ABC radio staff slam ‘odd’ decision to rebroadcast TV coverage of plane crash
ABC News Radio journalists have criticised a decision from ABC management to take their broadcast off the airwaves during last week’s Essendon plane crash, and instead play the audio feed of TV’s ABC News 24.
Reports of the discontent originally appeared in The Guardian, which claimed “confused and infuriated” journalists had sent a letter to the ABC’s director of news Gaven Morris, raising their concerns and contending the switch was problematic from a listeners’ perspective due to the distinct lack of images on radio. Sources spoken to by Mumbrella in subsequent days have reiterated the concerns.
ABC News Radio journalists and employees however, have contended it set a dangerous precedent for the radio broadcaster and demonstrated management’s misunderstanding of the differences between television and radio news.
Reminds me of travelling by car in regional Ireland and listening, with amusement (not the intention), to 3 guys on radio reviewing a video they were watching in the studio! The ABC action makes about as much sense. This new honcho needs to read Marshall McLuhan for a basic tutorial on the extreme differences between radio and TV and how the brain receives them.
This has all the markings of a disgruntled ABC presenter. If this is the same guy who presented the worlds most boring program on planets and space on Newradio he should just go and start a new career..not in media.
What a beatup. Don’t fall for it Tim.
Particularly odd decision given they took so long to get the pictures, hence missed the TV story.
I was at my desk listening to Triple M, when to the TV to have a look and ABC only running commentary, no pictures.
Switched to nine who had the footage running. Switched back a few times but still no footage. Couldn’t say for sure how long it took them to get the pictures but certainly too long.
No pictures, no story….and not a face for radio.
Tv journalists are under more time pressure to deliver than when when creating a radio report, the tv process is lengthier so they spend less time fact gathering…
I left a message trying to question and correct the misleading and inaccurate information with the news 24 TV journalist who stated that the plane had left the airport boundary and it had turned back and crashed on its return.
This interview was repeated during the day.
Had it been radio I could have called in and corrected it on air.