Abstract

The ABC's digital transformations: a continuing (hi)story.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, like other media organisations, is the site of continuing workplace change thanks to the advent and development of digital media. The author has been participant and witness to this change in both radio and television, since the early 1990s. This paper describes and analyses how this period of broadcasting history is playing out in the ABC, how it has influenced drama and documentary production in television and journalism in radio, from the perspectives of both managers and producers. It begins by analysing the traditional prevalence in media production of a Weberian division of labour, between 'artist' and 'artisan'. It goes on to argue that technological developments and reductions in public funding were together responsible for two significant changes to industrial relations of production at the ABC. These were the industrial re-classification of ABC Radio workers, and the corporate restructure that took place in the mid-1990s, following similar organisational change in Britain by the BBC. The paper concludes that the institutional goals and judgements affecting the decision to adopt digital media technologies may have initiated change, but they will need revitalising if change is to lead successfully to new relations of production and means of representation.

Anne Dunn
University of Sydney