The ABC stays afloat in a ‘sea of content’

As the sharks of Netflix and Disney+ circle, the Good Ship Aunty manages to repel boarders and somehow find new islands of audience, according to MD David Anderson.

According to ABC Managing Director David Anderson the biggest threat to the ABC is not digital streaming, but how their audience perceives them. He said, ‘We face the challenge of not just keeping up with technology advancement but with the Australian audience’s expectations of accessing that content. Because the alternative is that they go straight to international media and I fear for an Australia where we’re educating our kids through YouTube.’

Anderson fronted a panel as part of the Digital Directions conference held at the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) alongside leaders of the National Library of Australia, National Archives, Australian National University and the NFSA. It would seem like strange bedfellows for the national broadcaster but Anderson linked all of these institutions through trust – he cited a recent survey that put public trust in the ABC at 80 per cent.

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George Dunford
About the Author
George Dunford is Content Director at ArtsHub and Screenhub. He has written for Meanjin, The Big Issue, Lonely Planet, The Good Food Guide and others. He has worked in digital leadership roles in the cultural sector for more than 10 years including at the National Library of Australia, National Museum of Australia and the Wheeler Centre. Twitter: @Hack_packer Instagram: george.dunford LinkedIn: george-dunford