Cuts To Archive Act Of Vandalism: Abc Staff
The Age
Friday April 13, 2001
The axing of up to 38 jobs in archives and library services at the ABC in Sydney was ``an act of vandalism" by a management with a lack of commitment to making programs in-house, a senior ABC union figure has claimed.
ABC news and current affairs staff believe the move could jeopardise the ABC's reputation as an accurate deliverer of news.
``This will destroy the ability of ABC program makers to make strong and well-researched programs," said Graeme Thomson, ABC section secretary of the Community and Public Service Union. ``This material is not just the property of the ABC, it's the heritage of all Australians."
The archive and library departments were stunned this week when ABC management announced a restructuring of the archive area as part of moving its production facilities at Gore Hill to its main centre at Ultimo.
Mark Colvin, presenter of ABC radio's PM, wrote to Robin Watts, director of content rights, yesterday, saying he was ``saddened and appalled" and that the plans ``risk a big deterioration in our output".
``The reference library - fact-checking and the sourcing of information that drives investigative journalism - is at the heart of the ABC's factual integrity," Colvin wrote.
Mr Thomson said the job cuts were ironic after such strong use was made of the archives during the making of programs marking Federation.
Ms Watts rejected the claims. ``There is no aim to diminish service or destroy the archive, in fact quite the opposite," she said.
``We are looking at making the service more efficient."
© 2001 The Age