Budget provides extra funding for ABC, SBS and The Conversation
Public broadcasters the ABC and SBS have both received extra boost in funding from last night’s federal budget.
The ABC will pick up an close to $100m in extra funding with $59.4m to go to news and current affairs and $30m for online content distribution, over three years. Meanwhile, SBS has received an additional $30m over five years.
The move has been welcomed by the managing directors of both broadcasters. ABC managing director Mark Scott last night issued a statement saying:
“This investment acknowledges two of the prime areas where the ABC is using its digital expertise to deliver on its Charter obligations to inform, educate and entertain Australians.”
“The funding will better equip the ABC to provide the mobile and online content that audiences are demanding in ever-increasing numbers. It will also allow our News Division to create new cross-platform content that showcases the best of the ABC’s journalism, including the work of our new specialist reporters, bureaux and regional resources.”
SBS Managing Director Michael Ebeid said:
“SBS is a lean and agile hybrid broadcaster which punches above its weight with distinctive and innovative content, despite operating on one fifth of the average budget of all the other broadcasters.”
“This funding will equip SBS to provide the services that are critical to its responsibility to be a broadcaster for all Australians, in a climate where commercial growth is subdued, content costs are increasing and audiences are fragmenting across the myriad of channels, platforms and devices available to them.
“It is recognition by the Federal Government that in today’s increasingly diverse communities, SBS has a continuing and vital role to play in contributing to social cohesion, and to Australia’s success as a migrant nation.
Online website the The Conversation has also received a boost in funding of $2 million over the next four years.
I wonder if Abbott will take it all back come September?
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An extra $30m over five years for SBS? That’s $6m per year – pretty lousy if you ask me. SBS deserves more. And I can’t see why The Conversation should be getting ANY of our tax dollars!
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The Conversation is a testament to Glyn Davis’ lobbying. Why it should be chosen for public funding is a mystery that only a French politician could explain.
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I’m with ex-reader – how can a self described ‘independent source of news’ take a government handout?
Beats me
see the site:
http://theconversation.com/au/who_we_are
The Conversation is an independent source of news and views, sourced from the academic and research community and delivered direct to the public.
Our team of professional editors work with university, CSIRO and research institute experts to unlock their knowledge for use by the wider public.
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The conversation is one of the greatest things to happen to media in a long time. The government funds universities and the conversation makes the knowledge locked up in universities accessible to everyone. The only bad thing about the conversation is Michelle Grattan writing the same dribble as she always did in the Fairfax papers….
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The ABC wastes the money they get for news. It is almost indistinguishable from the conservative commercial offerings.
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A Government should not own any media outlet, whether it is a dictatorship or is elected.
At a minimun the ABC/SBS should be pay and or advertiser funded. That commercial enterprises have to compete with this monster combination is also not a level playing field.
On a taxpayer level, I dont see why the hoi polloi have to endure ads and pay Foxtel, whilst the people who can afford to pay, get their media for free.
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Brian, I sincerely hope you are right and Abbott cuts the ABC back like every other tax-recipient. I would just like to hear a faintly government critical voice. Prior to the election that is. We all know the Coalition will cop it big-time from the ABC when they are elected. when have we heard any ABC voice deriding and criticising this mob of incompetents apart of course from suggesting they need to sell their message better or be more green. Roll on September.
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