Information Invasion Into Pacific
posted 9th February 2001
Kerry Stokes's Seven network is poised to win $A50 million to
run a new Howard Government-sponsored Asia Pacific television
service, prompting a storm of protest from Australian expatriates
in the region, the Australian reports. Five rival bidders for
the $10 million-a-year, five-year contract have been contacted
by the Department of Foreign Affairs saying the Government has
a preferred candidate, with Seven understood to be the last bidder
standing. Seven already runs Australia TV, acquired from the ABC
in 1997, but has been criticised by the expatriate community for
running cheap programming and constant repeats, such as children's
show Here's Humphrey four times a day and often in prime time.
The network is understood to be losing Seven about $6 million
to $7 million a year, with little advertising support. Reports
in The Australian this week that Seven is about to win the right
to broadcast ATV set off a flood of emails to this newspaper from
expatriates critical of the decision. "ATV's recent format has
made it a target for sarcasm and ridicule within the region,"
wrote Rob Spurr, an Australian in Jakarta.
Another
expatriate in Jakarta, Andrew Mitchell, emailed: "I live in Jakarta
and 'our' television station is an absolute joke. A Country Practice
that must be at least 15 years old played three to four times
a day is certainly not good entertainment or a good portrayal
of Australia." Seven has been broadcasting to Indonesia and elsewhere
in the region via the Palapa satellite just 10 programs every
24 hours, repeated four times a day. The Department of Foreign
Affairs has declined to comment on the progress of the bid, as
has Seven. The department opened the tender last August to subsidise
a better television service in Asia. It is understood that in
November the department had narrowed the selection to two bidders:
Seven and Australian Vision International, a venture backed by
former Liberal member of the NSW Upper House Lloyd Lange, advised
by former ABC managing director David Hill. But it is understood
AVI was eliminated just before Christmas, leaving Seven in final
negotiations..
.