Dear Friends, Thanks all for your enormous, wonderful and creative support on the 20th, our 'Day of Action', and thanks also to all of you who signed up over the weekend. Alas, as of today, the shows we've been lobbying so hard to keep are gone. We're not giving up, however. A few of us will be meeting with Michael Mason (Head of Radio) via video link-up next Mon 30th to begin to discuss the role of music content on ABC platforms and on Radio National itself. It's not over, and we will be asking hard questions in relation to music content, featured music, the contribution of independent music to Australian culture and access to regional and remote Australians. We will also be asking questions in relation to the following letter we received from the ABC Board last Fri 20th January (in response to our open letter dated 6 December). We welcome any thoughts or points you would like to make in regard to this letter. You can contact us via email: handsoffradionationalmusic@gmail.com From the #saveRNmusic Team Thank you for your letter dated 6 December 2016 to the ABC Board. The Board thanks the Save RN Music campaign for their interest, passion and commitment to the ABC. The Board Secretariat is responsible for managing Board business, including correspondence. Your letter, which was preceded by another communication to the Board in November 2016, has been brought to the attention of the Chairman and other Board members and the views and concerns expressed in them have been given careful consideration. I note that you can continue to access the Board’s response to the first communication on the ABC’s website (http://about.abc.net.au/statements/abc-response-to-open-letter-regarding-rn-music-changes- for-2017/). As you have recognised in your correspondence, the Board has a duty to ensure that the ABC’s functions—as set out in the Charter—are performed efficiently and with the maximum benefit to the people of Australia. The obligation to provide programs that ‘contribute to a sense of national identity and inform and entertain, and reflect the cultural diversity of, the Australian community’ is an obligation that is met by the ABC across an array of platforms, channels and programs. Many of the important aspects of Australian cultural life you have referred to are featured regularly across all seven networks that are dedicated to music: ABC Classic FM, Classic 2, ABC Jazz, ABC Country, triple j, triple j Unearthed and Double J. These networks are available to Australians across FM transmission, digital radio, online streaming and digital television. Music is also discussed and played on the ABC’s local radio stations in capital cities as well as throughout the ABC’s Regional network. The ABC is aware of the digital restrictions in rural and regional Australia, and the Board recognises that the ABC must take a considered approach to any digital-only services. Music is available on a number of ABC networks via FM transmission and digital television, services which cover more than 96% of Australia including all regional and rural areas. The ABC has well-established and valued relationships with the music industry. ABC Radio has commenced negotiations with festivals such as Bluesfest and Womadelaide around broadcasts in 2017 on Double J and RN respectively. ABC Local Radio will continue to attend and support both of these festivals as well as the range of music festivals and events around the country. Similarly, other ABC networks will continue to support music events. RN management have developed a sound strategy that is focused on developing RN as an ‘ideas network’, one that is based around the spoken word. RN is the home to specialist audio that provides an important contribution to the national debate on a range of topics, including politics, economics, history, science, religion, ethics, arts and culture, and philosophy. The discussion and exploration of music and the ideas surrounding music will remain on RN, not just in The Music Show which fills prime-time weekend listening spots on the linear schedule, but also on other programs such as Books and Arts, Life Matters, the Breakfast, Drive and Late Night Live programs, Conversations, Awaye!, Big Ideas, and Earshot. The Director of Radio has recently made the following comments in response to audience feedback about changes to RN: “While we acknowledge the importance of serving current audiences, it’s our job to shore up RN’s role as a vital player in shaping Australian cultural and intellectual life for future generations. In order to do that, we have made a decision to focus on the value of our rich and distinctive spoken-word audio, long form text and digital content, and our ability to deliver that content to more people than ever before. We want new audiences who aren’t currently experiencing RN to discover it, but we’re having to do that in an environment of increasing media choice. In this fragmented market RN’s strength is its rich spoken word content, and we want to build on that reputation. Additionally, and just as importantly, we also routinely refresh our program and presenter line- ups at RN – an exercise all media organisations undertake regularly – and with that annual process of commissioning new programs comes the inevitable decommissioning of others. The decision to decommission four music-based programs from the RN schedule has been made in the context of what we’re now able to offer listeners across our seven music stations - ABC Classic FM, Classic 2, ABC Jazz, ABC Country, triple j, triple j Unearthed, Double J, and a more focused music choice on Local Radio. As a quality talk-based program, Andrew Ford’s Music Show remains on the RN schedule. The ABC understands that not all of our programming changes will be to every listener’s preference, but I hope you’ll understand our aims, and appreciate the many ways ABC Radio is continuing to support music in all its forms, particularly Australian music, across our extensive suite of networks and stations.” I understand that Radio management have extended an invitation to meet with you to discuss these issues and their desire to widen the audience engaging with music programming and to explore some other points of common opportunity. If you would like me to facilitate that meeting, please let me know. Finally, I regret the lengthy delay in responding over the Christmas and New Year holiday period, and offer my apologies. Yours sincerely, Judith Maude ABC Board Secretariat