[Greens-Media] Decision to axe ABC Tasmania production must be reversed - Greens

[Torre, Giovanni (Sen S. Ludlam)]

Decision to axe ABC Tasmania production must be reversed - Greens
Greens communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam, Senators for Tasmania Greens leader Christine Milne and Peter Whish-Wilson. 20 November 2012.

The move to close down the ABC's Hobart television production unit would be "grossly unjust for the people of Tasmania", the Australian Greens said today.

Greens communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said closing the Tasmanian unit would "violate the spirit and the letter of the national broadcaster's charter - which stresses the need to represent voices from across the nation".

"We don't want to see 17 jobs disappear, and we don't want to see less local content on our ABC.  An ABC that sources its Australian content exclusively from two cities would not be a real national broadcaster;  it wouldn't fulfil the role the ABC was established to fulfil."

Greens leader and Senator for Tasmania Christine Milne said "By further centralising its operations in Sydney and Melbourne, this move will deny rural and regional Australia its stories.  Tasmania's production facilities and skilled people are second to none, this decision is short sighted and must be reversed".

Greens Senator for Tasmania Peter Whish-Wilson said the decision made "no economic or cultural sense".

"We should be supporting and promoting smart service industries in Tasmania, not cutting them back.  With the roll-out of the NBN we could be exporting digital productions to the world in a cost competitive environment."


Media contact:  Giovanni Torre - 0417 174 302