Candidates in the forthcoming Federal Election will debate the future of the ABC at a Public Forum on Wednesday 28th August.
Friends of the ABC Secretary Anne O Byrne said many Tasmanians were concerned about how the national public broadcaster would be prioritised by the next government.
She said the ABC as an independent body always had a somewhat tenuous relationship with all political parties so it was important that voters knew they were electing strong advocates for public broadcasting in a climate of major media challenge.
The Tasmanian ABC was especially vulnerable to financial and staffing cutbacks because the ABC concentrated its operations in Sydney. The ABC was responsible for quality TV Australian content, but too much of its budget had been invested overseas so that viewers had to watch endless BBC repeats.
FABC Tasmania want to see an incoming government encourage targeted TV and digital content development in regional Australia. The ABC already has a wonderful diversity in radio programming so this needs to be extended as far as possible into television programming.
Tasmania has talented writers and filmmakers whose work could be being showcased on national ABC television. So many lifestyle and educational documentaries could be sourced from the island state.
Ms O Byrne welcomed the public to attend to hear how speakers representing the major parties would speak out for the importance of the ABC to Tasmanians. The ABC Election Forum will be held after work at 5.30 pm on Wednesday 28th at The Lecture Theatre, Level 2 Launceston General Hospital
Friends of the ABC Secretary Anne O Byrne
