• Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications

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18 October 2011This report examines the impact recent programming decisions have had on the ABC and makes a range of recommendations.

On 17 August 2011 the Senate referred the following matter to the Senate Environment and Communications References Committee for inquiry and report by 12 October:

The decision by the television management of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) to significantly cut the number and amount of ABC produced programs, jobs (including through forced redundancies) and potentially affect resources, as announced on 2 August 2011, with particular reference to:

• a) the implications of this decision on the ABC’s ability to create, produce and own its television content, particularly in the capital cities of Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Hobart;
• b) the implications of this decision on Australian film and television production in general and potential impact on quality and diversity of programs;
• c) whether a reduction in ABC-produced programs is contrary to the aims of the National Regional Program Initiative; d) the implications of these cuts on content ownership and intellectual property;
• e) the impact of the ABC’s decision to end internal production of Bananas in Pyjamas and to outsource the making of a ‘Bananas in Pyjamas’ animation series to Southern Star Endemol Proprietary Limited; and
• f) the future potential implications of these cuts on ABC television’s capacity to broadcast state league football and rugby; and
• g) any other related matters.