posted: Friday, October 24, 2008
The President of Catholic Religious Australia, Sr Clare Condon SGS, has voiced her concern at the axeing of Radio National's The Religion Report. This was done in a letter to the ABC's Manging Director, Mr Mark Scott, dated October 20. The text of the letter follows ...
Dear Mr Scott
I write to voice my concern regarding the decision of the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) to discontinue broadcasting "The Religion Report" on Radio National.
This programme consistently provides high-quality, independent reporting and analysis on the diverse realities of religion in Australian society. This particular type of analytical reporting is not evident in any other broadcasting outlet.
Radio National caters for a broad range of listeners across all age groups. It is of concern that the decision to discontinue this service seems to have ignored the first point of the ABC Charter which is: to provide within Australia innovative and comprehensive broadcasting services of a high standard as part of the Australian broadcasting... without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to provide:
(i) broadcasting programs that contribute to a sense of national identity and inform and entertain, and reflect the cultural diversity of, the Australian community; and
(ii) broadcasting programs of an educational nature;
The media, I believe, seems to significantly under-estimate the relevance of religion and spirituality in the lives of the Australian people, I also believe that the power of such a programme to educate the Australian community in regard to its religious cultural diversity has seriously been overlooked. Therefore, I respectfully ask that this decision be reviewed.
Yours sincerely
(signed)
Sr Clare Condon SGS
President
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