Tiger trouble. Tiger is already in trouble with CASA and more tales are coming to light from Crikey readers. Apparently another Tiger flight failed three days ago on the Melbourne to Cairns route. A reader enroute to Port Douglas reports that shortly into the flight, the pilot said they had to turn back, and started dumping fuel over Melbourne. It was quite a scare for passengers, we’re reliably informed, and it took two days off their holiday. The flight was rebooked with another carrier and she’s $600 in the red.
Self-harm amongst asylum seekers. Sources have provided Crikey with the identification numbers of four male Iranian detainees at Darwin’s Northern Immigration Detention Centre who apparently sewed their lips together for three days in late June, after 17 months in detention. Sandi Logan, head spinner for the Department of Immigration, refused to clarify the incident, citing the department’s responsibility of privacy to the detainees (the department last week denied any asylum seekers had sewed their lips together at NIDC recently). “What I can confirm is that there was a small group of detainees who engaged in self-harm over that period,” he said. “Naturally that’s a cause for concern for us, as is any incident of harm. We don’t go in to detail in regard to self harm or any other medical matter… Having said that, they all received appropriate treatment.”
Spoilt for CHOICE in employees. Crikey received an anonymous tip that CHOICE Magazine had fired a handful of employees, only to hire new staff for nearly identical positions. We spoke to director of communications and campaigns, Christopher Zinn, who confirmed the news, explaining the people’s watchdog had indeed made three old hounds redundant and hired three young pups. He said the magazine wanted to become more relevant, efficient and focused. There would be more focus on investigations, upgrades to the website and content uploaded to new platforms, including mobile devices. He wouldn’t specify further, but did hint at a new point-of-sale system and some “exciting partnerships”.
By the way, Penelope. Browsing over the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s 2009/2010 figures on the latest investments in Australian drama by subscription TV broadcasters makes for interesting reading. Each year channel providers and licensees report their spending to ACMA, which ensures they are sticking to the rules outlined in the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 which stipulate pay-TV providers invest at least 10% of their total program expenditure on locally produced drama.
ACMA reports that in the 2009-10 year all pay-TV broadcasters met their obligations, but the regulator’s inclusion of children’s program Penelope K, by the way, broadcast by CBeebies, as a drama show has raised some eyebrows. The Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill (No.3) 1999 defines a drama show as a program:
[…] that has a fully scripted screenplay in which the dramatic elements of character, theme and plot are introduced and developed to form a narrative structure, and includes:
(a) a fully scripted sketch comedy program; or
(b) an animated drama; or
(c) a dramatised documentary;
but does not include:
(d) a program that involves the incidental use of actors; or
(e) advertising or sponsorship matter (whether or not of a commercial kind).
With its Q&A format, tipsters questioned whether Penelope K adequately addresses these aspects of plot development and narrative structure. We asked BBC Worldwide Australia’s Head of Communications Louise Alley if she thought it fit the bill:
“Absolutely. As per Broadcasting Act 1992, a ‘drama program’ is a program that has a scripted screenplay with dramatic elements including a scripted sketch comedy program, an animated drama, and a dramatised documentary. Children’s drama programs are not excluded from the definition of ‘new eligible drama programs’ as long as they meet the requirements of being an Australian program (i.e. produced under the creative control of Australians). This is the case for Penelope K — which is a Blink Films production in association with Freehand.”
Close reading of Penelope K episode synopses reveal that our hero does embark on a journey of sorts in the process of answering her questions, and combined with the other dramatic elements unfolding onscreen, discerning Penelope K viewers can rest assured they’re watching childhood drama.
How accurate are crime stats? A tipster told Crikey they arrived at their Collins Street, Melbourne office yesterday morning to find they had been broken in to: “Front door and then two filing cabinets jemmied open — but nothing stolen (as there was nothing in them but papers).” They rang the City East police station and were told police wouldn’t send any one up to investigate and it’d be best if the victim came down to the station to fill in the paperwork. So they trudge down to the station to find a long line with one officer at the desk and give up waiting since it doesn’t seem worth it. “The whole system seems to be designed to inhibit crime being reported,” they say.
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