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Dr Tamsin Clarke

The formatting of this submission may have been altered due to the processing required for publication on the Department's website.

1. There should be considerable funding increases to both the ABC and SBS and new boards reappointed.
   
   
2. I completely agree that it is very important for the maintenance of democracy in Australia that national broadcasting provides Australians with a community space, or 'virtual village square.' Which is where SBS comes in - minority voices are too easily drowned out by the majority, and it is important for many different voices to be heard. SBS has until recently provided that democratic underpinning. In the past, Australian drama like 'Going Home' was a part of SBS's portrayal of different ways of thinking and seeing Australia. All that is now gone, and the constant breaking into programmes with paid advertising (and, most annoyingly, also self-advertising within programmes) is ruining the experience of watching SBS. SBS TV needs to return to its Charter.
   
   
3. The ABC should never show advertisements nor interrupt programmes for anything other than urgent breaking news. Limited self-advertising (eg for ABC shops, ABC signature logo, other programmes) between programmes is acceptable, but only for very short times. It is strongly arguable that the constitutions/charters of the relevant bodies are being breached here. You opposed ads on SBS (and by implication the ABC) before the elections - make good on this!
   
   
4. Preferably, neither station should show any paid advertisements on any channel. Failing that, paid advertisements should be permitted ONLY between programmes, NEVER within them, and NEVER in prime viewing times of approx 7pm to 10.30 pm.
   
   
5. Given that buying overseas programmes is said to be cheaper than producing them locally, why is the range of programmes offered by both ABC and SBS relatively limited? In terms of innovation, quality, and diversity of sources, we are not so well served nowdays as we have been in the past. Why are we paying for bad modern series when we never get to see tried and tested older ones that are presumably even cheaper and often better? Where are the old movies (the classics, not the B grades)? Where are all the plays that have been filmed? In the distant past, ABC used to occasionally show them late at night eg Tom Stoppard. Dig them out. Where are the old series in all languages? on SBS, Programmes like Unit 1, the Eagle etc are fine, but instead of yet more Rex re-runs (a fine programme, but there's only so many re-runs you can watch), why don't we see some other European police series eg older series of Unit 1 or similar German series (which I understand have been running, like The Bill, for 20 years +). Or some older US series that were so successful on commercial television (Homicide on the streets) or tantalisingly pulled off commercial TV as being too esoteric, never to be seen again (Frank's Place).
   
   
6. In terms of education, where are the 'open learning' programmes that used to be so good on SBS?
   
   
7. ABC and SBS drama has in the past been fantastic (everything from Phoenix to Going Home) and it would be a great thing for local employment and culture if this could be funded. Are we never to see government-funded drama again in Australia?

Document ID: 104982 | Last modified: 26 May 2011, 9:49am