ABC Funding - another see-saw 22 May 2001

Senator Richard Alston has announced that the ABC will receive an additional $71.2 million over the next four years following Federal Budget. This amounts to an additional $17.8 million a year.

Reacting to the announcement Friends of the ABC National Spokesperson Darce Cassidy said:

"The federal government has clearly realised that the ABC is an election issue. In the short term an additional $17.8 million for the ABC is welcome. But in the long term this off and on funding destabilises the ABC. Before the 1996 election the Coalition promised to maintain ABC funding. After the election they removed $66 million from the ABC funding base. They have now restored $17.8 million, but only for four years. At the end of that time the financial see saw will hit the bottom with a thud."

"ABC Managing Director Jonathan Shier will be disappointed. He asked for an additional $40 million to fund new program initiatives, mostly directed to regional areas, but he now faces a dilemma. If he proceeds with the programming, what does he do when the funds dry up at the end of four years? Does he abandon the new ititiatives, or does he cut other areas of ABC output to make up for the absence of the $17.8 million?"

"The ABC does not need this kind of stop-go funding. It does not need a new Board, and a new management team, every time there is a change of government"

"All the political parties now realise that the ABC is an election issue. In the lead up to the election the 14,000 members of the Friends of the ABC will be contacting all the politcal parties. We will seek a commitment that ABC funding will be restored to pre 1996 levels, and that a mechanism will be developed to de-politicise the ABC Board"

…..ends

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