Dalton on ABC TV cuts. The axe swung for ABC TV staff yesterday. TV head Kim Dalton breaks the bad news …

Dear All

ABC TV today announced a number of changes to its production slate and production resources. These are a result of falling audiences for some programs, increasing financial pressures on ABC TV and a strategic commitment to focus its limited financial resources on prime-time programming.

The Sydney-based production New Inventors will not be renewed after it completes its run on August 17 with its Grand Final.

The Melbourne-based Sunday afternoon production Art Nation will also not be renewed after it completes its run later this year. The final episode of Art Nation will air 27th November, 2011.

It should be noted that the online portal, Arts Gateway, will continue as will the Sunday afternoon block of acquired arts programs from Australia and around the world. ABC TV will maintain its strong commitment to arts programming with a focus on prime time. The Tuesday evening Artscape slot, the First Tuesday Bookclub, At The Movies, ABC2 Live arts performances plus a number of one-off arts documentaries, series and events will continue on ABC TV in 2012.

Late last year ABC TV established two new factual entertainment initiatives one with Screen West and one with the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC). This has resulted in the development of two new factual series of 6 x 30min with ScreenWest and two new factual series of 6 x 30min with SAFC, both series will air on ABC1 in 2012.

As a result of these changes production requirements are less. Therefore ABC TV proposes to reduce the levels of staff in NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Northern Territory Production Pools resulting in proposed staff redundancies. The ABC is committed to consulting with affected employees and their representatives regarding the change and its likely effect on employees. Briefings and individual meetings have been conducted with directly affected staff today.

In Tasmania, Collectors will be rested and a new show, “Auctions”, has been commissioned for on-air 2012 produced by the team that has been making Collectors. The current run of Collectors will finish on September 23.

ABC TV management recognises that this can be a very difficult time for some staff and will ensure all the appropriate support is offered.

However in the face of an increasingly competitive broadcasting environment and increasing financial pressures, ABC TV must ensure it uses its Government funding as efficiently and effectively as possible to deliver maximum value to its audiences and the Australian taxpayer.

Regards,

Kim Dalton

Front page of the day. The US debt crisis has been averted…

The Department of Corrections. City workers? Perhaps the Philadelphia Daily News mistake in its August 2 edition was a Freudian slip?

Phone hacking: NotW exec Stuart Kuttner bailed after arrest

“Stuart Kuttner, the public face of the News of the World and its most vocal public defender for 22 years, has been arrested by police investigating allegations of phone hacking and of bribing police officers to leak sensitive information.” — The Guardian

Value of Fairfax Media hits two decade low

“Shares in Fairfax Media have hit their lowest point since the company was listed on the ASX 19 years ago.” — mUmBRELLA

Washington Post tries hand at beat poetry

“Washington Post style reporter Dan Zak wrote a dispatch for the section’s “Night Lives” column about D.C.’s Guardian Angels. Now, this may sound like a boilerplate human interest story about beret-wearing vigilantes who remind you to use the crosswalk, but Dan Zak is not a boilerplate reporter. He let the words spill from the soul, penning a “rat-a-tat free verse” poem, which the Post published today…” — Gawker

Media companies no longer want to own sports teams

“The trend for a number of years was for big media companies to own sports teams. The operative word was ‘synergy’. Why pay for the broadcasting rights when you can own the team? But billionaires with local roots have replaced media companies as buyers in recent years.” — Forbes