‘We’re happy to leave opinionated journalism for others’, says ABC News’ Tim Ayliffe
With two new shows, brand new formats and the axing of Lateline after 28 years, ABC News’ TV offering has certainly had a shake up in 2018. Mumbrella’s Josie Tutty chats to ABC News TV editor Tim Ayliffe about the changes, and discusses why opinionated journalism is on the way out.
As a remedy to the current affairs gap left behind by 28-year-old Lateline and Stan Grant’s The Link, which were slashed in October of last year, ABC News has announced a series of changes to its prime-time current affairs line up.
Tim Ayliffe, ABC News’ managing editor of television and video explains how the broadcaster “wanted to take a bit more time to cut through the news cycle and try to give the audience proper context and explanation of some of the big stories in our world today”.
Ayliffe: “We’re really trying to be a channel for the entire country”
The Drum needs to become a national show. Too many of the panellists are unknowns from NSW politics or local government.
– That’s true about The Drum being a bit NSW-centric though it tries hard to bring talent in from other places.
– But although it is a great show extending it to 45′ won’t make it 50% greater. In fact it is liable to make it tedious instead of taut.
– Ditto Planet America
– Stan has also proved to be much better in an ABC show this past year that he was anywhere previously so here’s hoping the new 9pm gig goes well. But given his propensity to jump from job to job I wonder how long he will last
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Really?
You really felt the need to add that unjustifiable line about moving from job to job?
Why should Grant not change jobs every few years, like anyone else?
New speak meaning dumbing down. Maybe it’s a result of starved public funding but has anyone else noted ABCs traditional summer ratings are tanking this year?
“Starved”? $1.4 billion a year isn’t “starved”. Know who and what is “starving”? Commercial newsrooms, where they’re laying off people left and right because they have to respect the bottom line while the ABC, with no obligation to turn a profit, eats their lunch.
Bottom line is I’d rather have dollars spent on some uplifting programming than the dross the commercials serve. Endless fake reality and suburban crime news. Boring! Sorry for those in the commercial world impacted by job losses but it doesn’t change the dross served by Stokes, Murdoch and others, pump primed by their mining and other returns. Just greedy. Try living in the WA media environment. Woeful.
“Matter of Fact” should be more accurately titled “Matter of Opinion”. The discontinued program Fact Check dealt moderately well with actual facts, which is probably why it was discontinued under the current ABC management.