Australia Network, the ABC’s Asian cable television service for expat Australians and Asians interested in Australian culture, is coming under increasing fire from viewers for its deteriorating coverage of AFL. Despite repeated calls from viewers across the region−from Vietnam, to Hong Kong, to India−and despite promises to adjust its schedule by June 6, the network continues to broadcast Australian Rules games at 2-3am or not broadcast games at all.
A Victorian viewer living in Bangladesh described the scheduling as “an insult to both Australians and Asians hoping to learn about Australia.” He added that Australia Network had made explicit promises to viewers in the Asia Pacific region to resolve the AFL coverage problems by June 6, with those promises being repeatedly broken. Local carriers in a number of Asian cities have expressed disappointment in the network’s sports coverage this year, with some claiming “People only watch it for sports. Now they refuse to broadcast sports. (We) are losing many Australian subscribers.”
Australia Network, in defending the broadcast times of AFL games, argued it was not a sports channel and that its remit was to introduce Australian culture to the region. Why then the network chose to screen a documentary about Russian orphans adopted by Canadian families−twice−
It is unclear how Australia Network might consider stories about Canadians adopting Russian orphans to be more reflective of Australian culture than the country’s national football code. It is also unclear how the network claims to be providing appropriate broadcasting services to either of its constituencies−
The June 14-15 schedule might shed some light on the worsening state of scheduling Australia Network viewers are experiencing. The following is the network’s line up in Bangladeshi time (three hours behind AEST). On the same night, the Saints played Sydney in a vital AFL match at 7pm in Sydney and Hawthorn beat Adelaide in a thriller.
18:00 Asia Pacific Focus
News show
18:30 Great Outdoors
Repeated screening of Luxor and Vanuatu episode already screened at least twice during the previous week. Features Molly Meldrum acting the ‘goat’ in Egypt
19:00 Rugby Union Test Matches 2008
South Africa v Wales Game 2
21:00 Foreign Correspondent
Current affairs presented by Mark Corcoran
21:30 RPA: Where Are They Now?
Awful program involving surgical procedures and excessive shots of exposed internal organs and body parts
22:30 From Russia For Love
Two Canadian couples adopt Russian orphans−taking them away in tears from their siblings in the process.
23:30 News
News from Australia and the Asia Pacific region
June 15
00:00 Asia Pacific Focus
Repeat from same night
00:30 Foreign Correspondent
Repeat from same night
01:00 Enough Rope With Andrew Denton
Interview with Terri Irwin−close to one year old
01:30 Nexus - Weekend Edition
Frivolous, childish program aiming to teach Asian viewers English. This episode featured a story about a guy from Sydney who couldn’t sing getting singing lessons.
02:00 Cheney’s Law
Long-running documentary about Dick Cheney’s influence on Iraq War decision-making
03:00 From Russia For Love
Repeat from same night. The Australia Network lists this program with “What happens when two Western couples adopt Russian orphans?” We already know−it was on a few hours ago.
03:50 (UNLISTED)
Juvenile cartoon about a caveman who lives in the sea – repeat from earlier in the evening, and so embarrassing as a programming item that it was not listed either time it was screened on the network’s website.
04:00 Two Days in October
Boring documentary about a Vietnam War battalion from Wisconsin, and something about their 1967 yearbook
