It is important that the ABC spends as much on content creation as possible. ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie means investing in TV programs and radio broadcasts, along with news and current affairs journalism, drama and cultural shows. Hard to argue with any of that.
There's not enough Australian content on television. Hard to dispute that, either.
ABC boss Michelle Guthrie needs to be transparent about her plans.Credit: Andrew Meares
The ABC hasn't made enough investments in regional areas. Fair point. Regional and rural Australians require a service that meets their needs, not those of city-based commercial networks. The promise of 80 new ABC staff roles in regional areas – funded by a $50 million content fund – seems a positive move.
Middle management along with backroom support staff should be the first to go in any cost cutting. The ABC does seem heavy on organisers. A reduction of 20 per cent in management seems reasonable.
ABC management should be figuring out ways for the organisation to become more adaptable and deliver for audiences as their behaviour changes very substantially. That's a reality every media outlet today faces.
Judging by her priorities outlined this week, Ms Guthrie spent her first 10 months in the job constructively.
If you forgive her Google-speak, she seems focused on delivering taxpayers greater value for money. The question is whether she can do so while, in legislative terms, "maintaining the ABC's independence and integrity".
The forced redundancy of 150-200 staff, mostly in Sydney, is tough on all involved, including those who fear they'll go in the next round of cuts. It's no solace to say they have been lucky to have avoided the media-wide rout that hit commercial operators like Fairfax Media, publisher of the Herald.
Remember, the ABC is not just another media operator. An organisation rooted in our culture, the ABC plays an irreplaceable role in reflecting Australia to Australians.
The ABC, like the Herald, is also where people turn for facts, balance and depth of coverage free from political and commercial influence.
We do not believe that the ABC is inherently biased or run by so-called inner city elites. Neither do we accept the conspiracy theory that Ms Guthrie is a Rupert Murdoch stooge by virtue of having worked for his company.
But we do believe Ms Guthrie's role as a managing director requires more than mere cost cutting. She has to argue for a strong ABC and defend it against those who would rather it stop airing voices who would not be heard elsewhere. In essence she must to speak out for the ABC on behalf of its owners: the taxpayers who fund it and the 69 per cent of Australians who say they access ABC services every week.
That's why the Herald baulked when she used her first appearance before a Senate estimates hearing to suggest she did not see it as her role to fight for more funding for the ABC. Such an approach would place the government – akin to a corporate board – above shareholders – you, the public. We welcome that Ms Guthrie has backtracked somewhat.
Given her broader role, though, Ms Guthrie also has a duty to be transparent about her plans. It is one thing for her to tout for a strong lead-in program to the flagship 7pm news bulletins, but another altogether to consider remodelling those offerings plus 7.30 and Four Corners.
While TV news audiences are sagging with age, there is danger of overshoot in response. The ABC should not be driven solely by ratings. It should not focus on what is available already in commercial markets, be it online, TV or on radio. If offering balanced, factual and in-depth coverage of Australian news and culture means being branded as a niche provider, then the ABC should be that.
Funding such expensive offerings is not easy.
The Herald has long argued that the ABC should invest more in core functions and less on marginal ones. We believe the ABC can raise funds by offering subscriptions to users of iview, podcasts and extra channels. It could charge rival media outlets to use ABC content and commercial channels to use its programs. We support debate about a merger of ABC and SBS, too.
Ms Guthrie deserves time to flesh out her plans. But she, the board and the government should be open to new revenue-raising options to help the ABC fund its core businesses.