List of Recommendations
Recommendation
1
The Australian
Democrats recommend that the ABC Board consider pursuing an alternative
agreement with Telstra Corporation solely for the sale and repurposing of ABC
online content, subject to the strict application of ABC editorial policies and
guidelines and a contractual undertaking by Telstra that ABC content is not to
be materially altered.
Recommendation
2
The Australian
Democrats recommend that all reference in the proposed agreement with Telstra
to future advertising revenues be removed, and that the ABC Board policy
decision prohibiting advertising on ABC online and around ABC content sold to
third parties be maintained at least until after the completion of part (c) of
the Committee’s current inquiry has been completed.
Recommendation
3
The Australian
Democrats recommend that, in order to ensure that internal ABC processes are
free from potential pressures, no agreement for unspecified future
co-productions with Telstra be made at this time. Co-productions could be
explored as and when concrete proposals arise with a discrete commercial value.
The Australian Democrats recommend that they be assessed closely in relation to
the ABC editorial policies and guidelines and that their relevance to the ABC’s
charter also be considered.
Recommendation
4
The Australian
Democrats recommend that, within the reasonable limits of available resources,
the ABC seek to improve its monitoring of third party purchasers of ABC online
content to ensure their fidelity to ABC editorial policies and guidelines.
Where technological solutions may be available they should be explored.
Recommendation
5
The Australian
Democrats recommend that reference to the cross-promotion of the two parties
products in Telstra and ABC shops be removed from the proposed agreement. The
Australian Democrats recommend that the ABC give further consideration to this
proposal to ensure it does not breach ABC guidelines about the sale and
promotion of other products.
Recommendation
6
The Australian
Democrats recommend that reference to Telstra’s EasyMail service be removed
from the proposed agreement. The Australian Democrats recommend that the ABC
give careful consideration to any proposal to link ABC Online to a third
party’s free e-mail service to ensure that it does not compromise the ABC’s
guidelines or integrity.
Recommendation
7
The Australian
Democrats recommend that reference to future co-operation between the ABC and
Telstra in the area of datacasting and multimedia be removed from the proposed
agreement. The ABC may wish to give further careful consideration to this
proposal to assess its potential advantages and disadvantages, and to ensure
that the ABC’s strategic flexibility is not constrained.
Recommendation
8
The Australian
Democrats recommend that, within the limits of commercial confidentiality, ABC
management improve their consultation with the ABC Board and with staff over
commercial arrangements that raise basic issues of the ABC’s editorial
independence, integrity, philosophy and future direction.
Recommendation
9
The Australian
Democrats recommend that the ABC, in close consultation with its staff,
introduce new measures to protect staff who wish to raise concerns about the
ABC’s editorial integrity and independence in the evolving online environment.
This might take the form of an independent committee with elected staff and
union representation and the ABC might be required to provide a summary of
complaints and findings in the ABC’s Annual Report.
Recommendation
10
The Australian Democrats
recommend that the ABC ensure during contract negotiations that Telstra’s
service is covered by an adequate privacy policy, and that a clear undertaking
to respect the privacy and confidentiality of users, over and above general
references to privacy policies, be included in the final contract.
Senator Lyn Allison
Chair
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