ABC defends New Year coverage after media mauling

there’s always an outcry whenever networks change for major live broadcasts … it takes a year or two to find your feet in a new live gig.

Nobody wants to watch fireworks on TV- our computers give better shows. If I’m not where the fireworks are, then I’d prefer to see a review of the years events followed by a coutdown to midnight.

worst ne eve presentation ever experienced – childish banter and too politicised
very disappointing

People want to watch the FIREWORKS!!! They do not want to see self effacing, gratuitous, left wing numbnuts!!!!!! The telecast was memorable for the anti Government rant, the criticism of Abbott, etc. etc. etc.
It was supposed to be a Family Entertainment Programme, showing the World how well we Australians celebrate NYE……..it wasn’t!!! It was a political terrorist attack!!!!

ABC lift your game. The people interviewed/spoken to by male and female hosts must have paid to be on TV – pretty boring airheads. Government money poorly spent.

The ratings are irrelevant. Its childish and absurd of the ABC to quote them. They had exclusivity over an already popular public event – a rhesus monkey with a camera could have achieved those numbers.
Here’s the relevant number: $1,250,000,000 of taxpayer’s money – OUR money – and this was the best they could do.

If Mr Finlayson is prepared to defend that broadcast he should be held more accountable than the producers and presenters. It was by far the worst broadcast of an event in Australian television history, all at the expense of the taxpayer.

NYE broadcasts are ALWAYS hideous, no matter who’s broadcasting. The last few years have been entirely cringeworthy.

In year’s past ABC was held in esteem, now it is fast becoming the ugly Australian.

What was with the drag act just prior to the midnight fireworks? Worst ‘family friendly’ coverage ever. A disgrace. Give it back to Nine!

Listen to all the right wing nutters, looking for any excuse to get rid of the ABC. You guys just hate unbiased facts and can’t bear to watch anything with detailed journalism because of your short attention spans. You hate it because it challenges your views and you fear anything different from you yourself, your values, the social contract. Even if it also regularly challenges the left’s views. Suck it up, that’s called quality journalism! It be a sad day for Australia if all our networks had a corporatist agenda and only showed so called “infotainment”. You guys will say anything to get rid of the ABC.

The ABC broadcast was an absolute shocker! It lacked talent in the presenters and the camera work was very poor. Bring back Nine

why we need to know what happened in new york each year about that ball drop? the mainstream media only buys news from bbc, cnn etc, do not even remember where australia is located, and show some local news!

I see the Abbott gang slimers are acting for their puppet master above, in their campaign to dammage anyone who critisizes their hero.The Abbott gang have all the subtle touch of a nazi street gang.Their first priority on gaining power was to silence critics or destroy them.This slimeing has nothing to do with fireworks but a continuation of their campaign to destroy free speech.

Aussie television at its best. You guys suck at producing anything other than cringe worthy variety shows that usually include comedy sketches that are ill conceived and poorly executed. I can’t believe hey hey it’s crap was actually considered a popular show. Shows how isolated you guys really are, even in this age. Between all of your stations it’s a race to the bottom.

Bring back Channel 9 for everyone’s sake and have a real professional broadcast with articulate presenters and commentators and please make it amusing and captivating for all of us who are not able because of circumstance to either watch the fireworks in person or be able to partake in normal New Year functions. A comprehensive look at the year past without a break would have been more entertaining than the buffoons presented to us sitting on a gold couch!

I hope that ABC will never get a chance to broadcast the NYE fireworks again, amature, boring, embarrassing I can’t believe they had the morons from chaser on as guests very disappointing.

^ What nonsense. It’s still held in esteem – constantly rated the most trustworthy media outlet in Australia BY FAR. This is all just a News Corp Coalition campaign to hurt the ABC for Murdoch’s benefit

The hokey presentation by Australia’s national broadcaster on NYE is the second time an important event has been handled inexpertly by the ABC.
Remember the Australian Navy’s celebration last year? This broadcast was also cringeworthy in content, comment and presentation.
It would be interesting to discover whether the same ABC personnel were involved in the direction and production of both programs.

My money supporting that garbage…??…better not be.

I don’t mind supporting professionals, I object strongly to wasting it on amateurs.

I watched it from 8:30 to 9pm. It was rubbish. I didn’t realise at the time this this would be seen overseas, or I’d have sent apologies to friends. It sounds like it didn’t get any better. We spend a fortune on the fireworks – the event needs professional coverage if we are to maximise the return by promoting Australia. This broadcast made us look like a nation of morons.

Notice how all of the left wing trendoids instantly start claiming it’s a right-wing plot to get rid of “their” ABC? They’re totally ignoring the fact that the coverage by Aunty has been universally panned (save for those left wing trendoids). Apart from the continually sniping and biting the hand that feeds it, the comments were no more than cringeworthy. As far as the actual fireworks were concerned, the director should resign the day before yesterday. It was diabolically bad – can’t he/she/it follow a running sheet so they know what’s coming up? While I have no cross to bear for channel nahn, they do cover events with a helluva lot more professionalism. ABC was rubbish, nothing more and nothing less. Can I have my money back please?

Defiantly the most boring lead up to the new year I have ever watched on tv in over 50 years. A bunch of nobody’s sitting on a gold couch having a personal chat to each other is about as entertaining as Big Brother couples being intermit in the dark, PLEASE!
Who ever came up with this idea should hold their head in shame and pass on the baton to someone who knows what the hell they are doing before next year comes along.
Live cams around the streets showing people having fun, live bands and flicks of the years past events broadcast of our Aussie lives is what we want. As for those who think people don’t watch fireworks of tv your wrong, some of us are to old or to frail to get out into the mosh pit of the city and love to sit back and watch others having fun at the show.

To Mark, 2/1/14……..did I read “unbiased” in relation to the ABC???????
Where have you been for the past thirty years?????
This NYE broadcast was a disgrace…..to think that it was beamed to a couple of BILLION viewers across the globe, and they were forced to see the inane, puerile efforts of that bunch of couch crushing misfits, I take issue with my taxes being wasted on tripe like that!!

The ABC needs to be bought back to a basic news source. They’ve expanded way beyond their ability. ABC3 is absolutely pathetic. A total waste of money.

On the NYE coverage … embarrassing crap. Heads should roll.

what else would you expect from Stephanie Brantz … doesn’t anyone at the ABC watch the Shute Shield rugby to see that she has no idea …

Sitting here in Siem Reap Cambodia, I thought it was amusing banter than typified trendy modern Australia as typified by the ABC, and in many ways it was a promo for the ABC’s forthcoming stuff. Some of it was banal and airheaded, but hey that’s part of the ABC in-team. Love it or leave it.

That explains it then. But “Breadth of talent..?” So lucky they had the fireworks to fall back on…

We watched from 11-12 & it was woeful. The commentators were floundering & clearly desperate for it to be over. Highly politicised “summary”of 2013 -last thing we wanted to see on NYE. Craig R from the Chaser was amusing, kept it light & family friendly. NYE coverage should be about entertainment – a point sorely missed by this lot.

The Shaun Micallef highlights of each month interspersed throughout the coverage were hilarious. Alas, the only saving grace.

Lawrence Moody – Need I say more.

No. 25 Mel…spot on

For a truly national event, screen the fireworks for all capital cities in chronological order. That would be “our ABC”. Otherwise, why should only one station televise fireworks, particularly, when you’re not screening my town. (“My ABC” is not Sydney.)

All this nonsense reminds me of the furore after that “Mick Molloy” program on 9.

Come on, it’s free. There’s 14 other channels. If you don’t like, put on a video, or – dare I suggest – get a life ?

Wow!

So many opinions. what do they say, opinions are like ****holes; everyone’s got one.

I wonder at the “my money” comments from (presumably) taxpayers. Does nobody realise that it’s “OUR” money paying for commercial networks too? Albeit in the form of a few cents or few dollars on the price of everythiing. I wonder how much they get from those ads showing gravel in the blue frying pan. I know a Jeep’s $40,000 pricetag includes about $6,000 in advertising.

I imagine the outraged taxpayers are not so concerned at the other ways their money is spent. Trips to weddings, politicians’ lunches, politicians’ pensions and many, many dollars to already-rich individuals.

And why, in our democracy, is it OK to fling accusations of bias at the ABC yet not at the Telegraph or Piers-Bloody-Ackerman?

Alan Jones cops about two MILLION from Qantas. Is THAT OK with everyone? Not to mention what he gets from Telstra. It’s YOUR money. Just not accountable, unlike taxes.

Kyle Sandiland is reported to be paid 1.5 to 2 mil. that’s a lot of boxes of Wheeties and bottles of lolly water! ALL OF WHICH is paid by the Consumer, the Customer, a.k.a. the PUNTER. (that’s you).

and where, in the past, shal we return to? 1999 when Ch 9 took ABC to court because ABC dared to allow footage to the BBC? (Since then, ANY broadcaster can run the fireworks, BTW).

Or 2006 when – on TEN – Matthew Newton pretended to give oral sex to John Foreman? Family moment! The language was salty too. Aah, the elusive youth demographic.

Maybe 2004 when PM John Howard kicked up a fuss over the choice of music (John Brogdon was also unhappy) because it was planned to use the National Anthem at the finale. Johnny wanted a piece people could sing along to. (Cum-by-yah?)

How soon we forget.

John Hollands – despite all you said, it doesn’t change the fact that the ABC coverage of new years eve was terrible, and certainly the worst we’ve ever had. If other channels have done better in the past, that’s who should do it in future. It was poorly planned, very poorly presented, and a national disgrace.

I’m interested to see you substantiate your claim that Alan Jones gets $2 million from Qantas – I’d just like proof so I can quote it.

John – 14 other channels with New Years Eve coverage – great which were they, so I know for next year? How many had international transmission?

Jeezus you sure missed the boat mr hollands… you would obviously know but choose to not include in your opinion the difference between the ABC and ors being public and private enterprise ? hullo ?

Wouldn’t it be great if centerlink ( thats another taxpayer funded organisation ! ) decided who would get a $ based on the views of their counterstaff and/or management.

Who pays the likes of Alan Jones how much (private enterprise !!!!) provides me with what enlightening information exactly ?

JohnG. Yes, I do know the difference between the Public Sector and Priivate Enterprise.

However, I also see similarities, especially in comparing the taxpayer-funded component with the “magically free” commercial sector. It ain’t free.

See, Most businesses can only earn money from their direct customers. those who buy the product directly and pay for it directly.

Whereas Commercial Media gives away its product to consumers but is paid indirectly by those consumers through Agencies who, in turn, are paid by Advertisers and THEY get their funds from the public. That very same public who pay taxes.

People make a big deal of “paying” for the ABC (and Policemen and Customs Officials and Bus Drivers; all of whom get yelled at “I pay your wages, mate!” at some point.) but just as certainly they pay for Bosses and Workers everywhere else including banks and Hospitals. That’s how an economy works.

To imagine one is not paying for commercial media is just dumb.

Yes, you have a choice; but which brand of petrol do I buy to not fund Jones or Sandilands? Which Wheeties, which beer, car, detergent…

And yet. Do we hear those people who whine “I pay your wages” saying the same about Kochies’ reputed 1 mil a year? Or the Big Fat bankers on their 3 mil plus packages? Hmmm.

Ironic that when Laws and Jones were taking secret payments in exchange for pretending to have honest views about things like Telstra and the Comm Bank, they were “outed” by Media Watch. On the ABC. Which also blew Prof David Flint’s frilly veil of independance. Did I spell “Prof” right?

I couldn’t stop watching as it was an absolute train wreck.

Lawrence Mooney asking Michala Banas creepy questions about Macleod’s Daughters, the female host fake-laughing at the bad jokes, the guy and the puppet – ummmm seriously?

It made Celebrity Splash look like a Logie winner.