PHILOSOPHY CRUSADE #1 - ABC 2 (ALL SANFL FANS PLEASE ACT NOW

[Brucetiki]

Done - given that I expect VFL and WAFL followers to be following suit surely the ABC would listen to its viewers and put it back on eventually.

If not, here's plan B - a nude protest outside ABC

or plan C - write to your local MP (if all else fails, maybe a bit of political blackmail will get SANFL/VFL/WAFL back on ABC2)

[spell_check]

Well, I've joined the list of soon to be recipients of the automated response. I hope it will turn out to be worth it.

[grant j]

..

[southee]

Signed & sealed.

[Psyber]

I can't access the footy on ABC 2 anyway, but I have just emailed ABC management about the issue, supporting the emails they have received from those at safooty.net and in SA generally, and pointing out that as a "Friend of the ABC" and an advocate for adequately funding the ABC within the Liberal Party [where they need every friend they can get] I am unimpressed with the way the ABC is dropping local content and becoming not "National", but Sydney-centric.

I expect I'll get the standard reply too, but I laid it on as hard as I could.

[scarlet pimpernel]

Dead set, let the Liberals privatise the ABC
It has become a total waste of our taxpayers money
Used to be the most hardened rusted on fan of the ABC
They cannot afford any quality English television dramas any more, dont watch TV now.
The radio is so politically biased and flipant and trivial, dont listen to the radio now.
Newsradio ah well thats repeat repeat repeat, Americans view of the world and advertising
Used to love the J's and I mean really love.
They dont love music, they love talk because it saves money and Ive switched off
Why dont they get rid of Okhams Razor, it the only program of interest left
Does the ABC want to be relevant.
Australians eat meat pies, drink beer, drive Holden cars and follow a footy team
Maybe the ABC should brew beer or make meat pies.
They cannot afford the television rights for that footy
Many of us loathe the corrupted by money AFL competition
We get off on our local footy. The game isnt played at a time to suit prime time American TV. Betting does not corrupt the result of games. Pay TV does not own and run the game
The SANFL is just good clean honest fair competitive football. We feel a part of our teams
Not only should South Australians have access to the SANFL via the television as an alternative to that other form of the game but we should be exporting it to other states and visa vera.
Life isnt about how much money we have or make, its about quality, and it used to be about enjoying the quality programs that the ABC presented.
Alas those days have gone. John Howard has won. Rupert Murdoch owns the world, not that I oppose Rupert Murdoch, but there should be an alternative to the tripe that commercial media puts out. That used to be the ABC

[johntheclaret]

I oppose Rupert Murdoch. It's his money that has **** up the English game and no doubt he is doing the same there.

[Spiritof64]

Done: whats scary though is this:

Section 1 c - Functions of the Corporation:

(c) to encourage and promote the musical, dramatic and other performing arts in Australia.

Farg Me, where is sport? Givent he national obesity epidemic surely broadcasting program content that encourages physical activity like sport should be part of the Charter of the ABC.

Perhaps the SANFL clubs should play like the Power as that way we'd get a gig under the arts as its comedy gold.

From the Charter of the ABC

(1)The functions of the Corporation are:

(a) to provide within Australia innovative and comprehensive broadcasting services of a high standard as part of the Australian broadcasting system consisting of national, commercial and public sectors and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to provide:
(i) broadcasting programs that contribute to a sense of national identity and inform and entertain, and reflect the cultural diversity of, the Australian community; and
(ii) broadcasting programs of an educational nature;


What contributes more to our sense of identity than the game created in and played mainly in Australia.

If their argument is that not everyone watches Aussie Rules then fine, by all means remove Rugby, Soccer, swimming, Tennis, Golf, Bowls etc from their programming and I will be partially mollified.

[eddie eagle]

done

[Dan The Man]

I don't think that we will get the footy back on ABC2.
Unfortunately when we have a Bureaucratic Psychopathic Mongrel in charge of ABC2,well we are pushing crap up hill.This Mongrel just wants to make his mark on the organization.

[TaurusSirius]

As submitted to ABC2:

It is no exaggeration to say that the main reason I bought a digital set-top box was so that I could see SANFL replays on ABC2. Consequently I am furious that this service is being withdrawn. It was the only thing I watched on ABC2, so obviously now I won't be watching it at all. It was one of the very few services that ABC2 was uniquely placed to provide - most of the rest of ABC2's content is merely timeshifted ABC1 material which anyone with a VCR or DVD recorder can (and does) replicate. There are also long periods of non-transmission, so you can't tell me there isn't time in the schedule. I genuinely don't understand what motive there could be for withdrawing this service. In an age where the population is more mobile than ever before in terms of interstate migration, demand for this type of programming, maintaining cultural links with 'home', can only increase. Bring SANFL and other regional sport back to ABC2!

Some of you may remember the campaign to keep the SANFL Grand Final on ABC TV screens in the NT a few years ago. It was successful, just going to show it can be done. Keep fighting the good fight!

TaurusSirius, now marooned in Tasmania

[the tractor]

Done!
Power to the people!

[busboy]

Ive joined in the chorus, living in Sydney now this really hurts. Thankyou to everyone who is involved.

[Psyber]

Done: whats scary though is this:

Section 1 c - Functions of the Corporation:

(c) to encourage and promote the musical, dramatic and other performing arts in Australia.

Farg Me, where is sport? Givent he national obesity epidemic surely broadcasting program content that encourages physical activity like sport should be part of the Charter of the ABC.

Perhaps the SANFL clubs should play like the Power as that way we'd get a gig under the arts as its comedy gold.

From the Charter of the ABC

(1)The functions of the Corporation are:

(a) to provide within Australia innovative and comprehensive broadcasting services of a high standard as part of the Australian broadcasting system consisting of national, commercial and public sectors and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to provide:
(i) broadcasting programs that contribute to a sense of national identity and inform and entertain, and reflect the cultural diversity of, the Australian community; and
(ii) broadcasting programs of an educational nature;

What contributes more to our sense of identity than the game created in and played mainly in Australia.

If their argument is that not everyone watches Aussie Rules then fine, by all means remove Rugby, Soccer, swimming, Tennis, Golf, Bowls etc from their programming and I will be partially mollified.

From the administration point of view. probably any game played mainly in Sydney I suspect.

[MagicKiwi]

I sent my email a couple of weeks ago and got the standard reply on the 20th. Today I received this - I'm assuming you'll all get yours* today as well:

Dear Mrs MagicKiwi,

Thank you for your email regarding the ABC's decision to terminate the broadcast of state and territory level Australian Rules, Rugby League and Rugby Union matches on ABC2.

The ABC has received considerable feedback about this decision and has published a response to viewer correspondence here:

http://www.abc.net.au/contact/s2206223.htm

Please be assured that your comments have been noted and conveyed to ABC TV management so that they are aware of your feedback.

Thank you for taking the time to write.


Yours sincerely

Matthew Galvin
ABC Audience and Consumer Affairs

[Dirko]

Yep got that one too....

Still a crock if shit considering ABC2 is closed from 2330 ever night until 0530 even 0700 sometimes...

Why can't they play it then ? I'm sure the expats and etc can tape it if it's too late...



I fired this back...

Dear Mr *****,

I am glad the ABC has taken the time to post a ambiguous response on the website.
However, the website states that there are programming issues and has less scope to repeat state base
sporting events. Can you get someone to explain how there can be less scope when the station (ABC2) does
not broadcast every evening between 2330 and usually 0530?

Hell in 6 hours you could just about repeat the SANFL, VFL & WAFL on one night !

Hardly a decisive response on the ABC's behalf.

Regards

SJABC

[Interceptor]

Got the same response everyone gets...

ABC management are obviously pretty determined to stick to their ABC2 philosophy

It's going to be awfully difficult to get them to budge, but it may be worthwhile trying to get the the Minister for Sport (Kate Ellis, from SA) to put them under pressure...

Here contact details are here: http://www.aph.gov.au/house/members/member.asp?id=DZU

For what it's worth, here is my effort:

Dear Minister,

As Minister of Sport I wanted to draw your attention to ABC2's decision to "terminate the broadcast of state and territory level Australian Rules, Rugby League and Rugby Union matches" from this year.

Although many people has expressed their great disappointment at this decision, ABC2 have decided in their wisdom to their stick steadfastly to their philosophy of "catering to a wider audience", despite the fact there are many hours in the day (late at night) in which match replays could be broadcast.

As a South Australian, no doubt you would be familar with the SANFL and its rich history, plus its contribution to Australian sport in general. This is just one of the state based competitions nation wide that are now being denied a wider audience due to the ABC2 decision.

I ask that you take this matter into your consideration and act as Minister of Sport to at least put ABC2 under some pressure to restore the broadcasts.

I have included the actual ABC2 correspondance below for reference.

regards

[Big Phil]

I got the standard response as well and I think it is a crock of shit !!!

Recent Responses
Replay of Australian Rules, Rugby League and Rugby Union matches on ABC2.
Wednesday 02, April 2008

Issue: The ABC has received complaints about the decision to discontinue repeat broadcasts of state and territory level Australian Rules, Rugby League and Rugby Union matches on ABC2.

ABC Response: In February, ABC TV was relaunched for 2008. This relaunch positioned ABC TV as Australia’s leading multi-platform broadcaster, featuring two distinctive television channels – ABC1 and ABC2.

The new ABC2 schedule aims to cater to wider national audiences. This means that ABC2 now has less scope to include repeat broadcasts of regional-based programming, such as the regional sporting codes referred to above.

These matches will still be broadcast on ABC1 within the state or territory in which each particular competition is played. This will continue to enable the main respective audiences to view and follow the competitions.

The ABC remains committed to providing coverage of Australian sports. In addition to the broadcast of these matches on ABC1, ABC Local Radio covers a wide range of sports on the Grandstand program. This coverage will soon be enhanced by a reinvigorated ABC Sport website, which is currently taking shape.

The sentence in bold is the biggest load of crap I have ever heard...

How can you be wanting to cater to a wider NATIONAL audience and in the same breath take programming off the air that DOES EXACTLY THAT. It caters to the other viewers interstate that can then have the opportunity to see other competitions from with OUR NATION ???

And then they want to say they have less programming scope to allocate times to the replays and yet like mentioned above they have plenty of time, when they are closed and have that stupid programme guide and "Tripple J 'esque" music on, to rplay these games. I feel sorry for the supporters that have had to move interstae for work and now they have to miss out.

What a bloody joke, let's hope our one of the Pollies stand up for their people and at least get the ABC2 to reconsider. In saying that though, the sooner the better would be good because obviously the season is up and running already.

Big Phil...

[PhilH]

Looks like they have received heaps of complaints to have bothered putting something on their web site.


So besides a few standard automated replies what do we have......

No explaination as to why a test patten is providing TV to a "wider national audience" than state league football.

No apology for misleading people by advertising during the footy coverages last 2 years into buying a set top box for the sole purpose of watching their league only to have it dropped in 2008.

No mention it would cost them just as much to transmit a test patten as a game (same digital signal shared with ABC 1, no saving of transmission costs whatsover).

No solution (or apology) offered to expat fans now living interstate deprived of their local footy fix.


So where to from here ?????

I will be posting some new ideas shortly .... this crusade is by no means over

[cd]

Personal Post Only

I have responded back to Mr Galvin but have also sent to my local MP Steve Georganas - keen westies fan, Kate Ellis Minister for Sport, Steven Conroy minister communication plus the shadow ministers Mr Billson and Mr Farmer

All in top line so ABC can see i'm not giving up and exactly to whom I've contacted. Email addresses for pollies on link given earlier.

Col D