The Federal government’s decision to cut funding at the ABC will put in excess of 400 media staff out of a job. But just what will be lost, and how will this effect sports lovers?
The $254m to be shredded – as announced by Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull last month – will have a huge impact on both you and I, as fans of the game.
$207m will be slashed from the national broadcaster’s budget before July 2015, so heading into the reform, let’s take stock at both what – and who – has been shown the door.
Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL)
Resultantly, the ABC’s 35-year association with the WNBL will now cease to exist.
The news comes as a damning blow to the competition, which had looked set to prosper in the 2015/16 season, following a stream of WNBA players arriving on our shores this year.
Opals stalwart Lauren Jackson has expressed her concerns, saying that the lack of airtime will no doubt hinder up-and-coming talents in securing vital sponsors.
The competition remains without a major broadcast partner, with commercial stations unlikely to show interest in the league.
Australian Womensport and Recreation Association Executive Officer Leanne Evans told the SBS the cuts would affect both current and aspiring athletes.
“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.”
Women’s Football League (W-League)
A similar fate now fronts would-be footballers across Australia, as the W-League competition looks likely to be played without a major broadcast partner in 2015.
Fox Sports though has shown interest in the league before, and may look to acquire the full rights to the competition come the next season.
In lieu of a major partner, however, commercial investment will certainly lessen; and as revenue dwindles we can expect wider interest to do the same.
The FFA now face a huge task in selling the game to potential buyers, and frustration at the news resounded in their response – albeit brief – to the government’s decision.
“The FFA is disappointed with the decision to cut the broadcast of Australia’s premier women’s national sporting competition.”
State League Aussie Rules (VFL, WAFL, NTFL)
State-based Aussie Rules competitions have also been booted, much to the dissatisfaction to those from the North.
Tony Frawley, AFLNT Chief Executive, told 7Sport of the disappointment, and the impacts it would have across the Northern community.
“It will be disappointing not to have the broadcast because we’ve had such a great relationship with the ABC over many, many years but the cuts just won’t make that available,” he said.
“It’s been great for us to be able to get it out to particularly Indigenous communities that don’t get access to the football by coming to the stadiums here in Darwin.”
The cuts come as another blow to the state leagues following Foxtel’s decision to withdraw funding from the Foxtel Cup, while reality TV show The Recruit was also given the bump
The AFL has insisted that the top-flight competition itself will not be hindered by the ABC’s cuts, although some media staff covering the league would be.
“ABC Radio Grandstand AFL will not be affected by the cuts,” an ABC spokesman told AFL.com.au.
“However, three Grandstand broadcasters, two in Melbourne and one in Tasmania have been impacted by the cuts.”
Personnel
Along with these staff, experienced broadcasters in Drew Morphett and Dan Lonergan are among the many others who have been asked to take redundancy packages.
With over 50 years experience between the pair, their expertise will be sorely missed from fans across the country, and too, right around the world.
The cuts are also likely to have played a role in David Morrow’s recent retirement – although the extent of which they did, remains unknown.
Peter Newlands has also been made redundant.
What does it all mean?
While hundreds of ABC staffers will lose their jobs, it is we – as fans of sport – who are at arguably the greatest loss.
As the WNBA and W-League look unlikely to be screened free-to-air, so too will the AFL be affected by the changes.
Just where the cuts will end, and exactly who else is on the chopping block, remains to be seen.
Jarijari
Guest
Righto Ryan, I note from you bio that you're studying communications and journalism at UNSW. Hope you're checking the Murdoch papers to try and get a bit of balance on this issue. No, well what about this: "The cuts are also likely to have played a role in David Morrow’s recent retirement -– although the extent of which they did, remains unknown." Now that's a bit wishy-washy. A quick Google and you would have discovered that Morrow forwarded his resignation in July, two months after he was stood down because of his co-commentator Warren Ryan's "racist'' comments on air at a rugby league match. Besides cost, the other major reason for dropping the telecasts of women's sport and the local Aussie rules comps was the decision a couple of years ago to eventually sell off the outside broadcast vans. And you also failed to mention the axing of the Shute Shield rugby, undoubtedly the most significant sports telecast cut. Aunty first showed Sydney rugby in 1957, a few months after the introduction of television to Australia. The Shute Shield is named after Robert Shute, who suffered a cerebral haemorrhage when he was tackled and fell heavily while playing in a trial match for The Rest against NSW at Manly Oval on June 5, 1922. He died in hospital the following day. Shute, 23, was a third-year engineering student at the University of Sydney and had served for four years in the AIF. The University club donated a shield to the NSW Rugby Union in his memory to be used as perpetual trophy for the Sydney first grade competition.
H.E. Pennypacker
Guest
Would not be surprised if cricket was not cut from radio broadcasts next. This is just the first round of cuts. I guess, they did get 40 percent of the vote so under our twisted 'democratic' system that constitutes this Nasty party of selfish people to do what they do, run a war on Australians. Wake up to yourselves Australia we are being bent over by the 'elites'.
Cantab
Guest
It really amazes me that people can believe a) that the budget cuts handed down by TA will not lead to cuts in productions, with sport being part of this. (IE I believe the author to be correct.) b) That the cuts are unnecessary. (IE conveintly left out by the author.) As a genuine swing voter few things bug me more than the hard left or right.
Morsie
Guest
Think of what the could save by not employing the endless stream of the same unfunny comedians to supply skewed political commentary disguised as entertainment.
Paul D
Roar Guru
To borrow a quote from Abraham Lincoln's Cooper Union address - bear with me, I think it's relevant... A highwayman holds a pistol to my ear, and mutters through his teeth, "Stand and deliver, or I shall kill you, and then you will be a murderer!" I don't see how you can possibly blame Abbott for a decision that was clearly Mark Scott's to make, and in which Scott undertook cuts he'd clearly been planning for some time. Mark Scott is the captain and coach in this instance, and deserves the blame.
Ryan Selvage
Roar Guru
I didn't expect it to go unchallenged mate but that's what it's all about! The purpose of the article was not to exude political bias, but to collate both who and what will be lost after the funds are withdrawn. You're correct in saying that the decisions are made by ABC management, but these decisions have no doubt been forced. At the end of the day, It is Abbott's government, and just as a coach or a captain are the first to be lumped with the blame after a loss, it is only common for the leader of any party to be the first called out.
Paul D
Roar Guru
I don't see how anyone can read this piece from former manager Louise Evans and not wonder at some of the practices within the ABC. http://www.smh.com.au/comment/the-abc-has-flab-to-be-cut-20141123-11rtki.html While it is only one persons' experience of working there, the description of staff attitudes is certainly in keeping with what has been suspected for some time now. That's why I can't excuse some of these decisions ABC management have made, not when you see what what sort of wasteful practices they have tolerated and allowed to fester.
timbo
Guest
It's good to see that almost everyone can see through the cynical machinations of Mark Scott. A 4% cut in their bugdet is nothing and if management had been keeping an eye on things then the budget of $1.3 billion may not have needed cutting. I wonder how many of the 400 job losses were from middle and upper management and how many came out of Sydney.
Geoff Parkes
Expert
Spot on Paul.
Alicesprings
Guest
ABC dropping sport has nothing to do with government cuts. The ABC could have found those savings in many other places! Up here there are only a handful of local shows..basically it's only the news and local footy! NTFL is extremely popular up here. Almost on par with afl games. Lucky for VFL, SANFL & WAFL are all going to channel 7. The NTFL is made up of players from around the territory. Remote coummunities come together to watch their local heros cut it in the 'big smoke' of darwin. Shame ABC. Would love to know what cutting NTFL games will save ABC..what a joke.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Actually, Mark Scott did want to. He has said repeatedly that the ABC should be pushing heavily into digital markets, asked for digital to be specifically written into the ABC charter, and has made no secret of the fact that he wants to focus the ABC on this. I don't have a problem with the ABC going digital, but not if it means abdicating its responsibilities as the national broadcaster. The nature of the ABC means that it should be prioritising services to areas where the commercial networks and online content are not prevalent, as they don't have to worry about stock prices, dividends, advertising revenue and all the other commercial considerations that other networks have to deal with. I don't see how cutting sports and services to niche and rural areas where there is no other coverage, in order to compete in already crowded marketplaces is remotely in keeping with the purpose of the ABC.
Paul Hooper
Guest
Mark Scott didn't do this because he wanted to. It was probably more to do with the fact that he had to make budget cuts. If you seriously think that the ABC shouldn't go digital and not have an online presence, you seem to have missed the fact that everyone is online now.
Doug B
Guest
I join others in condemning this uninformed nonsense. The Roar is the best sports site around by a country mile. It should stick to its knitting - not turn itself into an outlet for the politically motivated rantings of the adolescent minds of students of media and communications. If the ABC’s sports coverage is being substantially reduced, it is not because of a 4.6% reduction in funding spread over 5 years. It is because Mark Scott has decided to pursue digital media at the expense of the TV and radio, and an inner-city luvvy audience who disdain sport as a bogan pastime, in defiance of the ABC’s charter. Presumably the author of this piece has remonstrated with him directly over this? No, thought not.
Paul D
Roar Guru
As others have said, the decision to cut sports broadcasting rests squarely with Mark Scott and ABC management. All of these sports got the chop because he wants to chase digital viewers and eyeballs online. This is despite the median age of the ABC viewer being 61. Evidently he's tired of his existing audience, and wants to chase a non-existent audience instead.
kevin dustby
Guest
its a shame but obviously not enought people watch
Bondy
Guest
Its disappointing the Fed Government and Aunty are not able to realise that with womens sport in particular both Basketball and Football where they're truly global sports and illustrate a Nations acceptance and freedom of Women through sport and an acceptance of Women in society in general.
nordster
Guest
Well thats a relief, they cover leagues most of us dont watch anyway. ;) The real issue is that leftists expect everyone else to pay for "their" abc and its biased news coverage. Bias is fine in a privately owned commercial network, not acceptable when paid for by all taxpayers. They've been getting away with it for ever, they know it and have dug their own graves on this one. Thats where the cuts should be, arguably not in sport. The best solution would be to sell off the parts of the abc already replicated elsewhere...news and talk stations, music etc. Then keep the regional arms as a separate community media function, within which Sport could be a part. And they can continue to cover sports with low commercial appeal. The abc could save a bundle by staying out of the news and caf game altogether, leaving more resources for things like sport and smaller regional broadcasting.
Don
Roar Rookie
I "swing" a bit left of centre more so than I do right, but even a "left thinker" can see the political game the ABC is playing. Mind you, the target was a sitting duck when he didn't even accept he lied till some 3 or 4 weeks after the event. Maybe he should have used some rhetorical flourish to help explain himself? The ABC have targetted programming that draws sympathy from the public and that they also know will be seen as "ABC only" because commercial stations won't go near unprofitable programming. There is no public currency in cutting management and that's no way to run a campaign against the cuts or any further ones.
Geoff Parkes
Expert
Ryan, I don't have an issue with your politics shaping your writing, even on a sports site, but you can't expect blatant political comment to go unchallenged. You claim that it is the federal government who is putting 400 media staffers out of a job, and killing off women's sports coverage by "shredding" and "slashing" the ABC's budget, and ignore that these decisions are made by ABC management. This week Mark Scott appeared before a senate committee and admitted that the decision to cease in house production in Adelaide for example was made prior to the government budget changes, and would have happened regardless. But I guess it suits people's political agendas to lump the blame onto Tony Abbott instead. The inner city, "progressive" ABC has determined to pursue a future in digital media at the expense of traditional coverage in rural areas, state based production and yes, sport. Minister Turnbull is reacting by formally reminding the ABC about honouring their charter to serve all Australians in areas which aren't adequately serviced by commercial interests. In this regard the budget cuts are a furphy - the amount is modest, in line with what private businesses deal with all the time and in line with what other government funded agencies are dealing with. No doubt the cuts to sports coverage and women's sport in particular is concerning. But the ABC is full of bureaucrats and managers on $300k plus salaries - the number is quite astounding. There were plenty of places Mr Scott could have trimmed before pulling the pin on sports coverage - if he had chosen to himself.
MikeR
Guest
The fact that the cuts have been made to sport and regional services highlights everything that is wrong with the ABC. Instead of attacking the government of the day who is trying to get spending under control the anger should be aimed at the inner-city centric of the ABC management. They had a choice on where to trim costs and chose sport. If I said you have $100 to spend and you chose to buy beer instead of feeding your kids is that my fault? The political bias of the author is obvious and for a sports site is disappointing.