ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE ARTS LEGISLATION COMMITTEE
NB - Due to the length of the full transcript of this hearing, the following is an extract.
Senator JOYCE—What the ABC says should be unbiased and just and show a balanced viewpoint, because it does not have a barrow to push. Obviously it looked on that occasion as if it did. Within the portfolio of the ABC, can you give me a break-up between your listening audience for Classic FM, Triple J, Radio National, local radio and world news? If you call the whole lot 100 per cent, what is the percentage break-up between them?
Mr Green—I will ask the Director of Radio to respond. In terms of our radio services, some are designed to be broad based and attract a large audience and some are designed to be specialist. The balance between the two is part of the way in which the division is run.
Ms Howard—Are you talking about listening audiences?
Senator JOYCE—Of the 100 per cent of the people who listen to the national broadcaster, what is the split-up between Classic FM, Triple J, Radio National, local radio and world news?
Ms Howard—I am not sure if I have figures that could cut it for you that way. I am happy to take it on notice. The ABC radio share of the whole listening audience, including all commercial radio, is somewhere between 25 and 35 per cent, depending on where we are. Of that, local radio probably has the bulk, then Triple J, then Classic FM, Radio National and NewsRadio after that.
Senator JOYCE—Classic FM is ahead of Radio National?
Ms Howard—Yes, it is, by and large.
Senator JOYCE—That is something we should be taking to the health minister. Do you have any program for the further roll-out of Triple J?
Ms Howard—I will ask Mr Knowles. We have recently had a round of self-help.
Mr Knowles—The major extension of Triple J at the moment is a self-help arrangement, whereby the councils who are interested in doing it are obtaining a subsidy to allow them to go out to the smaller centres. That is part of the regional program funded by the government.
Senator JOYCE—In regional areas, it is not an either/or thing, that you either get Radio National or Triple J; you can get both. I am thinking of Townsville, where I am from. There is no angle to this question, it is purely information that I am trying to get. There is a proposed digital roll-out. What are your views on that?
Ms Howard—You mean the new digital radio?
Senator JOYCE—Yes.
Ms Howard—The policy announcement?
Senator JOYCE—Yes.
Ms Howard—It is a fantastic thing, from our point of view. It will allow two things to happen. Services which are currently not heard or are heard badly, because they are scratchy or they are not picked up very well, will be heard in CD-quality stereo. It will also allow, with any luck, a proliferation of greater radio services than are currently provided in Australia.
Senator JOYCE—More radio services?
Ms Howard—Yes.
Senator JOYCE—And better quality?
Ms Howard—Much better quality.
Senator JOYCE—What about the reach of those radio services?
Ms Howard—It is a bit untested at this stage, especially for regional Australia. That is probably a question that should be put to the department a little bit further down the line.
Senator JOYCE—More and better, but you are uncertain about the reach. How long do you envisage before you get your teeth into the digital roll-out?
Ms Howard—We are hoping to see services within perhaps three years.
Senator JOYCE—Three years?
Ms Howard—One of the issues for Australian radio is how to fit all of the services into the new digital spectrum. In three years time, with any luck there will be a compression called aacPlus, which is being developed in Korea, which looks like it will be very useful for Australian digital radio. Around about the time that we hope we will be able to launch digital radio properly, that service should be well and truly available, with receivers on sale.
Senator JOYCE—Will you be able to dovetail the development requirements into the capital expenditure you have at the moment for your current AM/FM for rolling out digital? I do not know whether it is transponders or towers or however you deliver it, but would the majority of your capital infrastructure be in place now?
Mr Knowles—We hope that the digital transmissions to a large extent will be able to make use of the existing infrastructure, particularly television towers. But that is a matter to be tested in the marketplace. As you are aware, those services are provided by a service provider to the ABC and are funded directly by the government.
Senator JOYCE—It is not a major quantum leap. You do not have to build new towers or anything like that?
Mr Knowles—There will probably be a need for some additional small towers in order to provide the coverage match within those markets, because of the different characteristics of the signal.
Senator JOYCE—You are pretty confident about your content, are you? You are happy to stand behind trademarks such as Triple J, Radio National and local radio? You are not overtly scared about anybody coming in on your turf and pushing you out?
Ms Howard—No. We hope to expand new services as digital radio arrives as well.
Senator CONROY—I have been reading speculation that the ABC is possibly involved in bidding for rights to the AFL. I am wondering if you could confirm or deny that?
Mr Green—There would have to be a further funding efficiency and adequacy review, if that were to be a possibility. The amount of money involved is well beyond our resources, even if we were able to do so.
Senator CONROY—I did not mean an individual bid, that you were bidding individually.
Mr Green—I wonder whether the Director of Television has anything to add to this?
Mr Ward—No, I do not have anything to add to what you have said at this stage.
Senator CONROY—Are you considering being involved in a consortium to bid for the AFL rights?
Mr Ward—I think I would like to take that question on notice. I am not sure where we stand at the moment.
Senator RONALDSON—Is it part of an Australian drama?
Senator CONROY—Why would you need to take that on notice? You are the man; why would you take that on notice?
Mr Ward—Because I am not 100 per cent sure where that issue is at the moment.
Senator CONROY—I presume th