ABC

Jessica Marais will take the lead in the telemovie Carlotta for ABC1, which begins production on May 6.
Based on the life of the iconic Les Girls headliner and Australian transgender pioneer, Jessica Marais is set to star as Carlotta, one of the most beautiful women of her generation, but not a woman at all. Also joining the cast are Caroline O’Connor, Alex Dimitriades, Anita Hegh, Eamon Farren and Paul Capsis. Continue reading »

On 27 November 2012, areas of northern NSW will switch off their analogue TV signals and switch to digital only TV. This region is served by commercial channels NBN, Prime and SC10 as well as national broadcasters ABC and SBS. Continue reading »

FOUR CORNERS SPECIAL: THE OTHER SIDE OF JIMMY SAVILE

The late Jimmy Savile was British television royalty. In life he was a DJ, the host of “Top of the Pops”, moving on to front the mega ratings family television program, “Jim’ll Fix It”. At the same time he raised millions of dollars for charity. But in death, the real story of Jimmy Savile’s life is now being told.

It’s the story of a man who can only be described as a sexual predator, who used his position to get close to young children, mainly girls, so he could rape and abuse them. In some cases he did this on the premises of his employer, the BBC. Continue reading »

RACE TO LONDON – A journey to remember.

Across Australia thousands of athletes share the ultimate dream, to represent their country at two of the greatest sporting events on the planet .

RACE TO LONDON follows six contenders in the year leading up to the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics where dreams will be made or shattered. The series gives a compelling insight to what it takes to be an Olympic hero. Continue reading »

ABC Washington Cameraman, Louie Eroglu has been awarded the 2012 Video Photographer of the Year by the White House News Photographers Association for the second year in a row.  

The WHNPA made the announcement overnight, recognising Eroglu’s work for 7.30 and Foreign Correspondent, with stories from West Virginia and Cuba.

In accepting the award, Eroglu said, “I’m very excited to be awarded this honour for the second year running from WHNPA.  

I was lucky enough to cover some memorable stories with ABC Australia this past year. “I just love what I do and having the opportunity to reflect in pictures the amazing beauty and complexity of life in America. I never tire of filming in the USA and working alongside so many talented WHNPA colleagues. You can easily pick me out of the crowd right now on Pennsylvania Avenue: I’m the chappie with the world’s biggest grin.”  

Louie’s colleague, Dan Sweetapple was also recognised in the awards in the News Feature, Network and Documentary categories.  

The ABC News cameramen will be honoured at the annual “Eyes of History” Gala on May 5, 2012 in Washington.

Katrina Sedgwick, an established performing arts practitioner and one of Australia’s leading arts and screen festival directors, has been appointed the new ABC TV Head of Arts.

She will take up her position in Sydney on 11 April.

Kim Dalton, Director of ABC TV said “This new stand alone position reporting directly to me will provide stronger focus on our arts programming. 

“As a result of changes to our arts production and line up last year we have increased the resources committed to prime-time arts programming to be commissioned from the independent production sector,” he said.

“At this time of change Katrina will bring a wealth of expertise from her extensive and impressive background across the arts as a practitioner, producer and festival director. She has a track record in creating, commissioning and curating arts programming and events as well as building significant partnerships with art organisations,” said Dalton.

Sedgwick said “After nearly a decade with the Adelaide Film Festival I am ready to move on to a new challenge. The newly created role of Head of Arts offers me the exciting opportunity to extend the curatorial and management skills I have developed at the AFF and particularly its film and television investment program.”

The Adelaide Film Festival has been listed in Variety magazine’s list of Top 50 ‘Unmissable Film Festivals in the World’ – the only Australian film festival to be listed. Sedgwick established the festival and its investment fund and since 2003 has been responsible for supporting and investing in a multi award winning slate of almost 50 projects including the feature films Samson & Delilah, Look Both Ways, Ten Canoes and Snowtown, the documentaries Forbidden Lies and Mrs Carey’s Concert and the short films Spike Up! and The Palace.  

The AFF also presented a major visual arts program in association with the Samstag Museum, the Art Gallery of SA, the Experimental Art Foundation and the Contemporary Art Centre of SA, including the commissioning gallery based artworks from artist Lynette Wallworth and filmmaker Warwick Thorton.

Sedgwick conceived and created the AFF’s The Hive Laboratory that brings together artists from a range of art forms (including Richard Tognetti, Meryl Tankard, Kate Champion, Gideon Orbarzanek, Susan Norrie, Lynette Wallworth, Michael Kantor, Chris Drummond, Rose Myer, Garry Stewart) and leading filmmakers to cross-pollinate their ideas and creative processes. Working with ABC TV and the Australia Council The Hive Investment Fund will result in three ground breaking projects by leading arts practitioners moving into the world of film and television. 

Prior to the AFF previous positions held by Sedgwick have included the Artistic Director of the Adelaide Fringe Festival, Special Events Producer of the Adelaide Festival of Arts, Artistic Director of Come Out Festival and Co-director of the Sydney Fringe Festival. Katrina has produced short films and theatrical events as well as working in live theatre, film and television as an actor. 

According to Dalton “Katrina will bring a distinctive vision to ABC TV Arts, an ability to connect with diverse audiences and extensive networks across the arts in Australia.”

The ABC’s Head of Current Affairs, Denise Eriksen, has today tendered her resignation for personal reasons.  

“The recent successful launch of two new business programs and the appointment of a new Executive Producer for 7.30 means my immediate work is complete and it’s an appropriate time for me to leave,” said Ms Eriksen. “I’ve relished working with the amazing team in ABC Current Affairs – on television and radio. They are second to none in bringing the stories Australia needs to hear to our audiences – professionally and with dedication and determination. Long may that continue and I wish them all good things in the future.  

“But for now, events in my personal life mean that the time is not right for me to continue in this job.  I’ve had eight fantastic years in senior executive positions both here at the ABC and at SBS, but it’s time now to explore other options for my professional life – including those which allow me to work again at the coal face of content creation.”   

Denise returned to the ABC in 2010, initially helping relaunch 7.30 and then leading the current affairs stable of programs across radio, television and online.

She helped guide the changes to ABC News business coverage, including reformatting Inside Business with Alan Kohler, and working with the business team and ABC News 24 to develop The Business with Ticky Fullerton.  

“I want to thank her for her contribution to ABC News and for the drive, energy and commitment she has shown over the past 18 months,” said Director of ABC News, Kate Torney. “Denise brought wide-ranging experience to the role and injected a great deal of energy into the job of leading our talented current affairs teams. I wish her all the very best for the future.”  

Denise will leave the ABC on March 30, 2012. 

ABC Commercial has launched an exciting new Android app aimed at enhancing children’s storytelling time.

Story Cloud, a collaboration between ABC Commercial’s Digital Product Development team and creative collective I Think I Saw A Unicorn lets children, parents, friends and family record themselves reading popular children’s picture books.

The app comes with a free book ABC Play School Nursery Rhyme Favourites and allows parents and children to narrate and record themselves reading the book for play back later.

There are already a number of books that can be purchased in the Story Cloud library and there is no limit to how many family narrators can be attached to each book.  

New picture books will be released each month. Director of ABC Commercial, Lynley Marshall, said the app marked the start of a new phase of digital products developed for pre-school children.

“Story Cloud encompasses many of the things that have made ABC For Kids so popular with parents for more than two decades.  It is a beautifully designed and easy-to-use application that I’m sure will bring joy to many families”. 

Ms Marshall said Story Cloud would be followed by more pre-school educational products that had been designed especially for tablet use.

Story Cloud is initially available only on Samsung devices.  

The application will be more widely released for use on other android tablets and smart phones later in the year.  

Samsung tablets will also be available from ABC Shop Online and selected ABC Shops.

Just in time for a great line up of Christmas and summer viewing, ABC iview will today launch on the Xbox LIVE platform.

The launch of ABC iview on Xbox LIVE marks the beginning of a new level of interactivity between Australian audiences and their TV. For the first time, through Kinect for Xbox 360, fans of ABC iview will be able to search, browse and select programs to watch simply by using their voice or waving their hand.

This significant new platform for ABC iview is giving Australians yet another way to watch their favourite ABC TV shows, streamed at a time that suits them, on the living room screen. It’s a family-focused, social and accessible way to enjoy hundreds of programs from across all of ABC TV’s channels.

Once viewers have downloaded the ABC iview app on the Xbox console, they will have access to the biggest news, children’s programming, dramas and documentaries such as Upstairs Downstairs, Sunday Best, Play School, Dr Who Xmas Special and Bananas in Pyjamas, all screened full-length and ad free.

Director of ABC Television, Kim Dalton says “We have a wonderful slate of programming for 2012, and through ABC iview, it will be the most accessible content in the country. ABC TV has led the way in delivering content across an array of platforms and devices and now our audience will have greater access to iview streamed into their own homes, on their own TV screens available to watch whenever they want.”

ABC iview is the popular online, on demand catch-up TV service from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), available on computers, mobile devices, connected TVs, gaming consoles and other connected platforms.