On the 2nd June 1998, the Victorian Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, The Hon. Mark Birrell MLC, issued the Economic Development Committee with a Terms of Reference to investigate the effects of government-funded national broadcasting on Victoria.
Briefly, the Reference required the Committee to inquire into:-
· the role and adequacy of government-funded national broadcasters; and
· the current and long-term distribution of these broadcasters' resources, both in number and effect, upon the Victorian economy and community.
The Inquiry has concentrated on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) both of which are funded by the Commonwealth Department of Communication, Information Technology and the Arts.
It is clear that the ABC, for more than 60 years, has held an important place in Australian society and is often described as a cultural icon. In a relatively short time, SBS has also become a unique and valued part of Australia's multicultural heritage.
There have been several reviews of the role of the ABC in the past, most recently the 1996 Mansfield Review. The Committee has not become aware of any past reviews of the SBS. An Inquiry by a State Parliamentary Committee into the functions of Federal Government bodies is unusual. With increasing concerns by States other than New South Wales that both the ABC and SBS are centralising activities in Sydney, it is timely that such a review be conducted.
The majority of submissions and evidence taken by the Committee have related to activities of the ABC. In this context, it should be noted that the ABC receives more than five times the funding, has a wider audience share and employs many more resources than the SBS. As a consequence, the Inquiry and this Report have a greater concentration on the ABC than the SBS.
The process of gathering evidence has involved:-
· Receipt of 76 written submissions
· Evidence from 73 witnesses in Melbourne public hearings
· Conduct of regional hearings in south western and western Victoria and the Gippsland region taking evidence from 68 witnesses
· In-camera hearings with 15 witnesses
· Meetings and inspections in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane and many meetings with ABC management at various levels.
· The Chairman and Deputy Chair of the ABC met informally with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Committee.
In March 1999, the Committee released a Discussion Paper on the Future of ABC Television Production.
