ABC Radio programme "StarStuff" -- Axed

[ngcles]

Hi All,

Hot off the press!!

News has just come to my ears from an ABC source, that the only ABC radio programme devoted to Astronomy and Cosmology --Stuart Gary's "StarStuff" has been axed and will finish in just two weeks.

The page for the programme is here:
http://www.abc.net.au/newsradio/programs/STARSTUFF.htm

StarStuff is an excellent, very, very long-running programme (only a 1/2 hr per week) with a large devoted audience that is dedicated to the latest developments in Astronomy and Cosmology -- essential listening for anyone interested in Astronomy.

Why has it been axed?? To make way for more sport. Yep, you heard it here, a total of 700 hrs of sport is broadcast on all the ABC radio and TV channels per week, but it wasn't enough -- they needed that extra 1/2 hr.

Are you steamed about it??

Write to the Federal Government Ministers here

Minister for Communications: Senator Steven Conroy

senator.conroy@aph.gov.au


Minister for Science: Warren Snowdon

warren.snowdon.mp@aph.gov.au


And while you're at it C.C it to the Shadow ministers:


Shadow Communications:

b.bilson.mp@aph.gov.auu


Shadow Science:

bob.baldwin@aph.gov.au


And stick a copy to the Greens while you are at it:

bob.brown@aph.gov.au



Best,

Les D
Contributing Editor
AS&T

[rogerg (Roger)]

That's not good at all.

It's one of my favourite podcasts. NOT HAPPY!

Sport, boring sport wins out yet again. Argh!

[iceman (Mike)]

That's absolutely terrible. StarStuff is one of my favourite science/astronomy podcasts, and the best to come out of Australia.

Horrible horrible news.

[renormalised (Carl)]

That is typical of this country. We seem to put a greater priority on things of rather little importance than recognise what is important and supporting these things. This unhealthy obsession with sport is one example of this. Now I'm a sports fan, but I've never been so obsessed with sport that I've let it take over everything else....which it seems to have with much of the population. You have to create a balance in your interests otherwise you become obsessed with something to the point it begins to become an illness. We've become a nation of relatively uneducated dullards, more worried about whether the team wins and getting off our faces at the pub than being concerned with becoming better educated and informed about the world around us.

I'd much rather spend 1/2 an hour listening to something interesting and educational on the TV or radio than act like a drunken yahoo at a football game or race track...and waste my money in the process.

[Glenhuon (Bill)]

Waste of time writing to politicians regarding excessive amounts of sport on the box. They encourage it. The old Roman saying of "Bread and Circuses" still holds sway. I've never been a fan of watching sports, participating, yes, watching no. Anyway, there is no real sport nowadays, its a job, a business. Want to see real sport, go watch an amateur or the kids playing after school for the fun of it. Might as well watch the council guys digging up the street than watch a bunch of "proffesional sportsmen" doing their job. Probably get more laughs too, listening to the crack.
When money comes in, sport goes out the window.

Bill

[mark3d]

pity to take off something so educational


.

[Paddy (Patrick)]

I reckon that politicians will only say that the ABC is independent and they don't control content. Which is how it should be. I think by all means write to the ministers, but also to the manager of news radio at

ABC NewsRadio
GPO Box 9994
IN YOUR CAPITAL CITY

You can also email them from http://www.abc.net.au/newsradio/contact/
but I've heard that hard copy letters carry more weight than email.

Also Mark Scott, General Manager of the ABC should get a few letters too at

Australian Broadcasting Corporation;
ABC Ultimo Centre;
GPO Box 9994;
Sydney NSW 2001;

or

http://www.abc.net.au/contact/contactabc.htm

I can only agree that this was a great show and how appalling it is that it's being axed to make way for sport!!!

[renormalised (Carl)]

Originally Posted by Glenhuon

Waste of time writing to politicians regarding excessive amounts of sport on the box. They encourage it. The old Roman saying of "Bread and Circuses" still holds sway. I've never been a fan of watching sports, participating, yes, watching no. Anyway, there is no real sport nowadays, its a job, a business. Want to see real sport, go watch an amateur or the kids playing after school for the fun of it. Might as well watch the council guys digging up the street than watch a bunch of "professional sportsmen" doing their job. Probably get more laughs too, listening to the crack.
When money comes in, sport goes out the window.

Bill

I totally agree with you...quite frankly it's an indictment on the current mindset of society.

[Ric]

That is a pretty p-- poor effort by the ABC.

There are a 168 hours in a week and they can't spare a 1/2 hour.

I shall indeed be writing to the ABC and those ministers listed.

Cheers

[daveyoung (David)]

Here are some postal addresses. I've written letters to both of these gentlemen;

Mark Scott
ABC Managing Director
GPO Box 9994
Sydney NSW 2001;


Senator the Hon. Stephen Conroy
Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
PO Box 1067
Epping MDC
Vic 3076

I'd like to encourage everybody else to do so please.

best regards,

Dave Young

[laurieg (Laurie)]

an interesting excerp from hansard approx 2005/06

Topic: StarStuff on NewsRadio
Hansard Page: ECITA 136

SenatorRonaldsonasked:

Senator RONALDSON—………—a popular ABC News Radio program called Star Stuff apparently plays on Saturday and Sunday nights. Is anyone aware of this program, Star Stuff on Radio National?
Mr Green—Yes, it is on News Radio.
Senator RONALDSON—News Radio, that is right. Is it right that the program rates four or five times more highly than News Radio’s general programming?
Mr Green—I would have to take that on notice. I do not have that.
Senator RONALDSON—Off the top of your head though, Mr Green, is it a reasonable claim?
Mr Green—Yes, I think it has a particular following. It takes an approach to astronomy that is not available elsewhere and I think there is appreciation for that.
Senator RONALDSON—Is it right that the ABC is planning to axe this program and replace it with a package of science clips from overseas?
Mr Green—I cannot respond to that. I am not aware of that. That may be the case. I mean, I cannot speak for the director of radio on that matter but I am happy to take that on notice.
Senator RONALDSON—If you could take that on notice. If you could just find please where it rates and whether this is indeed correct. Thank you.

Answer:

The ABC is not planning to axe the StarStuff program

It is problematic to compare a distinctive half hour program with overall ABC NewsRadio programming, as such a comparison does not account for program duration, time of day a program is broadcast and the availability of audiences. A more appropriate comparison of how a program performs relative to other programs on that station is to compare the audience for the half hour preceding the program and the audience in the half hour after the program. Average weekly results for 2005 (Source: 5 city data, Nielsen Media Research):

Reach 000s %Share
Saturday
10.30-11 pm 29 4%
StarStuff (rpt) 11–11.30 pm 40 6.1%
11.30 – 12 midnight 37 6.8%


Sunday
10.30-11 pm 40 5.8%
StarStuff 11 – 11.30 pm 38 7 %
11.30 – 12 midnight 33 7 %

Monday
12.30-1 pm 15 0.6 %
StarStuff (rpt) 1–1.30pm 18 0.8 %
1.30 – 2 pm 14 0.6 %

[danielsun]

Absolutely shattered!!!
It is an excellent program and I will definitely be writing in!!!
This is terrible news.

[Earl (Earl White)]

I could be wrong, but haven't they already pulled it back from 1 hour to 30mins some ago?

Wonder what's going in its place? More boof heads thinking out loud no doubt.

[MrB (Simon)]

Your question was answered in the original post:

Why has it been axed?? To make way for more sport. Yep, you heard it here, a total of 700 hrs of sport is broadcast on all the ABC radio and TV channels per week, but it wasn't enough -- they needed that extra 1/2 hr.

[ngcles]

Hi All,

I just thought I'd bring this matter to your attention again with a few additional suggestions because in the lead-up to the 2009 International Year of Astronomy, the last thing the "clever country" needs is for its one and only Astronomy radio programme to be axed.

In addition to writing to the email addresses I have already detailed in my original post (see above), I also ask you to consider emailing the managing director of ABC radio Mark Scott.

His email address is scott.mark@abc.net.au

In fact, BOMBARD HIM.And, also write via email or snail-mail to your local members (state, but particularly federal) and even consider writing to the editor of your favourite newspaper.

There is no chance of a reversal of this decision unless _you_ take action.

_Now_ is the time to take up your pen (keyboard etc) and write! (If you haven't already done so).



Best,


Les D
Contributing Editor
AS&T

[gts055 (Mark)]

Hi, thanks for the email addresses. I have sent comments to all the above addresses.
Mark

[dannat (Daniel)]

this is the reply I got

"Dear Daniel

Thanks for your feedback about StarStuff.

While we appreciate that you enjoy this specialist program, we need to
allocate as many of our resources within ABC NewsRadio as possible to
delivering the key promise of the network to provide rolling news
coverage.

We've decided to end the program because we need producer/ presenter
Stuart Gary to work on ABC NewsRadio's main newsdesk five days a week.
As you can appreciate, it's important the network's resources are
devoted to delivering the network's key promise.

But we will certainly continue to report on news from the scienticific
and astronomical communities, as part of our overall coverage of
breaking news.

Of course, this can also be accessed online from
http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/?...io&topic=space or
http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/?topic=space.

Again, thanks for your comments about the show.

Yours sincerely,

Elysha

PR/human relations crap

[Zuts]

Hi,

A computer could generate a reply like that. So my suggestion is sack the PR person and hire an extra reporter to man the newsdesk while gary is busy on starstuff

Paul

[h0ughy (David)]

Originally Posted by ngcles

Hi All,

I just thought I'd bring this matter to your attention again with a few additional suggestions because in the lead-up to the 2009 International Year of Astronomy, the last thing the "clever country" needs is for its one and only Astronomy radio programme to be axed.

In addition to writing to the email addresses I have already detailed in my original post (see above), I also ask you to consider emailing the managing director of ABC radio Mark Scott.

His email address is scott.mark@abc.net.au

In fact, BOMBARD HIM.And, also write via email or snail-mail to your local members (state, but particularly federal) and even consider writing to the editor of your favourite newspaper.

There is no chance of a reversal of this decision unless _you_ take action.

_Now_ is the time to take up your pen (keyboard etc) and write! (If you haven't already done so).



Best,


Les D
Contributing Editor
AS&T

yep sent an email

[iceman (Mike)]

Originally Posted by dannat

this is the reply I got

"Dear Daniel

Thanks for your feedback about StarStuff.

...

hmm at least you got a reply, but not a good one. Doesn't even look like they're entertaining the idea of changing their mind.

Amateur astronomers and scientists get 1 dedicated show - 30 minutes per week and they cut it.

Having science news as part of the normal broadcast isn't good enough - that's a small headline and a grab, not the indepth interviews and explanations that you get on StarStuff.