Australia’s peak women’s sporting body fears that young female athletes will be left without role models due to cuts in ABC TV coverage.
Cost-cutting at the national broadcaster will see the end of coverage of the women’s national soccer league at the end of the current season, with a similar fate likely to befall the Women’s National Basketball League.
Australian Womensport and Recreation Association executive officer Leanne Evans says taking the two leagues off the air would leave a gaping hole.
“You’d struggle to find much at all in terms of women’s sport on television,” she said.
“It’d be a massive disappointment for those athletes, teams and people who support it.”
The ABC has been asked to find $254 million in savings over the next five years by the federal government, with sport one of the major casualties in a response outlined on Monday.
An ABC statement outlined an “overhaul” of its sport coverage.
“With the ABC facing declining audience interest in local sport competitions and some codes chasing commercial opportunities, ABC Television is revising its sports strategy to ensure the most cost-efficient use of resources and optimal audience impact,” it read.
An FFA spokesperson said the move would not affect the viability of the W-League.
“Football Federation Australia today received final confirmation of ABC TV’s decision to cease broadcast of the Westfield W-League for the 2015/16 season as part of widespread budget cuts that affect sporting codes and competitions all over Australia,” an FFA spokesperson said.
“FFA is disappointed with the decision to cut the broadcast of Australia’s premier women’s national sporting competition.”
Various ABC journalists said on Twitter they understood the two leagues would be axed by the broadcaster.
For the WNBL, that would mean the end of a 35-year partnership.
The more recently formed W-League has been broadcast on ABC television since its inception.
It conflicts with the ABC’s most recent television strategy which states the ABC has “a long-term commitment to women’s sports”.
Evans suggested top-level teams – including the high-performing Opals and Matildas – could expect to see the impact of a lack of exposure in the future.
“Young girls look up to elite female athletes,” she said.
“Without that television coverage it’s just that much harder to see those players and see the pathway ahead of them.”
Boban
Guest
This could be turned into a positive if Fox Sports was prepared to broadcast the W-League. If you could have W-League games as curtain raisers to A-League games then cripes, the attendances would surge!
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Terrific article by a passionate fan of the Women's Game. People, who make disparaging comments about watching the women's game, are both insular & extremely ignorant about why real fans watch sport. Comment: Another blow for the representation of women in sports http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/11/26/comment-another-blow-representation-women-sports
Cpaaa
Guest
AR im not misunderstanding anything . The ABC have a dedicated kids channel with plenty of cartoons. For parents in the know, there is plenty of online content as well if they want peppa.. Id also imagine that parents allow kids to watch cartoons just to give themselves some time for other things. I say cartoons because kids dont care if they are watching a pig or a squirrel. I'm also pretty certain that if mum, dad or both started kicking a ball around in the backyard, then peppa will most likely no longer be a priority. This has nothing to do with ratings, for parents are not going to be rushing out and buying peppa pigs and making a profit for the ABC.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Well said, Ginger71 I regularly tune in to the W-L match, or record & watch later. We get to see some of the best players - not just Australia's best; but world's best players. You will find a certain group of posters on the football forum will lecture us about various aspects about The Game even though they don't watch any football .. apart from 10 second highlights of EPL, Leo & Ronnie, on commercial news.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
I was in Canberra a year or two ago for some work and wandered into a pub where Canberra United were taking Adelaide apart on the big screen. Plenty of people were engaged in the game and enjoying the misery being inflicted upon the South Australians.
Bondy
Guest
Heres Captain negative again on football. Do you have to post we already know what you think ...
Bondy
Guest
Well said Mark ..
Midfielder
Guest
Ginger There are a number of posters on the roar from other codes who post constant negative comments and point to every minor error... many suspect some of these posters are paid by the AFL media department and receive a certain amount per post ... I agree with your comment tho ... keep playing if you can great after the match to sit and have a chat no matter what level you play at...
Ginger71
Guest
rubbish. I'm a now retired female football player. I live in regional NSW so i don't get the chance to go and see them play live. So i watch them on the ABC, not because nothing else is on, but because i am genuinely interested.
Midfielder
Guest
I find the reaction by the ABC in cutting women's sport [remember its not only Football] difficult to understand. The ABC has as I understand no cuts to their budget from 2004, I stand to be corrected, however the ALP in power from 2006 made no cuts and the last two years of the Howard I think no cuts were made... I have a client [very small a 20 minute a year simple tax return] I asked him last year about the ABC and he everywhere saving can be made.. The PM made the statement no cuts to the ABC and SBS and he has... Meaning I guess I wonder aloud about both the need to cut back on broadcasting, closing regional production areas... Women's sport and regional jobs are arguably two of the most sensitive issues or areas you can cut.... As others have expressed with no cuts in 10 years it beggars belief there was not admin changes, reduce overtime, re negotiate contracts etc that could make up the 5%... My question is far broader than the W-League... I get the feeling this is beyond clever by ABC management announcing we are laying off 10% of our staff, closing regional production areas and not broadcasting women's sport ... very easy to attack the government especially with the no cuts statement... Having said this to me from afar and having a lot of experience with change management, budget cuts etc... to take a 5% cut over 10 years and respond like they have while I accept as very clever it annoys me a lot. As an aside talk to any commercial area within the media and ask if over 10 years what cuts to operating budgets they have had... as I said I think the response has been calculated to protect against future cuts and depending on where you sit that is very clever or almost criminal.
Chris
Guest
The W league was rating really well and gaining recognition worldwide bringing players from the US and Europe . The plans are underway to have a women's world club competition as is the case with the men. Another network will pick this up
nordster
Guest
I dont even need u to sort the booking...expedia here we come!
The Minister
Guest
Get a room you two. Ok, I'm bored now..
nordster
Guest
Is that tissue for me? I'll keep it for after seeing my boy ryan win BB tonight And yeah my shoes need a shine too 'minister'...did u drop out of student politics or get caught up in some union payola scandal and killed your political career early? Or hospitality union?
Paul D
Roar Guru
Sure, it'll go with the coffee you can make me. one sugar, easy on the milk.
The Minister
Guest
Tissue?
The Minister
Guest
Oh..I see. You may be right then Paul...
Paul D
Roar Guru
Typical hospitality worker. Bad tempered and a massive chip on your shoulder.
nordster
Guest
"Pillow biter" assumes im a "bottom" ;) I can only assume you're scouting me out for a suitable match! I'll pass btw...i dont date statist Minister types...
The Minister
Guest
Spare me your sanctimonious speech Paul. I work in the hospitality industry and I've met more gays of different shapes and sizes than you probably ever will. It's just that nordster seems of the category "Pillow Biter". And he's an annoying little s**t.