It was good of a
News/CAff staffer to write to you yesterday. Did the idea come from a
media release? That’s pretty much the extent of what News does (when
was the last time they broke anything?). And all CAff does is longer
versions of News; they seem to break even fewer stories. And don’t get
me started on Rural. Local Radio talks – and listens – to Australians
with independence and an Australian view of affairs both global and
local. There are plenty of Local Radio listeners who believe CAff has
too large a presence on the network. There are staff who feel the same
way, particularly when a show like The World Today runs out of
steam well short of its conclusion. And listeners can’t get local
weather, traffic or other information between 7:45am and 8:30am. Bad
luck if you’re heading into traffic mayhem.

For an ABC
journalist to discuss the ineptitude of Local Radio presenters is,
however, apt: the broadcaster’s newsrooms have it down to a fine art.

You’re
right about Catterns and the ratings chase and the ABC Local Radio
awards are a navel-gazing waste of funds that will spill into open
embarrassment one day.

A question for your journo, though: what would News/CAff do with someone of Virginia Trioli’s character and ability? Nothing.

Aunty’s $500k knees-up

Christian Kerr writes:

Some answers come through to the
questions posed by the ABC’s pursuit of ratings in yesterday’s Crikey
Daily: “What in hell’s name are the ABC Local Radio Awards? What do
they cost? Who approved them? What purpose do they serve except as an
expensive round of back slapping and self-congratulation?”

ABC
sources say the price tag for this knees-up is between $250,000 and
$500,000. We’re told that the awards have existed for five years or so,
but are cunningly disguised in budgets for training, panels and the
ubiquitous “workshops.” More news as it comes to hand.