Diplomacy or credibility? ABC director will have to decide in his plans for Australian international broadcasting (updated).

"THE ABC [Australian Broadcasting Corporation] chief, Mark Scott, will tonight launch his multimillion-dollar plans for global domination, arguing for a huge expansion in the broadcaster's overseas services in an effort to rival the BBC, CNN and the emerging Chinese media offensive. ... 'We have an important role to play and we have to use all the tools at our disposal to continue to do so - one of these tools is soft diplomacy - using the media to put our nation's culture, values and policies on show,' Mr Scott will say. Under his plan, the ABC would: --Merge the international television service Australia Network and radio service Radio Australia into a single brand. --Expand its broadcasts to reach 53 countries in Africa, 22 in the Middle East and up to 21 in Latin America. --Create an additional five news bureaus in the Asia-Pacific region, bringing the total to 14, more than the BBC or CNN." Ari Sharp, Sydney Morning Herald, 5 November 2009.
     "Without directly mentioning the challenge from pay television for government money, Scott argues that only the ABC can deliver the benefits. 'When you look at the expansion of international broadcasting as an arm of soft diplomacy, Governments are using their public broadcasters to do this work. You shouldn’t outsource your diplomatic efforts.' He argues that the ABC is better placed for the task because it is free of any commercial agenda 'that could conflict with its public duty role.'" Margaret Simons, The Content Makers, 4 November 2009, with link to full text of the speech.
     Does the ABC do news or Australian propaganda? Mr. Scott makes frequent mention of both "credibility" and "diplomacy," in his speech, resulting in a muddle that is not especially helpful to ABC (including Radio Australia and Australia Network) journalists. If he puts it this way, then a "commercial agenda" might actually provide Australia with a more reliable international news service.
     Update: "The owner of Sky News Australia has accused the ABC of trying to block competition for the Federal Government's TV contracts with its multi-million-dollar push for international expansion. ... The Australian News Channel, which owns Sky News, says the Foreign Affairs Department's contract for the Australia Network will be locked up if the service is combined with the ABC-owned Radio Australia. 'Mr Scott is trying to absorb Australia Network into the ABC to permanently block any alternative service model,' the company's chief executive Angelos Frangopoulos said in a statement. 'In doing so, he is suggesting the ABC can be both a policy arm of government and stay true to its charter to be independent of government. He can't have it both ways. If Mr Scott is intent on merging Australia Network and Radio Australia, he raises the question as to whether the provision of Radio Australia should also be subject to open tender.'" ABC News, 5 November 2009.
     "Opposition communications spokesman Nick Minchin said yesterday he was sceptical about the plan, and Australians believed the public broadcaster should focus on improving domestic services. ... While the government yesterday refused to rule out backing the Scott plan, Senator Minchin told The Australian it would be risky for the ABC to take on any role that might be seen as linked to the 'party-political foreign policy' aims of the government. 'Most Australians would regard the foreign aid budget being one based on helping the poor and underprivileged around the world -- not necessarily broadcasting Australian propaganda,' said Senator Minchin, who said he had not yet read Mr Scott's speech in full. 'While I believe in a well-funded ABC, I think any additional funds that it might be able to attract should go into improving its services to Australians, not to broadcasting to people in other countries.' ... [H]e said any link between the ABC and government agendas could open the broadcaster to questions about its independence. He also said if the government believed it should expand its overseas broadcasting effort, it should call tenders, not pass the job directly to the ABC." Matthew Franklin, The Australian, 6 November 2009. Posted: 05 Nov 2009 Permalink Print