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The ABC is worth fighting for! We are former employees of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation who believe passionately in the need for a fearless, well-funded and independent national broadcaster as a vital part of Australian democracy. We: Publicly advocate for improved funding for the ABC, and for the protection of…Continue reading “About”

02/09/202321/09/2023

ABC ALUMNI SUBMISSION TO REVIEW INTO THE NATIONAL BROADCASTERS’ INDEPENDENCE

5-year funding periods are all very well, but what’s to stop a new government that gets elected half way through…

24/08/202324/08/2023

SECRET REPORT REVEALS WHY GOVERNMENT CLOSED ABC RADIO STATION

A recently discovered 1970s government report provides an intriguing insight into a short-lived experiment in ABC broadcasting history. Radio 3ZZ…

Quotable Quotes

“I want us to be a country at home with our own identity. And a part of that is cherishing the ABC and respecting the ABC.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese celebrating the ABC’s 90th anniversary on 5 August 2022

Rebuilding the ABC

17/02/202316/04/2023

ABC Alumni and ABC Friends launch our first 2023 joint campaign leading up to the May budget and the coming ABC 5-year funding agreement. If you’ve been thinking recent funding…

LANDLINE – ‘the beating heart of the ABC’

09/02/202316/02/2023

Rural and regional broadcasting has been a mainstay of ABC programming for nearly eight decades. It’s provided a unique on-the-ground insight into the lives and businesses of Australians outside of…

Laura Tingle: the next ABC staff-elected director?

03/02/202331/03/2023

The news this week that high profile journalist Laura Tingle has thrown her hat in the ring for the election of the next staff-elected director (SED) on the ABC Board…

ABC Independence…

ACMA wrong on Four Corners’ Fox program

04/01/202309/02/2023

The recent ACMA ruling on ABC Four Corners’ two-part program ‘Fox and the Big Lie’ sets a dangerous precedent, says ABC Alumni chair Jonathan Holmes. In a letter to ACMA chair…

ABC 90th Anniversary…

The ABC of Australian Christmas Carols

10/12/202227/01/2023

Often forgotten in recollections of ABC achievements is the national broadcaster’s role in creating a collection of much-loved Australian Christmas carols. Former staff sound librarian and music collections coordinator Lynne…

Muzzling Milligan

06/12/202203/01/2023

Last week, the ACT’s Director of Public Prosecutions announced that there would be no retrial of Bruce Lehrmann, because it would pose a “significant and unacceptable risk to the life…

The Ten Rules of Reporting

03/12/202210/12/2022

Few people are as well qualified to give practical advice about journalistic practice as former ABC Editorial Director, and now Alumni Board member, Alan Sunderland. We asked author and Professor…

ABC ‘Methuselah’ Robyn Williams gives a candid insider’s view for the Alumni

27/11/202206/12/2022

Science broadcaster Robyn Williams has trod the corridors of the ABC for half a century. Best known for his long-running and internationally renowned The Science Show, he combines a fine…

New book showcases ABC’s Radio Australia

22/11/202203/12/2022

When you’ve been broadcasting internationally for more than 80 years, there’s a lot to celebrate. The newly released official history of Radio Australia, Australia Calling by Dr Phil Kafcaloudes, traces…

STATES OF NEGLECT

31/10/202226/11/2022

Last Sunday, for the first time since 2014, the 7pm News on the main ABC channel ran for only 30 minutes. ABC Alumni director Alan Sunderland, a former senior manager…