, receive a $20Reward Certificate redeemable atABC Shops.

ABC Enterprises receives no fund-ing from government and the activitiesof its Consumer Products and Retailareas provided a cash return to theABC for the 2001-2002 financial yearof $9,000,000.

Gift vouchers are the perfect wayto solve those difficult gift decisions.ABC Shops Online offer a fun andsimple way to send gift vouchers –byemail!

ABC Shop vouchers are now avail-able to purchase at theGiftvouchers.com website.

For more information - not forget-ting your 10% discount - check theOnline site at abc.net.au

Special Discount for‘Friends’

Friends of the ABC get a10 per cent discount at ABCshops when they show theirmembership card.

update Print Post Approved PP 245059/00002

Update is published four times a year by Friends of the ABC NSW, P.O. Box 1391, North Sydney 2059. Phone 9960 5542. Fax 9960 5767 web site: w w w. f a b c . o r g . a u / n s w

Opinions in the newsletter, which includes articles from Background Briefing published by Friends of the ABC, do not necessarilyreflect those of the executive committee of the Friends of the ABC (NSW) Inc. Current and past Background Briefing issues can beaccessed at www.fabc.org.au. U p d a t e goes to all members of FABC (NSW) Inc., as part of the membership fee. U p d a t e is also sup-plied to journ a l i s t s , politicians and libraries across Australia. It is produced and edited in Sydney but contributions are welcome fromNSW country and interstate branches. Material may be freely quoted or re p roduced from the newsletter provided the source isacknowledged and re p roduction is sent to FA B C ’s President Penelope Toltz, Editor Brian Davies, Layout format & assembly Irwin Kurtz.Unattributed text is by the editor.FABC UpdatePost The Editor

C/–FABC UpdatePO Box 1391North Sydney NSW 2059

Visit us at: www.fabc.org.au/nsw Links on our website will take you to all state sites.Current and past issues of Updatecan be accessed at our website .Facsimile (02) 9660 5767 Email: [email protected]

Red Address Label:If your Update arrives in an envelope with a red address labelthis indicates that it is time for you to renew your membership.

Thank you for supporting the Friends of the ABC.

New South Wa l e sPenelope To l t zPO Box 1391North Sydney 2059Ph: 9960 5542Fax: 9960 5767f a b c n sw @ o p t u s n e t . a u

A l b u ryABC Support Gro u pJim Saleebac/- 621 Lindsay Av eAlbury NSW 2640Ph: 6021 5690Fax: 6021 0616s a l e e b a @ a l b u ry. n e t . a u

A r m i d a l ePriscilla Connor41 Judith Stre e tArmidale NSW 2350Ph: 6772 3454 or 6772 [email protected]

B a t h u r s tNorah Ta y l o r254 Keppel, StBathurst 2795Ph: 6331 [email protected]

B e g aEleanor Beasley2 Main Stre e tMerimbula 2548Ph: 6495 1392 Fax: 6495 3202Blue MountainsJohn DerumP. O . Box 469Springwood 2777Ph: 4758 6979j o h n d e r u m @ b i g p o n d . c o m

Central CoastJohn Hale21 Stephenson Rd.Bateau Bay 2261Ph: 4333 8107j h a l e @ t a c . c o m . a u

E u r o b o d a l l aMichael Ta y l o r1 2 Hawkins RdTu ross Head, NSW Ph: 4473 8261 (W)Ph: 4473 8561 (H)t ay l o r a @ a c r. n e t . a u

Great LakesA u d rey Semon (Secre t a r y )4 Bundacree PlaceForster 2428Ph: 6554 8507a s e m o n @ t s n . c c

I l l a w a r r aJan Kent (Secre t a r y )Friends of the ABC IllawarraPO Box 336,Unanderra 2526Phone/Fax: 4271 3531j a n ke n t @ b i g p o n d . c o m

N e w c a s t l eHank Wi l l e m sc/ PO Box 265 M e rewether 2291g s t r u c k@o p t u s n e t . c o m . a u

Northern RiversNeville Jennings PO Box 167 Alstonville 2477Ph/Fax: 6674 3830 (H)n j e n n i n g @ s c u . e d u . a u

O r a n g eAlan Sisley52 Casey Stre e tOrange 2800Ph: 63623775a l a n s @ i x . n e t . a ut

P a r r a m a t t aMal Hewitt31 Queen St, Granville 2142Ph: 9637 2900m a c i a n @ p e n t i re . c o m

Port Macquarie/Mid North CoastDrusi MeggetPO Box 1752Port Macquarie NSW 2444Ph: 02 6583 8798d r u s i @ fe l g l ow. c o m . a u

Vi c t o r i aFriends of the ABC (Vi c )GPO Box 4065MMM e l b o u rne VIC 3001Ph: 03 9682 0073Fax: 03 9682 0074f a b c v i c @ v i c n e t . n e t . a u

Q u e e n s l a n dElisabeth McClementP.O. Box 1658Toowong QLD 4066Ph/Fax: (07) 3378 7930 s i r w a l t e r _ r a l e i g h @ h o t m a i l . c o m

Gold CoastFrances E. RollsPO Box 342Nerang QLD 4211Ph: (07) 5596 3835

A C TM a r g a ret O’ConnerGPO Box 2625Canberra ACT 2601Ph: 6254 8190 (H)Fax: 6244 6690 (W)m a r go fo rt e @ h o t m a i l . c o m

South AustraliaJoan LaingP.O. Box 1758 Hutt St, Adelaide SA 5000Ph/Fax 08 8271 0751j l i a n g @ s e n e t . c o m . a u

We s t e rn AustraliaK a ren Tre a n o rPO Box 179Darlington WA 6070Ph/Fax: (08) 9295 1847g a n d k t re a n o r @ o z e m a i l . c o m . a u

Ta s m a n i aAustra Maddox5 Albuera Stre e tBattery Point, Tasmania 7004Ph: (03) 6223 2981 (H)(03) 6211 9314 (W)a u s t r a m a dd ox @ o z e m a i l . c o m . a u

N o rt h e rn Te rr i t o ryBrian HolmPO Box 210 H o w a rd Springs NT 0835Ph: (08) 8983 1251Fax: (08) 8941 3350Mob: 0409 831 251a b c f r i e n d s _ n t @ we - wo n t -by t e. c o m

State and regional branches of Friends of the ABC

Membership form Please fill out the form below and return it with your payment to: The Tr e a s u r e r, Friends of the ABC (NSW) Inc.PO Box 1391, North Sydney NSW 2059.

N a m e E m a i l :

A d d re s s S u b u r b P / C o d e

Phone (Home) ( Wo r k ) M o b

Federal Electorate Give my details to my local FABC Branch

Age Group 30 or under 31-50 5 1 + Membership No.____________________

I would like to join I would like to renew I am interested in helping I would like to join the phone/fax/email network (and help pass on information to members)

I / We apply for membership of FABC (NSW) Inc. and accept it’s objectives and rules. S i g n a t u r e . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Individual $ 2 0

F a m i l y / H o u s e h o l d $ 2 5

S t u d e n t $ 1 5

P e n s i o n e r $ 1 5

Corporate (covers 3 members) $ 6 0

I would like to make a donation $ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Cardholders signature Amount $

I am paying by cheque in favour of FABC (NSW) Inc.

money order b a n k c a rd m a s t e rc a rd v i s a c a rd

C a rd number

Name on credit card

Expiry date

Please Print

update september 2002

Documents