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Commission of Audit: scrap Australia Network, but no suggested ABC cut Commission of Audit: scrap Australia Network, but no suggested ABC cut
(4 months later)
The The Commission of Audit recommends the abolition of the Australia Network altogether.
Commission of Audit recommends the abolition of the Australia Network The network, which is produced by the ABC and funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, is designed to promote a positive view of Australia in the Asia-Pacific region.
altogether. But the report says the Australia Network is "an expensive option for meeting its diplomatic objectives given its limited outreach and small audience". The ABC’s most recent contract, from September 2012, was for 10 years and valued at $223m. That funding, it says, should be directed instead to other areas, or simply returned to the budget.
The The report makes no detailed recommendations with regard to the public broadcasters themselves — the ABC receives $1.1bn a year and SBS $270m.
network, which is produced by the ABC and funded by the Department of Foreign The report states: "there is no ‘right’ level of funding that should be provided to the ABC and the SBS, or ‘right’ level of services that should be provided by the public broadcasters."
Affairs, is designed to promote a positive view of Australia in the But it does suggest that efficiencies could be made, and that both broadcasters should be independently benchmarked against each other and against commercial rivals. It insists that their "capacity to deliver services including to remote and regional Australia" should not be compromised.
Asia-Pacific region.
But the
report says the Australia Network is "an expensive option for meeting its
diplomatic objectives given its limited outreach and small audience". The ABC’s
most recent contract, from September 2012, was for 10 years and valued at
$223m. That funding, it says, should be directed instead to other areas, or
simply returned to the budget.
The
report makes no detailed recommendations with regard to the public broadcasters
themselves — the ABC receives $1.1bn a year and SBS $270m.
The
report states: "there is no ‘right’ level of funding that should be provided to
the ABC and the SBS, or ‘right’ level of services that should be provided by
the public broadcasters."
But it
does suggest that efficiencies could be made, and that both broadcasters should
be independently benchmarked against each other and against commercial rivals.
It insists that their "capacity to deliver services including to remote and
regional Australia" should not be compromised.