No SANFL coverage for 2008?

[StrayDog]

Must say that watching the interstate leagues has broadened my appreciation of our national code.

Personally, this thread (and REB's 'Big Footy' link) are the first I've seen on the topic of the ABC reducing national programming of state league footy.

I mean no disrespect, however, I've not been able to find anything official on the ABC website nor anywhere else (and not for lack of trying). I'd appreciate any link or quote that can point me in the right direction here, or show me something I've overlooked.

I'd be disappointed if the 'Big Footy' poster is not mistaken given that:-

- presumably, up to 5 (?) hours per weekday that is currently assigned to children's programming on ABC2 could become available to other programming after the planned opening of dedicated children's channel ABC3 in April,

- I'm not an accountant, but, I would have thought that broadcasting a couple of hours of pre-recorded sport (albeit nationally) late at night would compare favourably with the ABC's initial production outlay. How long would it be before they started looking at the viability of producing what would become one-off / one-state transmissions?

[TroyGFC]

Just received email back from ABC.

Thanks for your email to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. This
automatic response is to acknowledge that your mail has been received
and has been allocated the reference number C4672-08. Where requested,
a detailed response will follow. The ABC endeavours to respond to such
complaints within four weeks of receipt. However, please be aware
that due to the large volume of correspondence we receive, and the complex
nature of some enquiries, responses may at times take longer than
this.

Your email will be addressed by ABC Audience & Consumer Affairs. If
your complaint is about a matter of personal taste or preference,
Audience & Consumer Affairs will ask the manager responsible for the program
to provide you with a response. If your complaint raises a serious
editorial issue - such as factual inaccuracy, lack of balance, or
inappropriate content - your complaint will be investigated by Audience &
Consumer Affairs. Audience & Consumer Affairs is a separate unit within the
ABC, independent of program areas, and assesses complaints against the
requirements set out in the ABC's Charter, Code of Practice and
Editorial Policies.

Thank you for giving the ABC the opportunity to respond to your
concerns. A fact sheet about the ABC's complaint handling procedures can be
viewed as a PDF on this web page:
http://www.abc.net.au/corp/pubs/documen ... plaint.pdf.

Yours sincerely,
ABC Audience & Consumer Affairs.

[sturtpeter]

Hope the telecast stays.

I know both of my late parents welcolmed the opportunity to watch it when health forced them to be unable to attend games.

[Pup]

Will be a big blow to those interstate if this goes through. I love watching the WAFL,VFL and SANFL during the week.

I will certainly be lodging a complaint

[Wedgie]

Not that I recommend it as its probably illegal but for those inclined a few games were available to download on a torrent site I noticed last year, might help fill the gap if you're a crim and live interestate!
I must strongly present my abhorrance to anyone that conducts this sort of behaviour though and totally disincourage it.

[smithy]

optus aurora cards people...........................
every ABC game in VFL, SANFL and WAFL live every saturday for a small price.
No matter where you live in OZ.

[smithy]

Will be a big blow to those interstate if this goes through. I love watching the WAFL,VFL and SANFL during the week.

I will certainly be lodging a complaint

[SimonH]

The ABC do accept email/web-based complaints/comments. I made one just last night.

I agree with the bloke who said that SANFL re-broadcasts are the only reason why he bought a set-top box. (Although, now that I have it, obviously there are other advantages.)

The only evidence that ABC2 is actually axing SANFL and other state league late night broadcasts is:
a) a comment on the ABC forums by a moderator apologising for the fact that the NTFL broadcast did not go ahead as scheduled, followed by the foreboding "there will be no NTFL on ABC2 this season". (No reason given.)
b) a claim by a person on the relevant BigFooty thread that s/he had spoken with a (named) PR person at the ABC, who advised that they were discontinuing because they didn't want to be branded as a 'repeats' channel.

The ABC is spending a lot of time, money and effort promoting ABC2 at the moment-- the fact that plain ol' ABC TV will be universally referred to as 'ABC 1' from this point on, confirms the fact-- and so I think they are looking to weed out anything which is perceived as lacking broad appeal or which (to their mind) 'damages the brand' of ABC2. To which the obvious answers are:
1. After 11pm at night is when all networks put on shows of specialised interest.
2. For most of the country, these games are not repeats but are first-and-only screenings.
3. 'Shyeah right, a tedious one-sided dead-rubber hockey test between Australia and England from the mid-1980s [which I witnessed on Late Night Legends a little while back] really has broader appeal than a current-week SANFL game'.
4. Channels that don't broadcast 24 hours went out with the ark. ABC2 currently doesn't (it just has generic music-and-weather when programs finish). If SANFL isn't worthy of the prestigious 11:30pm Tuesday timeslot, then hey, put it on at 3am and we'll just set our videos.

Here's hoping.

[SimonH]

optus aurora cards people...........................
every ABC game in VFL, SANFL and WAFL live every saturday for a small price.
No matter where you live in OZ.

I am never putting a satellite dish on the roof of my house. They are just ugly as sin: not to mention cost, inconvenience of installation, and the likelihood that any dish would become redundant shortly enough when the ABC can be bothered placing special interest programming on-demand on the internet (or someone else does it for them). Nice option for those who already have a dish, though.

[Barto]

If this is the case I might as well throw out my settop box as only reason I brought one. For Shame ABC if its the case!!

It's the only reason I got mine. Bastards.

[Pseudo]

If this is the case I might as well throw out my settop box as only reason I brought one. For Shame ABC if its the case!!

It's the only reason I got mine. Bastards.

Moi aussi. Les salopards....

[TroyGFC]

Response received today, I urge all to keep hassling them via email to keep pressure on them.

Thank you for your email regarding repeat broadcasts of regional
football, such as SANFL, VFL, WAFL, NTFL on ABC2.

ABC Television has recently announced new and exciting changes for ABC2
in 2008, and reworked the ABC2 schedule to offer themed nights of
programming, as follows:

Sunday - Arts
Monday - Music and Gaming
Tuesday - Drama
Wednesday - Factual
Thursday - Comedy
Friday - Drama and Comedy
Saturday - Movie Night

This new ABC2 schedule aims to cater to wider national audiences, which
means there is less scope to include repeat regional based programming,
such as regional football (SANFL, VFL, WAFL, NTFL). However regional
codes will still be broadcast on ABC1, within the state the sport is
played, for viewing by the main audience of the particular sport.

As the decision was quite recent, in some cases the schedules, which
are
planned up to four weeks in advance, had not been amended in time.
Please accept my apology for any inconvenience this caused you.

Please be assured that the ABC pays careful attention to what you tell
us, whether supportive or critical. I have noted your comments and
passed these on to Television Management so that they are aware you are
disappointed with this programming decision.

Thank you for writing and providing your views, which are appreciated.

Kind regards,

Anna Lee
Audience and Consumer Affairs
http://abc.net.au/tv/abc2/

[Sandy]

Thanks to everyone who has commented on this subject. I have just posted a letter to the Audience and Consumer Affairs of the ABC TV here in Sydney voicing my dismay with regards to no coverage of the SANFL (as well as VFL & WAFL) competition.
Here is what I said
"I am writing to you to ask if this coverage (SANFL) is to be teleast again this year on Tuesday nights at 11.00pm. I have heard that this will not be the case so I would appreciate it if you could let me know the outcome of this decision.

It will be extremely disappointing if you do not carry on with this coverage as there area great number of interstate residents who look forward to seeing their local team play. This is the only opportunity we ge to watch our local competition and see how our local team is faring (a lot of us prefer to watch this as opposed to watching the AFL).

I am asking that you continue with this telecast for the interests of Australian Rules supporters.

I now await a favourable reply and outcome to this situation."

I am now hoping that I will get a reply and if (and when) I do, I will let you know. As mentioned by earlier posters, this was the main reason my husband and I bought a set top box too!!

[SimonH]

I received a reply today from ABC2 in pretty much identical terms to that quoted by TroyGFC.

I won't quote my whole response, because everyone who's interested should go at the ABC from their own angle. Public letter-writing campaigns are always more effective if everyone uses their own brain and voice, rather than just signing a petition/pro forma. However, I emphasised the fact that current ABC2 weeknight programming finishes between 11:05pm and 11:30pm: so the argument, 'we've put in all of this new fancy stuff and so have no ability to squeeze in the SANFL' is specious. The games were starting when they are now going to the 2008 equivalent of test pattern!

[sturtpeter]

Totally inappropriate that the ill should be denied access to our SANFL.

Go Sturt!

[smithy]

Totally inappropriate that the ill should be denied access to our SANFL.

Go Sturt!

Plenty of sick people still manage to get to Unley .

[Squawk]

Send the same letters to Ministers and members of the opposition. One letter sent in many different directions creates many more problems.

The Hon Kate Ellis MP
Title: Minister for Sport.
Party: Australian Labor Party
Parliament House Contact
PO Box 6022
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Tel: (02) 6277 7350
Fax: (02) 6273 4134
Email: Kate.Ellis.MP@aph.gov.au

The Hon Pat Farmer MP
Party: Liberal Party of Australia
Shadow Minister for Sport
Parliament House Contact
PO Box 6022
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Tel: (02) 6277 2082
Fax: (02) 6277 8489
Email: Pat.Farmer.MP@aph.gov.au

Senator the Hon. Stephen Conroy
Senator for Victoria
Positions:
Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate
Party: Australian Labor Party
Parliament Contact:
Phone: (02) 6277 7480
Fax: (02) 6273 4154


Email: senator.conroy@aph.gov.au
The Hon Bruce Billson MP
Party: Liberal Party of Australia
Shadow Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
Parliament House Contact
PO Box 6022
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Tel: (02) 6277 4257
Fax: (02) 6277 8516
Email: B.Billson.MP@aph.gov.au

Then there is always your local member that you can contact - if it isn't already Kate Ellis. FWIW she emerged late from the Chairman's Club at Canberra Airport and settled in right up front in First Class! Travelled light tho - only had about 6 staffers in tow, all seemingly under 30.

[Wedgie]

If Im going to send any correspondence to Kate Ellis itd be asking for a date.

[TigerBoss]

I'm sure she'd go for your sort Wedgie. Given she represents the ALP, she would practically take it from anything.

If I may, I just want to say that I think the ABC here in SA do a magnificent job...big ups to all the people that work on the SANFL coverage each Saturday. Shame if the ABC2 commitment ceases, but you're all taking the right approach to voicing your concerns.

[sturtpeter]

Wedgie, you're a married man, mate

Kate's my Local MP